Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

With its début expansion Dawnguard recently announced, let’s take a moment to remember the music of Skyrim. I use the word ‘remember’ lightly because if you’re anything like me you’re still playing the life-destroyingly addictive fantasy epic.

It would be impossible to pick just one composition from this amazing score so we might as well induct the whole thing into the Musical Showcase vault. With that said, Skyrim’s version of The Elder Scrolls theme does bare special mention. Named Dragonborn in the official track listing, this version truly cranks this fan-pleasing composition up to 11 adding a staggering amount of bombast. With a booming choir practically Fus-Ro-Dahing the language of the dragons at you, it’s one hell of a rousing theme song.

Conversely, many of Skyrim’s best tracks are the quieter, more thoughtful numbers which really cement the sense of being immersed in fantasy world teeming with life and diversity. This is particularly true of the dreamy yet often mournful town and exploration themes which are some of my personal favourites.

The man responsible for these wonderful works is Jeremy Soule who is secretly one of the most prolific composers in the video games industry. Known for his impressive orchestral scores he has particularly focused on the fantasy genre, helming the soundtracks of the two previous Elder Scrolls games, Guild Wars, Icewind Dale, Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance and Dungeon Siege I and II. His non-fantasy credits include Total Annihilation, Company of Heroes, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker.