Winner: Final Fantasy XVI
Final Fantasy XVIās music is more than a mere soundtrack with songs and tones to suit the situation. Itās deliberate. Itās full of leitmotifs and metaphors. Itās expertly timed and dynamic instead of just beautiful in a vacuum (for which FFXVIās music also qualifies). FFXVIās elaborate boss fights almost always occur in multiple stages, and songs like āTitan Lostā and āAscensionā undergo multiple variations and arrangements as the battle progresses. As bosses transform or move to a new theater of battle, the music swells and falls to match the action.
Also, Final Fantasy XVIās soundtrack is 199 songs over eight discs. Thatās not a typo. Masayoshi Soken and his collaborators didnāt make just a handful of bespoke songs for key cutscenes and boss fights; itās both powerful and thorough. Playing Final Fantasy XVI and experiencing music matching its melodrama is the best video game audio experience of 2023.
by Michael Sollosi
Runner-Up: Octopath Traveler II
I bought Octopath Traveler II because of its soundtrack. I was interested in the game for other reasons, of course, but listening to the music convinced me I had to play it. Yasunori Nishiki surprised us all with his excellent soundtrack for the first game, but he somehow managed to outdo himself here. Each characterās theme is thoughtful and referenced throughout their chapters, the addition of a day/night cycle brings lovely evening piano arrangements, and then there are the battle themes. In a word, they are sublime. On top of everything else Octopath Traveler II has to offer, the music is an especially memorable treat that sticks with you long after youāve put the game down.
by Caitlin Argyros