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Perhaps one of the most criminally underrated aspects of video game creation, a great soundtrack can enhance an already great game and story to potent new levels. This past year was full of video game soundtracks that did just that, and it’s only fair that the best video game soundtracks of 2023 and their composers get due credit for these impressive feats of music.
10. Pikmin 4
Composer: Asuka Hayazaki, Kenta Nagata, and Soshi Abe.
The soundtrack of Pikmin 4 captivates much in the same way its gameplay does. It’s the connective tissue between a world that is as plucky, bright, and oftentimes mysterious as the notes that waft through every score. It doesn’t necessarily outdo any of the other very impressive soundtracks of its predecessor games, but it stands strong, regardless.
9. Starfield
Composer: Inon Zur
Inon Zur’s outstanding composition for the Starfield soundtrack propels it into… well… the stars. Zur masterfully captures the expansiveness and awe of space exploration, infusing even the game’s duller moments with an intense sci-fi depth that enriches every texture. For a game pushing the scope that Starfield does, it’s important that the soundtrack adequately captures every ethereal and alien terrain to add that extra feeling of foreign traversal, and Zur does a great job of that here.
8. Lies of P
Composer: Yeakun Yoo
Yoo’s musical ability is evident in the Lies of P score’s knack for seamlessly immersing players into the game’s dark fantasy themes and disturbing gothic European streets. The soundtrack’s dynamic range, innovative use of instrumentation, and emotional resonance go a long way towards matching the game’s undeniable FromSoftware influence, enhancing the overall impact of Lies of P as one of the best Souls-like games in recent years.
7. Baldur’s Gate 3
Composer: Borislav Slavov
Borislav Slavov’s composition for the Baldur’s Gate 3 soundtrack elevates the fantasy RPG to extraordinary heights. Slavov skillfully weaves the rich orchestral compositions that are very much expected in this type of media into tracks that encapsulate each wild landscape that players traverse through in the Forgotten Realms. While it is ultimately a product of its tropes, it’s performing at the highest level.
6. Octopath Traveler 2
Composer: Yasunori Nishiki
Nishiki’s soundtrack to Octopath Traveler 2 continues his habits from the original with compositions that move seamlessly from light and beautiful to intense and breathtaking. It evokes the spirit of adventure present in the game’s massively interwoven story. Nishiki’s ability to craft melodies that resonate with both nostalgia and fantasy elements easily lands Octopath Travelers 2 as one of the best video game soundtracks of 2023.
5. The Lamplighter’s League
Composer: Jon Everist
Jon Everist’s compositions for The Lamplighter’s League have all the elements necessary for a story in this noir thriller/mystery genre. It’s a sound that is familiar to all yet difficult to get right, and Everist manages that here in a way that still feels unique to The Lamplighter’s League. If a story like the one in this game doesn’t have a soundtrack that’s a little bit James Bond and a little bit Indiana Jones then it’s coming out worse for wear, but these songs deliver.
4. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Composer: Stephen Barton and Gordy Haab
The Star Wars Jedi: Survivor soundtrack seamlessly blends the iconic Star Wars motifs that are necessary for any score within this franchise with new ideas from Barton and Haab that do an amazing job transporting the player into that galaxy far, far away. There’s a diversity and intensity on display in the sounds here that showcase why Barton and Haab were brought back for this amazing sequel.
3. The Legend of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom
Composer: Manaka Kataoka
It was almost a foregone conclusion long before Tears of the Kingdom actually hit shelves that its soundtrack was going to be iconic. The Legend of Zelda series has consistently delivered some of the greatest and most innovative soundtracks in video games since the NES days, and Manaka Kataoka is continuing that streak with this latest body of work. This era of the franchise can be noted in how its music reflects the soft and ambient aesthetic of its visuals, giving even the game’s more sinister environments an almost woozy quality.
2. The Invincible
Composer: Brunon Lubas
A video game adaptation of one of Stanisław Lem’s most iconic works of sci-fi literature naturally requires a soundtrack that matches the ethereal, foreign, and astronomically exotic nature of the story. Brunon Lubas delivers with a soundtrack that is as haunting and mysterious as the game itself. The tracks on The Invincible utilize beautiful piano and synth chords combined with walls of digital sound and the end result is a sci-fi soundtrack that can go toe-to-toe with any other.
1. Final Fantasy 16
Composer: Masayoshi Soken
Masayoshi Soken’s composition for the Final Fantasy 16 soundtrack is a symphonic triumph, elevating the iconic franchise, already known for some of the best video game music ever produced, to new heights. The soundtrack’s ability to seamlessly blend traditional Final Fantasy melodies with innovation showcases Soken’s musical prowess, making it no surprise at all that this game has topped many lists and brought home many awards for the best video game soundtrack of 2023.
