What I mean by “Entertainment” is stuff like video games, movies, TV shows, and the like. You have to say where it comes from and what the title is. You choices don’t have to be only from video games or movies you have have seen. A YouTube video, link, or a similar format of the music piece is helpful, but not needed. Also, you can list more than one and you don’t have to list your reasonings.
My Favorites
My favorite video game soundtrack pieces are Cao Cao’s Theme and Sima Yi’s Theme from Romance of the Three Kingdoms 13, the “Fury” Hangar Theme from World of Tanks when it had a tie-in event with Fury, a movie which will be mentioned later on, and The Flag Must Fall from Call of Duty: Finest Hour. Cao Cao’s theme sounds grand, impactful, and powerful. What helps this is that to my knowledge, Cao Cao is consistently the best top tier character in the RotK series, and that Cao Cao was the most powerful lord during the Three Kingdoms Period. Sima Yi’s Theme is also grand and powerful, but less impactful and gives more of a closure, at least to me, which is fitting, as even though he died before the end of the Three Kingdoms Period, his immense influence over Wei’s politics and military set the foundation for his family to come out as victors and end the Three Kingdoms. The Hangar Theme is haunting, which fits Fury’s overall mood, as Fury is a gritty war film.The Flag Must Fall is epic, especially since it was used in Finest Hour’s first two levels, which were set during the battle of Stalingrad.
My two favorite movie soundtrack pieces are Tiger Battle from Fury and 528491 from Inception. Tiger Battle captures the fear and respect that the Tiger tank had in the Western Front during World War II, while 528491 is dramatic and sorrowful.
Spoiler for Inception
528491 plays when Fischer finds out that his father was disappointed in him because Fischer tried to live up to his corporate legacy. What’s mind boggling about this is that this might not be true, as this takes place during a dream, and Fischer’s dad saying that is an inception, which is an idea planted deep in someone’s subconscious so that the person doesn’t know that said idea is artificial.
Every time I hear John Williams’ brilliant score, it takes me back to the Circle Theatre in Annapolis, MD where I saw this movie for the first time. Star Wars changed so much about movies and entertainment, and it was a milestone in my life as well.
A very odd thing I came across was The Mummy Demastered, which is a sort of set-up/prequel to the “dark cinematic universe” of the new monster-movies Universal wanted to do. I never played the game, but the soundtrack is out of this world. It’s like, a dreary, haunting, groovy 80s synth + lowfi/bit era mashup. You just have to listen. It’s driving music for the hopeless. This might be my favorite videogame soundtrack up with Bloodborne’s sountrack, but that’s an entirely different story, and I won’t bother you with my love for Bloodborne - it wouldn’t end.
Film wise, Drive’s soundtrack is the first thing that immediately comes to mind. There are some other movies, which are less ‘music’ but I’m a sucker for Blade Runner 2049’s music, as well as Annihilation’s lucid tones and Arrival’s oddities. Jóhann Jóhannsson, the man who did BR2049 and Arrival also did mother! for any of you who’ve seen that. He’s pretty good, RIP.
If I can think of anything else I’ll edit this later, I’m certainly missing some.
I have a ton, honestly. I’ve played quite a lot of games with phenomenal OSTs, but the only ones I can list off the top of my head are Xenoblade 2, Celeste, Persona 4 Arena, FE Warriors, and Mother 3.
One song I’ve been really enjoying recently is the new Brinstar theme for Smash Ultimate.