Best Spooky Video Game Music for Halloween
Image via Bandai Namco
For many of us, Halloween is our favorite holiday where we dress up like our favorite characters, trick or treat, or watch a good, old horror film. To help set the ambience for this beloved occasion, here are some of the best spooky video game music tracks for Halloween.
Resident Evil - “Save Room”
One of the best horror series in video gaming is Resident Evil, and the save room themes from each game have become iconic. Within a troubling world, the save room acts as a place to catch your breath, and Capcom always nails the melancholy vibe you desire. The best example would be the first, and Amie Waters perfectly captures the Resident Evil atmosphere.
There’s a somber piano theme that carries throughout the track, and then, there’s a creepy synthesized element that sounds unnatural but somehow works within the theme. The deeper tones of the keyboard also stand out as the halfway point creeps in, making the piece even more unsettling but calming at the same time. It’s a magnificent cover that should be added to your Halloween playlist.
Crypt of the Necromancer - “Disco Descent”
If you want something a little more uplifting, Crypt of the Necrodancer’s “Disco Descent” by Danny Baranowsky is what you’re looking for. It’s an upbeat song that accompanies the first level in the game as you venture through a dungeon and try to make it out alive. The game itself is quirky, helping the funky theme make sense within the context of the action-rhythm mechanics.
One incredibly underrated cover of “Disco Descent” is from orthen on YouTube. They bring an edgier vibe to this track with some heavy drums and guitar playing, and the theme is played very well as accompanying music lends to the whackier side of the game. It’s a fantastic take on a funky track.
Hollow Knight - “Greenpath”
Hollow Knight is an indie masterpiece, and the developers at TeamCherry are masters of atmosphere, including the game’s composer Christopher Larkin. Within a world full of dark creatures and haunting architecture, the song “Greenpath” fills you with a slim moment of wonder. It has a gorgeous melody that is heightened by its use of a harp and a xylophone-like instrument. While it’s not particularly creepy, the strings at the beginning symbolize a dark past to the area that the Hollow Knight is visiting.
Ben Bynum does a great job of recreating “Greenpath” with a beautiful guitar cover of the song. The melody at the beginning keeps the melancholy feel with some wonderful guitar playing, and then the xylophone adds a bit of magic to the cover. It’s too bad Bynum doesn’t cover more video game songs because his interpretation of “Greenpath” is stunning.
Dark Souls - “Gwyn, Lord of Cinder”
“Gwyn, Lord of Cinder” by Motoi Sakuraba is beautiful, yet somber with two complementing melodies working together. One piano portrays a dark theme about a character having many hardships, and the other is more hopeful with higher pitch notes. They both intertwine together in an absolutely enthralling piece that should be praised.
This song is so dramatic that it only makes sense to bring up Ru’s Piano’s cover of the song. There isn’t much deviation from the source material, but Ru plays the piano with deeper sounding notes, adding further to the emotional turmoil of the dark song. The cover is absolutely haunting and should be added to your Halloween playlist immediately.
Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest - “Bloody Tears”
You can’t have a Halloween playlist without a Castlevania track on it. One of the greatest horror themes, no, best video game themes of all time is “Bloody Tears” from Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest by Kenichi Matsubara. The stakes are raised to the max with its rocking, yet catchy melody. The higher pitch playing on the synths also points to a more horrific side of gaming as we dive deeper into this vampire- and werewolf-infested world. The song makes us want to battle all manner of deadly creatures with a whip right now.
FamilyJules’ cover of “Bloody Tears” is incredible. Like many of his other tracks, this heavy metal take on the classic song is well-played and truly captures the original’s essence. The organs at the beginning also set the tone perfectly, and then once FamilyJules gets into the main meat and potatoes, he riffs off the original melody so well with his own take. You’ll likely be playing this cover on repeat.
These are all the best spooky tracks we have this year for Halloween. Did we leave any out? Let us know on Twitter at @GameGrooves, and we may include it on next year’s list!
Chris Penwell
Chris Penwell is a writer and podcaster who loves to talk about video game music. His favorite soundtracks are from the Kingdom Hearts series, Celeste, Beyond Good & Evil, Gravity Rush, and Final Fantasy X.