Best Video Game Soundtracks of 2020
You’d think, with what a terrible year 2020 has been, that you’d want to just completely forget it ever happened. But if there’s one thing we should celebrate, it’s the amazing video games that were released over the past twelve months.
It’s been a thrilling and varied year for the video game industry, and another incredible year for video game soundtracks. Yes, folks, video games have become grander, more encompassing, and more explosive than ever before and once again, and with that came some incredible music!
There’s no denying that video game soundtracks have changed a lot in the years. We’ve come a long way from the 8-bit music found in the early days of video games. Composers now have an enormous array of instruments at their disposal, and sometimes more freedom, and a bigger budget to boot! Hell, some game developers are even employing full-blown orchestras, hiring established composers, and licensing some of the best pop music to add to the experience of their games. And that’s a good thing since the music in a video game is arguably more important than graphics, as graphical quality can sometimes look dated in hindsight, whereas music rarely loses its potency.
Embedded above is my annual mixtape featuring some of the best music from some of the best video game soundtracks of 2020. And while you are here, I also recommend checking out Antonia’s list of the twenty best video game soundtracks of 2020. Enjoy!
Playlist
Animal Crossing: New Horizons Main Theme composed by Kazumi Totaka
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity Remix by Kumi Tanioka, Reo Uratani, Ryotaro Yagi and Haruki Yamada
Hades— “Wretched Shades” composed by Darren Korb
Hades— “No Escape” composed by Darren Korb
The Last of Us Part II composed by Gustavo Santaolalla
The Last of Us Part II – “True Faith” by Lotte Kestner
Kentucky Route Zero -” What Would You Give” by Ben Babbitt and performed by the Bedquilt Ramblers
Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 + 2 – “Police Truck” by Dead Kennedys
Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 + 2— “Cyclone” by Dub Pistols
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla— “Leofrith’s Honor” composed by Jesper Kyd
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla— “End” composed by Jesper Kyd
Xenoblade Chronicles – “Agniratha, Mechonis Capital” by Manami Kiyota, Yoko Shimomura and Yasunori Mitsuda
Valorant – “Loading Main Theme” composed by Lick
Cyberpunk 2077– “Theme Song” composed by Marcin Przybyłowicz, P. T. Adamczyk and Paul Leonard-Morgan
Yakuza Like A Dragon – “Apathy 2” composed by Hidenori Shoji, Yuri Fukuda, Chihiro Aoki and Saori Yoshida
The Last of Us Part II— “Beyond Desolation” composed by Gustavo Santaolalla
Ghost of Tsushima— “Jin Sakai” composed by Ilan Eshkeri and Shigeru Umebayashi
Ghost of Tsushima— Ilan Eshkeri and Shigeru Umebayashi
Spider-Man: Miles Morales – “Miles Morales Theme” composed by John Paesano
Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout— “Everybody Falls” composed by Jukio Kallio and Daniel Hagström
Streets of Rage 4— “Call the Cops” composed by Olivier Deriviere, Yuzo Koshiro and Motohiro Kawashima
No Straight Roads— “Enter Eve” composed by Funk Fiction
Final Fantasy VII Remake— “Aerith’s Theme” by Masashi Hamauzu, Mitsuto Suzuki and Nobuo Uematsu
Genshin Impact Mix composed by Yu-Peng Chen
Sackboy: A Big Adventure— “Vex Theme” composed by Nick Foster
Star Wars Squadrons: “Evacuation” composed by Chris Huelsbeck
Star Wars Squadrons: “Hyperspace Ambush” composed by Chris Huelsbeck
Persona 5 Royal – “Take Over” composed by Shoji Meguro
Inkfell— “Rhythm of the Wild” composed by Aivi Tran
Animal Crossing: New Horizons— “Welcome Horizons” composed by Kazumi Totaka
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Awesome Mix Tape: The Best Video Game Soundtracks 2019
Awesome Mix Tape: The Best Video Game Soundtracks 2018
Awesome Mixtape Tape: Best Video Game Soundtracks 2017
Awesome Mixtape: Best Nintendo Video Game Soundtracks 2015
Awesome Mix Tape: The 18 Best Legend of Zelda Songs
Awesome Mix Tape: The Best Rare Video Game Soundtracks
Some people take my heart, others take my shoes, and some take me home. I write, I blog, I podcast, I edit, and I design websites. Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Goomba Stomp and Tilt Magazine. Host of the NXpress Nintendo Podcast and the Sordid Cinema Podcast. Former Editor-In-Chief of Sound on Sight. Former host of several other podcasts including the Game of Thrones and Walking Dead shows, as well as Sound On Sight. There is nothing I like more than basketball, travelling, and animals. You can find me online writing about anime, TV, movies, games and so much more.
Erik Woods
December 29, 2020 at 2:50 pm
Just curious… did you listen to Austin Wintory’s PATHLESS or Garth Coker’s ORI AND THE WILL OF THE WISPS?
Ricky Fernandes da Conceição
December 29, 2020 at 3:39 pm
I did. The Ori soundtrack is listed in our article. However, I didn’t have time to include it in the mix.
https://goombastomp.com/the-twenty-best-video-game-soundtracks-of-2020-part-one/