Mass Effect

Jack Wall and Sam Hulick

2007 / Sumthing Else / 75 mins

Despite it being obvious that it's heavily synthetic in nature, it manages to create some truly impressive music. There are some great moments of awe, menace, and action, all produced through an effective mixture of orchestra and electronics. However that's offset by weak thematic development, as well as quite a few atmospheric tracks that don't add much to the listening experience.

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Highlight: From the Wreckage (1:54)

Super Mario Galaxy

Koji Kondo and Mahito Yokota

2007 / Nintendo / 67 mins

A wonderful extension of the Mario sound, containing the usual ideas associated with a game belonging to this franchise, but revitalizing them with fresh orchestration. The main theme is an enchanting piece, with some backing synthesizers adding a cosmic feel. There are also some surprisingly epic cues towards the end of the album. This is a welcome evolution in the music for Mario games.

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Highlight: Final Battle with Bowser (2:25)

Lair

John Debney

2007 / Sony Computer Entertainment America / 69 mins

Lair is an epic adventure score with a soaring main theme. The music is bold and powerful, making heavy use of the choir and the orchestra to create some really exciting action cues. The softer side of the album is strong as well, utilizing solo female vocals and violin for some truly beautiful moments. Impressive in its scale, Debney has managed to create video game music that can rival any film score.

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Highlight: Battle for Asylia (4:08)

BioShock

Garry Schyman

2007 / 2K Games / 18 mins

A free download on the 2K Games website, this is a short but interesting video game score. It creates a very haunting atmosphere and then mixes in some rather beautiful moments. There is also a bit of action music that works rather well, leading to a brief but well-rounded album. Since it won't cost you anything, you really can't go wrong with checking this one out.

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Highlight: BioShock Main Theme (The Ocean on His Sh... (1:56)