The 1UpBeat: Best Game Scores Of 2025 - Part Two
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In the second part of their annual Best Game Scores of 2025 episode, host Eric Silver concludes the countdown with the top five scores of the year, highlighting both fan favorites and overlooked masterpieces. The episode opens with a personal nod to Kirby Air Riders at number five, praising its seamless blend of new and classic music. Number four goes to Claire Obscure Expedition 33, a surprise hit led by composer Lorien Testard, whose debut in game music—discovered via a SoundCloud post—earned widespread acclaim and multiple awards. Monster Hunter Wilds takes third place, celebrated for its epic orchestral scope and environmental storytelling through music. Mario Kart World lands in second, lauded for its masterful remixes of past entries and fresh original tracks that evoke the open road, enhanced by a decade-long wait for a new mainline title. The top honor, however, goes to Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, whose score by Jean Valta and Adam Sporka is hailed as a triumph of modern orchestral storytelling—balancing historical authenticity with emotional resonance for today’s players. The host praises the score’s bold artistic vision and emotional depth, calling it a rare example of game music that speaks meaningfully across time and culture. The episode closes with gratitude to listeners and crew, along with calls to support the podcast through reviews, Patreon, and merchandise.
Kingdom Come Deliverance 2’s orchestral score is a modern masterpiece that balances historical authenticity with emotional accessibility for contemporary players.
Lorien Testard, a French guitar teacher with no prior game music experience, created the award-winning score for Claire Obscure Expedition 33 after being discovered on a SoundCloud forum.
Mario Kart World’s soundtrack excels not just in original compositions but in its nostalgic, genre-spanning remixes of every mainline and spinoff title.
The best game scores of 2025 showcase a growing trend of emotional storytelling through music, where authenticity and artistic expression coexist.
Game music is increasingly recognized as a legitimate art form, capable of standing alongside film and classical music in emotional and technical depth.
Introduction & Part Two Overview
Host Eric Silver welcomes listeners back to The One Upbeat, concluding the two-part Best Game Scores of 2025 series and setting the stage for the top five entries.
Number Five: Kirby Air Riders
A personal favorite, Kirby Air Riders earns the fifth spot for its seamless integration of new and classic Kirby music, praised for its consistency and charm across decades.
Number Four: Claire Obscure Expedition 33
“The game's director found him by coming across a SoundCloud link on a French indie video game forum and hired him immediately.”
Number Three: Monster Hunter Wilds
Miwako Chinoe and a team of 11 composers deliver an epic, nature-focused orchestral score, with 'The Beauty of Nature' standing out as a defining theme.
Number Two: Mario Kart World
“Even beyond those, which could very well be the best rearrangement album of any game music ever, the new original music is also outstanding.”
“Although we are creating a story from the 15th century, we create it for a player in the 21st century. And if we think of music being a kind of a language, which I believe it is, we should talk to the player in the language he understands.”
“There's this obsession with making everything sound realistic, and what ends up happening is art doesn't get to express itself.”
“This masterful balance of authenticity and not just going in one ear and out the other is something we very rarely get.”
Host
Eric Silver
person
Kingdom Come Deliverance 2
other
Claire Obscure Expedition 33
other
Lorien Testard
person
Kirby Air Riders
other
Mario Kart World
other
Cinematic Sound Radio Podcast
media
Monster Hunter Wilds
other
Jean Valta
person
Miwako Chinoe
person
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