What’s your favourite gaming soundtrack?

As someone who spends a lot of time writing while trying not to be distracted by all the wonders of the internet, I love a good video game soundtrack. They play along nicely in the background while I work, just as when I game, keeping me immersed, focused and on point. Listening to one of my favourites this morning got me wondering, what are your favourite gaming soundtracks?

A good game soundtrack is like a good film or game in its own right, as they can stick with you for a long time. To this day, some of my most listened-to soundtracks are from games I haven't played in years, or first played during my most tender years.

It can very much depend on what mood I'm in and what I'm doing. If I'm writing day to day news, where I don't feel the need to evoke any sort of particular emotion, I might opt for something like Streets of Rage. I can have a couple of head bobbing moments when it gets going, but it's repetitive enough that I quickly forget it's there. It's like white noise that stops me being distracted by whatever the neighbours are doing. [yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfCw4tx5AME']

I actually have a tonne of favourites from the Mega Drive era. That console's crunchy sound chip made for some distorted, but awesome music that I still listen to recreationally to this day. Wiz and Liz, Chuck Rock, Road Rash 3, Comix Zone, Toe Jam and Earl 2. They're all greats in my book.

I also fondly listen to PC based soundtracks like Age of Empires II and the various race tracks from Seven Kingdoms, though those give me more of a dose of nostalgia.

My soundtrack love isn't constrained to the past though. If I'm looking to write something with a little more action to it, I might throw on something like Bastion's soundtrack, which has a wonderful mix of haunting vocals and heart pumping instrumentals that hits the spot perfectly. For a more tragic feel, I may opt for Banner Saga's instead.

Quite recently though, I've really enjoyed soundtracks with a more relaxing feel. Something like Firewatch or FTL, or my current personal favourite, a series of tracks from Kingdom. [yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUI7_2vAhH0&list=PLzQFmBLus7pjr79kNetAWQp-X5XBdncMZ']

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KitGuru says: Really this only scratches the surface of the soundtracks I'll rotate through while I work and/or relax afterwards. But there are only so many games that can be played in any writer's life, so I'm sure there are a tonne out there that you guys remember just as fondly that I have no idea about. What are some of your favourites?

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