10/230
@MaxGalactica
ICO - Castle in the Mist
Michiru Oshima
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mW23zyx28OQ
Here is the other 9+ Id heard before. Castle in the Mist is an acoustic guitar-driven track (or at least e-guitar) thats so richly evocative. Its a masterpiece of minimal sound design. It conveys a sense of emptiness as well as a palpable feeling of loss. Despite having a 10 and now this, I dont really know much about this game, but this assessment seems to strike at the core of its presentation. I honestly struggle to imagine a part in gameplay where this could logically play, so Im guessing its cutscene music of some kind? Either way, very powerful song.
9/214
@skulltrumpets
Minecraft - The End
C418
https://youtu.be/ZKT5RO-C-jw?si=nkPt9fqBDpe4HhSR
You knew it had to show up sooner or later. The End is, I believe, the longest song in the entire ranking, clocking in at a whopping fifteen minutes and four seconds. Its a medley of some of C418s other Minecraft pieces, which I didnt realize at the time, but that doesnt dull its impact for me. Over its impressive runtime, the song mostly focuses on immersive, climactic, grandiose sound that still manages to feel simple. Theres some glitch, particularly at the beginning, but the first half of the song is big ambient energy, and the second half is more subdued ambient energy. Its hard to describe The End without being reductive. I know this type of music isnt everybodys thing, so I imagine most of you wont be interested in listening, but if you go into with then mindset of this song is an experience, I think you wont be disappointed.
8/172
@Not_an_Owl
Cyberpunk 2077 - You Shall Never Have To Forgive Me Again
P.T. Adamczyk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ue3s-hNNFvo
Spooky horror ambience from a non-horror game! Although this song is more melodic than most spooky horror ambience. It starts out dark and moody, but then this killer beat kicks in and propels me across the rest of its runtime. Were three for three in the top ten for immersive music and I know Im repeating myself but its one of the best words I can think of for this track. Its gripping from the second I hit play, very dramatic music. Great pick!
~ 9.5/10 ~
7/146
bea
Pokmon Platinum - Battle Factory
Hitomi Sato
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4_VJ3wPkVs
A few years ago I realized I knew very little Pokmon music. I made a ranking topic with over 150 Pokmon songs. (The winner was Sky Tower.) It was fun and allbut where the hell was
this
? Holy crap. While Battle Factory is suitably lacking in, well, factory noises, it more than makes up for it with that overwhelming, crunchy bass. Holy hell. It sounds like someones tapping on a microphone. I didnt know I needed that particular sensation in my auditory life, but apparently I was ignorant to the truth. The rest of the song is catchy and quirky, with lots of personality. bea said she assumed this one would place the highest of her noms but I think shell be surprised to see this quite so high great, great pick.
6/106
@Disillusion
Mad Rat Dead - MAD RAT, DIE
Camellia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZ3zTzglIlc
My note on this says, I see Dis came to play.
Mad Rat Dead is a soundtrack Ive historically been a bit lukewarm on. Breath of Forest doesnt do anything for me, and while Ive found some other songs I like, I remained immune to the hype.
Notice how remained is in past tense. Holy jesus. This songthis song broke me in the best possible ways. MAD RAT, DIE takes my love of intense final boss themes, my love of glitch, and my love of impossible to follow time signatures and combines them into this mess of a package. And it works! It all works. I get chills every time I listen to this. It blows every other MRD song Ive heard totally out of the water. Camellia is a composer Im vaguely familiar with, but I dont recall ever being as into their work as I am this. I listened to this early and it was genuinely a contender to win the whole thing (of course, then I listened to five songs I liked more). Thank you for this one. Hot damn!
-
9TH PLACE: MaxGalactica
Average rating: 7.1
Average ranking: 2666
Your lucky song: Deemo - Reincarnation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMCWuEZzBL4
8TH PLACE: Not_an_Owl
Average rating: 6.9
Average ranking: 2881
Your lucky song: Mad Rat Dead - Dark Fear
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdYehwvgKVw
7TH PLACE: bea
Average rating: 7.4
Average ranking: 2810
Your lucky song: Super Kiwi 64 - Desert
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIG_W7WSc2I
6TH PLACE: Disillusion
Average rating: 7.7
Average ranking: 2185
Your lucky song: Mega Man Zero 3 - Cannon Ball
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9_KLdeaijs
Thank you all for nominating!