3) The Elder Scrolls’: Morrowind and Skyrim

Game front cover — (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Okay so it’s really two games, I know, but they’re part of a franchise so no harm done, right? So why choose these two games? After all there is Oblivion. Well the bottom line is that Oblivion’s soundtrack was sorta bland and a bit too colonial, been there done that. The same however, cannot be said of the soundtracks in these two games. Let me show you what I mean, starting with Morrowind, a game widely considered among the greatest adventure RPG’s ever created.

So what made Morrowind such a great game? Well for starters I think part of what made Morrowind so great, is the fact that there’s no one factor responsible for its success. In other words, there’s tons to love. But if I had to focus on one aspect, it’s gotta be the seemingly limitless exploring you can do. I can honestly say I have probably clocked 500 hours on Morrowind, and most of that has been spent exploring simply for exploration’s sake. So why is exploring the continent of Vvardenfell (where Morrowind is played) so much fun? There are plenty of open world games that have never experienced a modicum of the success Morrowind had. Personally, for me it comes down to the wonderful blend of music and game-play Bethesda created. How do I better illustrate my point? Okay so take for example a horror film, and then go ahead and mute it. Not so scary is it? The music sets the mood, helps build suspense, and conveys emotion in a way that visuals alone cannot. The same thing is true for Morrowind. It’s not simply the game-play or environment that make the game so good. It’s also the music, and that is why Morrowind comes in at number three on our countdown.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim — (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

On to Skyrim. A lot of what makes Skyrim’s soundtrack so good is that it’s very similar to that of Morrowind’s, both musically and in what it accomplishes. For starters, they took the iconic Elder Scrolls intro song found in Morrowind and paired it with Viking-style chanting, spoken in a language that Bethesda created, forming one of the cooler intro pieces in video games. Then, as I stated earlier while referencing Morrowind’s soundtrack, they used the music in Skyrim to set the mood, build suspense, and convey emotion. Trust me, those dark, dank, Drauger tombs are a lot less ominous with the music off. So for making us feel like bad@#$ vikings, and for continuing the Elder Scrolls’ legacy of having great soundtracks, (we’ll forgive you for Oblivion’s being boring) Skyrim comes in at number three in our countdown.

Next up is number two as our countdown comes to it’s scintillating climax. Until then enjoy the soundtracks of Morrowind and Skyrim!