When it comes to video game soundtracks, I’m something of an old-head. I often complain that modern game soundtracks all sound like film scores – perfectly serviceable mood music, but instantly forgettable and lacking any real personality. I miss the bygone days when hardware limitations pushed composers to make the most out of what little they had to work with, resulting in some instantly iconic and memorable tunes.

Now, I recognize that this sort of complaint is firmly rooted in old-man-itis, an offshoot of the age-old complaint that “they don’t make ‘em like they used to” (see also: “why did they stop making good music right around the time I graduated high school?”).

So, in an effort to battle my own curmudgeonly bias, I decided to compile a list of (relatively) recent video games whose soundtracks retain that iconic, memorable quality that I value so much.

Deltarune

If anyone deserves to have their music on this list, it’s Toby Fox. Every piece of music that he writes is just dripping with personality, whether it’s a main character’s theme or a stinger for a one-off joke.

One of Fox’s biggest strengths is his command of leitmotifs, giving characters and locations little musical themes and then placing those themes in different musical contexts throughout the game to color our understanding of those characters and locations. He uses this to great effect in Deltarune Chapter 1, giving us several different takes on Lancer’s and Susie’s themes as their characters develop over the course of the story.

I’ll be honest, I haven’t gotten around to playing the recently-released chapters 3 and 4 of the game yet, but the first two chapters have already firmly cemented the game into this list.

Highlights – Rude Buster, BIG SHOT

Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth

You might think at first that this selection is a bit of a cop-out, since a decent portion of the soundtrack is borrowed from a 30-year-old game. While that may be true, even if you were to remove every song that appeared in the original Final Fantasy VII, you would still be left with a full video game’s worth of incredible music, ranging from the classy jazz of a Queen’s Blood match to an honest-to-god white boy rap in the middle of a boss battle.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is one of the most audacious, maximalist games I’ve ever played. It’s hard to believe that any soundtrack would be able to match the energy of every wacky minigame, over-the-top action setpiece, and heartfelt character moment, but the music team at Square Enix managed to pull it off with flying colors.

Highlights – Kyrie’s Theme (There’s A New Merc), The Gus Funk

Everhood

I feel like this game flew under a lot of people’s radars, which is a shame because it’s one of my favorite games of the decade so far. In case you haven’t heard of it, the elevator pitch is “Undertale meets Guitar Hero,” where you fight a series of colorful characters while dodging attacks in time with the music.

The soundtrack isn’t quite as varied as the other entries on this list (if you’re not a fan of EDM, you probably won’t have a great time), but what it lacks in variety it makes up for in sheer psychedelic weirdness. Ever wonder what it might sound like to battle a mushroom god? Or a disgruntled ATM machine? Or the universe itself? You can find out if you play Everhood.

It’s difficult to make a song that works as both a piece of music and a boss battle, but the developers and musicians at Foreign Gnomes filled the entire game with tracks that are as fun to listen to as they are to fight against.

Highilghts – Tinnitus Dance, WHY OH YOU ARE L-O-V-E

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

In a game market that has become oversaturated with cozy games, Animal Crossing: New Horizons still stands out as one of the pinnacles of the genre. The game’s wonderfully chill vibes come from many different parts of its design, but I would argue that one of the biggest contributors is the soundtrack. What better accompaniment to your leisurely island maintenance than some lazy strums of an acoustic guitar and the occasional marimba?

In addition to the island ambience, there are also dozens of collectible songs within the game written and performed by fan favorite K. K. Slider. Many of these songs are more on the esoteric side (I doubt that many people were clamoring for K. K. to do a Russian march or a polka song), but it does mean that there’s something for just about everyone here.

Highlights: – Island Life Orientation 5, Bubblegum K.K.

Anthology of the Killer

Don’t let its looks deceive you – this weird, scribbly little walking simulator was one of my personal Game Of The Year contenders last year. The overall presentation is simply unlike anything else I’ve ever seen, and that goes for the music as much as anything else. The mixture of electronic ambience and weirdly nostalgic MIDI samples juxtaposes sharply with the horrifying things that happen to the characters, giving the whole game a dreamlike feeling where you can’t quite tell if it’s supposed to be a nightmare or not.

Highlights: Storm, Cold Slime

And there you have it, proof that video game soundtracks can still kick ass. If you, like me, yearn for the earworms of yesteryear, I hope that this list reminds you that they do still make ‘em like they used to, you just have to know where to find them.

Are there any other recent soundtracks that you think deserve to be on this list? Head on over to our Discord and join the conversation!

Featured Image: Square Enix

Boss Rush Podcast – A Podcast about Video Games

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