In here, it is the known that we should fear the most. The fear of the unknown upon which most OSTs of the kind latch unto is gone here, replaced with perfectly defined soundscapes and electronic drones that feel much closer to the ideals of synth sci-fi soundtracks, pushing the listener towards a disturbance that does not rely on uncertainty. Its disjointedness is the horror lurking on the very surface of old-school Vangelis synth tones that give way to more contemporary drones, creating a clarity rare among horror soundtracks, videogame or otherwise. Paratopic is a dark ambient OST that perfectly encapsulates the sense of the uncanny, growing from bizarre shifts in texture and sound types. This year we’ve divided the sets into five genres for your viewing pleasure: ambient, electronic, modern composition, retro, and rock, pop and eclectic.Īnd now, by genre and in alphabetical order, we at *Press A* present our Top 20 videogame soundtracks of 2018! AmbientĮverything is in place, but something is wrong. (So no, we don’t have Call of Duty or Battlefield here, people – 11:11 Memories Retold came much closer.) Instead, our celebration tries to direct readers new and old towards a selection of high-quality sets – be they from the most revered AAA or the smallest indie studio – that showcase the wild, exciting and vibrant communities of (game) music composers the world over. It is in this sense that our Top 20 list does not read like a “who’s who” of videogame OST composition as with our parent, A Closer Listen, it is not the purpose of *Press A* to illuminate those already blinded under spotlights for the mere sake of it. But even in the big-corporation scene there are always a few soundtracks that stand out – we celebrate a handful below. Smaller productions are naturally aligned with distinctiveness, avoiding the standardized bombast of many a AAA project. From niche to popular composers, classical traditions to synthwave, everything we celebrate from 2018 bears the mark of being distinct – whether a modern spin on old, or just modern.
This year the proliferation of unique styles and new approaches to old genres brought videogame soundtracks to what is perhaps a new high in quality and thought.
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