Soundtracks are one of the most important elements of a game. They set the mood for the player, with drums pounding when a player approaches a boss fight and anthems playing in the background as they claim victory. Rock is one of the most popular musical genres used in video games for various reasons, including its ability to lift spirits and propel stories forward.
If you want to enjoy a side of rock music with your video game, then you have plenty of exciting titles to choose from. To help you with your search, we’ve compiled this list of games which feature great rock soundtracks.
Casino
Casino games like slots are some of the world’s most popular ones to play. Technological advancements have allowed people to visit online casinos in order to access their favorite titles from almost anywhere in the world. Themed slots are some of the most popular online games available, and rock fans can enjoy spinning the reels while listening to some of their favorite rock bands, including Guns N’ Roses, ZZ Top, and Motörhead.
Mafia
Creedence Clearwater Revival’s 1969 song ‘Fortunate Son’ has appeared in a long list of video games, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, Homefront, BioShock Infinite, and Watch Dogs 2. If you’re an avid gamer, chances are you’ve heard this rock classic whilst playing through one of your favorite games.
While the band is best known for hits it produced decades ago, its members, like Doug ‘Cosmo’ Clifford, remain active on the music scene. The band has several songs on the Mafia 3 soundtrack, perhaps more than in any other game.
‘Proud Mary’, ‘Bad Moon Rising’, ‘Born on the Bayou’, and ‘Green River’ are among the songs featured. ‘Fortunate Son’ also makes an appearance and becomes part of the story’s narrative, giving the band a prominent place in this exciting game.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2
If you look at a list of some of the greatest video games of all time, you’ll almost always see Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2. The critically acclaimed skating game has a score of 98 on Metacritic and is beloved by gamers worldwide. It also has one of the best soundtracks of any video game ever made.
The soundtrack features 90s-style puck rock, including artists like Rage Against the Machine, Anthrax, Bad Religion, and more. It’s the perfect choice when you want to rock out to a lot of fast-paced action.
Twister Metal
The name of this game suggests it would be a great candidate for an epic rock soundtrack, and it doesn’t disappoint. The game brings evil clowns and Mad Max-style racing together to pit players against each other in arena-style battles
The video game franchise features some of the best rock music, including original tracks from Primus and Buckethead, plus several licensed songs from artists like Iggy Pop, Wolfmother, and Rob Zombie.
God of War
The video game franchise God of War has one of the most extensive heavy metal and rock soundtracks of any game ever released. The music in the third game in the series was so well-received that the soundtrack EP was released as a digital download, allowing fans to replay songs from six major artists from RoadRunner Records.
The original music inspired by the game included original tracks from famous names like The Turtlenecks, Trivium, and more. The game’s soundtracks were nominated for Best Original Score at the Spike Video Game Awards in 2005, 2007, and 2010
Halo 2
A staple of the Esports world, Halo 2 has one of the most memorable heavy metal soundtracks of a video game, featuring bands like Breaking Benjamin, Hoobastank and Incubus, with orchestral pieces composed by Martin O’Donnell and Michael Salvatori.
Grammy award-winner Steve Vai created and produced the title’s choral introduction theme and additional guitar sounds. The game’s soundtrack includes electric guitars, baroque strings, and sombre choirs, resulting in a powerful score for blasting aliens to.
Given the talent behind the soundtrack, it’s no surprise that it’s one of the best ever produced for a video game.