5. Silent Hill 2
Much like the game itself, the soundtrack to Silent Hill 2 is not particularly enjoyable. It’s eerie, unnerving and just generally makes its listeners feel uncomfortable, in spite of some rather pleasant melodies. What better music to accompany a survival horror title? Silent Hill 2 is considered one of the most influential and accomplished survival horror games ever made, and the soundtrack is certainly a part of this success. With an ambient nature and a series of unique and disturbing timbres, the soundtrack to Silent Hill 2 is worth remembering.
4. Katamari Damacy
The game is just absolutely nuts, and the music follows suit. Any game that involves a rolling ball swallowing the world requires a suitable soundtrack, and the music to Katamari Damacy delivers. With a J-pop score full of bonkers skat vocals and crazy melodies, the Katamari Damacy soundtrack is instantly recognizable and instantly enjoyable.
3. Vib Ribbon
The only PS1 era game on this list, Vib Ribbon was a unique and fascinating rhythm action game that was notable for how it could create new levels out of the player’s CD collection. By throwing your albums into your PS1, new levels would be made to the tempo and beats of your tracks that you would have to guide the pencil drawn protagonist, Vibri, through. In all the excitement of custom soundtracks many forgot that the game had pre-made levels with an absolutely kicking J-pop soundtrack. This comes with an advanced warning for being extremely catchy; maybe too catchy.
2. Rez
Rez was a game designed to explore the sensory condition know as synaesthesia, whereby stimulation of one sense triggers involuntary simulation of another unrelated sense. Rez captures this perfectly with an intriguing fusion between rhythm based on rails shooting action and a pumping trance and drum and bass soundtrack. The music is intriguing enough on its own, but its progressing layers and link to the unique visual elements of the game make it a delightful and intoxicating attack on all of the senses.
1. Gitaroo Man
It’s a game about a guitar playing superhero. How could the soundtrack be anything less than awesome? J-Rock band COIL provide a fantastic set of tracks that probably trump the repertoire of most modern bands hands down. I describe them as a rock group, but they manage to cross through all sorts of styles from reggae to techno and acoustic music, granting Gitaroo Man one of the most diverse soundtracks I’ve ever heard. If you haven’t played this beautiful gem, then there is no time like the present.
Honourable mentions include: Braid, Space Channel 5, Jet Set Radio Future and Mario Galaxy 2.
Any awesome soundtracks of the noughties that have been missed? Let us know in the comments below.
