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Top 5 CRPG Soundtracks

jjstraka34jjstraka34 Member Posts: 9,850
edited December 2016 in Off-Topic
Fairly simple premise, but hard to nail down since there are so many to choose from, but here are mine:

5.) The Elder Scrolls: Morrowind - Jeremy Soule could get this nod for any number of games (his work on both Guild Wars soundtracks is almost as good as his Elder Scrolls work), but I think Morrowind's soundtrack stands out as his most iconic output. But among RPG composers, he has no peer.

4.) Divinity: Original Sin - The saddest thing about D:OS2 is that it won't have the great Kirill Pokrovsky to produce it's soundtrack, as he sadly passed away within the last year. The fact that it is the only relatively new game on the list speaks to how great it is.

3.) Baldur's Gate - You can argue about whether BG2 is a better game as a whole, but I don't think there is any question that BG1 has the superior soundtrack. Wandering around the wilderness of the Sword Coast would have meant far less without Michael Hoenig's soundtrack.

2.) Diablo - There are really only 5 tracks in Diablo. The legendary Tristram theme of course, but also increasingly claustrophobic industrial nightmares as you went further into the dungeon. D2 is also stellar in the soundtrack department, but the original work Matt Uelmen did here is a masterpiece of economy and mood. Special praise for the "Catacombs" portion

1.) Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven - A more magical and mystical set of high fantasy music I have never heard, and likely won't. The soundtrack to M&M 6 is what adventuring in a fantasy world SHOULD sound like. Paul Romero and his team are well-known for their work on Heroes 3, and it is justly praised. But nothing holds a candle to walking around New Sorpigal the first time hearing the enchanting themes that, more than anything, set the mood for this game. Absolutely perfect.

Comments

  • CrevsDaakCrevsDaak Member Posts: 7,155
    1. Ps:T
    2. IwD
    3. BG1 & SoA (can't decide myself)
    4. SoD (only heard the main menu one, but it's as good as ToB, and the rest of ToB's music is meh so dropping SoD here).
    5. ToB

    I have to admit I never played D2 with the music on. Seems like I should start doing so.
  • KamigoroshiKamigoroshi Member Posts: 5,870
    1. Torment: Tides of Numenera
    2. Planescape: Torment
    3. Morrowind
    4. Wasteland 2
    5. Temple of Elemental Evil

    All in all I prefer Mark Morgan over Jeremy Soule when it comes to music. But Jeremy's work on Morrowind nearly topped PS:T when it comes to enigmatic and outright alien sounds. And while the soundtrack of Icewind Dale, and especially Icewind Dale II for that matter, was fantastic as well... it just didn't cut the top five.
  • jjstraka34jjstraka34 Member Posts: 9,850
    CrevsDaak said:

    1. Ps:T
    2. IwD
    3. BG1 & SoA (can't decide myself)
    4. SoD (only heard the main menu one, but it's as good as ToB, and the rest of ToB's music is meh so dropping SoD here).
    5. ToB

    I have to admit I never played D2 with the music on. Seems like I should start doing so.

    An Infinity Engine clean sweep. They are all certainly worthy, but it's one of those things were, in my list, I had to pick one to represent the others. Again, D2 is only a SMIDGEN less to me than the first game. Skyrim and Oblivion have great soundtracks as well, it's just Morrowind nudged them out by a bit. It would be like me trying to pick my favorite Prince or David Bowie album. If push came to shove, I'd take "Purple Rain" and "Ziggy Stardust", but that means I have to leave off a half a dozen from each I like nearly as much.
  • semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
    1. Undertale
    2. Morrowind
    3. Skyrim
    4. Oblivion
    5. Icewind Dale

    Jeremy Soule is one the best game composers around, and he did all the music for most of the Elder Scrolls games as well as both Icewind Dale and Icewind Dale 2. But the Undertale soundtrack is the best I've heard of any game, including Donkey Kong Country 2 and Ocarina of Time, and DKC2 and OoT are legends.

    If this was about games in general and not CRPGs specifically, I'd put Koji Kondo and David Wise up there as well. A game's music is one of its most important attributes, and these composers made a massive impact on these games.
  • jjstraka34jjstraka34 Member Posts: 9,850

    1. Undertale
    2. Morrowind
    3. Skyrim
    4. Oblivion
    5. Icewind Dale

    Jeremy Soule is one the best game composers around, and he did all the music for most of the Elder Scrolls games as well as both Icewind Dale and Icewind Dale 2. But the Undertale soundtrack is the best I've heard of any game, including Donkey Kong Country 2 and Ocarina of Time, and DKC2 and OoT are legends.

    If this was about games in general and not CRPGs specifically, I'd put Koji Kondo and David Wise up there as well. A game's music is one of its most important attributes, and these composers made a massive impact on these games.

    The original Donkey Kong Country was the one of the times I REALLY noticed a soundtrack in the 16-bit era, especially the first underwater area. There was a time where I could beat that game blind-folded. I ended up doing challenge runs like "don't die" or "try to end with 99 lives". But aside from CRPGs, I would be remiss if I didn't mention both of the first two Monkey Island games, and their Caribbean/Calypso mixed with midi goodness.
  • GallengerGallenger Member Posts: 400
    edited December 2016
    1. Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines - seriously its music is just spectacular
    2. PS:T - Theme and variation for days
    3. Arcanum - Fits perfectly and is good to listen to on its own - there are also several live performances on YT to seek out.
    4. KOTOR 2 has some *really* solid non-SWs tracks
    5. Baldurs Gate 1
  • CrevsDaakCrevsDaak Member Posts: 7,155
    Gallenger said:

    1. Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines - seriously its music is just spectacular
    2. PS:T - Theme and variation for days
    3. Arcanum - Fits perfectly and is good to listen to on its own - there are also several live performances on YT to seek out.
    4. KOTOR 2 has some *really* solid non-SWs tracks
    5. Baldurs Gate 1

    Ooooh! I had forgotten so badly about KotOR2! It's music is amazing!
  • GallengerGallenger Member Posts: 400
    One of the best scenes in gaming :Dhttps://youtu.be/__gLIyeQYDU - just don't read the comments if you don't like spoilers lol.
  • Sylvus_MoonbowSylvus_Moonbow Member Posts: 1,085
    Gallenger said:

    One of the best scenes in gaming :Dhttps://youtu.be/__gLIyeQYDU - just don't read the comments if you don't like spoilers lol.

    Jedi Music?!?

    That's Aarin Gend's original Neverwinter Nights track. Who you trying to fool?

    ... or was Aarin really a Jedi?! O_o
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