Every year, when the GameSpot editors discuss this category, we consider two things about the soundtracks that stood out. First: How did the music impact the game? Second: If you took the music out of the game, would you still want to listen to it? The best game music is wonderful both in and out of context. Consider your favorite game tunes. Sure, they perfectly suit the games they appear in, but they're also simply awesome on their own. Why else would you have made the Final Fantasy victory jingle your ringtone?

One thing we agreed on regarding all of 2011's Best Music nominees was that the games wouldn't have been the same without their awesome soundtracks. Can you imagine climbing to the top of one of Constantinople's skyscraping towers, but not hearing Jesper Kyd's synchronization theme emanate from your speakers as the camera circles the landscape? Rayman is a bouncy little fellow made even bouncier by the reedy tones of a mouth harp. The emotional response you have to these games is facilitated--and sometimes, even created--by the outstanding music that accompanies your actions.