There are strong
and memorable themes, there's solid development, lush orchestration,
storytelling quality, and excellent production values what's not
to love? If you like well-crafted, extremely cinematic music for
your video games, then you can't go wrong with KILLZONE 2.
Under-Appreciated Gem
Review by Marius Masalar
"It was great to be
back on familiar ground and see if I could take it to another level;
retain some of the themes we had for KILLZONE 1, and at the same time
musically try to do something that was a bit more beefy and meaty than
the first one."
The world of First-Person Shooter games is hardly under-populated, and the
general expectations for musical quality have been high thanks to
standards set by the Medal of Honor series and others besides. So it's no
surprise that sometimes a title slips onto the market without getting the
recognition it should for music. When the original Killzone hit stores in
2004, it received largely mediocre reviews and seemed to be considered a
title that lacked distinguishing features. While the game itself may have
been unremarkable, JORIS DE MAN's musical score for it was one of the most
superbly well-crafted efforts in the game music world. Taking the military
game score stereotypes and raising them to new heights of symphonic
majesty, DE MAN's score flowed from soaring brass fanfares, to remarkably
lyrical sections, to epic marches, to aggressive modern elecontrics...all
while demonstrating clever, lush orchestration and narrative musicality.
It was an under-appreciated gem. Considering DE MAN's extensive musical
background and experience, it's not surprising that he managed to raise
the bar and deliver a cinematic and enthralling sequel score for KILLZONE
2.
From the main titles, "Birth of War - Retribution" (1) to the individual
cutscene cues, the music of KILLZONE 2 is a faithful extension of the
sound JORIS DE MAN implemented in the first game. The major themes
including the popular Helghast March, "Helghan Forever" (2) all return
in renewed form, and they're joined by new and extended variations. Where
the music of KILLZONE and its sequel differs from that of many other
modern FPS game scores is in the fact that these scores provide a
completely engaging listening experience even outside the game. The broad
track "March On To Visari's Palace..." (8) illustrates this perfectly as
it moves from the the foreground into the background without sacrificing
musicality. That is a difficult thing to achieve; the music not only fits
the game like a glove, but is also able to stand apart from it. Many
times, the need for "underscoring" or "ambience" music in games means that
listening to the result outside of the actual game proves to be dull,
tedious, or even boring. It is admirable, then, that even when KILLZONE
2's score is staying quiet and allowing the on-screen action to dominate,
it still manages to be interesting to listen to, as in the tense "Question
Time With Radec" (9). Take note, all ye composers who would cut corners
audiences notice and appreciate craft in the music of their games.
In terms of instrumentation, DE MAN sticks to his symphonic roots pretty
faithfully, but he makes liberal use of interesting playing techniques and
isn't afraid to layer a choir, solo instrumentalists, and heavy
electronics where appropriate as in the rousing "Visari's Lament &
Conclusion" (14). Of course, it also helps that the score was recorded at
Abbey Roads with a brilliant ensemble. The performance and mixing alone is
spellbinding, with an organic depth and vibrancy to the sound that is
sometimes lost amid the processing of other scores these days. At the risk
of sounding too positive, there really isn't a whole lot I can find fault
with in KILLZONE 2's score. I would love to see other composers aiming for
the standards that JORIS DE MAN has set here. There are strong and
memorable themes, there's solid development, lush orchestration,
storytelling quality, and excellent production values what's not to
love? If you like well-crafted, extremely cinematic music for your video
games, then you can't go wrong with KILLZONE 2.
Unfortunately, listeners are stuck playing through the game to experience
the awesome effort on display here. Those without PS3s will either have to
invade a friend's house or wait for the official release which, by the
way is apparently coming soon! With an iTunes release of the score
pending, according to his website, JORIS DE MAN's score for KILLZONE 2
will hopefully receive the recognition it deserves. Rating:
10/10
Track
Track Title
Track Time
Rating
1
Birth of War -
Retribution
3:35
*****
2
The 2nd
Helghast
March -
Helghan
Forever
3:04
*****
3
Battle
Preparations
1:35
****
4
Flight
into
Blood
Meridian
0:50
***
5
The
Arc
Tower
- An
Unexpected
Guest
0:59
***
6
A
Bridge
Too
Far
0:54
****
7
Petrusite Revealed
0:57
****
8
March on to Visari's Palace & A Day of Mourning for ISA
