10 Great Video Game Soundtracks in Bad Games | Screen Rant
Even though music is an important element in all video games, most people have only recently started noticing the effort that goes into making those soundtracks. Since players will often have to hear the same songs on repeat as they play for hours, game composers have to work extra hard to make good tracks that won't go stale over time.
Because most games are made by a team of multiple individuals, it's no surprise that sometimes the composer can deliver perfect melodies while the rest of the game crashes and burns. These tracks give some light to the darkness.
On paper, the 2018 action-adventure beat-em-up The Quiet Man has an interesting premise that could have been revolutionary. The game uniquely follows a deaf protagonist, Dane, and almost the entire game is completely silent in order to try to simulate his experience. But, especially after a "sound" mode was added, it's obvious that the actor's portrayal of deafness is inconsistent and the plot is impossible to follow because there're no subtitles.
Unlike the many other great FMV games, The Quiet Man is, sadly, a disappointment. One of the only good aspects is the game's theme song: "The Quiet." Sung by award-winning artist Imogen Heap, this powerfully emotional track truly reflects her incredible artistic ability.
Although there were plenty of amazing Nintendo DS games released during its life span, 2010 adventure game Witch's Wish is not one of those games, though it has some good ideas. The player controls a young girl, Vicky, who wants to become a witch despite being poor and only the rich being able to afford magic education. After meeting a mysterious thief named Tanya, Vicky awakens her powers and eventually has to save the town from evil threats.
While this is a solid premise, the actual story doesn't go anywhere with almost everything being filler. Also, the gameplay, which consists of drawing runes to cast certain spells, doesn't work most of the time either. But, the game's opening and ending song, "Tabidachi no Uta," is a solid track that is both upbeat and chill.
Released in 2003, Scooby-Doo! Mystery Mayhem is an adventure game where the player controls both Shaggy and Scooby as they explore several levels and solve puzzles. After it's revealed that someone used the pages from a magical book known as the Tome of Doom to unleash monsters and ghosts, the gang has to gather clues and also use the book to recapture all the creatures in order to solve the mystery.
While the story is fairly good and funny, the gameplay ruins the experience. With clunky controls, tedious puzzles, and boring environments, the player will likely feel frustrated or bored throughout it. In contrast, the entire soundtrack is fun, catchy, and jazzy. One of the tracks, "Costume," has such a funky vibe that it's hard to believe that it exists within a mediocre game.
Released in 2009 for the Nintendo DS, A Witch's Tale is a JRPG and another example of an Alice in Wonderland inspired game. After a witch-in-training named Liddell accidentally releases an evil being called the Eld Witch who was sealed away years ago by Queen Alice, she must travel across the world with a vampire named Loue to save the other Kingdoms and defeat the Eld Witch.
Despite the gothic storybook art-style and interesting plot, the gameplay is super tedious with long random battles and a stylus-only fighting system that is cool in theory but doesn't always work in practice. The entire soundtrack, however, has a dark cabaret style that is beautiful to listen to. Liddell's own theme evokes a halloween carnival, but also has a fast and light melody that reflects her playful nature.
Released in 1991 for the NES and 1993 for the Genesis, Action 52 is a multicart that contained 52 "games" in total, and is often considered one of the worst games of all time. Each game available on the cartridge is glitchy and at least borderline unplayable. The "featured" game on the list was The Cheetahmen, which was based on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and focused on a trio of anthropomorphic cheetahs.
Although The Cheetahmen received a bit more polish than the rest of Action 52, it was still a buggy mess. But, despite the game itself being terrible, the theme song is so catchy that it has lived on and was even used in the platformer Syobon Action. While the sequel, Cheetahmen II, was never official released, some of the levels were uncovered and restored years later.
Centered around the Marvel Comics character known as The Silver Surfer, Silver Surfer is a 1990 scrolling shoot 'em up for the NES and often considered one of the hardest games ever made. While controlling the Silver Surfer, the player must defeat multiple enemies and bosses across several stages using projectiles.
Though it doesn't seem bad at first, it's quickly revealed that the player has a huge hit box that makes getting through the game an extremely annoying experience. On the other hand, the game's soundtrack is one of the best ever made on the NES. The composer, Tim Follin, knew how to make music for the NES better than anyone, and Silver Surfer game proves it with its adrenaline pumping melodies.
Though there were some good games on the Sega CD, most of the games were lackluster, which includes the 1993 platformer shoot 'em up The Terminator. Based on the 1984 film of the same name, the game follows soldier Kyle Reese as he fights through a Skynet facility, travels back in time, protects Sarah Connor, and battles Terminator machines.
While the gameplay is way too repetitive to be enjoyable for long, the game does have beautiful graphics and an excellent soundtrack. Although the main theme song is based off the one from the film, it could be argued that this game's version is actually the superior version with its strong synth notes.
Released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2015, Fire Emblem Fates is a tactical JRPG and the 14th installment of the Fire Emblem series. This entry follows a customizable protagonist as they get caught in the middle of a war between their birthplace, Hoshido, and their adoptive home, Nohr. Unlike many other bad games, the problem with Fire Emblem Fates is not the gameplay but the story.
Since the game was released as three separate versions that were titled Birthright, Conquest, and Revelation, players who only got one version received a fragmented piece of the story. Along with the inconsistent writing between supports and the main plot, the overall narrative became a jumbled mess. But, the game also has an intense orchestral soundtrack, and the singers performing as Azura in both the Japanese and English versions deliver incredibly emotional pieces.
Commonly referred to as Sonic '06, Sonic the Hedgehog is a 2006 platformer that is often considered not only one of the worst games in the Sonic series but one of the worst games of all time. The game follows Sonic, Shadow, and Silver as they try to stop an ancient evil known as Solaris.
Because the game was rushed and many members left in the middle of development for other projects, the game is extremely incomplete with many glitches, unfinished ideas, and poorly implemented gameplay mechanics. The one consistent thing about Sonic games, however, is that even the bad titles have great soundtracks. Though most hated the game, many players couldn't stop listening to the epic tracks such as "Solaris Phase 2."
Considered by some to be the worst game released on the Sega Saturn, Death Crimson is a light gun first-person shooter. Only released in Japan, players control a man named Combat Echizen as he uses a mysterious gun called Crimson to fight against humans who have been turned into monsters.
Despite the low-quality graphics, disorienting camera, and terrible controls, the game has a cult following and two sequels. This unexpected support is likely because of the game's incomprehensible plot, unique style, and playful soundtrack. By simply listening to the game's main theme, it's easy to hear how much fun the composer, Kunitaka Watanabe, had making the music.