Basically this. I have just realized that as a guy whos teens where in the 00’s, my musical ear has been groomed by awesome videogames with great soundtracks, like Tony Hawk Pro Skater, Gran Turismo, later Need For Speed and some FIFA. But what’s the equivalent in today’s time?
I’ve bought a FIFA and a NFS recently, but the soundtracks are… OK-ish, I guess? I enjoyed the some Rocket League’s season, though.
Guilty Gear -STRIVE- is one that really stood out to me recently. It’s was my first exposure to the series, but I really enjoy how they use each character’s theme as a chance to flesh them out and tell their story.
Katana ZERO ended up being a standout soundtrack to me as well. I think the impact is greater if your first exposure to them is in the context of playing the game, but the tracks do stand really well on their own merits too.
I’d also mention Paradise Killer for a really entrancing exploration of City Pop, Jazz Fusion, some Funk, and other such genres. IMO the OST is the secret sauce for the game’s setting and mood in a really fundamental way.
Back on more mainstream games, Yasunori Nishiki’s work on the soundtracks for both Octopath Traveler 1 & 2 is outstanding. For anyone on board with the style of music typical of JRPG soundtracks, they are very worth your time.