[Feature] When Music And Videogames Meet: 10 Memorable Encounters

With the E3 Electronic Entertainment Expo having thrown down the best of the gaming world over in the United States a couple weeks ago, we thought it would be an appropriate time to acknowledge ten special times that video games and alternative music have crossed paths with one another.

Disclaimer: Guitar Hero and Rock Band have been excluded from this list for obvious reasons that shouldn't need to be explained. 

1. Bring Me The Horizon in The Witcher 3's DLC Trailer 

Remember the time you were vibing the trailer for The Witcher 3’s DLC expansion came out and you were all, “I’m pretty sure I know that song”? Yeah, us too, what a coincidence! As you probably figured out, the trailer featured Bring Me The Horizon’s 'Blessed With A Curse', from their 2010 full-length 'There Is A Hell, Believe Me I’ve Seen It, There Is A Heaven, Let’s Keep It A Secret' ('length' being the operative word with that title). That’s totally not the reason we bought the new DLC. Promise.

2. Refused on the DOOM Reboot Trailer

Let’s face it: Refused’s 'New Noise' is an anthem. So it should come as no surprise that someone over at Bethesda (or id Software) used its mad hype power to soundtrack the cinematic trailer for the 2016 reboot of the iconic DOOM series. Good call, guys. Also, that game is almost too violent for its own good. Almost.

3. The Melvins on Sunset Overdrive

As if Sunset Overdrive couldn’t get any damn cooler, King Buzzo from rock legends The Melvins drops by to bring some light to the gleeful apocalypse of this Xbox One exclusive. Check out the video below to watch him grace the open world third-person shooter with some tunes and as per usual, a little bit of awkward banter.

4. The Tony Hawk Soundtracks

The entire Tony Hawk Series had one thing in common, apart from being a series based on Tony Hawk and skateboarding, and that's kickass soundtracks. If you’re an old school punk, you’d have encountered Millencolin, Bad Religion, The Explosion, Zebrahead, and Lagwagon, among other cuts while fake-skating around with pure glee. If you’re progressive, you would have adored the tunes on Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland, whereby artists tried their hand covering classic punk songs like they were making Christmas presents for kids with mohawks. My Chemical Romance covered Misfits’ 'Astro Zombies', Fall Out Boy took on Gorilla Biscuits’ 'Start Today' and Senses Fail had a go at Suicidal Tendencies’ 'Institutionalized'. You get the picture.

5. The FIFA Soundtracks

Ah, FIFA, the gaming franchise that had soundtracks so important they basically dictated the iTunes libraries of obsessed players nearly every year. The series also helps to make up the pre-owned sections at your local EB Games. Anyway, while not all of FIFA’s tracks can be considered part of our “scene”, they have had their moments. For instance, FIFA 2000 had a Reel Big Fish's 'Sell Out' on it. Oh, and Blur’s 'Song 2'? A classic jam.

6. Jimmy Euringer on Lollipop Chainsaw

Wikipedia calls Lollipop Chainsaw a “comedy horror action hack-and-slash video game” and even though that’s a lot of titles, it’s honestly a pretty accurate description (it is a Goichi Suda game, after all). But did you know that James Euringer of Mindless Self Indulgence is behind the music for the game’s boss battles? Did you? Did you know he also voices the character of Zed, “The Punk Rockin’ Misfit”? Well there you go, you learn something every day.

7. Stories dropping Bioshock references

Stories are one of our most treasured UNFD acts right now, and that’s for a good reason. In fact, it’s because they put Bioshock references into their songs. Ok, that was a joke, but it’s actually true! In an interview from 2014 with Killyourstereo.com's Alex Sievers, frontman Morgan Dodson let slip that on the track 'A Power Concealed', the lyric “no Gods, no Kings, only Man” is, in fact, a Bioshock reference. Oh, and that Bioshock is one of his all-time favourite games. Isn’t it one of everyone’s, though?

[Editor's note: "A man chooses, a slave obeys"].

8. PUP's video for 'DVP'

PUP have been killing it lately, with their sophomore album 'The Dream Is Over' having just been released. In support of one of its singles, 'DVP', they dropped a music video that utilised old titles like the original Mortal Kombat, Punch Out, Oregon Trail and Pokemon, among others, for a canvas for the song's lyrics. Watch it. Now. It's awesome.

9. Avenged Sevenfold on Call of Duty: Black Ops 

Whoever puts together the soundtracks for Call of Duty: Black Ops must have a mighty fine love for Avenged Sevenfold. The band has been featured quite a few times throughout the three games of the series, with 'Carry On' most notably being played at the end of Black Ops II (arguably one of the better entries), and the reveal trailer for that game's Zombies mode. Plus, it's not that all often that you see an entire band recreated with just polygons, too.

10. Nirvana on The Last Of Us (Remastered) Trailer

Because The Last Of Us is one of the best games of our generation and Nirvana kind of count, this moment gets a mention on our list. In the trailer for The Last Of Us (Remastered) on PS4, At Sea provided a stellar, tearjerking rendition of the timeless Nirvana track, 'Something In The Way'. As if the game's plot wasn't gut-wrenching enough, geez!

Honorable mentions go to Health for having both 'Men Today' in Hitman (2016) and 'Tears' in Max Payne 3, and I Am Zero for their Mortal Kombat-themed music video, 'The Winter Sun'. Subzero for life!