That's right, this time I'll be looking at five pieces of music from upcoming video games and discussing initial impressions along with whether I'm looking forward to the soundtrack (and, by extension, the game too). These games might be new releases or they might by HD remakes but the one unifying trend is that they all have brand new music recorded for the game. One thing to keep in mind here is that the quality of the music here will vary. Normally I can link you to a high quality music video on Youtube but this time, most of the tunes will be trailer rips or Soundcloud pages until the games come out themselves and someone can get proper OST versions.
Right then, time to tuck in!
"Trailer Theme" - Manaka Kataoka (listen here)
From the game Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild (03/03/17)
I'll admit that I wasn't impressed with the footage from this game shown off at E3 but after that story trailer was released, I was completely sold. I've already ordered a Switch and this game primarily based on this trailer alone (and my love of console Zelda games) but it's fair to say that the music is what makes the most impact. It starts off with what sounds like the score to an open world RPG game (anyone else hear a bit of Geralt Of Rivia from The Witcher 3 once the percussion comes in?) but slowly becomes much more dynamic and...fuck it, I'll say it; epic. When paired with the footage, the trailer could well be one of the best a video game has had to offer but thankfully it's still amazing on its own.
Zelda music has always (and I mean ALWAYS) been excellent so I can't see how this game will fail to meet expectations when everything else seems to be up to scratch. I am hyped to hear each piece of music even though it's not Koji Kondo at the helm (although I think he's still supervising) and eagerly await to get stuck into what could well be the best Zelda game yet, even if it's not your typical Zelda game.
"Tribalstack Tropics" - Grant Kirkhope (listen here)
From the game Yooka-Laylee (11/04/17)
After something epic, we need to take a breather which means it's time to enjoy the Yooka-Laylee music again! I'm also a huge fan of Banjo Kazooie and other classic Rare platformers so I'm definitely stoked for this game when it drops in April. From what I've heard of Grant Kirkhope's compositions, it definitely sounds like they're going for a similar feel to the old Banjo tunes but this time with a full orchestra (thanks to Kickstarter backers!). This tune was one of the first pieces released and whilst it's probably going to be improved for the final game, it's a good taster for what the game's music will be like.
Whilst it's not as impressive as the Zelda trailer music, it sets the tone perfectly with that upbeat marimba and change in styles, presumably as you enter different areas in the level. I'm looking forward to playing Yooka-Laylee more than anything else about it but the fact that the music fits the game perfectly is a solid sign that the rest of the soundtrack will be strong too. Special shout out to these guys for actually releasing a CD/digital/vinyl soundtrack of the game with its release, proving that some developers/publishers know that players actually do listen to video game music outside of playing the game.
"Lady Layton's Theme" - Tomohito Nishiura (listen here)
From the game Lady Layton: The Millionaire Ariadone's Conspiracy (??/??/17)
I'm pretty sure they'll shorten that name down when it's released outside of Japan but Lady Layton: The Millionaire Ariadone's Conspiracy is something I'd forgotten about until researching upcoming games this year. I'm a big fan of the Professor Layton series and love listening to music from the game (particularly Miracle Mask, even if I wasn't a fan of the plot). Whilst I wasn't thrilled to see Hershel and Luke absent from this entry into the Layton series, the gameplay (and music) appears to be similar to older games. There's a quaint feel to the theme and once again, subtle references to older Layton titles in the music.
Whilst I need to know more about this game for me to be as excited about it as I am with others on this list, I'll definitely be getting Lady Layton when it hopefully comes out this year and I look forward to hearing new pieces of music to solve puzzles to. Here's hoping the Professor and Luke will at least make an appearance somewhere, although I imagine it will be towards the end so as not to overshadow this new character in her debut adventure.
"Reveal Trailer Theme" - David Garcia (listen here)
From the game Rime (??/05/17)
This game looks wonderful, let's just say this right now. I can talk about how it looks like Journey, Okami and Wind Waker but the trailer I linked up above speaks for itself so go ahead and check it out if you haven't already. As for the music, it's not as imposing as some of the other tracks on this list. I've a feeling it was picked to accompany the footage and not stand up on its own feet, which is fine. I like the music but it doesn't grab me in the same way the others did. The gameplay, however, does.
I'm excited more for the game than the actual soundtrack but I can imagine a title like this surprising me and giving me at least a couple of tunes I enjoy listening to whilst solving puzzles or just chilling out on my laptop. Hopefully it'll be engaging from start to finish and won't have long periods of tediously milling about on glorified scavenger hunts like Wind Waker.
"N. Sanity Beach" - ?????? (listen here)
From the game Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy (30/06/17)
Obviously I've saved one of the best for last! I am so fucking hyped for this, it's unbelievable. I don't think a day has gone by where I haven't thought about how awesome this is going to be since the first trailer was released, partly down to the soundtrack. I think I've said before that Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back was what got me into video game music and it's fair to say that Crash Bandicoot: Warped also helped strengthen my love of the genre. When I found out the original music from the trilogy would be rerecorded in proper 2017 quality, I knew I had to own this.
So far we've only got a couple of pieces of music to sample but they're pretty damn faithful to the originals whilst sounding even better. The N. Sanity Beach theme sounds just as comical and wacky as the Mutato Muzika version so my expectations are pretty high. Between Breath Of The Wild and the N. Sane Trilogy, the gaming part of my brain is pretty fucking excited and it's heavily down to the soundtrack teases of both games. I just wish I knew who the composer was so I could give them credit but oh well, I'll find out closer to June.
Obviously there are other games coming out this year that will likely have stellar soundtracks (I would've included Final Fantasy VII Remake if they'd released new music for it) but for now, we've got a strong set of tasters right here.
Next week, normal Rock/Metal music shall be returning.
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