10 Iconic Video Game Scores That'll Give You Goosebumps

Okay, so when a chooses to tell its story not through long-winded cut-scenes and convoluted dialogue, but opts instead to rely solely on its visuals and its soundscape, the score MUST be up to be up to the challenge.

Enter Journey, a beautiful, haunting game completely devoid of text and speech, with the only interactions between players being musical notes in place of words.

The landscapes in Journey are vast, arid, often barren but for the occasional structure which must be negotiated, and it for this reason that Austin Wintory's epic score fits so perfectly with the on-screen action.

As the player's character floats and flutters over the vast sands, the sunlight glinting off rocks and cliffs alike, the music floats along with us.

Full of wind and string instruments, the score rouses and inspires the player without getting in the way, without ever breaking into a stark, guitar-driven "Boss Theme" or the like; always just sitting in the background just out of reach.

If the overall intention with the Journey soundtrack was to inspire feelings of hope, wonder, and optimism - and you would assume this was indeed the intention - then Austin Wintory not only achieved these goals, he absolutely smashed them.