Music in games often be a subtle touch compared to the rest of the gameplay experience, or it can be one of the centerpiece features of a game. Whether it’s just to provide background for fighting the bad guys, or to accentuate a moment of high emotion, music is an often overlooked but highly impactful part of modern games. 2020’s video game soundtracks emphasized that notion in a variety of ways. Whether it’s the soothing sounds of Liyue to help encourage exploring, or the pulse-pounding heartbeat of Night City to keep players' eyes on the prize, 2020’s offering of original and licensed soundtracks did not disappoint by any means.
It’s no secret that 2020 played host to plenty of stellar new games, but the scores to come from a lot of these games were even more fantastic. Unique twists on existing tracks inFinal Fantasy 7 RemakeorPersona 5 Royalenriched existing soundtracks greatly. Original compositions in surprise hits likeHadesandGenshin Impactprovided fresh and unique video game music that, in many ways, is unlike anything else out there. Sequels likeThe Last of Us 2andSpider-Man: Miles Moralesbrought even more new sounds to established franchises. Here are the best video game soundtracks and scores to come out of 2020.
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Cyberpunk 2077
CD Projekt Red’s twofold approach withoriginal and licensed music inCyberpunk 2077matches the tone of the game expertly. Multiple genres of traditional hip-hop sounds, raw DIY punk rock, retrowave/outrun synths, and bumping EDM comprise the licensed soundtrack quite well. Choices of artists like Run the Jewels mixed in with Grimes emphasize a soundtrack that’s authentic to an alternate, dystopian timeline. These artist choices aren’t futuristic in terms of modern music taste, but rather a retro-futuristic interpretation of what music would’ve been in the disturbing future thatCyberpunk 2077depicts.
That’s without even mentioning the artful compositions of the original score. Thick synth lines and drums, mixed in with deep bass lines, makeCyberpunk 2077’s soundtrack simultaneously foreboding and rebellious. Apt for a characters like V and Johnny Silverhand, who prefer not to play by the rules.
Doom Eternal
Mick Gordon’s award-winning orchestrations from the 2016Doomreboot became instantly iconic just a few years ago, but he came real close to outdoing himself withDoom Eternal’s soundtrack. Even in spite of the unfortunate controversy that wouldeventually lead to Mick Gordon’s split from id Software, many of the tracks inDoom Eternal’s score still capture the essence of being and becoming a badass demon hunter artfully. If ever there was a song that could giveDoom2016’s “BFG Division” a run for its money, it’d be another Mick Gordon orchestration likeDoom Eternal’s “The Only Thing They Fear Is You.”
Final Fantasy 7 Remake
Reimagining one of the most iconic games of all time is one thing, but to overhaul one of the greatest video game soundtracks of all time is an even more impressive feat. The originalFinal Fantasy 7is home to some of the most iconic musical themes of all time: Aerith’s Theme, Cosmo Canyon, Those Who Fight Further, and especially One Winged Angel. While it’s hard to top the iconic tones ofFinal Fantasy 7’s soundtrack,Final Fantasy 7 Remake’s score still goes above and beyond. Masashi Hamauzu, Mitsuto Suzuki, Yasunori Nishiki, and many other composers' interpretations of Nobuo Uematsu’s work is a masterclass in reimagining an iconic score.
Even in its first episodic release,Final Fantasy 7 Remakenot only beautifully refines existing tracks, but also introduces several new musical themes that are just as fantastic and fit well alongside the game’s existing tracks. Beautiful renditions ofFinal Fantasy 7’s original soundtrack are spliced throughout the remake, even with thematic call backs toCompilation of Final Fantasy 7media likeAdvent Children. A prime example of a beautifully remade song would be The Airbuster boss theme, whereas The Whispers' Theme is a fantastic song original to the remake. For as much as the remake is a love letter toFinal Fantasy 7, the soundtrack is especially so.
