Many of you may be surprised to learn that a first-person shooter game, like the Halo series, has a symphonic score that is actually pleasant to listen to even when you're not playing the game. The soundtrack for Halo: Reach, the fifth Halo video game to be scored by Michael Salvatori [1], was released around the same time as the game.[2] It gives us plenty of familiar Halo motifs adapted to the new story. It also presents us with new musical motifs developed for the new characters and plot. However, one of the motifs is only a few notes off from being identical to the track "Fairytale" from Shrek.[3]
My verdict: This soundtrack was less memorable than the other Halo soundtracks, though still enjoyable. The only motif which was catchy was the "Lone Wolf" motif.[5] As is often the case with video game music, the music for the cut-scenes is often rich and varied while the music for gameplay is uneventful.[4] It has a more techno feel than the music for the other Halo games. In fact, one of the tracks ("From the Vault") reminded me of the methodical, percussion-heavy music at the end of Crocodile Dundee.
Notes:
[1] For my review of the video game itself, see here.
[2] Along with Martin O'Donnell he composed the soundtracks for Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3, and Halo 3: ODST. The score for the only other game in the Halo franchise, Halo Wars, was composed by Stephen Rippy.
[3] Listen to the first part of "The Package" from Halo: Reach here and then compare it to "Fairytale" from Shrek here. Of course they could both be informed by Gustav Holst's "Jupiter, Bringer of Jollity" (skip to 2:53 to hear the similarity; but I recommend that at some point in your life you listen to the entire recording of The Planets).
[4] None of the tracks are actually named "Lone Wolf" but the motif shows up in several places. You can hear a snippet of it here.
[5] This is because they have no way to gauge how long you're going to take to play each level. This is further compounded by allowing you to play at different difficulty levels.
My verdict: This soundtrack was less memorable than the other Halo soundtracks, though still enjoyable. The only motif which was catchy was the "Lone Wolf" motif.[5] As is often the case with video game music, the music for the cut-scenes is often rich and varied while the music for gameplay is uneventful.[4] It has a more techno feel than the music for the other Halo games. In fact, one of the tracks ("From the Vault") reminded me of the methodical, percussion-heavy music at the end of Crocodile Dundee.
Notes:
[1] For my review of the video game itself, see here.
[2] Along with Martin O'Donnell he composed the soundtracks for Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3, and Halo 3: ODST. The score for the only other game in the Halo franchise, Halo Wars, was composed by Stephen Rippy.
[3] Listen to the first part of "The Package" from Halo: Reach here and then compare it to "Fairytale" from Shrek here. Of course they could both be informed by Gustav Holst's "Jupiter, Bringer of Jollity" (skip to 2:53 to hear the similarity; but I recommend that at some point in your life you listen to the entire recording of The Planets).
[4] None of the tracks are actually named "Lone Wolf" but the motif shows up in several places. You can hear a snippet of it here.
[5] This is because they have no way to gauge how long you're going to take to play each level. This is further compounded by allowing you to play at different difficulty levels.
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