10 Video Games That Didn't Deserve Their Amazing Soundtracks

Games involve a complex relationship between image and sound, and music is an essential component in that relationship, so much so that a game without music hardly feels like much of a game at all.

After all, a great soundtrack can elevate even the most substandard, monotonous shooter, turning it into something altogether exceptional. It can make you forget about unflattering aspects of the gameplay, or even help you overlook certain narrative inconsistencies. With that being said, the greatest soundtrack in the world wouldn’t guarantee a great game, and some of the worst games ever made have had absolutely amazing soundtracks, almost despite themselves.

Sometimes, just because a composer is nailing his job, doesn’t mean the developers are doing theirs. Music is powerful – and it can accomplish a tremendous amount – but it certainly can’t solve everything. After all, just because a game sounds nice, doesn’t mean it plays well, or looks good, or even works properly.

So, here are ten games that had better soundtracks than they deserved, because honestly, they didn’t deserve much…

Composer(s): Ryuji Sasai and Yasuhiro Kawakami.

Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest – also known as baby’s first role-playing game – was released in 1992, and is widely considered one of the worst instalments in the popular franchise. For one thing, the game simplified everything about the series, reducing combat and strategy to their simplest components, and removing certain staples entirely – such as random encounters and save points – all in a desperate attempt to give the series a more universe appeal.

Ultimately, the attempt failed, the game panned almost universally for its simplistic gameplay, as well as its unoriginal narrative, and lack of depth. Regardless, the game has a tremendous soundtrack – and besides serving as a welcomed respite from the monotony of the gameplay – actually makes the game somewhat playable. After all, the soundtrack provides excitement, personality and emotion, everything crucially missing from the game itself.

Mystic Quest was a poorly realised experiment – and besides being a terrible game – completely misjudged the desires of their Western audience. With that being said, the composers brought everything they had, delivering an epic score for an otherwise forgettable experience.