{"id":1631804,"date":"2026-07-12T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-12T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/R5JuZQo37xSWg8Uza8WgEK"},"modified":"2026-07-12T17:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-07-12T17:00:00","slug":"were-not-quite-done-with-2026-but-here-are-9-videogame-bangers-that-have-defined-the-year-so-far","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/were-not-quite-done-with-2026-but-here-are-9-videogame-bangers-that-have-defined-the-year-so-far\/","title":{"rendered":"We&#8217;re not quite done with 2026, but here are 9 videogame bangers that have defined the year so far"},"content":{"rendered":"<article>\n<p>We&#8217;re officially seven months into 2026. First of all, what the hell? I don&#8217;t know about you, but it feels like this year has absolutely whizzed by despite\u2026 not a whole lot happening. Apart from, y&#8217;know, an insane number of layoffs and the industry slowly crumbling while a giant GTA 6-shaped asteroid slowly approaches. <\/p>\n<div class=\"fancy-box\">\n<div class=\"fancy_box-title\">Critical Hit<\/div>\n<div class=\"fancy_box_body\">\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure \" >\n<div class='image-full-width-wrapper'>\n<div class='image-widthsetter' >\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:56.25%;\"><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"WcCZiWMVteuU25phgoBuD8\" name=\"critical-hit-boxout-badge\" caption=\"\" alt=\"Critical Hit column logo\" src=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/were-not-quite-done-with-2026-but-here-are-9-videogame-bangers-that-have-defined-the-year-so-far.png\" mos=\"\" link=\"\" align=\"\" fullscreen=\"\" width=\"\" height=\"\" attribution=\"\" endorsement=\"\" class=\"pinterest-pin-exclude\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption itemprop=\"caption description\" class=\"\"><span class=\"credit\" itemprop=\"copyrightHolder\">(Image credit: Future)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"fancy-box__body-text\">Welcome to <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pcgamer.com\/tag\/critical-hit\/\" target=\"_blank\">Critical Hit<\/a>, where I (or someone else on the PC Gamer team) celebrate and lament all things videogame music, audio design, and the ways our favourite games make our ears tingle.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>But in the mess and chaos, we&#8217;ve still been blessed with some pretty good videogames this year, as well as killer soundtracks to go alongside them. I&#8217;ll admit I&#8217;ve not quite been on top of my 2026 gaming this year\u2014I&#8217;m well and truly back in my Final Fantasy 14 brainrot era, and have also discovered Project Zomboid 13 years too late. So we&#8217;re on a little retro vibe right now. <\/p>\n<p>That doesn&#8217;t mean I haven&#8217;t had time to play any new releases, though. Or that I&#8217;ve not been listening to their music even when I haven&#8217;t quite gotten around to actually playing the damn thing yet. While there&#8217;s still another five months of potential videogame bangers ahead of us, I wanted to take a look and see which tracks really grabbed my attention so far in the big 2026.<\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;ve got some 2026 favourites of your own, I&#8217;d love to hear which soundtracks or specific videogame tunes have been on your radar this year. Be sure to drop a comment and let me know!<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"card card--standard card--rows-3 card--align-inline\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=dPMUUfyyxOM\" target=\"_blank\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:56.25%;\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width: 100%\" class=\"card__image\" src=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/were-not-quite-done-with-2026-but-here-are-9-videogame-bangers-that-have-defined-the-year-so-far-1.png\" alt=\"Screamer 2026\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"card__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card__title\">Arcade \u2013 Screamer<\/h3>\n<div class=\"card__description-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"card__description\">\n<p>Milestone&#8217;s newest racer is positively dripping in vibes. It&#8217;s sporting a slick anime aesthetic with a colourful cast of characters, and the game&#8217;s music compliments the whole thing perfectly. It&#8217;s this wonderful mix of rock and electronic, but my favourite track of the bunch has to be the one that plays when you select the Arcade mode.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"card__description\">\n<p>It&#8217;s this wonderful dynamic piece that layers the hype as you progress through each menu, an EDM explosion that gives me <em>huge <\/em>2000s anime\/rhythm game vibes. A proper bop.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"card card--standard card--rows-2 card--align-inline\">\n<div class=\"card-image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:56.25%;\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width: 100%\" class=\"card__image\" src=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/were-not-quite-done-with-2026-but-here-are-9-videogame-bangers-that-have-defined-the-year-so-far.jpg\" alt=\"Mewgenics trailer still - large smiling grey cat who I'm sure is very nice\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"card__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card__title\">Eatin&#8217; Rats \u2013 Mewgenics<\/h3>\n<div class=\"card__description-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"card__description\">\n<p>I&#8217;m yet to play Mewgenics (I know!) but I am <em>obsessed <\/em>with its soundtrack. It&#8217;s so delightfully silly, but Eatin&#8217; Rats has to be one of my absolute favourites with lyrics like &#8220;Tasty legs and crispy thighs \/ On my mind! \/ I&#8217;m so hungry now I&#8217;m gonna \/Chase \u2018em, grab \u2018em, fry \u2018em!