Summary
- A game's music and score can set it apart in a crowded market, making it difficult to predict the winner of the Best Score and Music category at the 2023 Game Awards.
- Alan Wake 2, Baldur's Gate 3, Final Fantasy 16, Hi-Fi Rush, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom all have strong soundtracks, but Final Fantasy 16 may have an edge.
- Final Fantasy 16's score received widespread praise and is considered one of the game's strongest points, making it the most likely contender for the award. However, predicting the winners in this year's Game Awards categories is tough.
UPDATE: Final Fantasy 16 won Best Score and Music at The Game Awards 2023!
Though it may not be quite as integral as a title's actual gameplay or story, a video game's music and score can be the thing to really set it apart from an always incredibly crowded market, and that's especially true this year. 2023 has seen some of the greatest games of all time release, all within just a few months of one another. And when it comes down to fighting over which is truly the best, score and music play a surprisingly big role in separating the wheat from the chaff, and The 2023 Game Awards highlights some of the former.
Just like every other category at this year's Game Awards, the Best Score and Music category is absolutely packed to the brim with excellent nominees, all of whom genuinely deserve their spot. But with every nominee truly earning its place in this year's Best Score and Music category at the 2023 Game Awards, it makes it nigh-on impossible to predict a potential winner, with every nominee seemingly having an equal chance of walking away with the award. That being said, there may be one or two that have just a slight edge over the rest of their competition, though it really isn't by much.
2023 Best Score and Music Nominees
- Alan Wake 2 - Composer Petri Alanko
- Baldur’s Gate 3 - Composer Borislav Slavov
- Final Fantasy XVI - Composer Masayoshi Soken
- Hi-Fi Rush - Audio Director Shuichi Kobori
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Composed by Nintendo Sound Team
Alan Wake 2 - Composer Petri Alanko
While Alan Wake 2's audio design is excellent, it's the game's score and music that elevates it all to the next level. On a surface level, Alan Wake 2's ambient, naturalistic music perfectly suits Alan Wake 2's Twin Peaks-inspired town of Bright Falls, setting the game's eerie mystery tone perfectly. But digging deeper, Alan Wake 2 offers some of the year's most innovative uses of music and score, with its chapter-end songs enhancing the game's structure expertly, and its Old Gods of Asgard riffs being used to both increase intensity and relieve it at the perfect moments. It's rare that a modern game decides to include a full musical number, but somehow it works perfectly in Alan Wake 2, exemplifying why Remedy is the best at what it does.
Baldur’s Gate 3 - Composer Borislav Slavov
With an intro song that's still stuck in the head of just about every player, it's no surprise that Baldur's Gate 3 has made its way onto The Game Awards' 2023 Best Score and Music nominee list. Bouncing effortlessly between epic orchestral scores when in battle, and much lighter, quieter themes when exploring and talking, Baldur's Gate 3's soundtrack is great, though its tracks do tend to blend into each other a little bit, which could keep it from winning this particular category.
Final Fantasy 16 - Composer Masayoshi Soken
Though Final Fantasy 16 has been seemingly snubbed in most 2023 Game Awards categories, it just couldn't be ignored here. While fans are divided on Final Fantasy 16's actual gameplay and story, the one unanimous point of praise is the game's score and music. While players may find Final Fantasy 16's combat a bit too easy, or not really find themselves enjoying the story behind a fight, it's hard to repress a smile when Final Fantasy 16's score is kicking things into top gear. Final Fantasy 16's score does some real heavy lifting, and definitely deserves all the praise it gets for doing so.
Hi-Fi Rush - Audio Director Shuichi Kobori
A game that revolves all around music, Hi-Fi Rush is a rhythm brawler that sees players hit enemies in time with the music they're hearing. Naturally, the score plays a pivotal role in Hi-Fi Rush and it's undoubtedly one of its very best features. However, while Hi-Fi Rush's score is at the forefront of the entire game, there are only a number of standout tracks, and they tend to be licensed songs. Hi-Fi Rush's original score unfortunately tends to fall into the background a little, with it repeating all the way throughout the level, often with very few changes.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Composed by Nintendo Sound Team
From the moment Nintendo released the now-iconic third Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom trailer, and fans got to hear that saxophone for the very first time, it was clear that this sequel would have some incredible music. On top of an outstanding main theme, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has a multitude of excellent tracks, all of which elevate the sequences they're used in. Whether it's skydiving for the first time, completing a Shine, or facing off against a flying ice dragon, Tears of the Kingdom's score is there to cement the gravity or joy of the situation.
Final Prediction
Though it really could go to any of the nominees, it feels like this year's Game Awards Best Score and Music award will go to Final Fantasy 16. While Baldur's Gate 3, Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Hi-Fi Rush, and Alan Wake 2 all have incredible soundtracks, none was more widely praised this year than Final Fantasy 16, with it being one of the game's strongest points and easily a highlight for many fans. And with Final Fantasy 16 receiving only a handful of nominations this year, it seems pretty likely that it'll receive its flowers here. But honestly, the vast majority of this year's Game Awards categories are almost impossible to predict, and that includes this Best Score and Music category.