Soundtrack SundayWelcome to Soundtrack Sunday, the place a member of the PC Gamer workforce takes a have a look at a soundtrack from one among their favorite video games—or a broader have a look at videogame music as an entire—providing a little bit backstory and suggestions for tracks try to be including to your playlist.July 22, 2025 noticed metalheads in all places go into mourning as Ozzy Osbourne—the Prince of Darkness and early pioneer of heavy steel alongside his band Black Sabbath—died on the age of 76. Simply 17 days after returning to his hometown of Birmingham for one remaining farewell present that raised $200 million for charity.Whereas his direct involvement in videogames through the years was pretty minimal, it is arduous to disclaim how a lot his affect has trickled down into our much-loved pastime. As a Sabbath lover and fellow Brummie, Osbourne’s loss of life has had me reflecting by myself journey with steel music, and the childhood spent enjoying videogames with all method of heavy riffs that went on to form my bizarre little emo nerd self.Whereas video games have been well-known to borrow all method of rockin’ licensed music, there’s additionally a plethora of extremely neat authentic scores that pull from the choice scene. Here is just a few of my private favourites, plus suggestions from the PC Gamer workforce that I listened to and actually beloved.
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Otherworld – Ultimate Fantasy 10
[Video Soundtrack] Otherworld – authentic – [FINAL FANTASY X HD Remaster] – YouTube
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Ultimate Fantasy 10 is a recreation usually scored by unhappy piano twinkling and delicate strings. In any case, it is a recreation all about sending a younger lady to her loss of life whereas we, because the protagonist, slowly fall in love together with her. It is a fairly heart-wrenching story!It additionally makes Otherworld stand out much more among the many remainder of its soundtrack. A heavy steel piece that performs through the recreation’s very first cutscene, opening issues with a bang. It is penned by legendary Sq. composer Nobuo Uematsu, with lyrics by localiser Alexander O Smith and carried out by xtillidiex frontman Invoice Muir.After being lulled right into a false sense of safety by To Zanarkand enjoying on the title display, Ultimate Fantasy 10 opens up in nearly useless silence. The digicam slowly pans down onto protagonist Tidus, zooming in on his eye. It opens, and with it the tough-as-nails riff to Otherworld comes crashing in. We get to see Tidus enjoying Blitzball whereas Auron will get to, you recognize, look all cool and mysterious and stuff.Not solely is it a ridiculously hype technique to kickstart a JRPG, the tune rips in its personal proper. It has been a mainstay in my health club playlist for a scorching sec, for good motive. Whereas the Ultimate Fantasy collection has experimented with steel tracks in subsequent video games, nothing has ever fairly reached the highs of Otherworld for me.Preserve updated with a very powerful tales and the very best offers, as picked by the PC Gamer workforce.The Intuition – Killer Intuition Gold
The Intuition (Unique Arcade Soundtrack) – YouTube
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It is protected to say that Killer Intuition Gold on the Nintendo 64 might be the very first time my younger ears bore witness to rock and steel music. The Intuition is an actual masterclass in constructing rigidity—seeing the N64 and Uncommon logos flash up on display because the theme tune quietly bubbles away within the background, solely teasing with a few devices.Then the title display blasts up on display, kicking the tune into full gear as a melodic guitar wails away within the background. Composer Robin Beanland completely cooked on the unique Killer Intuition and Killer Intuition 2 soundtracks, even managing to wrangle the N64’s inferior audio card and restricted reminiscence to create one thing that was staggeringly near the latter’s arcade model.Mick Gordon additionally did a incredible job of recreating the theme when Killer Intuition had its revival in 2013. He manages to take The Intuition’s core DNA and construct upon it, making it punchier whereas efficiently retaining that rigidity within the preliminary buildup by enjoying on the theme’s iconic riff, layering totally different devices collectively earlier than kicking into the primary meat of the observe.It is actual good, and Gordon speaking a little bit to Maintain Again to Block concerning the means of reimagining the tune is tremendous attention-grabbing—you even get to listen to some earlier ideas he put collectively for the observe, none of which maintain a candle to the ultimate product when you ask me.