&#8221; It&#8217;s like a feline Guys and Dolls, and I can almost picture a gang of cats slinking their way down an alley, clicking their fingers in unison. Y&#8217;know, if they had fingers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"card card--standard card--rows-2 card--align-inline\">\n<div class=\"card-image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:56.25%;\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width: 100%\" class=\"card__image\" src=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/were-not-quite-done-with-2026-but-here-are-9-videogame-bangers-that-have-defined-the-year-so-far-1.jpg\" alt=\"Crimson Desert Kliff holding cat\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"card__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card__title\">Lone Wolf \u2013 Crimson Desert<\/h3>\n<div class=\"card__description-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"card__description\">\n<p>I&#8217;ve previously lamented that Crimson Desert&#8217;s soundtrack is a little boring, and I stand by that. But I do have a bit of a soft spot for Lone Wolf, the song that plays as you&#8217;re loading into the world of Pywel. It&#8217;s soft but with an underlayer of moodiness to it, and I&#8217;m a total sucker for a gentle choir moment like this one.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"card card--standard card--rows-3 card--align-inline\">\n<div class=\"card-image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:56.25%;\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width: 100%\" class=\"card__image\" src=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/were-not-quite-done-with-2026-but-here-are-9-videogame-bangers-that-have-defined-the-year-so-far-2.jpg\" alt=\"Screenshot of 007 First Light\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"card__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card__title\">Club Arch DJ set \u2013 007 First Light<\/h3>\n<div class=\"card__description-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"card__description\">\n<p>Another game I&#8217;m yet to play, but as soon as I heard Chase &#038; Status had a virtual DJ set inside Club Arch\u2014which a young Bond visits during the game&#8217;s second chapter\u2014I had to go and give it a listen. And as someone who had a huge Chase &#038; Status phase as a teenager, it&#8217;s the epitome of grimy Britishness that I just love. The kind of thing I absolutely would have got down to after one too many \u00a31 vodka cokes at university.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"card card--standard card--rows-2 card--align-inline\">\n<div class=\"card-image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:56.25%;\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width: 100%\" class=\"card__image\" src=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/were-not-quite-done-with-2026-but-here-are-9-videogame-bangers-that-have-defined-the-year-so-far-3.jpg\" alt=\"Life is Strange: Reunion screenshot\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"card__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card__title\">Blood Moon \u2013 Life is Strange Reunion<\/h3>\n<div class=\"card__description-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"card__description\">\n<p>Life is Strange Reunion blends the curated licensed music the series has become so well-known for with a handful of original pieces, and Blood Moon is my favourite of the bunch. Super moody indie that has its ominous instrumental cut through with artist Elora&#8217;s gorgeously haunting vocals. It&#8217;s something I would half expect to hear in a Twilight movie (and as a 30-year-old woman, I mean that with full endearment). <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"card__description\">\n<p>It&#8217;s, of course, complete with lyrics that are incredibly fitting of Max and Chloe&#8217;s journey. A lovely song all round.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"card card--standard card--rows-2 card--align-inline\">\n<div class=\"card-image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:56.25%;\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width: 100%\" class=\"card__image\" src=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/were-not-quite-done-with-2026-but-here-are-9-videogame-bangers-that-have-defined-the-year-so-far-4.jpg\" alt=\"Paralives\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"card__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card__title\">Inner Child \u2013 Paralives<\/h3>\n<div class=\"card__description-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"card__description\">\n<p>Andrei Casta\u00f1on <em>had <\/em>to know what he was doing when calling this track Inner Child. It&#8217;s part of the soundtrack for life sim Paralives and good grief, it gives me the biggest Sims 2 vibes imaginable. It opens up with a super twangy melody that reminds me so much of my favourite EA life sim, with a delicate-yet-whimsical melody layered over the top.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"card__description\">\n<p>It takes a lot of skill to evoke such strong feelings of another game without cribbing from it too heavily, so I have to commend Casta\u00f1on for giving me a real Ratatouille critic moment the second I heard this track. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"card card--standard card--rows-3 card--align-inline\">\n<div class=\"card-image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:56.25%;\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width: 100%\" class=\"card__image\" src=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/were-not-quite-done-with-2026-but-here-are-9-videogame-bangers-that-have-defined-the-year-so-far-5.jpg\" alt=\"Marathon Protect\/Destroy 4: A close-up of MIDA's Gantry liaison.