Personally, I’m a huge fan of Hollow Knight, Ori and the (Blind Forest/Will of the Wisps), and Kingdom Hearts. Orchestral soundtracks are just something else…
Both the Nier games have amazing soundtracks that I listen to frequently.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits is also great although I don’t really listen to it on its own. It really makes the game feel much more impactful while playing.
Nier automata has a great soundtrack, i haven’t played the newer one yet, but Drakengard 3 has some great songs on it, if you haven’t played it its meant to come before nier world lore wise.
Also gotta give a shoutout to World of Warcraft, got some massive nostalgia from that soundtrack
I actually got Drakenguard 3 running on my steam deck recently, it runs surprisingly well. I could immediately tell the game was gonna have great music based on the opening animation.
I find Nier replicant is good only after you make it past the first one or two hours. Too many fetch quests for me.
I will say drakengard 3 was one of the grindiest games ive played haha, dont wanna spoil anything though so thats all ill say. But its worth it the story is good if you like yoko taros type of storytelling. Theres a 60 fps patch i used but idk if steam deck is good enough for that, my old pc could barely handle it at 60fps with an i5-6600k and rx480
I think the Elder Scrolls games all have great music, but Morrowind’s OST has always stood out as amazing. Hearing that opening soundtrack immediately sends me back to playing it for the first time!
Chrono Trigger
Final Fantasy 6 (the opera aria was played at my wedding)
Castlevania 3, specifically the six channel Famicom version
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
I’m old, if you couldn’t tell
Hollow Knight
Omori
Doom 2016 and eternal
Mario odyssey
Terraria
Resident evil 4
Deathloop
Bloodborne
Nier Automata
Spectre tourment
Crypt of the necrodancer
Amnesia a machine for pigs
Metroid prime
Persona 5
Guilty gear strive
Undertale
Cuphead
These are all of my favorites personally. Omori or hollow knight being the best.
I second Omori so damn much. One of the only games that could bring me to tears.
All-timer has to go to Chrono Trigger. Absolutely incredible soundtrack from start to finish.
Finally playing that game and the music blew me away.
Ori and the Blind Forest’s ost is phenomenal.
I think all of the Supergiant Games have great soundtrack. Transistor was what got me into their games, and it was the soundtrack that caught my attention first.
Kingdom hearts had some amazing original pieces and spins on classics.
One of my fav from the piano collection; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqmBRC6IOAs&t=11
Of course Halo 1, 2 and 3 aaand sims 2.
I’ve been listening to some choice tracks from Final Fantasy XIV, mostly from the big epic finales. I probably should be excited for XVI, but I just reaaally don’t trust the action JRPG setup.
However, an even better soundtrack to me is Ori and the Blind Forest, as you mentioned - it has some epic bangers to it, but it’s also an incredible soundtrack even for the calm, peaceful tracks playing while exploring.
Credit to Nier Automata for what it’s worth…there’s some tracks I really like in there on their own, but…I honestly feel like those really good tracks just don’t often fit the gameplay. They have some hard-hitting vocal tracks playing while 2B is wandering the city or standing around, and it really warps the feel of the pacing. I mention it because it’s just an interesting example to me of “good music” not actually fitting as a soundtrack.
Second FFXIV
There’s a lot of them, but Hollow Knight’s OST Dark Souls III, HotlineMiami 1/2 and Momodora Reverie Under the Moonlight are my favorites.
Persona 4 and Xenoblade 2 are my top 2
Outer Wilds. Yeah it’s one of the greatest games ever made, but would it be so good without that soundtrack? Debatable.
I petitioned to play something from it at my actual wedding (sadly was overruled), and I know I’m not the only one.
I know! It’s such a good ost! I think one of my favorite songs for it, although not from the ost, is Andrew Prahlow’s Outer Wild - Reprise single. It’s got aspects of all different main themes and is just overall an amazing piece
I can barely make it 30 seconds into that one without tearing up and I’m not ashamed to admit it.
All the soundtracks Darren Korb makes for Supergiant. Hades resonates more with me as it’s the one I’ve played the most, but I’m also a huge fan of Transistor’s.
Pyre is a sleeper hit, soundtrack included. The way the credits song dynamically adapts to your decisions is incredible.
Outer Wilds Journey Flower Abzu Shadow of the Colossus The last Guardian Mass effect Metal Gear Solid Undertale Thomas Was Alone What Remains of Edith Finch Dear Esther Firewatch No Man’s Sky Death Stranding
I really like video game soundtracks :)
Far too many to list, but Final Fantasy IX’s soundtrack is a tremendous work of art, and a perfect final bow for Nobuo Uematsu from the series. It’s always stuck with me among nearly ever other soundtrack.
Notable Mentions (in no order):
- Sonic 2 and 3&K
- Hotline Miami 1 & 2
- Street Fighter 2
- Nier Automata
- Castlevania (Whole Damn Series)
- Donkey Kong Country & 2
- Doom I & II
- Undertale
- Freedom Planet
- Golden Sun 1 & 2
- Hollow Knight
- Skyrim
- Kirby Series
- Mario Series
- MegaMan 2 & 3 (Shout-out to The Megas)
- Super Meat Boy
And so many others, but I’ll be here all day if I keep going.
NieR: Automata
The Weight of the World
Japanese version!! Like dang the emotion the singer carried into the song and the director allowed it to go official. It bring tears to my old soul more than the story itself.