Music has always played a big role in video games. After all, so many gaming moments over the years have been enhanced by the soundtrack. For example, Dom’s sacrifice in Gears Of War 3 wouldn’t have been nearly as tear-jerking if it wasn’t for the tune of Gary Jules' Mad World playing in the background.
RELATED:Best Appearances By Musicians In Video Games
Yet, it isn’t just real-world musicians that provide players with memorable songs. Some of the in-game characters are great musicians in their own right, whether they simply sing or play an instrument. This is a collection of some of the most notable musical talents in gaming.
10Steph Gringrich - The Life Of Strange Series
Steph appears in twoLife Is Strangegames. Her musical talents don’t come to light during her appearances in Before The Storm. At that time, she is more known for her love of tabletop games and art.
But a few years later, in True Colors, her biggest interest is music. She even reveals that she used to be in a band called Drugstore Makeup, in which she was the drummer. Her skills on the drums are evident when she plays at the Spring Festival.
9Donkey Kong - Donkey Kong And Smash Bros. Series
When thinking of great video game musicians, Donkey Kong probably doesn’t come to mind. Yet, the gorilla can play a tune or two on his signature bongo drums.
The instrument doesn’t appear in allthe best games in the series, but it features in several of them, as well as a few Smash Bros. games. Most of the time, he doesn’t play them to create beautiful music. Instead, he creates shockwaves that hurt his adversaries.
In the first Red Dead Redemption, Javier Escuella serves as an antagonist. Thus, you don’t get much chance to listen to his music. Yet, things are different in Red Dead Redemption 2, as he and the protagonist are part of the same gang. As such, they share a camp and get plenty of downtime together with the rest of their allies.
RELATED:Red Dead Redemption 2: One Quote From Each Main Character That Perfectly Sums Up Who They Are
During some nights, Javier whips out his guitar and plays a few songs by the campfire. Not only is he a good guitarist and singer, but he even writes his own songs.
7May - It Takes Two
At the start ofIt Takes Two, the two protagonists, May and Cody, are having marital problems. One of their issues is how much time May spends at work. Later, you find out that not only is her busy schedule limiting family time, but it means she gets less time to pursue her passion for singing.
Then she gains a special singing power that helps her bypass certain puzzles in the game. Plus, she eventually puts on a big musical performance, showcasing her incredible vocal talent.
6Link - The Legend Of Zelda Series
Throughout the Zelda games, Link shows incredible resourcefulness, skill, and intelligence to save the day continually. But that shouldn’t overshadow his incredible musical talent. After all, theiconic hero can play several different instruments.
The Ocarina Of Time is his most famous one, but he can also play flutes, harps, and a grass whistle. If he focused on music, he could make a fantastic one-man band. Yet, he usually only uses the instruments to help with his quest.
5Priscilla (Aka Callonetta) - The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
When it comes to bards in The Witcher 3, Dandelion is the most famous. After all, he is a major character in the story and a close friend to the protagonists, Geralt and Ciri. However, he doesn’t seem to be the most talented musician in the game.
This is because his muse, Priscilla, is an incredible songbird in her own right. She proves this partway through the game when she gives an incredible musical performance. In the said scene, she delivers a beautiful rendition of the song, The Wolven Storm using a lute and her voice.
4Markus - Detroit: Become Human
Detroit: Become Human is set in a futuristic world where humans have created highly intelligent and life-like androids. The mechanical protagonist known as Markus is proof of how advanced these beings are. The android is capable of creating art and playing chess.
RELATED:Games That Let You See The Story From Multiple Perspectives
More importantly, though, he’s a talented musician. In one scene, he proves that he is capable of playing classical music on a piano. And later in the story, he can showcase his singing ability, too.
3Mayor Pauline - Super Mario Odyssey
While she feels like a new face, few gaming characters have been around as long as Pauline. She was in the original arcade Donkey Kong game as Mario’s love interest. The woman hasn’t appeared too often since then. Yet, she does serve as the Mayor of New Donk City in Super Mario Odyssey.
She isn’t just a politician, though. The woman is also the lead singer of a band. And she’s very talented, as shown by her performance at the New Donk City festival.
2Ellie Williams - The Last Of Us Series
DuringThe Last Of Usgames, Joel serves asa great teacherto Ellie. He mostly teaches her things that will help her survive their world that’s filled with deadly creatures and morally questionable humans.
Yet, not all of his teachings revolve around killing and scavenging. He also instructs her on how to play the guitar. She gets pretty good at it and becomes capable of playing a few nice tunes. This combines well with her beautiful singing voice.
1Johnny Silverhand - Cyberpunk 2077
There are a few great characters in Cyberpunk 2077, and Johnny Silverhand is one of the most compelling. During the game, he is a construct inside of the protagonist’s head. The real version is long-dead.
But before he perished, he was a famous rockstar and part of a band called Samurai. In fact, he was the lead singer of the crew, as well as one of the guitarists. While his anarchist efforts overshadowed the music, he seemed to be a talented musician.
