It grabs ahold of you in the heat of the moment. Hair along your spine sticks up, letting you know it’s fight or flight. Squeeze onto the controller like you’re hanging onto your life, but the racing pulse against your chest reminds you to keep fighting. The sound of accomplishment floods through you as the beads of sweat begin to run cold. But it’s not just the graphics or the action that sucks in you like this, it’s the soundtrack. The way it ramps up your nerves to new heights; a blissful crescendo makes the story feel more like a personal agenda you have to settle. Probably why I’ve invested over a hundred hours into playing Skyrim.
I adore the Lord of the Rings Trilogy soundtrack by how it was an orchestrated effort that captivated a wide range of stunning scenes that varied with emotion. The fantasy folklore setting sets the best atmosphere for a full orchestral soundtrack by how these are instruments that actually exist in that world, helping to immerse the viewer even more. For a video game to put forth an equal amount to a soundtrack from a multimillion budget movie is impressive, regardless the result of the game as a whole.
Skyrim absorbs into any situation through the soundtrack by how well it is able to blend in, whether you just learned a new shout or showed a dragon who’s boss. The way the goosebumps rise makes it feel as if you really are dragonborn instead of just some nerd 
who can’t seem to pry his eyes from the TV. Even mundane elements, such as trying to finish homework for a class, can be given a breathe of fresh motivation by listening to this soundtrack.
You’ll find yourself whistling along to this soundtrack hours after setting the controller down because it becomes more than just a generic videogame soundtrack. It reinforces the ideas of ambition, determination, and courage, and that’s a powerful statement to make in regards to any soundtrack. That’s why Skyrim’s soundtrack is my favorite, because it can hold its own without the game, which shows its independence to create a sense of wonder without the assistance of visuals along with it.
Top 5 Tracks
1.) DragonBorn
2.) The City Gates
3.) Under an Ancient Sun
4.) Secunda
5.) Death or Sovngarde
Honorable Mention: Guitar Hero: Heroes of Rock
Guitar Hero was one of the reasons an Xbox 360 made its way into my house. The thrill of jamming buttons toward carpal tunnel was just fun. At some point playing songs from The Eagles just grows old on you, and your fingers begin to beg for more. When 
Guitar Hero: Heroes of Rock slammed into heavy hitters such as Steve Vai’s “Speeding” and Anthrax’s “Indians,” I knew this was the setlist for me. That’s not to say the game blew me away with any major leaps of innovation, but the list of metal heavy weights they pulled together left me in awe. I mean, if something has Pantera in it, it’s guaranteed I’m going to enjoy whatever it is.
