#20. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Tarrey Town

One of the coolest options you can do in the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild involves the construction of an entire town, but it also happens to be one of the longest quests in the game. Through slowly harvesting resources and recruiting townsfolk all over Hyrule for the From the Ground Up questline, you’ll build this town up from basically nothing. The theme of Tarrey Town is an uplifting piece that drives home this sense of accomplishment that few other games do.

#19. Kingdom Hearts III – Dearly Beloved

Much like how Final Fantasy has a tradition of including its Prelude theme in every mainline title, the Kingdom Hearts franchise is an empty husk without Dearly Beloved. Each new title has seen a different take on Yoko Shimomura’s iconic piece, but its Kingdom Hearts III rendition might be the one that tugs at heartstrings the most. Signifying the long-awaited continuation of a story that’s over a decade long, many grown adults found themselves treated to an orchestral flourish to celebrate the return of a dearly beloved childhood friend.

#18. Final Fantasy XIV – Twilight Over Thanalan

Some Final Fantasy fans may recall the very first version of Final Fantasy XIV ever released, which was so badly received that Square Enix had to rebuild the game from the ground up and relaunch it as FFXIV: A Realm Reborn. With the downfall of the original FFXIV, so too did a lot of its music by the legendary Nobuo Uematsu disappear into the void. Among the music that was lost is Twilight Over Thanalan, a dreamy night time piece with a symphonic majesty quite fit for the wealthy desert city of Ul’dah. Beyond its presence in a brief opening cutscene in A Realm Reborn, its an incredible track that is sadly not present anywhere else. 

#17. Xenogears – Shevat ~ The Wind is Calling

Few ancient lost civilizations exist up in the clouds, but the city of Shevat in Xenogears is a unique one that bucks the trend. Our heroes arrive at this floating nation after climbing a grueling area known as the Tower of Babel.

The calm and tranquil nature of this music up on a floating island up in the skies certainly makes for a fulfilling reward, even if the place has long been deserted.

#16. Etrian Odyssey IV – Cerulean Woodlands

Roguelike adventures aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but you might find a soft spot for them after listening to Cerulean Woodlands from Etrian Odyssey IV.

The game itself may involve dungeon crawling, but the music here conveys something closer to a casual evening stroll. It’s a fantastic way to ease players into their first dungeon, and probably even an even better way to relax, despite all the deadly monsters.

NEXT: #15-#11