Try not to whip your head around all suspicious-like to check out the past 10 months, but 2024 has been a bonanza for MMO and online RPG releases. Sure, many of them are small fry, but not a single month’s gone by without at least one launch and expansion — and usually many more than that.
So for fun, I’ve compiled the main music themes from a number of these releases and ranked them from the ones that had me yawning to the ones that had me fist-pumping and cheering in the dorky way that I do.
EVE Online: Equinox
Break into your nostalgia vaults for a heavy dose of Blade Runner synth with this one, folks. Like a lot of EVE pieces, it’s moody as heck but not exactly hummable. I appreciate that it lets the tension simmer and stays in line with what fans have come to expect from this MMO, but I can’t say that this is a top-tier theme in any respect.
Tarisland
While I’m keen to explore this soundtrack solely due Russell Bower’s presence, this particular piece couldn’t be more generic fantasy fare. Make it sound vaguely elven, have a choir come in to punch it up with WoW-esque vibes, have a guy with a flute drift in and out of the room, and call it a day. I was hoping for a lot more than this.
Wuthering Waves
This is a pretty track, one that balances between pensive piano and violin portions and sections where a cool little techno-industrial vibe sets up shop. The problem here is that this theme is trying so hard for feels that it never fully gels into a solid theme with a concrete resolution. It’s worth a few listens, though.
Black Desert: Land of the Morning Light Seoul
I don’t think you could China a track harder if you tried. And yes, I just used “China” as a verb, but it makes sense if you listen through this. Every expected instrument and cue from Chinese RPG soundtracks makes a cameo here. That doesn’t make it bad, only distinct and a little derivative. The optimism and general compose-by-numbers approach works to make a solid theme.
World of Warcraft: The War Within
Yup, it’s another signature Blizzard 16-minute main theme. This studio’s music department has never heard of editorial constraint, so a lot of these soundtrack pieces are long. But is that a bad case here? Nah, not really. It’s a full overture of the many themes within this expansion, ranging from nailbiting-nervous to exuberant and victorious. However, its sheer length and lack of a single focus keeps it from climbing higher on this list.
Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail
FFXIV’s music, while overall excellent, can be very quirky and require, erm, particular tastes at times. I feel this expansion’s theme could divide a room right down the middle, with people either hating the sheer cheesiness of it and people adoring the high-spirited, unique approach on display. Sad to say, I’m not a fan of this theme. It simply doesn’t work for me, in large part because I don’t like actual sung songs thrust into my MMO, especially ones with nonsense lyrics. But I like the effort.
Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds
Guild Wars 2 has been quietly knocking it out of the park with its music for years now, and Janthir Wilds is no exception. The sweeping Nordic tones permeate this short (but punchy) main theme, and I found myself rather enchanted by it. It does lack a huge punch at the end, though.
Elder Scrolls Online: Gold Road
Sure, this is yet another riff on the very well-known Elder Scrolls theme, but it’s quite the lovely riff all the same. I feel — and correct me if I’m wrong — that this contains a nod to Oblivion. It’s grand, majestic, and a really fun listen from start to finish. This would get me totally pumped up for the expansion adventures ahead.
Skull & Bones
Yeah, I forgot this came out this year, too. And whatever else may be said about Ubisoft and its naval combat sim, this theme is kind of kickin’. It fuses together your expected Pirates of the Caribbean-style score with a more modern electronic sound, creating a unique theme and piling on the intensity rather nicely.
Throne and Liberty
I should’ve known that NCsoft wasn’t going to skimp on the artistic portion of this MMO, but I still got knocked off my feet by how great this main piece sounded. I deeply appreciate that it aims for a distinct personality than many fantasy contemporaries. The chants add such delicious tempo, and by the end, I was properly pumped up to play a game that I have no intention of playing.
Everyone likes a good list, and we are no different! Perfect Ten takes an MMO topic and divvies it up into 10 delicious, entertaining, and often informative segments for your snacking pleasure. Got a good idea for a list? Email us at justin@massivelyop.com or eliot@massivelyop.com with the subject line “Perfect Ten.”
