Best of 2012
It was great, albeit strange, year for game music. We heard a lot of amazing music from some unexpected places. It feels particularly strange to me not seeing any nominees from major publishers including Square Enix, Sega, Capcom, or Konami, but this is certainly a sign of the times. To emphasize this point even further, I can barely name more than a couple of the developers behind the titles nominated for best Soundtrack of 2012, and that’s saying something!
I honestly don’t think the readers here on Destructoid need any urging as to the importance of music in games, but hopefully this love of game music spreads even further, gaining further prominence in the industry and eventually extending into the mainstream as we’re starting to see.
As a reminder, here are our nominees for Best soundtrack of 2012:
And the winner is …
Journey
There were a lot of great releases this year, and trust me, we debated endlessly about our list of nominees, but when it came time to pick the winner, everyone here at Destructoid was seemingly on the same page.
I think Journey’s whimsical yet emotional soundtrack is best enjoyed while playing through the game, but the glory of Austin Wintory’s music is that it’s so interwoven into the gaming experience that it not only tells the story on outside listening, but will also remind you of all the highs and lows you encountered along the way.
There are some seriously moving and memorable melodies here, but even those aren’t this soundtrack’s strongest point. The writing is thoughtful and elegant, while the performers really bring a whole new dimension to the score. For me and many other I’ve talked to, however, the music brings back such vivid memories of the game that I think of it as a faster and more condensed way to re-experience Journey, and the beauty is that you can do so without ever booting up your PS3!
Austin Wintory has a hit on his hands. I knew from the moment that I heard his work that this was going to be big, but now it looks as though Wintory will be up against the likes of John Williams and Hans Zimmer at the Grammys this year. Let’s wish him the best of luck as he goes on to represent the videogame industry there.
If you haven’t already, feel free to read our Journey soundtrack feature where Austin Wintory walks us through some of his favorite pieces from the score, and share with us your favorite musical Journey moments.
