Everyone knows the stuff like Red Alerts "Hell's March", StarCraft's Rocking Terran theme, the inspiring Diablo music and just about everything of Final Fantasy's. Yet I really dont' want to shine light on those already well troddened topics and I kind of wanted to show people some stuff they might not of heard or perhaps not paid much attention to in the first place. So I dug threw my music collection and picked some stuff out. Both Games and individual tracks to try and lure you into taking the time to listen to the entire Soundtrack.
Why? Because I love TL and I wanted to give something to the community I've enjoyed being apart of. In the grand scheme this is just a tiny gesture but I figure if I can introduce one person to music they might not of heard before I am okay with it.
Without further adu let's get to the fun stuff!
Arcanum: Main Theme
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Arcanum is a game that could of been great and is something of a cult classic for most RPG gamers. Imagine if JRR Tolkien and Jules Verne got drunk one night and decided to make a fantasy world. That's kind of what Arcanum is.
It's Fantasy and Steampunk and it's soundtrack's heavy use of the violin just ingranes itself into my head and brings back so many memories. The music is just that, relaxing string work pieces that more people need to hear. The music works well and it deserves more recognition as it's unlikely we'll ever see another Arcanum but at least we'll have the memories and the fantastic music.
MechWarrior 2: "Plum Wine" and "Wolf Trial 1"
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Bonus: Dragon's Teeth
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If I've learned anything about Giant robots it's that Chicks dig them and never let them overheat. Mechwarrior 2 was the first PC game I ever purchased for myself and with my own money.(from my birthday money)
I remember being facinated by the giant Robots and the idea of piloting them. Many years later I am in fact quite a Battletech/mechwarrior nerd and currently looking forward to Mechwarrior online.
This games music was interesting even as a child it felt so unearthly and yet distinctly primal. It fits the game nicely as you are playing as a Clan mechwarrior pilot looking to conquer Terra for the good of the Galaxy(at least in your eyes). It's hard to pick out one track that sums up this game and I do suggest listening to all of the tracks on youtube when you get a chance. My personal favourites have to be a tie between "Plum Wine" and "Wolf Trial 1"
Speaking of, "Dragon's Teeth" of MechWarrior 2 Mercenaries is such a great song I had to cheat and throw it in as a bonus. If this doesn't get you excited about the prospect of Giant bot on bot action it's entirely possible you may be dead.
Ultima Online- Minoc
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Okay now I am really just cheating as this was my first MMO I ever played and as a rather big Ultima fan I really can't say what is the best or worst track but the music in this game is just so much nostalgia and fun for me that it makes it really hard to pick just one song. Again if you have the time go and listen to the complete soundtrack on Youtube.
The music is simplistic but for the most part lighthearted and fantastical. It fits with the style of an open world land where your worst enemy could be the very person you saw inside of town an hour ago. It was very much the Eve of it's time.
Hell I know many people who still curse the names of the likes of Xavori and the King of Thieves Chad Sexington.
As a personal lover of the city of Minoc it's theme is my personal favourite. I'll never forget it's wonderful jaunty opening. It just makes me feel happy and glad to be in the city of crafting.
While the game is not what it once was it's music is still quite good and worth a listen.
Total Annihiliation Kingdoms-Zhon Main Theme(Zhon 1)
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Everyone who's ever spent enough time around the RTS community has heard of Total Annihilation. The Classic Cavedog game that's spiritual secessor Supreme Commander gave us the likes of TLO. However many don't know about the other game, Kingdoms. A fantasy style RTS which I honestly enjoyed more so then TA. Giant robots are cool and all but this was just such a fun fantasy escape for me.
The music is very much set in a fantasy world feel as the music is mostly what you would expect listening to in a greathall someplace having a strange fellow recount tales of hero's and deeds long past.
I never really played Zhon but I always enjoyed the music they had. It was much like how I enjoyed StarCraft's Terran music but enjoyed playing Protoss more. I can't quite describe it but the music just feels so relaxing and yet kind of threatening as if at any moment you are going to end up under attack but it's okay because it's the Zhon. I know that sounds odd but give it a listen and perhaps you can understand what I mean.
Homeworld-Turanic Battle Music.
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Homeworld, a classic RTS the first fully three dimensional RTS infact. I picked up it's Game of the Year edition and along with it came the soundtrack. What wonderful deal that was.
Homeworld is basically an RTS based in Space and commanding space vessels of various sizes to try to find the original homeworld of your species.
Mostly the tracks are all very ambient and fitting to what you are doing or what's happening in the game at the time and it worked well as my personal favourite is the Turanic Pirate's battle music.
The music in this game is fantastic but the Turanic battle music was just so frightening and awesome and wonderfully fitting as I was panicing trying to deal with the Space pirates trying to kill me and my fleet. It made you feel something.
Oh and for those wanting to perhaps have something to tug at your heart strings have a look at the Homeworld opening missions. It'll leave an impression.
Tropico- La Promesa
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Tropico was one of those games I first played as a Demo from a PC gamer Demo disc, and enjoyed it enough I decided I had to have it.
The city building game set as your own personal dictator esc persona of El Presidente just had me hooked as a time sink and relaxing way to spend an afternoon. Throw in it's music and the idea of sitting in a palace in the Carribian sipping on some tropical drink while watching your apartment buildings rise seemed like a pretty nice idea.
I honestly can't pick one favourite track out of Tropico's soundtrack because it's all pretty good and worth listening to but the personal favourite is "La Promesa" If you ever need to relax, maybe had a rough day and need to feel like you belong in Tampa or Miami give the Tropico Soundtrack a listen. It'll get you calling yourself El Presidente in no time.
That's all I've got and I hope you've enjoyed the music and perhaps gotten interested in some of these old classics and the music in them.