Unoriginal Soundtracks #87: Wolfenstein The New Order

Every other Wednesday, I share a playlist of songs tangentially related to a single game or series. Songs about alien sex for Mass Effect, world leaders for Civilization, and so on. Make requests to @USPodcast on Twitter.

This playlist has it all: rap, folk, sudden shifts in tone. It's Unoriginal Soundtracks for Wolfenstein: The New Order.

Unoriginal Soundtracks #81: Assassin's Creed 4

Every other Wednesday, I share a playlist of songs tangentially related to a single game or series. Songs about alien sex for Mass Effect, world leaders for Civilization, and so on. Make requests to @USPodcast on Twitter.

Going from metal to male-voice choir to blues to sea shanty, this playlist is as contrasting as the 18th/21st century sci-fi/swashbuckler it's all about. It's not pirating if you hit the Amazon Associates links.

Unoriginal Soundtracks #41: Braid

Every other Wednesday, I share a playlist of songs tangentially related to a single game or series. Songs about alien sex for Mass Effect, world leaders for Civilization, and so on. Searching for relevant terms on Spotify is a great way to discover new music and uncover hidden gems. Make requests to @USPodcast on Twitter.

Braid is welcoming and hard to approach at the same time. On the one hand, its rewind mechanic and bypassable puzzles remove most of the frustration associated with puzzle-platformer games -- but on the other, its message is obfuscated by verbose writing. For those willing to read its text a couple of times, and devote some thought to it, Braid talks about the ideas that inspire a moodier playlist than usual, full of blues-rock, soul, and new wave.

Unoriginal Soundtracks Podcast: Splinter Cell Edition

Every other Wednesday I share a playlist of songs tangentially related to a single game or series. Songs about alien sex for Mass Effect, songs about world leaders for Civilization, and so on. Searching for random terms on Spotify is a great way to discover new music and rediscover old classics.
Splinter Cell is all about feeling powerful without the typical video-game sources of power. Sure you've got a gun, but it's tiny; you're physically fit, but you're 5'10" and approaching retirement; you could kill an armed guard with your bare hands, but only with care and forethought. Sam Fisher got where he is because of his skill and physicality, but mostly because of his smarts -- smarts that you, the player, give him. Wait! A playlist snuck out of nowhere!

Unoriginal Soundtracks Podcast: The Darkness Edition

Every other Wednesday I share a playlist of songs tangentially related to a single game or series. Songs about alien sex for Mass Effect, songs about world leaders for Civilization, and so on. Searching for random terms on Spotify is a great way to discover new music and rediscover old classics.

Set in New York City and Hell, the Darkness inspires some far-flung musical choices. Blues and soul comes from the USA, hip hop from Sweden, calypso from Trinidad, an organ ballad from Britain, and something that defies description from Denmark.