The dawn of Fall / Spooky season is upon us folks, and it couldn’t arrive a moment too soon. The summer has been sweltering. The people have been insane. The world has… well, it’s still spinning, and we still have that, but who’s to say for how long or to what end?
Anyway, as much comfort we might find personally, for creative introverts these months are actually somewhat of a gamble. We’re the kind of people that thrive in isolation, but also know that doesn’t apply to everyone. You know where we find a lot of middle ground? Videogames, and often their soundtracks as well.
We’re continuing define our quirky little space in covering OST’s and games in general, and while nothing is really set in stone, we think we’ve set the tone pretty well. We’re not sure we’d call it journalism yet, but hey, we could get there. Actually, did you happen to catch that Fecking Bahamas broke the news of Deus Ex: Mankind Divided’s expanded OST days before PC Gamer did? Check it out here.
See, told you we’re getting there – that being said it’s also important not to treat it like a competition. We’re happy to take our time and enjoy new games and OST’s the same way we do with our normal coverage. Sometimes it’s exhausting to watch the same headline get regurgitated across blogs and outlets just so everyone looks equally current and informed, so for the foreseeable future, we’ll keep it chaotic neutral. In fact, here’s a recently redone version of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater‘s titular theme song, featuring original vocalist Cynthia Harrell:
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Honestly both versions are great, but we’ll probably always prefer the OG. Harrell’s impassioned cries are still flawless of course, it’s just with the instrumental being a little low-key this time around that play into the whole ‘Konami played it too safe’ argument. Regardless, there weren’t as many OST’s available as we’d like, but without further ado, let’s hit play on some new and noteworthy bangers from Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, Metal Eden, Mafia: The Old Country, Sword of the Sea, and many more.
Metal Eden OST – Sonic Mayhem
Oh, hello again! One of the main brain’s behind Deus Ex: Mankind Divided‘s incredible soundtrack is back with more cyber flare, but this time there’s a bit more emphasis on pulse and repetition. Sometimes those words would be red flags, but in this context, it’s just right, and we already know that Sonic Mayhem makes the kind of stuff you can keep on repeat for hours at a time.
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Shinobi: Art of Vengeance OST – Tee Lopes, Yuzo Koshiro
Shinobi’s return to the mainstream sure is hitting the spot in more ways than one, but what we haven’t seen enough buzz about yet is its fully yoked soundtrack. It’s slick with modern production but retains, if not doubles down on the series’ SEGA-isms and traditional Japanese elements, which results in something really unique and easily appreciated on it’s own terms.
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Mafia: The Old Country OST – BT
Mama mía, that’s a spicy OST, and we’ll be damned if it isn’t immaculate produced to boot. Actually, maybe it has less to do with production as it does the utterly clandestine performance of BT’s compositions courtesy of the Czech National Symphony Orchestra. For a $50.00 game, it sure does come with a million dollar soundtrack, sure to be a chef’s kiss among the classically enthused among ye.
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No Man’s Sky – “Vostok / The Journey” by 65daysofstatic and Paul Weir
Laced Records used two of our least favorite adjectives back to back to describe this iteration from 65daysofstatic’s ever-evolving No Man’s Sky OST (those words are ‘bespoke’ and ‘handcrafted,’ if you must know), but it’s definitely one of the highlights of the soundtrack. Also, the mirror-like relationship between the two versions is really interesting, with Paul Weir taking things to transcendent, meditative highs and 65DOS imbuing their take with typically massive post-rock.
Sword of the Sea OST – Austin Wintory
People are still giving Clair Obscure: Expedition 33‘s massive orchestral soundtrack its flowers, but Sword of the Sea’s OST gives it some stunning competition. Like the game itself, Wintory’s score is utilizes familiar elements of past works (Abzu, The Pathless, and Eternal Strands) to achieve another level of transportive power.
Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest OST – Jason Graves
In a move that few expected but practically everyone loved, Chinese Room brought Still Wakes the Deep back to the surface with standalone adventure in the form of Siren’s Rest, and as you can hear, it’s soundtrack is positively dripping with oppressively, gorgeous, slow-burning atmosphere.
The Tales Principle: Tales Beyond Horizons OST – Damjan Mravunac
Mravunac’s beautifully layered OST is a lot like the puzzle game it finds itself conjured for – complex, yet accessible, and often even profound once you know what you’re looking for. Luckily, you don’t have to be good at the gameplay or logic in general to know you’ve got a soaring OST on your hands… er, in your ears?
The Knightling OST – Tumult Kollektiv
Speaking of Laced Records and beautiful moments, the Knightling OST is a remarkable breath of fresh air, mixing some really great production with a stirring original score that gives the new-school platformer a hint of old-school JRPG flavor, bringing the game’s already vibrant presentation to life.
Sid Meier’s Civilization VI OST – Christopher Tin, Geoff Knorr, Phill Boucher, Roland Rizzo
When you consider the scale of something like… well, civilization as a concept, you’re going to need something really grandiose to motivate the hundreds of thousands of people necessary to keep it going. And while it turns out people are starting to reject society in droves, we have a feeling when looting the place, the splendor of this soundtrack will protect it. It’s always fascinating to see how different composers represent different eras too, so history buffs and OST aficionados alike have their hands / ears full for some time.
Stick It To The Stickman – Jaybooty
Jaybooty contributed a lot to Anger Foot‘s unique style, and while here the BPM isn’t as high, there’s almost more going on, and we love it. The (slightly) reduced pace allow for something enigmatic to emerge, and while it’s slightly harder to understand, the increased dynamic makes it even easier to enjoy.
Herdling OST – Joel Schoch
Herdling’s OST is brimming with life, and we have a feeling that’s no accident. The thing is, with this level of intention and attention to detail, we know it’s going to bring us damn near to tears the second we lose a precious member of our wildlife family and one of these songs kick in.
Heretic + Hexen – Andrew Hulshult
The recently re-released boomer shooters are back as a single unit, and Hulshult’s punishing yet deliberately paced soundtrack is a big part of what makes their union so sensible.
(Thanks for reading! If you’re looking for more music, check out our Bandcamp compilations here. If you like us, or possibly even love us, donations are always appreciated at the Buy Me A Coffee page here, but if you’re in a generous mood you can also donate to folks like Doctors Without Borders, the PCRF, Charity Water, Kindness Ranch, One Tail at A Time, Canopy Cat Rescue, or Best Friends Animal Sanctuary that could probably use it more – click on their names above to check ‘em out if you’re so inclined. Thanks again!)