Hell march for the warmongers of C&C https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3YzmjmAGoI
Doom 3 theme https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVygDd_BUNw

Definitely important. Sound is the essential ingredient of the absolute immersion. Without it - atmosphere is totally gone.

But there are games meant just for quick entertainment - like Dome Keeper, or those which embrace the unknown and unexpected - like Soma, Alien: Isolation, Dead Space, Silent Hill, where music is present at the certain times, emphasizing the elements of the story.

And there are those, build around just one song. Like the Elder Scrolls. ;)

It would be difficult to imagine Deus Ex and Unreal without the contribution of Michiel van den Bos. Or Max Payne without its grim theme.

Once in a while I do quick session of Good Old Colonization, while listening to podcasts or documentaries - so it is definitely possible to enjoy the game with no music at all. It is also possible to enjoy the music without a game. I call it soundtrack! ;)

Stoneshard's one is right up my alley! But so is the one from Railroad Tycoon 3, or Tavern Master, or C&C Generals.

I can't imagine though, praising some festival of boredom only because its score. Kudos to the one who composed the music (obviously), but the eternity of Enver Hoxha gibberish to those who designed it.

Now let me go back to some unforgettable melodies from the Knights of Honor!

Smash - right after 4:50 mark. ;)

Out of the 3 Hell Marches, I like the first one the least. In order of preference - 2, 3, 1. Still good, but doesn't do it for me the same way 2 and 3 do.

And regarding Doom 3, it's funny how the menu music is pretty much the only piece of music the game has. As they went for an atmospheric game, it goes with ambience and sound effects and foregoes music almost entirely. And it makes the menu music and extreme outlier compared to the game.

Spec Ops: The Line had wonderful music. Too bad it's lost media now...

Some picks from Despot's Game. Unusual style, best probably described with tags industrial, techno or synthwave. Most of the soundtrack is absolute bangers:

Dance Macabre
Iron Irony
Mad Mode
Rave to the Grave
Acid Bath
Rise and Kill

Jake Kaufman - Counterfeit Mermaids (30min Extended Edit) (from Shantae: Half-Genie Hero)