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The Last of Us 2
Gustavo Santaolalla’s haunting sound returned forThe Last of Us 2’s soundtrack, and the melancholy twangs of the strings were just as foreboding as ever. The mix of singing strings, juxtaposed with the ambient soundscapes between tense moments,makeThe Last of Us2’s score subtly impactful. In some moments it may even be hard to keep track of, but the score in Naughty Dog’s sequel elevates key moments where the tension or emotion is high.
Mac Quayle and Santaolalla’s orchestrations do a perfect job of highlighting moments without interrupting them, striking a perfectly subtle emotional balance. Plus,the inclusion of “Future Days” by Pearl Jamas a thematic element was just as impactful as the rest of the soundtrack.
Ghost of Tsushima
Capturing such an authentic Japanese sound inGhost of Tsushimawas a big highlight of the gameplay experience. Ilan Eshkeri and Shigeru Umebayashi’s orchestrations sound like something that would’ve come out of a high-budget Hollywood samurai movie, and even that is underselling their work. Mixing the traditional sounds of Japanese instrumentals with the pulsing beats and strings of film scoresmakesGhost of Tsushima’s soundtrack truly epic. Examples like Lord Shimura’s theme or “The Way of the Samurai” exemplify this truly awesome mixture of sounds that comes together to highlight Jin Sakai’s harrowing journey.
Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Following the thematic leitmotifs used inSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,Miles Morales' score marries hip-hop and trap beats with traditional heroic orchestrations. Building off the work he did on PS4’sSpider-Man, composer John Paesano returned toorchestrate theMiles Moralespermutation of his iconicSpider-Mansoundtrack. Like the animated film, a variety of 808s and trap beats are injected into the blaring hero’s orchestra of the original game.
All of the character themes and roaming themes throughoutSpider-Man: Miles Moralesfeel authentic to Miles' character and his version ofSpider-Man. The cinematic range and variety of this score is truly impressive. Plus, the original songs like Lecrae’s “Where We Come From” are a perfect match alongside the game’s original score.
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Hades
Supergiant games has garnered a reputation for not only creating great games, but also crafting incredible soundtracks to match them.Hadesis certainly no different in that regard, mixing traditional Greek Bouzouki strings with modern electronic bass and ethereal harmonies echoing in the background of it all. The experience players get from exploring throughoutHades' version of the Greek Underworld is definitely enhanced by the score immensely. Mixing ghastly and almost frightening tones alongside pulse-pounding boss battle themes helpskeep pace with the game’s roguelike intensity quite well.
Persona 5 Royal
At first glance, it may seem unusual thatPersona 5is once again being praised in 2020 for its undeniably fantastic soundtrack. However, alongsidePersona 5 Royal’s definitive extra content comes a slew of new compositions by Shoji Meguro that are some of the best songs in the entirePersonafranchise.Persona 5is known for its unique acid jazz inspired soundtrack, but the many new songs interspersedthroughoutPersona 5 Royalstrengthen the soundtrack even further. Whether it’s the height of hype invoked by the new “Take Over” battle theme, or the vast improvements of Mementos' monotonous theme,Persona 5 Royal’s new songs deserve recognition.
Genshin Impact
If there’s anything that will catch players by surpriseinGenshin Impact, more than any five-star character pull, would be the game’s live symphony soundtrack. Fighting enemies, visiting various towns, and exploring the world ofGenshin Impactis accentuated by a wondrous live soundtrack produced by the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra.
The game’s developer miHoYo took a page out of Square Enix’s book withDragon Quest’s live orchestra soundtracks, which in turn created one of the most iconic video game soundtracks altogether. Whether it’s the charming “A Day in Mondstadt” theme that greats players entering the city for the first time, or the epic orchestrations like “Symphony of Boreal Wind,“Genshin Impact’s soundtrack captures the essence of its wondrous fantasy world impeccably.
There were a ton of other highlights to come from this year as well, ranging from examples likeAnimal Crossing: New Horizons,Streets of Rage 4,Ori and the Will of the Wisps, toThe Pathless.However, these were some of the best examples of the incredible video game soundtracks in 2020.