Guidelines of Nature (Platinum Combine) | Metallic Gear Rising: Revengeance (Soundtrack) – YouTube
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Have I ever performed Metallic Gear Rising: Revengeance. Certain have not! Do I feel that Guidelines of Nature is a sheer masterpiece? Certain do!It is one other a type of songs that actually helps to set the tone for the sport, as I have been advised by numerous of my Metallic Gear Rising enjoyer friends. Should you could not already inform, I am a complete sucker for rock and steel songs that slowly construct the stress with layering devices and vocals, and Guidelines of Nature isn’t any totally different.Jason Charles Miller—a very iconic vocalist who’s not solely accomplished a bunch of stuff within the music trade however has lent his voice to a handful of songs within the likes of Responsible Gear and Ultimate Fantasy 14—kicks off with some tremendous melodic vocals earlier than shouting out the long-lasting tune title, and the entire thing kicks into the refrain.It is a type of songs that has since propelled itself to meme standing with the likes of ‘Guidelines of Nature Goes With Every thing’ and hell, it positive does. Humorous sufficient, Miller wasn’t even conscious of the meme for a number of years. Doubtless a byproduct of his vocals not being credited on the observe till a lot later down the road.Herald of Darkness – Alan Wake 2
Outdated Gods of Asgard – Herald of Darkness (Alan Wake 2 | Official Music Video) – YouTube
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Okay, that is an extremely area of interest decide. I additionally need to admit I have not fairly gotten round to Alan Wake 2 but, with this suggestion coming from our senior editor Robin Valentine. After giving the 13-minute lengthy model a hearken to (there’s additionally a model that is half-hour and one which’s three), I can definitely see the attraction.I will let Robin let you know what’s simply so darn good about this observe. He does a a lot better job than me:Robin ValentineSenior EditorHeavy steel occupies a particular place in Treatment’s shared universe of video games. Fictional band Outdated Gods of Asgard not solely contributes to the soundtrack in all three Alan Wake video games and Management, however its members additionally seem as pivotal characters—growing older rockers whose music has fairly actually modified the world. Their songs, carried out by actual Finnish band Poets of the Fall, underpin arguably probably the most memorable moments in all 4 video games. Alan Wake 2’s Herald of Darkness sequence specifically is unimaginable—a playable rock opera, utilizing music as a campy window into Alan’s thoughts and the surreal limbo he finds himself trapped in. You could not mistake it for something aside from a loving tribute to the studio’s relationship with heavy steel and basic rock.Rip and Tear – Doom 2016
Mick Gordon – 02. Rip & Tear – YouTube
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It could’ve been remiss of me to speak about sick videogame tracks whereas completely ignoring one of the crucial steel videogames on the market. Now I will admit I’ve by no means performed Doom, however has that stopped me from rinsing its soundtrack top-to-bottom? After all not.Mick Gordon has already technically made an look on this record, but it surely’s for an excellent motive. His work is stellar, a bona fide steel composer within the videogame area. He additionally did a bunch of labor on one among my all-time favorite EPs, Carry me the Horizon’s Put up Human: Survival Horror.His work on Doom 2016 is a few of my favorite, and Rip & Tear is a type of tracks I am going again to time and time once more. The guitars and drums are meaty as all hell, and it surprises me to be taught that id Software program did not really need Gordon utilizing guitars in any respect—apparently the studio did not need a steel soundtrack, worrying that it might be “corny” regardless of the unique recreation going all-in on heavy steel.Fortunately it is okay to be incorrect, and Gordon was in a position to wrangle some shredding into the combination to provide a ripping, tearing, uncorny steel OST that, from my numerous watch-throughs of Doom Let’s Performs, feels prefer it oozes the sport’s DNA.You Cannot Cease Us – Nikke: Goddess of Victory
You CAN’T STOP US [GODDESS OF VICTORY : NIKKE OST] – YouTube
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Alright, alright, put your anti-gooner pitchforks down. Nikke: Goddess of Victory has loads of, nicely, boobs and butts—it is the identical developer as Stellar Blade, in any case—but it surely additionally packs a surprisingly gripping story and, extra crucially, a killer soundtrack.That is as a result of an enormous chunk of Nikke’s songs are concocted by some actual legends within the rhythm recreation scene—Korean composer Cosmograph is with Shift Up full time lately, with a handful of contributions from NieN who options proper beneath this entry.Cosmograph performs with an entire bunch of genres throughout Nikke’s rating—a few of my favorite non-metal tracks are The Harvester, Splinter Heated, and Khamsin Higher Combine—however You Cannot Cease Us is without doubt one of the heavier tracks to make an look.As most rock and steel scores are, You Cannot Cease Us is the theme for a fairly outstanding boss who options closely in direction of the start of the sport: Chatterbox, a devastating Rapture (suppose corrupted machines) who causes fairly the kerfuffle at the start of the story and continues to be a menace for fairly a while afterwards.The tune begins heavy and maintains that high-octane vitality all through, which feels greater than becoming for such a fearsome foe. Simply ignore all the jiggly butts capturing away at him when you’re attempting to rock out.Keep Alive – DJ MAX Respect VAs a rhythm recreation sicko I could not full this record with out not less than one entry from my favorite style.One thing I completely adore about rhythm video games is simply how eclectic anybody’s library of songs may be. You have bought eurodance, drum and bass, home, pop, R&B, and naturally, a little bit little bit of rock and steel.DJ MAX Respect V is without doubt one of the rhythm video games that actually does all of it, and you may nearly chart Korea’s fondness for various music genres throughout the years with every recreation within the collection through the years. It admittedly took DJ MAX some time to begin embracing the heavier aspect of issues, but it surely now sports activities some absolute bangers, very like NieN’s Keep Alive.It is one of many songs featured in V Extension 4, and nearly feels like one thing I might have anticipated to listen to on Kerrang! Radio again within the 2010s. It kicks in arduous with heavy drums and a shrieky guitar riff, earlier than firming down into one thing extra ominous after which ramping proper again up once more for the refrain, switching backwards and forwards between deep growling vocals and extra melodic lyricism.It is one among my must-picks each time I play an internet foyer with buddies, and one more mainstay on my ever-growing videogame health club playlist. Simply, er, ignore the unusual AI-generated music video. It is higher in your well being to faux it is not there.Marionette – Responsible GearGuilty Gear is the king of rockin’ combating recreation music, and it was arduous to select only one tune from nearly three many years of musical excellence. However I bought there ultimately, and if I needed to decide one it might be Elphelt Valentine’s theme: Marionette.She was launched in Xrd, and her theme tune is actually a rippin’ six-minute guitar solo that has me hooked for each single second. It is composed by Daisuke Ishiwatari, who’s liable for an entire host of bangers throughout the collection. Oh, and he is additionally the man who actually created Responsible Gear. Nearly forgot that little truth.Marionette feels oddly old-school regardless of solely being round a decade outdated, and that mix of classic riffing with modern-day mixing provides the entire thing an actual distinctive vibe. There’s additionally one thing I form of love concerning the juxtaposition of Elphelt’s cutesy bridal look and her theme tune, too.I completely implore you to scope out the remainder of Ishiwatari’s work throughout his collection, in addition to among the tracks he composed for BlazBlue. Now when you’ll excuse me, I am off to discover ways to play Elphelt whereas listening to Marionette on repeat for the subsequent a number of hours.
