Nature-Infused Video Game Music That Feels Like Exploring
8There was a time before games featured separate ambient soundscapes, one for music and another for nature sounds. I have always loved when composers blurred that line, weaving natural elements directly into their compositions. This video brings together a few examples of that approach.
One special case is the Secret of Evermore soundtrack, which does not use real recordings of nature but instead simulates sounds like bird calls through its 8-bit sound chip technology.
For some tracks, such as those from The Elder Scrolls, I experimented by layering natural background sounds myself.
00:00 – 11:05 Might & Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven – Exploration I–III – Paul Romero, Rob King & Steve Baca
11:06 – 16:48 Baldur’s Gate – Cloakwood Forest, Exploring the Plains, Candlekeep – Michael Hoenig
16:49 – 18:10 Genso Suikoden III – Amid the Sunlit Trees – Miki Higashino, Keiko Fukami, Takashi Yoshida, Masahiko Kimura & Hiroshi Tamawari
18:11 – 22:47 Lands of Lore II: Guardians of Destiny – Huline Jungle – Frank Klepacki
22:48 – 23:25 Master of Orion II: Battle at Antares – Mrrshan Theme – Laura Barratt
23:26 – 26:55 Secret of Evermore – Village on the Plateau, Fire Eyes – Jeremy Soule
26:56 – 29:47 The Elder Scrolls: Arena & Daggerfall – Swimming, A Beautiful Day in the City – Eric Heberling
29:48 – 41:59 The Elder Scrolls III–V – Through the Valleys, The Road Most Travelled, Far Horizons – Jeremy Soule
42:00 – 43:58 Secret of Evermore – Hidden Temple – Jeremy Soule
43:59 – 52:46 Lords of Magic – Air & Water – Keith Zizza
52:47 – 56:48 Radical Dreamers – Under the Moonlight – Yasunori Mitsuda
56:49 – 1:00:24 Heroes of Might and Magic II & III – Water – Paul Romero, Rob King & Steve Baca
1:00:25 – 1:05:09 Heroes of Might and Magic II & III – Swamp – Paul Romero, Rob King & Steve Baca
1:05:10 – 1:11:20 Heroes of Might and Magic II & III – Rough & Dirt – Paul Romero, Rob King & Steve Baca
1:11:21 – 1:15:20 Heroes of Might and Magic II & III – Grass – Paul Romero, Rob King & Steve Baca
1:15:21 – 1:22:22 Might & Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven – Sunlit Snow Journey & Moonlit Journey – Paul Romero, Rob King & Steve Baca
These soundtracks highlight a unique tradition in video game music: the blending of nature sounds and exploration themes to create immersive worlds. Long before separate ambient tracks existed, composers wove the sound of forests, rivers, and open skies directly into their compositions, giving players the feeling of stepping into living landscapes.
If you like old game music check out @HQRemakes with over 1400 high quality remakes.
We have released a couple of the soundtrack remakes as music mods for the games which you can find here:
https://www.nexusmods.com/users/144232178?tab=user files
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