\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"card__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card__title\">In Death We&#8217;ve Just Begun \u2013 Marathon<\/h3>\n<div class=\"card__description-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"card__description\">\n<p>Poppy is one of my all-time favourite artists, so imagine my delight to hear her voice in the song that features in Marathon&#8217;s opening cinematic. She&#8217;s always had this wonderfully ethereal tone which really shines alongside Son Lux&#8217;s melancholic composition. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"card__description\">\n<p>I&#8217;ve also become so accustomed to hearing Poppy belting out heavier, rawer vocals that it&#8217;s a pleasant surprise to hear her back to the softer tones of her earlier work. It&#8217;s one of those tracks I always pop on during a quiet evening when I&#8217;m looking for a moodier atmosphere. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"card card--standard card--rows-2 card--align-inline\">\n<div class=\"card-image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:56.25%;\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width: 100%\" class=\"card__image\" src=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/were-not-quite-done-with-2026-but-here-are-9-videogame-bangers-that-have-defined-the-year-so-far-6.jpg\" alt=\"In Falsus.\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"card__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card__title\">Cryogenic \u2013 In Falsus<\/h3>\n<div class=\"card__description-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"card__description\">\n<p>Okay, technically a demo. But rhythm game <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcgamer.com\/games\/rhythm\/i-only-needed-5-songs-to-know-that-in-falsus-is-going-to-be-my-go-to-rhythm-game-when-i-cant-get-to-the-arcade\/\"><u>In Falsus<\/u><\/a> is (unsurprisingly) already filled with bangers, despite only having a tidy six tracks to play right now. It&#8217;s a mixture of pre-existing songs and originals, the latter of which includes Cryogenic by one of my favourite composers, Camellia.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"card__description\">\n<p>It&#8217;s a fantastic track with soft, dreamy vocals punctuated with a poppy electronic beat. Hell, it&#8217;s so good that it&#8217;s already made (or making) its way into <em>four <\/em>other rhythm games\u2014developer Lowiro&#8217;s other music game Arcaea along with CHUNITHM, maimai, and ONGEKI. Those are the big leagues, baby.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"card card--standard card--rows-2 card--align-inline\">\n<div class=\"card-image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:56.25%;\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width: 100%\" class=\"card__image\" src=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/were-not-quite-done-with-2026-but-here-are-9-videogame-bangers-that-have-defined-the-year-so-far-7.jpg\" alt=\"Cadence, the hero in People of Note\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"card__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card__title\">Under the Lights \u2013 People of Note<\/h3>\n<div class=\"card__description-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"card__description\">\n<p>I am still criminally early into People of Note, but its soundtrack is my biggest motivator to actually get this thing played before 2026 is out. Under the Lights was one of the first tracks revealed for the game and it&#8217;s a banger. I am a sucker for a musical moment, and this song is very stereotypically movie musical but, like, in a <em>good <\/em>way. Incredibly stoked to actually experience the rest of this lovely little soundtrack.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcgamer.com\/games\/were-not-quite-done-with-2026-but-here-are-9-videogame-bangers-that-have-defined-the-year-so-far\/\">Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We&#8217;re officially seven months into 2026. First of all, what the hell? I don&#8217;t know about you, but it feels like this year has absolutely whizzed by despite\u2026 not a whole lot happening. Apart from, y&#8217;know, an insane number of layoffs and the industry slowly crumbling while a giant GTA 6-shaped asteroid slowly approaches. Critical Hit (Image credit: Future) Welcome to Critical Hit, where I (or someone else on the PC Gamer team) celebrate and lament all things videogame music, audio design, and the ways our favourite games make our ears tingle. But in the mess and chaos, we&#8217;ve still been blessed with some pretty good videogames this year, as well as killer soundtracks to go alongside them. I&#8217;ll admit I&#8217;ve not quite been on&hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerpt-more\"><a class=\"blog-excerpt button\" href=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/were-not-quite-done-with-2026-but-here-are-9-videogame-bangers-that-have-defined-the-year-so-far\/\">Read More&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1631805,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[336],"tags":[748],"class_list":["post-1631804","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pc-gamer","tag-games"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>We&#039;re not quite done with 2026, but here are 9 videogame bangers that have defined the year so far | Arcader News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We&#039;re officially seven months into 2026. First of all, what the hell? I don&#039;t know about you, but it feels like this year has absolutely whizzed by\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/were-not-quite-done-with-2026-but-here-are-9-videogame-bangers-that-have-defined-the-year-so-far\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"We&#039;re not quite done with 2026, but here are 9 videogame bangers that have defined the year so far | Arcader News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"We&#039;re officially seven months into 2026. First of all, what the hell? 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