The Nier Automata OST still lives in my head rent free years later, official appreciation thread

Was doing dishes today and caught myself humming the Copied City theme completely unprompted for like the fifth time this month and figured I should just make a thread instead of keeping this to myself. This might be the single best video game soundtrack of the last decade and I don't think that's hyperbole at this point.

What gets me about it structurally is how the tracks actually change based on what's happening in the story, the vocal layers coming in during certain emotional beats isn't just a cool audio trick, it's doing actual narrative work. Very few soundtracks integrate that tightly with the story being told instead of just existing as background atmosphere.

The way certain themes get reprised in completely different arrangements later in the game hits different once you understand the full context of what's happening narratively, there's at least two tracks that made we want to go back and replay entire sections purely because I understood the emotional context of the music differently the second time around.

Also just have to shoutout how good this soundtrack is divorced from the game entirely, I've had it in regular rotation on its own for actual years now, which is rare for me with game OSTs even ones I genuinely love while playing.

Anyone else have a soundtrack that's basically become part of your regular listening rotation outside the game itself? Would love more recommendations, always looking for stuff in a similar space.