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It may have been a completely different step in the franchise's direction, but Halo Wars definitely had one major thing in common: great music. The soundtrack is every bit as good as any of the prior Halo games, with "Spirit of Fire," aka the title screen track, being the highlight. If you're a Halo fan, even if you didn't care for Halo Wars, you have to admit that the soundtrack is awesome.
I suppose this is a bit biased, seeing as how I'm a big fan of the source material, but Afro Samurai's soundtrack is easily one of the best of the year. Classical Japanese instrumentals infused with hip-hop beats (by RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan, no less) makes for one of the most incredible aural experiences gaming can offer. The game disappointed the gaming world a bit, but the soundtrack is stellar.
And now, after all of the highlights of the year, it is time for the best of the best. Without further adieu, Best Soundtrack of the First Half of 2009:
Surprised? It's very rare that the DS wins any kind of overall award, but Suikoden Tierkreis' soundtrack cannot be ignored. Hearing the music as I traveled through the game took me back to playing Final Fantasy VIII for the first time, where the music quickly became some of my favorite music of all time. Every track is perfect, EVERY SINGLE ONE. These four I posted here are just my favorites, but there isn't a single track in the entire OST that I didn't like. If you played it, you know what I'm talking about. Suikoden Tierkreis is a great game in and of itself, but the soundtrack is more than worthy of the title that this writer is bestowing upon it. Congratulations Suikoden Tierkreis, you are home to the Best Soundtrack of 2009 (so far).
That's just the first half. What will the second half bring? I wouldn't be surprised if I'm raving about the sounds of the following titles come January:
Brutal Legend
Dragon Age: Origins
Halo 3: ODST
Alpha Protocol
Demon's Souls
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
...and the list goes on. There's a whole lot more gaming to be had in 2009, but whatever you play, don't forget...
Keep listening. You'll never know what you're missing if you don't.
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