2023 TechRaptor Awards - Best Soundtrack

Music in games is often the key factor in bringing to parts of a game together. A story beat is enhanced by the perfect beat, a boss fight made epic with the perfect crescendo, or maybe there's just the perfect song to vibe to as you explore a game's world. 2023 covered it all.

Here are the nominees for TechRaptor's 2023 Best Soundtrack Award for outstanding overall score.

• Alan Wake II
• Baldur's Gate III
• Final Fantasy XVI
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name

Check out here for our other award categories and nominees.

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Third Place - Baldur's Gate III

Developer: Larian Studios | Release Date: August 3rd, 2023

Written by Robert Scarpinito

A lot of gravity comes with the name "Baldur's Gate 3." It's a long-awaited, meaty sequel you can sink hundreds of hours into, where every choice matters. The soundtrack, composed by Borislav Slavov, meets the moment with bombastic, emotional sweeps that match that gravitas beat for beat.

There's a lot to love here, but a few things stood out to me. For one, the main theme, which is probably what you're thinking, has three renditions on the official soundtrack, capturing the three wildly different vibes of the acts of BG3. That main motif also recurs throughout the game, acting as a sort of refrain to ground you in this grand journey.

The battle themes also do a fantastic job of setting the scene, slotting into that high-fantasy action vibe seamlessly. However, Slavov still takes the time to surprise and delight in this 100-hour adventure, like the song "Raphael's Final Act." His boss theme is a wild departure from anything you'd expect, yet it's refreshing to know that this game will take those little risks with its soundtrack to add the most fitting flourish to its story.

And if you've finished the game? Give the "Song of Balduran" another listen. If you know, you know.

Second Place - The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Developer: Nintendo | Release Date: May 12th, 2023

Written by Andrew Stretch

This year The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom created a nearly perfect soundtrack managing to pair together the current state of the land of Hyrule, known and unknown quantities, with nostalgic leitmotifs to tease long-time fans with.

Starting as early as the second official trailer, we were treated to a triumphant new theme filled with powerful strings, soaring woodwind instruments, and powerful horns proclaiming that this is an adventure. These known quantities would be mixed with the strange techno chirps and backwards talking present throughout the rest of the game as a sign of Zonai technology.

The music throughout Tears of the Kingdom is so reactive to the player, not just in location but as you transition in and out of battle, making exploring the world a seamless experience. The slow crescendos of themes immediately bring to mind thoughts of early Studio Ghibli music like "The Dragon Boy".

For older fans there's no better musical moment that the peak of the Colgera fight. As Link is being thrown around in the wind, strings performing blustery scales, there's an explosive moment in the chorus as a choir sings out the Dragon Roost Island theme from The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker.

Winner - Final Fantasy XVI

Developer: Square Enix | Release Date: June 22nd, 2023

Written by Robert Scarpinito

Final Fantasy truly is in its own league when it comes to music. It's self-referential, emotional, epic, and just a little bit weird. Masayoshi Soken, the primary composer of FFXVI, triumphantly builds on that legendary tapestry with 2023's latest entry in the series.

Undoubtedly, the songs that'll stand out the most are the over-the-top walls of sound that accompany all the major boss fights. However, it's the smaller character themes and motifs amid the bombast that gives these songs their meaning.

For example, Dion's theme is most apparent in "Beyond the Heavens" and "Ascension," the two primary tracks for the Bahamut fight. However, you can also hear a play on that theme in "Heal," during the scene where a young girl tends to Dion's wounds.

But I want to talk about perhaps my favorite musical hat trick that Final Fantasy XVI pulls off, and that has to do with the antagonist Ultima's theme.

The first time I recognized it was during the Typhon boss fight because the song, "Catacecaumene," sounds straight out of a Tekken game. It was so weird and didn't fit the musical identity of the game thus far, with its odd mix of ethereal choirs and wubby electronic music.

Then in the lengthy final fight, that theme returns in "A Far Cry from Heaven," but this time, it sheds the wubs for a whole menacing orchestra, fitting for the big bad final fight. The best part to me is in the interplay between Clive's and Ultima's themes in "Hymn of the Penitent," where they fight each other for dominance, mirroring the fight itself. It all climaxes in "All As One," an amped up version of "Find the Flame" that just gets the blood pumping for the finale.

Consistently, Final Fantasy XVI tells its story through the music beneath the scenes. By using recurring motifs in different ways, Soken demonstrates a mastery in showing the bond between music and meaning.