This year had some truly incredible games, and some truly incredible music to match. Here are just a few of the tracks that I love from the games I loved in 2020.
Animal Crossing New Horizons Composed by Kazumi Totaka
Animal Crossing always has great tunes, but HOT DAMN do the tracks on New Horizons SLAP. The 5PM song definitely stands out, particularly because I've heard it the most. During the height of my obsession with the game, I'd come home from work around and immediately turn it on, so this was the soundtrack to my late-day freedom.
Also, who decided that the Turkey Day theme had the right to be so damn good?
Hades Composed by Darren Korb
Supergiant's games have always been about the trifecta: great art, great storytelling, and great music. Hades once again proves the prowess of Darren Korb, who is most definitely one of my favorite composers. The music of Hades acts like another obstacle; you're already facing great odds in your escape attempts, fighting dangerous enemies and dodging deadly traps, but then BAM! here comes the music to knock you on your ass too.
And it wouldn't be a Supergiant game without the immaculate vocals of Ashley Barrett. The first time I heard this song I fell out of my chair.
Final Fantasy VII Remake Composed by Nobuo Uematsu, Masashi Hamauzu, and Mitusto Suzuki
Final Fantasy VII undoubtedly has the greatest video game score of all time. Final Fantasy VII Remake somehow makes that score better. While there is a ton of really great original music, it is of course the reworked original songs that are absolutely amazing. The battle theme actually made me want to run out and fight people.
If you want to talk about real tears, Aerith's theme definitely got the water works flowing the first time I heard it.
Ghost of Tsushima Composed by Ilan Eshkeri and Shigeru Umebayashi
Ghost of Tsushima is the ultimate epic, and it has music to match. This track comes from the climatic battle at the end of the game and adds even more urgency and grandeur to an already intense sequence.
One of the most peaceful things in any video game ever was being able to compose haikus in Ghost of Tsushima. The music that played over those moments is absolutely beautiful.
DOOM Eternal Composed by Mick Gordon
Going from one extreme to the other, DOOM Eternal's soundtrack kicks major ass. Mick Gordon did it again (putting aside all of that controversy between him and Bethesda) and Eternal's hardcore metal tunes somehow manage to be even better than the original game's. Just try listening to this and NOT want to run through a brick wall.
When I heard this track - which plays when you blast through an endless hoard of demons on your way to blow a giant hole into the surface of Mars - my ass damn nearly exploded.
The Last of Us Part II Composed by Gustavo Santaolalla and Mac Quayle
The original Last of Us had a mesmerizing and unforgettable score, and The Last of Us Part II's music absolutely stands shoulder to shoulder with it. Bringing on Mac Quayle to provide some additional tracks was a brilliant idea, as he brings his own unique touch to the soundscape of Ellie's journey.
Of course Gustavo Santaolalla returns and revisits some of the original game's musical themes, but also adds some beautiful new ones. If Mac Quayle is the darkness at the heart of The Last of Us Part II, then Gustavo is the light.
Astro's Playroom Composed by Kenneth C M Young
It may recycle a lot of the same tracks as 2018's Astrobot Rescue Mission (that Kenneth Young also composed) but the tunes in Astro's Playroom are still killer. Take the track from the SSD Speedway level:
Any song that has someone drone "SSD" on and on in a robotic voice would normally be instantly annoying but for some reason it makes the level (and the song) super charming.
Same goes for Memory Meadow's track:
Hearing "OH YEEAAAH" constantly over the main Astrobot melody is so dang delightful.
Of course, anyone who's played Astro's Playroom knows about the badass "GPU Jungle" song (which has lyrics!!!):
Once again, Astro's Playroom has absolutely no business being as good as it is. And the goofy song describing what the PlayStation 5's graphics processing unit does doesn't either.
Kentucky Route Zero Composed by Ben Babbitt
There is SO much to love about Kentucky Route Zero, but its soundtrack is just next level stuff. Much like the game itself, Ben Babbitt's music can't be tagged as just one genre. It's otherworldly - equally unnerving and comforting.
Strung throughout its five chapters are a handful of traditional/bluegrass songs that compliment the narrative. This song, which plays at the very end of chapter five, absolutely brought me to tears. A beautiful end to a stunning game.
Woo boy, 2020 was a big ol' mess, huh? Like many of us, I had my unfair share of private and public struggles this year that almost constantly threatened to knock me down permanently. But now that we've FINALLY made it to the final month of this wretched hell year, I can look back at the smoldering rubble of the past twelve months and say this: thank God for video games.
Thanks to being stuck inside for most of the year, I found myself with considerably more time on my hands than normal. Almost all of that was spent on my couch with controller in hand. While not the healthiest habit I could've developed, it was the one I needed. It may border on cliché to say games were my saving grace this year, but it's true.
It was a minor miracle that despite all that was happening in the world so many amazing games managed to come out. Narrowing down this list to ten games was much more difficult than it was last year, and I had to leave out ones that I really enjoyed. From the nostalgia-inducing Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 remake to the fantasy-fulfilling thrill of Star Wars Squadrons to the striking comeback of Crash Bandicoot 4, there was no shortage of engaging titles this year.
The following ten games were the ones that stood above the rest. They took my breath away, demanded my attention, moved me, and provided me with that desperately needed getaway.
