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Indie games have forever been the canvas for showcasing creativity and imagination while pushing the envelope. The genre has seen numerous excellent releases in the last few years, with not only beautifully crafted stories and visuals to accompany it but also scores that drive player immersion further and deserve recognition.
Thus, the announcement that The 2023 Grammys will have a new category of 'Best Score Soundtrack For Video Games and Other Interactive Media' is welcome news. Slowly but surely, video games are getting recognition from mainstream awards and ceremonies for the immense possibilities of the medium as a cultural product and their ability to express complex human emotions and narratives.
Nobuo Uematsu, Jeremy Soule, Yoko Shimomura, and Koji Kondo are some iconic names among music composers who have left indelible marks on video game history. Their tunes will forever be associated with the titles they worked on.
This article notes five indie games that had numerous exemplary scores that not only accompanied them but played a pivotal role in the user experience, effectively becoming an integral part of the gameplay process.
Five Grammy-worthy indie games with scores integral to gameplay
1) Outer Wilds
Coming from Mobius Digital, the 2019 time loop indie game Outer Wilds has made its mark as one of the best titles in recent years. Players take on the role of an astronaut stepping out for the first time into space with the contained solar system to play around in.
The clues for what has happened are scattered across various planetary bodies revolving around a sun. The music, by Andrew Prahlow, plays an integral part in the Outer Wilds' experience.
Users will be given a signal scope to listen to the music played by astronauts who have flown out before them. Each earlier astronaut has unique instruments, and at the end of the game, they all tie up together to make a single melody.
The music of this indie game is often haunting and soulful, perfectly capturing the ethos and pathos of whatever is happening on the screen. The final soundtrack beautifully ties every aspect of the gamer's experience together before it all disappears.
2) Disco Elysium
Disco Elysium has become one of the best titles of all time. Critics and players alike have praised ZA/UM's indie offering for its narrative, art style, music, and role-playing mechanics, especially considering that it was the outfit's debut title.
Coming to the music of Disco Elysium, users will agree that Sea Power's soundtrack perfectly captures the game's mood, and they cannot imagine it without hearing the distinct foghorns.
The protagonist, a detective, is a drug-addled alcoholic trying to solve a messy murder case. He seems to be drowning in a bottomless pit of misery, agony, and narcissism.
Sea Power not only manages to reflect the pain and desolation within the detective but also the same of Martinaise, the working-class setting of the title. The OST exudes a tinge of melancholic beauty and forlorn hope while heavy with the sea's salty air and haunting oppressive memories.
3) Hollow Knight
When considering the creative brilliance of Hollow Knight, it is not too hard to understand the excitement from fans surrounding the indie game's sequel. Team Cherry's 2017 Metroidvania game scores high across all categories, with particular praise heaped on its music and how it enriches the story.
Hollow Knight follows the Knight's adventures in the fallen kingdom of Hallownest. The gamescape is littered with bug-like creatures, both friendly and otherwise.
Larkin's soundtrack, with City of Tears, Dirtmouth, and Mantis Lords, being fan favorites, beautifully echoes the world of the indie game.
Any Hollow Knight fan worth their salt will remember the melancholic piano as they enter Dirtmouth.
4) Undertale
Created by Toby Fox, Undertale is considered among the greatest video games of all time. The protagonist is a child who has fallen into the Underground.
While making their way back to the surface, there are various monsters to contend with and different choices that affect the title's outcome.
Toby Fox himself composed the entirety of the music for Undertale, with the soundtrack being inspired by classic Super NES RPGs. Fox stated that he used to compose the music before programming as it helped him figure out how the scene would eventually turn out.
The soundtrack was extremely well-received, with gamers pointing it out as one of the primary reasons for the game's success. Earlier this year, MEGALOVANIA, one of the official soundtracks, was played for the current Pope in the Hall of the Vatican.
5) Journey
In January, players step into the warm hues of the vast desert as a robed figure traveling toward a mountain far in the distance. The indie title from Thatgamecompany and Santa Monica Studio features a wordless story.
Users can meet others on the same journey, where they can assist each other without speech or text.
Along with praise for its visuals and the multiplayer aspect of helping a stranger, the game's music has been singled out for being exceptional. It perfectly captures the ethos and pathos of the gameplay it accompanies.
The tenth anniversary of the game saw Austin Wintory revisit the indie game's original score with the London Symphony Orchestra, the London Voices choir, and Tina Guo. The YouTube video of the re-arranged version includes commentary from Wintory.
Note: This article is subjective and reflects the author's opinion.
