Golden Lance Best Soundtrack
The 2025 Golden Lance Award for Best Soundtrack is not just an award for the best music that underpins and accentuates gameplay and story. It is an award that is a suggestion for what you should be doing right now. The beats behind the games in this category stick with you. They can (and should) be taken out of the game and made into a part of our everyday routine. The thumping rhythms and melancholy tones can be a soundtrack to more than just a game. The soundtracks here ooze vibe and sensation. They tie the experience of the game together and add that final X factor that elevates a game from great to excellent. With that said, here are the winners of Lords of Gaming’s 2025 Golden Lance Award for Best Soundtrack.
Best Soundtrack – Expedition 33
Video game music plays a crucial role in enhancing emotion and setting the overall tone of a game. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 excels in this area, delivering what is arguably one of the strongest soundtracks of the year. Composed by Lorien Testard, the score masterfully blends orchestral and classical influences into a soundtrack so compelling that it invites players to pause and simply listen.
What makes the music even more impressive is Testard’s background—or lack thereof—in video game composition. Discovered through SoundCloud during the development team’s formation, Testard brought a fresh perspective that helped create a score that feels both unique and emotionally resonant, further elevating Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s atmosphere and storytelling
Runner Up – South of Midnight
The music in video games has evolved significantly from its roots on the Commodore 64, in its 8-bit glory. The modern consoles of today bring the games to life through orchestrated scores. Like the games they are a part of, Video Soundtracks feel like they could be part of an epic Hollywood movie.
South of Midnight is the perfect example of the maturing and growth of music in games. Olivier Deriviere (A Plague Tale series) is in top form here. Every track tells a story, sets a mood, and a tone for the chapter the track is a part of. From feeling like you are sitting in a smoke-filled music venue on Bourbon Street listening to “Hazel’s Story” all the way to “The Story Ends”, you feel like you’ve been taken on a haunting, soulful journey through the bayou.
If, like me, you love a good soundtrack or movie score, The South of Midnight Soundtrack is worth a listen from beginning to end. The tracks can be found on all music streaming services.
