Best Music
Previous Winners:
2013: Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA F
2014: Shovel Knight
2015: Splatoon
2016: Final Fantasy XV
2017 was a fantastic year for video game soundtracks. This is important as video game soundtracks can literally make or break the player’s immersion within a game. The competition for best OST this year is highly debatable and that was the case here at Operation Rainfall. However, we eventually managed to come to a consensus. Read on to find out what our best video game soundtracks of 2017 were.
Cyberdimension Neptunia: 4 Goddesses Online
NA Release Date: October 10th, 2017
Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 4
Review
Compile Heart have been improving the quality of their games as of late and one area this includes is their soundtracks. Ditching the techno pop-style OST of the mainline Neptunia entries, Cyberdimension Neptunia adopts a more orchestrated approach to fit the new environment of 4 Goddesses Online, a Sword Art Online-style MMO. The music works wonderfully to help capture this epic fantasy world giving this title a much different feel from other entries in the Neptunia series.
NieR: Automata
NA Release Date: March 7th, 2017
Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 4
Review
This OST, in many ways, is like going to the opera house. It greatly helps immerse players in the post-apocalyptic world of NieR: Automata in a variety of situations, from frantic combat situations to tearful scenes – of which this game has plenty of both. Composer Okabe Keiichi, as well as production company MONACA, have produced a fantastic soundtrack that is a feast for the ears especially with tracks like “A Beautiful Song” and “City Ruins”. This OST also has such a wide appeal it can catch the attention of those not into video games.
Persona 5
NA Release Date: April 4th, 2017
Platform(s): PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4
Review
The RPG that brought turn-based RPGs back into the mainstream gaming consensus also brought Persona’s unique brand of catchy, memorable music into the mainstream too. The theme of smooth jazz is pulled off very well, especially within the vocal themes “Beneath the Mask” and “With the Stars and Us”. The soundtrack for each major event is also well made and chosen as are the dungeon themes – a key part of exploring Persona 5’s themes and messages. Furthermore, it is also one of the best soundtracks within the Persona series as a whole.
Super Mario Odyssey
NA Release Date: October 27th, 2017
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch
Review
With Super Mario Odyssey being one of Nintendo’s biggest titles to release in 2017 the pressure was on to deliver, and it did in many ways, including its OST. Its OST is unique on this list in that it sounds like it belongs in a video game the most, which is one of its greatest strengths. From the brand new orchestrated kingdom themes to the remixed throwback themes, Super Mario Odyssey’s OST is a treat for both new and old Mario fans alike. The two vocal tracks (“Jump Up, Super Star!” and “Break Free! Lead the Way!”) also deserve mentioning as they are both the first vocal tracks in a 3D Mario game as well as excellent songs in their own right.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
NA Release Date: December 1st, 2017
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch
Review
One thing that the first Xenoblade Chronicles was known for was its brilliant soundtrack. Hence expectations for Xenoblade Chronicles 2’s OST was very high and it is safe to say that these expectations were met. With a variety of tunes being displayed this OST was among the most diverse this year. This is no surprise, seeing as the OST was composed by four composers (namely Kenji Hiramatsu, Manami Kiyota, ACE and Yasunori Mitsuda). A fantastic OST for the first major Switch-exclusive Japanese RPG.
And the winner is…..
And thus, we chose Persona 5 as our winner. The variety of tunes present in the game helped it to excel at immersing the player within modern-day Tokyo. Composer Shoji Meguro has produced a wonderful soundtrack that will be remembered for years to come.
