Studying is a tedious but necessary activity. Accompanied by music, studying can be drastically less painful to complete. Music in video games cues many emotions, like when it foreshadows an approaching enemy, and immerses the player into a fictional world. When I study, I always listen to my favorite gaming soundtracks, but you don’t have to be studying to enjoy them.
Whether you loved or hated The Elder Scrolls Online, “Moons of Evening Star” is still a beautiful song. It brings a fantastical sound that reminds me more of the elves in The Lord of The Rings than those in Elder Scrolls. There’s no sudden changes in its dynamic, which makes it a peaceful listen and perfect for distraction-free studying.
Dragon Age Inquisition was beautiful in visual, gameplay, plot, and soundtrack. The whole album is stunning and brings me back to my favorite in-game locations and scenes every time I listen to it. “Thedas Love Theme” is an especially elegant pick and another great song to alleviate the pain of studying.
The Last of Us’ theme has a much different pace and sound in comparison to the previously listed songs. It depicts more of an adventurous feeling, much less on the fantasy side. This iconic theme simply could not be omitted from my list.
“Jodie’s Suite” is an emotional track to go along with the very emotional game Beyond Two Souls. It captures the heartache of the game. It is lyric free, but does include some vocals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D25KtIKxcwA
“To Zanarkand” is an excellent piano piece that maintains a peaceful quality throughout its duration. You don’t need to play Final Fantasy X to enjoy this one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-0G_FI61a8
Here’s a Spotify playlist with the songs listed above and more of my personal favorites. I plan to update it periodically.