It can add high tension and an epic scale to a boss fight, drive you to lock in for a walk across a long distance, and help solidify an emotional story beat — music is always integral to video games as an art form.
Here are the Top 5 best Original Video Soundtracks that were released in 2025.
5.) Hollow Knight: Silksong [Christopher Larking]
Unlike the Hollow Knight soundtrack, which is much lighter and builds in mood for most of it, especially in the early game, Hollow Knight: Silksong is aggressive from the outset, reflecting the difference in character and world tone. The music is overall more complex than the predecessor’s; there seem to be more strings and vocal tracks, and although maybe less catchy, it’s a lot more musically impressive.
4.) BALL x PIT (Original Soundtrack) [Amos Roddy]
The music builds as does the tension and hectic action as more and more balls and enemies fill the screen in each level of Ball X Pit. But there’s a level where the music becomes important to each section of the game. You’ll begin to nod along to ‘Bountiful Harvest’ between each session as you make your way back to town, for example. Each level has its own distinct look and sound, which means each of the tracks begins to embed itself into your brain, as tracks in Tetris do in the best kind of way.
3.) Hades 2 [Darren Korb]
Similar to the game itself, Hades 2 has a soundtrack that builds on the first game’s sounds without taking wild swings or trying to reinvent it. Some recognisable music is here, and elements of things from the first game, while making sure that the new locations and the characters for this game get their own themes, especially the boss fights, to make it all stand on its own.
2.) Death Stranding 2 [Ludvig Forssell and Woodkid]
Much like the first game, the soundtrack for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is a journey partner for you, and an emotional mixer to help solidify big story moments. And there’s the perfect mix here of uplifting pieces to swell when hope rises, as well as those that make you feel like the odds are stacked against Sam and the rest of the cast.
1.) Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 [Lorien Testard]
A defining soundtrack for the best video game released in 2025. The music was an integral part of the game’s themes and moments, making those beautiful narrative and character beats feel their emotional weight. It sounded like nothing else in 2025, and the soundtrack sounds like nothing else released in the last ten years. It’s the kind of soundtrack you can put on and listen to, close your eyes, and see those characters in your eyes, fighting as tomorrow comes.
