For me definitely The world ends with you. It completely shaped my modern taste in funk, pop, rap and hip hop. That and Jet set radio.
FFX back in the PS2 day’s was when I discovered I really love heavy metal.
As a kid I would play this asia grinder MMO flyff. Not a good game, but the OST is great, especially the music that would play during login.
Kid me would hear this a lot because I kept forgetting my password…
Dave Mirra’s Freestyle BMX
Test Drive 5 and Hades. Two musical awakenings about 25 years apart.
Both have fantastic sound tracks, but also wildly different.
Tony Hawks proskater.
Myst and Riven. Became homework music for a long time
The Chris Huelsbeck soundtracks on the C64. Turricane, Giana Sisters, etc. They were a real game changer in a dimension you kids can’t even imagine.
Symphony of the night of course, bust before that also games like streets of rage (1,2) and thunder force 4.
Not an awakening per se but Splinter Cell Chaos Theory introduced me to Amon Tobin and the world of weird, experimental electronic music.
I don’t know if it shaped anything but definitely inspired increased listening. Tropico, any version. Those games always have excellent playlists. The music is so good, I could be board with the game and still play because the music drags you in.
I don’t know if it was necessarily an awakening, but I’ve had the music from Super Mario Brothers in my head for 40 years. It’s so damn catchy.
Portal 2. Absolute banger of a soundtrack that I have listened to over and over, and I absolutely loved Exile Vilify by The National, which frustratingly is not on Spotify.
Hotline Miami.
It didn’t expand my global music preferences but it did make my exercise playlist a very specific kind of vibe.
Strangely, despite playing many games over the years, and enjoying tons of soundtracks and themes, I don’t think any of them awakened any interest that weren’t already there. Owing, I suppose, to a pretty diverse exposure in my youth which led to a lot of seeking new genres.
With perhaps this exception:
Civ 4’s Warlords Expansion pack.
The theme is a classic Lebanese folk song called ‘Al Nadda’, popularized by famed singer and actress Sabah.
It’s a catchy little tune that sticks in your head. You can find many variations, including the original (roughly 1963ish), as well as instrumental versions, online. Sometimes it is reimagined in a modern style like this one:
I always liked electronic music but Machinarium made me consciously realize how much I liked ambient music and how much could be done with it.
And now the sequel has been announced!!
Whaaaaa? I searched the tubes and it’s true. Amaaaazing!https://boingboing.net/2026/10/09/classic-puzzle-game-machinarium-is-getting-a-surprise-sequel.html
SSX tricky for the PS2
