Best music in video games: From Halo to Horizon to Skyrim

From Halo to Skyrim games have unique experiences and part of that experience is music. While most games focus on storyline, combat or level design, others focus on the experience and the immutability of said games. Video games have been a big part of my life, and there have been a few that have left an impression on me, at least in the musical aspect.

Most recently, Horizon: Zero Dawn. The hit PlayStation title sat on my PC’s hard drive before I started it and I asked the same question you’re asking yourself now: why? The reason I tell everyone is that I had a backlog of games, but the real reason was I was stuck on Skyrim.

Skyrim blended everything that makes a game great: excellent quest structure, gripping storylines, an easy-level system, and of course, the music. The score in Skyrim isn’t like many other games in that it overpowers what is going on in the game, but rather adds to the experience. Horizon: Zero Dawn was the same for me. Upon powering up this game I immediately fell in love with the soundtrack and noticed the care and love that was provided by Guriella Games.

With that in mind, I decided to think about some of the best video game soundtracks of all time, and here are my personal favorites.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Skyrim will go down as one of the best games of all time. The immersive experience provided by Bethesda and the overall replayability adds to the experience just as the music does. Jeremy Soule created the soundtrack in 2013 adding big, booming sounds with epic scores and lyrics that add to the epic-sounding music. In particular, if you allow the main screen to continue playing, you are treated to the track “Dragonborn.”

However, despite the soundtrack being great, the only way you can provide a great experience is if you apply this soundtrack well. Not only does Dragonborn provide a big booming opening song, but his song “Past to Present” begins playing as the player enters the world of Skyrim. This song provides a calm atmosphere that gives the player a chance to appreciate the beauty of the world-building Bethesda has done.

Another track that fits with the game well is the song “Death or Sovngrade” This song plays every time battle is started and provides a good indicator of when you are being chased and when you are battling.

Overall, Skyrim is one of the best examples of music making a game experience better.