Group H Results:
- Chrono Cross: 3.55
- NieR: Automata: 3.48
- Transistor: 3.45
- Metroid: 2.82
It is an amazing metroidvania. Be warned it’s not easy (especially at first) but rewards the effort. If you have a Switch, a great port of it just came out last week. I started over (was 12ish hours into the PC version) because I wanted to be able to play it on the go.
Honestly I think it’s the most exciting piece I’ve heard in this thunderdome so far. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that it was going to split the ratings but that full-blooded freewheeling gonzo garage band sound and the way it shifts around I found infectious. Now I want to play the gam3 if this music is also by the guy who maed it.
I’m not sure who the vocals remind me of but it wasn’t Axl Rose that’s for sure @Papageno! I love his rawness and conviction. It’s more like, I dunno, Billy Corgan by way of Neil Young or something.
Will comment on the rest later but I had to spill those thoughts.
Group J
@Soren_Hoglund: Frozen Synapse - A Functioning God (by Nervous Testpilot)
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@Papageno: No One Lives Forever - Berlin by Night ()
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@rossbob: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - Wings of Kynareth (by Jeremy Soule)
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@soondifferent: Bioshock Infinite - Elizabeth (Composed by Garry Schyman)
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Well, I can see that my pick in this last group is up against some heavy hitters! That track from Oblivion is one of my favorites.
Group I Results:
- Hollow Knight: 3.95
- Metal Gear Solid: 3.55
- Blackwell: 3.37
- I MAED…: 2.63
Woo, I’m 2-0 on my nominations so far. The other 2 may not fare so well though…
Heads up, people: If you already own Frozen Synapse you can get the soundtrack for a paltry 1.49 USD in the current Steam Sale.
And it’s a great soundtrack too! @Soren_Hoglund nice to see some Frozen Synapse/nervous_testpilot in here at last! The section at 2:15-2:28 always reminded me the Bond theme from On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
While I’m disappointed to see I MAED score so low (perhaps the lowest so far? @forgeforsaken, thanks for submitting it though; I loved it!), I’m glad Hollow Knight won the last round over the other two because it was just a quietly gorgeous track with some lovely melodies and textures.
Rosa’s theme was probably my least favourite here but it was still a very smooth and relaxing tune. The MGS song had beautiful vocals and I really enjoyed the folk sound to it too but, gah, I do not remember it at all from the game. It’s been some years since I played it!
Yeah, Frozen Synapse has a phenomenal soundtrack. I was on the brink of nominating tracks from Emperor: Battle for Dune (either Klepacki or Arkenstone), Frozen Synapse (nervous_testpilot) and either Rainbow Six 3 or Shadow Watch (for Bill Brown), but all of those got covered to some degree by others. It was so satisfying to have them in the Dome at all that I just backfilled with lower tier picks for fun so I could watch them get eviscerated.
That said, I would’ve nominated a different track so that’ll stay in my back pocket for a later incarnation.
It’s one of my favorite Elder Scrolls exploration themes, but apparently it’s no match for the likes of Frozen Synapse and NOLF. I mean, until people regain their senses, which they’ve obviously taken leave of in the heady excitement of the weekend.
That, and Frozen Synpase and NOLF both have some great music. But that’s no excuse!
Anyway, behold the current wildcard standings! Or don’t, if you’d rather be surprised.
| Qt3 User | Game Title | Track Title | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| geggis | Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP | The Prettiest Weed | 4.18 |
| geggis | Super Hexagon | Focus | 3.92 |
| Otagan | Freedom Fighters | Main Theme | 3.83 |
| Gordon_Cameron | Crazy Comets | Title song | 3.76 |
| Nightgaunt | Curse of Monkey Island | A Pirate I Was Meant to Be | 3.62 |
| NuclearWinter | Ys: Oath in Felghana | Valestein Castle | 3.6 |
| Papageno | Headlander | Procession of the White Queen | 3.59 |
| anonymgeist | Gods Will Be Watching | Nemesis | 3.55 |
| Soren_Hoglund | Metal Gear Solid | The Best Is Yet To Come | 3.55 |
| ForgeForsaken | House of the Dead: Overkill | Jasper & Brutus | 3.5 |
Group K
@ArmandoPenblade: Stellaris - Creation and Beyond (by Andreas Waldetoft)
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@soondifferent: Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Icarus (Composed by Michael McCann)
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@Gordon_Cameron: Icewind Dale - Kuldahar theme (Composed by Jeremy Soule)
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@geggis: Demon’s Souls - Maiden in Black (Composed by Shunsuke Kida)
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Group J Results
- Frozen Synapse: 4.19
- No One Lives Forever: 3.71
- Oblivion: 3.64
- Bioshock Infinite: 3.48
Quick note re: Icewind Dale’s Kuldahar theme – it’s quite short and loops around 1:15.
Is the Demon Souls track supposed to stop that much or is my player freaking out?
EDIT: NM, it’s part of the buildup. I was worried the youtube frame was wonky and cutting out.
Haha, yup, that’s the deal. It’s the most indulgent track I’ve submitted and I fully expect it to tank but I wanted to test the water with something more minimal and ambient. There’s not much restraint in the 'dome!
Maiden in Black plays at the Nexus, a hidden temple, refuge and central hub that connects the game’s different locations. It’s calm there and (relatively) safe, offering welcome respite from the horrors that lurk outside, but there’s an air of uneasiness and melancholy about the place which this piece reflects beautifully. I love the way it just breaths in… and breaths out.
There isn’t much game music like it. Recently, Breath of the Wild’s Hyrule exploration music comes to mind, which I loved.
Stellaris higher than Icewind Dale? You maniacs.
Stellaris is a fine score, I have to admit.
I actually love Soule’s work on that soundtrack almost as much as I do Hoenig’s for Baldur’s Gate, but that particular track falls a little short for me.