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#40: Concerto Gate, by Hiroki Kikuta
Kikuta's trademark Twinkling staccato orchestral stuff. Sounds halfway between his Mana and Indivisible soundtracks.
So unknown in English that I had to upload the playlist myself, haha
See:
- Selvaggio
- Appassionato
- Lamentoso
- Mormorando
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tF_OUYxGnKg&list=PLoD-h5kl7mRA1NsMpdZa1VrLf_8jeRliQ&index=11
#39: Arcanum
OST by Ben Houge, who did a lot of Sierra soundracks in the 90s. There's a lot of lingering, haunting orchestral stuff, tapping into more wistful or melancholic vibes than most others
See:
Arcanum Main Theme
Caladon Catacombs
The Vendigroth Wastes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftvpi-6Z6qw&list=PL747E3997A25A9FF6
#38: TrackMania 2 Stadium
Focused, steady EDM beats with some dubstep sensibilities. A lot of the tracks are pretty good for awhile and then suddenly drop amazing segments. Really fun to drive to on a clear highway IRL
See:
- Hydroplane
- Tachmania
- Tail Lights
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3VRPVUjb1A&list=PL4WO4CSC8XIUarv6wZ1P6pxy8U7TtpTNo&index=4
#37: Eastward
Stretching the limits of "little-known OSTs" here a bit, but at the least it's not as known as it SHOULD be!
Jazzy synthwave bops, ominous crunchy synth for antagonists and bosses, it's just great synth all the way down. Really excellent
https://joelcorelitz.bandcamp.com/album/eastward-original-soundtrack
#36: Frozen Synapse
Dubstep-y electronica and synth, mostly, but less EDM and more melodic and melancholic. By nervous_testpilot
See:
- Deeper
- Triumph
- Focus
https://nervoustestpilot.bandcamp.com/album/frozen-synapse-original-soundtrack
#35: Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen
Militaristic pomp and march. Brass and drums. Kinda reminds me of Warcraft 2? Very good shit, though I DO have the nostalgia glasses.
See:
- Accretion Disk
- Revolt
- Impregnable Defense
- White Storm
- Overture
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_shi9uuIctc&list=PLe0LPbpC0Di7yxQohRKWGhKQwY-m4CWfP
#34: Odin Sphere
Wagner-esque classical opera is the biggest influence. He did compose the Valkyrie after all. It has a dragon named Wagner!
See
- Storming Battlefields
- Grueling Road to Glory
- Battle in the Netherworld
- Battle in Ragnanival - Second Movement
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKqeZQQONqE&list=PLWdUkdaN3GL21Pm3S_FoTTJvt_iMxP50A&index=18
#33: Drakengard 3
It touches the same musical styles as Nier, its spin-off series. Driving auto-tuned choral rock, tortured melodramatic breaking-voice song, sepulchral piano and bells, etc. You know xD
See:
-This Silence is Mine
-The Rising Fool
-Final Song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7M_iHQOY44&list=PLdR7m7PFLzQ4IQOx4ISPlkzhMvdYrCiUP&index=33
#32: Atlantis 2
Lots of woodwinds and chanted song and quiet ambiance for this 1999 point & click adventure from French studio Cryo Interactive. Some really great relaxing or meditative stuff.
See Rhea's Garden, Stars, and The Jaguar God
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4RPLKu77C0&list=PLJaKbPlXXQokQoVJE-vxHMY9JKIUuTZlh&index=26
#31: Cladun: This is an RPG
it's a big soundtrack with some misses, but what stands out is very good in a classic JRPG-take-on-Celtic-with-rock-elements kinda way.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHq1OhKbrzs&list=PL5zdIKeI6ktBPo_0wDGeIJCjtPS04wkEf&index=11
See:
Water that Connects Life
Water that Connects Life 8bit
Slicing the Wind
Earth of Wind and Blood
#30: Ikaruga
A vertical shmup with 5 stages, each a set length, so the soundtrack is tightly choreographed to the action. The composer was also the director.
Songs I recommend:
All of them. It's a short OST and they flow nicely from one to another, like an album.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAn6XxsDDTI&list=PL8672D0B6E92456AD&index=2
#29: Baten Kaitos
I think this is Sakuraba's (Golden Sun, Tales of..., Star Ocean, Dark Souls) best soundtrack. Ethereal harp tracks, rock band battle music, baroque antagonist theme, operatic wailing. I couldn't describe a through-line for it, other than: it's good
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0N9t4xrFi0o&list=PL68E09FBCFDD19453&index=46