Soundtracks are a crucial element in games. Music brings the moments to life and drives emotion for characters, actions, and environments within any experience. It can make a game more terrifying, heartwarming, or endearing. It can be transformative and induce a sense of thrill. It can be reflective. Music can be many things as it fundamentally shapes the tone of the game and the mood of the player, helping to completely immerse people in the games they are playing. Here are the PlayStation LifeStyle nominations for Best Game Soundtrack in 2019.
Best Game Soundtrack 2019 Winner
Sayonara Wild Hearts
Also winning for Best Indie Game, Sayonara Wild Hearts is a game that centers on its music. It’s an interactive concept album, a journey through beats and harmonies, exciting crescendos and moments of peaceful respite. Where most other games allow music to fill in the cracks and support the gameplay, narrative, and world, Sayonara Wild Hearts lets the game complement the music instead. When I first picked it up, I had only intended to play a couple “tracks” to see what this game was all about, but didn’t end up putting the controller down until I’d heard the full thing. And then I promptly started it up again. While so much of this year’s video game music was great, Sayonara Wild Hearts was the one that uniquely integrated its music with the game for a transformative and unforgettable experience.
Reader’s Choice Winner
Death Stranding
The implementation of music in Death Stranding made for some highly cinematic moments, even as the player was actively playing the game. Cresting the top of a ridge to have a new track start playing is simply magical, little touches that bring the long and difficult journey to an emotional place. The only downside of Death Stranding’s music is having it all locked away in the safe rooms once new tracks are unlocked, but if players could have the ability to play any unlocked track while out delivering cargo, it would be simply sublime. Both the licensed and original score for the game capture the deeply introspective and emotional journey that Death Stranding takes you on,
Don’t miss our full lineup of nominees for the PlayStation LifeStyle Game of the Year awards. We’ll be revealing more winners today, leading up to the Game of the Year award.
