Video game score recommendations

Besides the obvious Giacchino recommendations (MOH series, Secret Weapons Over Normandy) I highly recommend you check out the stunning music of Jeremy Soule. His score to Guild Wars: Eye of the North is one of my favorites this year. You can purchase his music directly from www.directsong.com/

http://www.music4games.net/ is a good place to hang out where you'll find some more obsure recommendations.

One of my all time favorites is Primal by Paul Arnold and Andrew Barnabas (aka Bob and Barn)

The music of Jesper Kyd is impressive. Freedom Fights and Hitman are solid works.

Christopher Lennertz work of the Medal of Honor series is as impressive as Giacchino's. You can buy his MOH scores from iTunes.

Also look into the works for Inon Zur - www.inonzur.com - and Bill Brown - www.billbrownmusic.com

Bruce Borughton's Heart of Darkness is available on the Intrada label. The very first fully orchestral score for a CD-ROM game.

The Dig by Michael Land

And if you can find it... Outcast by Lennie Moore. This was one of the very first all orchestral score written for a console or PC based game. A massive score performed by the Moscow Symphony.

-Erik-

BIOSHOCK
GOD OF WAR
GOD OF WAR II

Come to mind now, all amazing works. And of course

the MEDAL OF HONOR series
LAIR
COMMAND AND CONQUER : generals by BILL BROWN (and lots of other stuff by him like the legendary original RAINBOW SIX score)
METAL GEAR SOLID (the ones by HARRY GREGSON WILLIAMS)
SOCOM 3 (JAMES DOOLEY)
Battlefield 2: Modern Combat (RUPERT GREGSON WILLIAMS)

Will think of more later!

Guys, thanks for the suggestions, but emphasis on the video game scores that have an official CD release. I don't want to get recommendations that are digital downloads only.

Don't forget the Final Fantasy series. Although, don't ask me where you'd should start.
I also heard a lot of good game music on that concert last week. I loved Shadow of te Colossus.

The game music to From Russia With Love. Perfect.

And of course, The Medal of Honor series, and Black.

Goldeneye is also a fun one to listen to. Haha

This review gave Mercenaries a so-so rating. But since you highly recommend it (and La La Land has it for $5!), I ordered a copy. Here's hoping it'll be as good as you say it is.

TOTALLY AGREE on Mercenaries: go listen to it now!

Which reminds me....

BLACK ! (Tilton / Giacchino)

There's a lot of Lennertz that's great - his scores to Gun, From Russia With Love and MOH: Rising Sun are excellent.

Also reccomended - Evil Genius by James Hannigan - just google for it!

The Dig by Michael Land: A wagnerian and synthetic score creating a great another world sense.
the Video Game is a masterpiece!

Outcast, mostly all medal of honor scores, Final Fantasy 8, Primal (haven't heard Lair yet) and many others, my old site still has all the reviews

But if you want true epic film music, Outcast, Lineage II, Medal of Honor and Primal are the biggest bombastic ones, I guess Lair is that too so I heard

I like to listen to the Warcraft III / World of Warcraft Scores, and recently I discovered the Guild Wars stuff (including the directsong-downloads), which is nothing but brilliant synth writing.

NOT! NOT!

Whenever I hear that music I'm drifting away into some otherworldly place, I adore the mood created by the themes, especially the vocal tracks give me goosebumps. But yeah, you must love the synthesized direction Michael Land or the score will not click with you, I assume it's something you either hate or love.

Instead of repeating what everybody said I will give my recommendation to Final Fantasy VIII: Fithos Lucos Wecos Vinosec. It should be heard by everyone interested in orchestral game music, even the cheesy pop song is good in a over the top sort of way... One of the first orchestral game albums and filled with exciting and beautiful compositions.

Shenmue Orchestra version holds a few nods to famous film music, but is also incredibly beautiful at times. One track notably is a direct tribute to Goldsmith's First Knight: you'll know exactly which track I mean. It hits you right between the eyes!!

Everquest II by Laura Karpman is another great example of sweeping orchestral themes in the tradition of fantasy films. Check it out, it might surprise you!

Headhunter by Richard Jacques is a cool and uniquely sounding album which holds it own, with enough bold themes and interesting mixtures of synth and orchestral writing.

These are only some of the good to excellent video games scores, but there are many more.

I phased out of computer games in the mid 90's, but anything Lucasarts is brilliant - and yes, that includes the previously-mentioned THE DIG. Let me add to the chorus of salutations there!

Cheers Panthera for the heads-up on the bonus cues for Kameo. An additional 30 minutes from Steve Burke is great news.

If anyone knows of other examples of additional tracks (that add to CD releases) that are available at game sites then share the news...

Agree. There´s an specially awesome track called "Waves in Morning Haze". Simply beautiful.