Best Original Music in a Game

Nothing enhances a gaming experience quite like a stirring musical score. In the past two decades, game soundtracks have evolved from simple series of digitized beeps into moving, professional compositions. The best of these are created specifically to enhance particular scenes in their respective games. Many games now feature licensed music, but we wish to acknowledge the best original compositions with this award. The finalists for GameSpot's 2003 award for Best Original Music in a Game are:

Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter (PS2)

Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
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Capcom's surprising revision of its long-running role-playing game franchise, among other great qualities, contains a truly excellent musical score that adds a lot of atmosphere, and contributes significantly to this tense and exciting adventure. The music also immediately establishes that this Breath of Fire isn't just a generic fantasy game.

Castlevania: Lament of Innocence (PS2)

Publisher: Konami
Developer: KCET
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The long-running Castlevania series has given us a ton of great music over the years. The series' first PlayStation 2 installment is no exception, delivering a terrific musical score that helps give the game its gothic atmosphere.

Ghost Master (PC)

Publisher: Empire Interactive
Developer: Sick Puppies
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This hilariously haunting game from Empire Interactive and Sick Puppies uses jazz and traditional pop to create a bouncy soundtrack that is reminiscent of some of Danny Elfman's work in film and television.

Freedom Fighters (PC, XBOX, GC, PS2)

Publisher: EA Games
Developer: Io Interactive
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Freedom Fighters uses anthemlike songs and traditional choral vocals to give the game an appropriately cinematic feel that fits the overall themes and adds to the game's great sense of tension.

Voodoo Vince (XBOX)

Publisher: Microsoft
Developer: Beep Industries
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Even the short music loops used for the menus in Voodoo Vince sound great. The game's jazzy tunes are upbeat and whimsical while also managing to fit the game's creepier moments very nicely.

And the Winner is...