The galaxy map theme from the Mass Effect series is one of my favourite tunes in a sci-fi game. I love the chill atmosphere as you select your destination, and hearing it outside the game always makes me want to revisit the series.
this post was submitted on 26 Sep 2025
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I already commented on Outer Wilds, and this one is probably not fitting on Patient Gamers, but...
I have never just stopped and listened the main menu of a game fully, on multiple occasions... Until Expedition 33.
For whatever reason I felt like i was comitting a sheer disrespectful act to interrupt it.
Expedition 33 is a game I finished a couple weeks ago and have continued to be obsessed with since. Not really patientgamers material seeing as it's pretty recent, but I'm so glad I made an exception for it.
Funnily enough the lyrics for that menu music is basically a plot synopsis that spoils the whole story in poetry, but it's fine because it's in a mutated medieval french. A lot of the game's music is like that, actually.
Not one person said Goldeneye? Wow. The main menu is good of course, but that pause music is legendary.
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Man, being earwormed in the main menu and through the entrire game to reach credits and have the full song blast through was mind blowing to me back when it released!
The only game so far that achieved this (and surpassed it by a lot IMO) is Outer Wilds
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The whole Elder Scrolls series has awesome main menu music but I think Morrowind is probably my favourite of the bunch. But they’re all great.
Doom 2016!
The main menu theme for Dark Souls III is probably my favourite main menu theme ever. It perfectly encapsulates the tone of the game in my opinion and I always have to listen to it before starting up the game.
Well son of... That's what I was gonna say!
I guess I can add that Elden Ring is a close second.
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Fallout 4, the theme is so somber it immediately gets you in the right mood.
Smash Bros. Melee
Hotline Miami has a banging soundtrack, including the main menu music
One Must Fall 2097.
That intro with the lightning was hype to my little 8 year old brain.
Honorable mention to the Elegy track from Firefall. That game deserved a lot better than it got.
Everyone knows that first place belongs to Mega Man II.
The kind that stops when i alt+tab
The Halo 4 theme was so good that I would let it play out before starting a game most of the time. Definitely my favorite title theme.
Some other good ones are Skyrim, LOZ Ocarina of Time, and Star Wars Republic Commando
FFX!
Transport Tycoon Deluxe.
That jazzy midi is an absolute banger, gets me into the mood to build railways.
edit: ooh, almost forgot: Jazz the Jackrabbit (the first game). Absolutely phenomenal mainmenu music, that bassline slaps so hard.
I have a lot of these, but The Right Way Around, by Daughter, for Life is Strange: Before the Storm grabbed me the second I launched the game.
A more traditional main menu theme that I love is Ecce valde generous ale from Panzer Dragoon Saga. It's a brilliant introduction to the game, drawing the player into a mysterious world in a post-apocalyptic setting.
Gotta be The Witcher 3 for me
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeenter the Gungeon... whispers: enter the gungeon
Need For Speed Most wanted (2005), Need for speed music of that time period was kinda goated in general.
The life is strange start menu music makes me feel things.
Final Fantasy 4
Nobody has mentioned FTl: Faster than light yet as far as I can see. It's so iconic!
A mainstay on my shuffle playlists in the Encore Mode Save Select Theme, Double Take, from Sonic Mania Plus. Track is by Falk du Yeong, who did the music for the popular Sonic Fangames Before and After the Sequel.
A recent one that Youtube Music (hooray for Revanced) revealed to me is the Main Menu theme of Mindwave, by Dorkus 64. Apparently the game is kind of a mix of WarioWare but with jumping into people's minds as the setting? Can hear a lot of WarioLand 4 influence in the track. Weird, and an absolute bop.
Honorable Mentions:
- Main Menu Theme, Metroid Prime (or from the Remaster)
- Briefing, Ace Combat X
- Stage Select, Ape Escape
- Time Station, Ape Escape (kind of cheating, it's basically a menu as a hub stage)
- All the menu themes from Sonic Mega Collection
The slow buildup and somber tone of Hitman III menu music „Death Awaits“ lives rent free in my head for a while now. Choir and strings in the end 👩🍳👌
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The mellow tunes of the Hollow Knight main menu is what comes to mind.
Divinity: Original Sin main menu.
Doom 3. Moody at the start, but when the guitars hit it's just amazing. It really summarizes the game where it's moody and dark at the start, but you rip and tear later on.
Here's an old favorite of mine. Very chill and the menu will play it all day long if you like...This tune is from one of the sub-menus from the original Katamari Damacy. I think it was the menu where you can explore the various items you've collected. It's called "Katamari☆Stars"
Here's a link to it in the middle of the entire soundtrack on YouTube (an amazing collection of songs in it's own right ♥️) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAA6hq9RL-4&t=3515s
Battlefield 2
The main menu for Battlefield 3 on console is still the gold standard imo. Had atmosphere without being sacrificing usability.
Going off pure style points NFS Most Wanted 2005 always gets you in the right mood for the game, although having replayed it countless times I still fumble navigating the menus at times. So I'm aware it isn't the most user friendly design.
Not sure if they are my favorite but these are the 3 first that came into my mind, in this order:
- Uncharted 2
- Xenoblade Chronicles
- Kingdom Hearts
I am pretty sure there are another good ones out there that I can't remember right now (like Time Hollow).
Well, the Octopath Traveler theme plays in its main menu and it‘s an absolute banger
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