Top 3 Video Game Songs from 2011

"Goddess' Theme"

Let's listen to this one first, shall we? The "Ballad of the Goddess," is the main heroic theme from Skyward Sword, and with good reason. Since viewing the game trailer for the first time, I was struck by how immediately iconic this theme felt, how it conjured feelings of adventure, purpose, and more than anything, of motion. I totally geeked out when I saw this video, which reveals that the Goddess Ballad is actually just Zelda's Lullaby played in reverse. +1000 XP for AWESOMENESS!

"To The Moon" Theme

There's a place deep inside me that rarely gets touched, moved. Too much of life is filled with the ordinary and mundane, we are surrounded by it, we choke on it. The moment I heard these first few simple notes I was swept to that place. The music has the ability to make the world stop for that brief moment when you listen to it. "The soundtrack is all inclusive, all immersive and utterly captivating. It demands all of your attention, it gently compels you to feel, to share at that moment in the game the feelings that the characters go through... it is truly magical."—Han Cillers

PORTAL 2: The Entire Ending

[Spoiler—this video reveals the ending of the game, so if you haven't finished it, don't watch it. Also, if you haven't finished it… go finish it!]

I was gobsmacked by Portal 2's entire ending sequence—it was entirely unexpected and truly inspired, easily one of my top gaming moments of 2011. The whole sequence is paced so effectively—players are in shock after the whole mind-blowing "Shoot the Moon" bit, and suddenly find themselves on an elevator being serenaded by four turret-bots. It's charming and funny, but soon fades… until we are carried up to a cavernous chamber that is filled with bots of all shapes and sizes (even the animal king!), who proceed to let loose an auto-tuned aria that still gives me goosebumps.

Kick through that and up to Jonathan Coulton's funny closing song (which I must admit I didn't dig nearly as much as "Still Alive" from Portal), and you've got my favorite finale sequence of 2011. I sense I am not alone in this.

BONUS

I most recently played through the main quest line of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim—Amazing! I could have easily spent 200 hours playing this immersive game without losing interest. The Whiterun medoly was so enchanting that regularly found excuses to return to the streets of Whiterun just to hear this theme song one more time.

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