Top Game Soundtracks from Top Russian Musicians

VK Play Media has created an unusual selection. They asked several stars of the domestic music industry about their favorite game soundtracks. Thus, they received a list of games with cool music and a list of popular domestic musicians who managed to promote themselves through this ranking.

Russian singer and musician from the creative association GAZ, Ksenia Minaeva, author of the superhit "Shokoladka," plays a variety of games. She does not limit herself by formats, so in her library — both network and solo games.

One of them is the battle royale Fortnite. It features many recognizable jam tracks from various famous artists, from Katy Perry and Ariana Grande to Bruno Mars and the band Green Day. But Minaeva's favorite is the queen of dance hits Britney Spears and the song that earned her first Grammy statuette at the 2005 ceremony.

However, the artist also enjoys less mainstream soundtracks. She was particularly impressed by the OST in God of War (the one from 2018), created by renowned composer Bear McCreary. The work is undeniably powerful — the creator even received a BAFTA award for it. And the song "Memories of Mother" has forever taken root in the hearts of millions — largely due to the unique voice and manner of the singer Aevor.

Rap artist and songwriter playingtheangel, whose real name is Yuri Perfilyov, does not hide his love for video games. Even several of his albums are titled Devil May Cry and Yakuza. But when talking about the best soundtracks, he recalls not these franchises but others:

My choice is the soundtracks of Mafia*, the first (*The City of Lost Heaven) and the second parts of the series. I can play any melodies from them on the keyboard. These are my favorite games; I simply adore them. But I also want to mention Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne and Max Payne 3 — I like the melodies from there too.

Former resident of Black Star label Artem Amchisvlaisky, with musical shows "X-Factor. Main Stage," "Success," and "Songs" under his belt, associates special memories with the composition "Russian Heart Roulette" by Eldzhey, recorded for the famous game Atomic Heart. Amchi was engrossed in the shooter about an alternative USSR together with the track's performer when they, along with the label's team 143, were in Bali creating music.

However, the star also appreciates the soundtrack of his favorite series — NBA2K. The albums from different parts combine loud hits from various hip-hop artists — from Kendrick Lamar and Future to Travis Scott and Juice WRLD.

Trap artist BRAU (Dmitry Alifirenko) from the aforementioned creative association GAZ draws inspiration from a variety of different but related styles — from standard rap and R’n’B to soul and crunk. The soundtrack from Marc Ecko’s Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure, which he likes the most, resonates with his creativity. It's a classic of 1990s New York hip-hop, which, interestingly, was not only featured in games but also in the movie "8 Mile."

Oleg Ternovoy, another former participant of Black Star and star of the project "Songs", confesses his love for the GTA series. Not only for the games themselves but also for their soundtracks — both for those featured on the radio and for the main themes. He believes that "Soviet Connection," written by Michael Hunter, is responsible for a significant part of the immersion in the atmosphere of the fourth part.

Another fan of GTA is Eldar Jarakhov. An artist, musician, rapper, and blogger, creator and host of Podcast No. 1, and the author of one of the most popular tracks on Russian streaming services (the one called "I Am in the Moment" together with Markul), like TERRY, was particularly drawn to the fourth part.

It is quite possible that one reason for such attachment was the radio station playing music we are familiar with and songs by Eastern European artists. Among them, for instance, "Blood Type" by the Soviet group Kino, "Mama" by Russian rapper Basta, and even "About You" by Ranetki, which were later removed due to expired licenses.

Popular pop singer and songwriter MONA (Darya Kustovskaya), who participated in "Mask" and wrote songs for Zivert, Mot, Elman, is a fan of Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos and the music from there. The composition "Night Elf Defeat" is especially dear to her. According to the star, it has something enchanting and also chilling, just like some of her own tracks: for example, the viral "Warrior and Dragon," recorded for the audio series "Onyx Storm."

The viral artist and sound engineer Ilya Kolosovsky, who has made many viral remixes under the pseudonym TRAUMA and performs music in a modern hip-hop style with a strong influence from the dark aesthetics of the 2000s, enjoys leisurely soundtracks that are unlike his own work. For example, he likes the musical accompaniment from the sandpit Minecraft.

Another favorite is Undertale. It was entirely created by solo developer Toby Fox, who also wrote the music. It has a little bit of everything — some notes of classical music, and in other places — techno, synth-pop, and so on. The game's tracklist, by the way, is impressive — containing 101 unforgettable compositions.

Participant of the popular Russian music group The Hatters Alexander Anisimov loves video games. He has played so many that he considers it impossible to choose just one soundtrack. High-quality compositions can be found in both older and more recent releases. Some have depth, others — atmosphere, others — a unique approach to work or simply a feeling of nostalgia.

But still, when asked, Anisimov first named the music by Gustavo Alfredo Santaolalla for The Last of Us Part 1 and The Last of Us Part 2. He also considers the soundtrack to the old game from 2005 — Fahrenheit, written by composer Angelo Badalamenti, known primarily for the opening of the series "Twin Peaks" (but he actually worked a lot with David Lynch), to be cool. And he also highlighted Akira Yamaoka's work on the soundtrack for Silent Hill, the main theme of Max Payne, and the music written for the 2025 hit — Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Musician Dmitry Nikolin (KOMMO) in his choice of the best and favorite soundtrack settles on the music written for World of Tanks. In 2024, the developers presented a powerful collaboration in honor of the opening of the "Waffen-Trager" season with rapper RAM. He, together with the choir YoGa and Ivan Kucherenko, created a song that combined familiar motifs and an aggressive rhythm. At that time, it was called "the perfect backdrop for battles in the game."

Most likely, the game and soundtrack titles will tell visitors of our portal much more than the names of the artists and musicians. Although The Hatters, for example, also collaborated with World of Tanks and even performed at one of the gaming-oriented festivals.