10 Saddest Video Game Songs We Still Love

10 Saddest Video Game Songs We Still Love

From visual novels like Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney to JRPGs like Final Fantasy IX, somber game music always manages to affect player’s hearts.

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While video game soundtracks are not as artistically acknowledged as other forms of music, sometimes games can have emotionally powerful tracks that prove that video game music is a unique artistic platform. Since players are immersed in their gaming experiences, the soundtracks can personally affect people in ways only interactive media can.

This is especially true with more sad and melancholic tracks. Although these tracks are sad, they have a strong effect on players that often have them returning to these beautiful melodies with feelings of nostalgia and bittersweet affection.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: “Reminiscence – DL-6 Incident”

In one of the best visual novel game franchises Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, there are multiple reoccurring types of soundtracks used in certain situations. For example, every single game in the series has a “Pursuit” theme that plays during triumphant moments such as when the player solves a big mystery. On the other hand, there are also the “Reminiscence” themes that play during sad scenes.

During the original Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney game, one of the possible versions of this theme is “Reminiscence – DL-6 Incident,” which is a melancholic song that typically is used in reference to the tragedy of Miles Edgeworth’s father, Gregory Edgeworth, dying and causing a chain of events that directly and indirectly hurt most of the characters in the series. Because of the significance of the DL-6 Case, this powerful track leaves a lasting impression on players even multiple sequels later.

Gris: “Gris, Pt. 1”

Gris is a 2018 platform adventure game that focuses on mental health and overcoming feelings of grief and loss. Since it has no dialogue, the entire game is expressed through stunning visuals and music. Because of this, the entire soundtrack is a representation of the main character’s journey from her lowest point at the start to her revitalization by the end of the game.

At the start of the game, the main character, Gris, loses her ability to sing and falls to the colorless world below. This tragic start is directly conveyed in the opening melody, “Gris, Pt. 1,” where the player can hear when Gris loses her voice and falls.

Ib: “Blind Alley”

Before RPG Maker horror games became a mainstream video game genre, there were several great games that helped start the trend. One of these pioneering games is the 2012 RPG Maker horror game Ib, which follows a young girl named Ib who accidentally gets trapped within a supernatural art museum.

One of the characters Ib meets during her journey is a young man named Garry. While his theme song, “Blind Alley,” seems cool and chill when it plays during the first meeting, the track gives off a different, sadder tone during the endings where Garry dies. It’s a rare example where the video game content changes the meaning of the song that is being played.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – “Link’s Memory ‘Despair'”

At the start of the open-world action-adventure game The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Link wakes up without his memories. During his journey to defeat Calamity Ganon, Link can regain the 18 memory fragments that he lost by visiting certain locations that jog his memory.

In the 16th memory, Link and Zelda are running through the woods in the rain. After Zelda accidentally trips and slips out of Link’s grasp, the weight of her anxieties and fears becomes too much and she breaks down. As she cries, Link comforts her and holds her in his arms, which is an emotionally powerful and heartwarming scene between the video game couple. Although the scene itself is already impactful, the somber music track that is used, “Link’s Memory,” emphasizes the sorrow and pain of the scene.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses: “Broken Routine”

One of the most devastating moments in the tactical RPG Fire Emblem: Three Houses is when Byleth’s father, Jeralt, is killed by Kronya. Even with the knowledge that parents in Fire Emblem games never survive, the shot of Byleth shedding a tear while holding a dying Jeralt in the rain still hits every player emotionally, especially since the game does a good job making the player attached to him during the playthrough.

During the entire next month in the game, the typical upbeat background music is replaced with the sorrowful track “Broken Routine,” which plays both on the menu and at the monastery. This melody combined with Byleth’s visible grief really demonstrates to the player the emotional weight of this event.

Pokémon: Black and White: “An Unwavering Heart”

Although everyone has a different favorite generation of Pokémon and each generation has its positives and negatives, most fans do agree that Pokémon: Black and White have one of the most emotionally powerful narratives in the franchise. With the discussion of tough topics and the bittersweet departure of N at the end of the story, it is no surprise that many fans still produce plenty of content for this installment to this day.

To complement the poignant nature of this game, the track “An Unwavering Heart” is a perfect mixture of sadness and hope that perfectly summarizes the feel of the game. Since it plays during most of the more melancholic scenes, the only other track in the game that might have a stronger emotional significance is “Farewell,” which plays at the end of the game when N says goodbye to the player.

Persona 2: Innocent Sin: “Maya Dies”

Although the JRPGs Persona 2: Innocent Sin and Persona 2: Eternal Punishment are nowhere near as known as the later installments of the Persona franchise, these particular games, in some ways, have even more impactful narratives compared to their later counterparts. Despite the dated gameplay mechanics, the dark topics and revolutionary themes explored in the Persona 2 duology still receive critical praise to this day.

Years before Persona 3 would release and shock players by concluding the game with the main protagonist’s death, Persona 2: Innocent Sin also ended the game with one of the main protagonists dying. Maya Amano, who was prophesied to die and bring about the end of the world, gets killed at the very end. As she dies and the somber track “Maya Dies” plays, she spends her last breaths trying to cheer up the other characters.

Kingdom Hearts II: “Roxas’ Theme”

The action RPG franchise Kingdom Hearts is known for having plenty of beautifully somber tracks, but one of the most sorrowful tracks is “Roxas’ Theme” from Kingdom Hearts II. After the events of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, Roxas has just lost his best friends Axel (Lea) and Xion, and he is struggling with grief. Once DiZ and Riku capture Roxas and put him in the digital Twilight Town, he is able to live a short normal life with friends.

But, in the end, he is not even able to keep this because it was only created to stall him until Sora was ready to reabsorb him. “Roxas’ Theme” is a song that represents everything he wanted to be but wasn’t able to reach.

Silent Hill 3: “Letter – From The Lost Days”

With an incredible horror soundtrack written by critically acclaimed composer Akira Yamaoka, Silent Hill 3 has many amazing melodies the pull at the heartstrings. One of these songs is “Letter – From the Lost Days,” which plays on the radio during Heather’s car ride to Silent Hill.

Heather is traveling to Silent Hill to seek revenge for her father who had just been murdered. These feelings of loss and grief are reflected in the mournful tune, which is a song that young Heather is singing to her future self. The music not only reveals a key aspect of the character but also sets a somber tone for the rest of the game.

Final Fantasy IX: “You’re Not Alone”

In the PS1 JRPG Final Fantasy IX, the main protagonist, Zidane Tribal, discovers that he was created by one of the major antagonists of the game, Garland, to end the world of Gaia so that the people of Terra can take its place. Once he realizes his status as an “Angel of Death,” he disconnects himself from his friends.

While Zidane is struggling and pushing his friends away, the track “You’re Not Alone” plays to demonstrate his own feelings of loneliness, self-hatred, sadness, and fear. Despite this song only occurring during this short section, the song has since become an iconic staple of the game.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/saddest-video-game-songs/

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