One of the often-overlooked aspects of a video game is the music. Sometimes it’s an original score, while other times a game uses a licensed soundtrack. Either option has the ability to elevate a game to be something greater.
Of note, I’m going to be lumping specific games into franchises. Otherwise, this list may very well easily be nothing but Grand Theft Auto and Tony Hawk Pro Skater titles.
GRAND THEFT AUTO FRANCHISE
There’s a reason why ever since the release of Vice City, Grand Theft Auto titles have absolutely nailed the look and feel of their settings.
It isn’t just that Vice City looks and feels like a 1980s Miami, or San Andreas like a 1990s Los Angeles, or the Liberty City of IV and Los Santos of V feel like modern-day New York or LA.
They sound like it too. It’s nearly impossible to ignore the vibes you get when Hall & Oates, Michael Jackson, and The Outfield are blaring through your speakers. The adrenaline when you hear the opening notes of Welcome to the Jungle or Running Down a Dream.
The licensed soundtrack found in each Grand Theft Auto is its own character, helping to complete the immersion of the wide-open sandbox that awaits you.’
Honestly, the hardest selection to make. Call me a sucker, but everything on K-DST is gold, especially Toto’s “Hold the Line.” Radio Los Santos is pure west coast hip-hop magic. Radio X is the perfect soundtrack for a kid born in 1987 like myself.
TONY HAWK’S PRO SKATER FRANCHISE
Like Grand Theft Auto, the soundtracks of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater are its own character. They’re your sidekick, cheering you on as you skate through each level. Hyping you up as you perform those impossible combos.