2024 has been a big year for video game scores, with composers delivering soundtracks that can leave a lasting mark on even the most casual gamers by pushing the boundaries of what music is able to achieve in a video game. While there were dozens of greatgames released in 2024with even better soundtracks, however, only a handful of them can be considered the best.
Ultimately, for avideo game soundtrackto be considered one of 2024’s best, it needs to offer something fresh and innovative that enhances its game’s world and reinforces the storytelling. Great video game music can’t get in the way, nor can it hide behind the scenes; it needs to stand out without sticking out, acting as a complement rather than the star of the show. In 2024, 12 games managed to accomplish that, with 5 of them even being nominated for Best Score and Music at the 2024 Game Awards.Each of the scores and soundtracks listed is presented in alphabetical order.
Astro Bot
Nominated for 2024’s Game of the Year as well as many other categories,Astro Botis one of the year’s best gamesfor a multitude of reasons — including its exceptional soundtrack. Primarily composed by Kenneth C M Young, known for his work onLittleBigPlanetandTearaway,Astro Bot’s soundtrack features 87 tracks that blend original compositions with remixes of fan favorites, all while including familiar elements from the Sony games it features to connect in a humorous and heartfelt way to fans. Ultimately, the music enhances the overall experience ofAstro Bot’s immersive experience, with each track complementing its diverse levels and themes and enhancing the game’s joyous atmosphere. All of these elements work together to reinforceAstro Bot’s position among the best video game scores and soundtracks of 2024.
Black Myth: Wukong
Yet another Game of the Year nominee known for its gameplay, visuals, and storytelling isBlack Myth: Wukong, but its soundtrack is something to write home about as well. WithBlack Myth: Wukongpushing players headfirst intoChinese mythology, it needed an impressive soundtrack to back it up. As it turns out,Black Myth: Wukong’s soundtrack is exceptional, serving as the perfect auditory stage for the game’s rich narrative and incredibly detailed environments, using traditional Chinese instruments to enhance the game’s cultural depth. With music that seamlessly blends into its gameplay for a synchronous experience,Black Myth: Wukongis more than deserving of recognition as one of 2024’s best video game scores.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree expansion may only be DLC, but it has still managed to find its way onto the list of 2024’s Game of the Year nominees as well. While this is largely due to its expansive world, its willingness to honor the formula of the base game while simultaneously innovating it, and its challenging yet fulfilling gameplay are its most noticeable features, its score complements its scenery and battles so well that it’s difficult to even know that it’s there at times. Some might find that to be a fault with a soundtrack, but a great score needs to find a way to walk the line between center stage and a backdrop, and thesoundtrack forElden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC does that masterfully, making it a standout addition to the list of 2024’s best video game scores and soundtracks.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Once again, a Game of the Year nominee makes its way over to the list of 2024’s best video game scores and soundtracks as well.Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthis the second entry in Square Enix’sFinal Fantasy 7 Remaketrilogy, and while its gameplay, story, and world are all brilliantly executed, its soundtrack is just as awe-inspiring. By blending reimagined classics from the originalFinal Fantasy 7with innovative original compositions,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s soundtrack effortlessly bridges the gap between fan service and new demographics. Furthermore, with music that dynamically adjusts to the gameplay scenario for a seamless and immersive experience,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s soundtrack undoubtedly belongs on the list of 2024’s best video game scores and soundtracks.
Helldivers 2
Helldivers 2’s soundtrack is one of 2024’s best, simply due to its ability to underscore the themes and action of the title’s gameplay. While its score as a whole is representative of theepic battlesHelldivers 2offers, its main theme, “A Cup of Liber-Tea,” is its most famous track, evoking feelings of militaristic heroism as players duke it out against giant bugs on war-torn landscapes. Ultimately,Helldivers 2’s soundtrack enhances the game’s intense action sequences and spurs players to keep fighting for democracy, making it more than deserving of a place among the best video game scores of 2024.
Neva
Neva, released in October of this year, has been widely acclaimed for its captivating visuals and emotional narrative, with its soundtrack playing a significant role in enhancing the overall experience it offers. AsNevais largely all about its atmosphere, its music needs to complement that, and to say that it does would be an understatement.Neva’s soundtrack is often incredibly simplistic, which is precisely how it manages to capture the emotion and atmosphere offered by the game’s visuals and gameplay. In a sense,Neva’s soundtrack itselfplays a major role in the game’s storytelling, which works in turn to increase the game’s immersion. There is little reason why it shouldn’t be included on the list of 2024’s best video game scores and soundtracks.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Creating anauthenticIndiana Jonesexperience in the gaming spaceis no easy feat, but MachineGames’Indiana Jones and the Great Circlehas managed to do that with what is arguably one of the most true-to-filmIndiana Jonesgaming experiences ever made — a sentiment that goes all the way down to its soundtrack. To translateIndiana Jonesinto a game is one thing, but attempting to honor a composer as legendary as John Williams while still creating an original score is something else. However,Indiana Jones and the Great Circle’s composer, Gordy Haab, captures the adventurous spirit of the franchise in the game’s music to back up what feels like a playableIndiana Jonesfilm, thereby justifying its inclusion on the list of 2024’s best video game scores and soundtracks.
Metaphor: ReFantazio
Understandably composed by Shoji Meguro, who is known for his work on thePersonaseries,Metaphor: ReFantazio’s soundtrack takes the music fans have become familiar with inPersonaand translates it into an orchestral and operatic selection of songs fit for the game’s darker, medieval setting. While it might have been hard for some hardcore fans of thePersonaseries to wrap their heads around Meguro’s departure from his previous jazz and pop-infused styles,Metaphor: ReFantazio’s soundtrackhas since left its mark on 2024 by inspiring appreciation for its artistic intent and alignment with the game’s themes. This Game of the Year nominee’s soundtrack is more than worthy of recognition for having one of 2024’s best video game scores.
Persona 3 Reload
As a remake,Persona 3 Reloadneeded to do everything in its power to ensure its soundtrack was faithful to the original game and yet innovate on it in ways that would breathe new life into it for modern audiences. Fortunately,Persona 3 Reload’s soundtrackis fresh yet familiar, featuring plenty of tracks that fuse genres together for a memorable auditory experience that has received plenty of praise since the game’s release. Due to its willingness to pay homage to the original score forPersona 3and its ability to seamlessly integrate its music into its gameplay,Persona 3 Reload’s soundtrack is undoubtedly one of 2024’s best in the gaming space.
Silent Hill 2
Yet another remake in 2024,Silent Hill 2had the same task ahead of it that bothFinal Fantasy 7 RebirthandPersona 3 Reloadhad: finding a way to honor and yet revitalize the original game’s iconic soundtrack to complement the new title’s remake status. Well,Silent Hill 2’s remaketook that quite literally, blending remastered tracks from the original game with brand-new compositions that even further enhanced the game’s atmosphere. The updated score preserves the atmospheric ambiance showcased in the original game’s soundtrack while simultaneously introducing plenty of new elements to keep the overall experience feeling fresh. This balance of nostalgia and originality are what ultimately putSilent Hill 2’s soundtrack on the list of 2024’s best.
