Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Wednesday, December 12, 2007    
I forgot about the Halo 3 Soundtrack, so I checked it out in iTunes. In its standard presentation (standard def. iTunes... not Plus), it comes in at $19.98 for 32 tracks. Initially I thought that was a little steep, but I proceeded to try some of the tracks out.

Where previously Halo soundtracks failed for me (tied too much to the actual in-game audio), this soundtrack shines as its *very* approachable for anyone. What do I mean by that?

Normally a game soundtrack takes you back to the game emotionally. However if you never played the game, the soundtrack may sound over-the-top or contrived. With the Halo 3 soundtrack, I could have my father listen to it (he is a huge classical connoisseur) and really enjoy it.

The tracks are much more complex than previous Halo soundtracks, there is a lot more subtleness and unique sounds from track to track. The Halo 2 soundtrack got bogged down in two areas: great songs that sounded the same, and truly sucky songs.

Tracks that stand out for me on the new album: Released, Brutes, Out of Shadow, To Kill a Demon, Three Gates (classic Halo sound), Black Tower, Keep What You Steal (normally I despise piano), and Movement. The last track is music from a proper band, and it feels totally out of place.

Anyway, thanks Marty, great work on the last soundtrack, and thanks for all your audio mastery in the game bits. Dynamic compositions is a charm.


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