Assassin's Creed 2 Composed by Jesper Kyd
Ubisoft Music (2009)
Rating:
9/10
Soundclips below from AmazonMP3
“ASSASSIN’S CREED II
is a score I will be returning to time and again for the sheer
artistry and beauty on display, and it reaffirms JESPER KYD as a composer to watch. Its impact grows with each
successive listen.”
Coming of Age
review by Marius Masalar
I don't know about you, but every time I see a white feather on the street
nowadays, I look over my shoulder in the hopes of glimpsing some cloaked
figure as he dispatches any nearby Templars. ASSASSIN’S CREED, Ubisoft's
2007 action platformer, is of course responsible for this strange
behaviour. But while the first game was a compelling proof of concept, it
wasn't until the sequel came out that the series truly came into its own.
Meet ASSASSIN’S CREED II, all grown up.
Critics of the first game will argue that the original title's story was
only sporadically interesting and left the majority of the game to wallow
in a thread of repetitive and uninteresting quests, all leading up to
virtually identical assassination missions. Thankfully, Ubisoft has upped
the ante significantly this time around, introducing us to Ezio, a
rambunctious and instantly likable youth who actually has a personality
and whose experiences in the beginning of the game believably justify his
progression from teenager to assassin. The much larger variety of quest
types, the fleshed out and well-acted characters (including some
surprising cameos from history), and the vibrantly realized and detailed
landscapes of Renaissance Italy all come together to form a package that
finally feels like a complete game and not just a giant sandbox of murder
and eagle metaphors.
And, of course, the audio department is also back in full force, with a
beautiful musical score by JESPER KYD that presents Renaissance Italy by
way of Sigur Ros and ACDC. It is a mature and extremely dynamic score,
generously presented on two discs, and it finally transcends the game
itself to offer a consistently excellent listening experience on its own
too — something its predecessor fell just short of.
KYD’s matured musical voice for this sequel is immediately evident in the
opening track of the first disc, “Earth” (1-1), which is one of the most
amazing cues in recent game audio. It won’t bowl you over with lush
orchestral fire or unnecessary percussive pyrotechnics…it won’t need them.
Over a simple bed of guitars and gentle airy synths, a stunning female
voice cries out the main theme of ASSASSIN’S CREED II. This rising,
propulsive theme manages to carry some tragedy despite its structurally
uplifting nature, and the edgy percussion and electric guitars that enter
further along only serve to contribute a sharper edge to KYD’s musical
blade.
“Venice Rooftops” (1-2) extends the theme further with some clever
development that brings in a string section and a faster tempo, driven by
strong toms and a pulsing synth. The combination of organic and synthetic
elements is seamless in ASSASSIN’S CREED II, a fact that works in its
favour as there is no longer such a profound disconnect between those two
aspects of the game’s story — past and future. As is appropriate for the
plot progression, the two’s similarities are being emphasized here, rather
than their differences. Nice and early, we are treated to one of the
album’s strongest tracks: “Ezio’s Family” (1-3). This remarkable track is
essentially a continuation of the opening track, but this time the string
section replaces the aggressive electric guitars and percussion and almost
all distortion gives way to softer but powerfully dramatic sounds, all
building to a stirring conclusion. In an interesting juxtaposition, one of
the game’s saddest cues is immediately followed by one of its lightest.
“Florence Tarantella” (1-4) is a unique and memorable piece of music not
only because of its placement in the game but also because of its extra
dose of historical authenticity.
Our first interaction with the score’s more purely synthetic elements
comes in the form of “Home in Florence” (1-5), a peaceful gameplay
ambience that you’ll hear while walking the streets of Florence. One would
think, looking from the outside, that hearing such synthetic sounds in
what is meant to be an historic game environment would be jarring, but
there is an organic quality to KYD’s synth work that creates what is truly
an appropriate atmosphere. The string elements accompanied by soft
synthetic plucking are simply gorgeous.
Several tracks on the album are offered in multiple alternate versions. In
fact they’re not actual alternate versions of one cue, they’re more like
different cues for the same subject matter. The first of these is
“Approaching Target 1” (1-6), a sparse but unsettling cue that accompanies
you as you close in on your prey. This first version is the least tense of
the three that appear across the two discs, and it flows very nicely into
“Approaching Target 2” (1-7). The second has a stronger melodic presence
and a more definite pulse, subtly carried by a quiet harp. There’s
something magical about how KYD sculpts moods so minimally — this is
undoubtedly a tense cue, but there’s nary a string tremolo or brass rip to
be heard.
Another spurt of action takes place across “Venice Fight” (1-8) and
“Florence Escape” (1-9), both of which feature distorted percussion and
synth elements interacting with processed guitars and brisk rhythmic
figures. The latter is significantly more interesting in its construction
and the vocals that creep in are an excellent effect, dissolving in and
out of the background to highlight the urgency. The relaxing “Tour of
Venice” (1-10) brings us back to soft and organic instruments, including
the solo vocalist whose gentle cooing emerges attractively from the string
accompaniment. The tour is a pleasant one, but there are undertones of
menace to be heard, foreshadowing darker times in the city to come.
The next of the multi-part tracks is “Flight Over Venice 1” (1-11),
another marvelous cue that follows one of the best parts of the game as
you make use of Leonardo Da Vinci’s prototype glider to soar above the
city at night. It’s a bright and energetic piece of music that conveys the
elation of flight very well. “Back in Venice” (1-12) is a brief and
cinematic cue that pushes into the haunting “Dream of Venice” (1-13),
where KYD calls upon the same elegiac monk chanting that he employed for
the first game’s score. The sub-theme for Venice is also nicely reprised,
along with some nods to the main theme. “Home of the Brotherhood” (14) is
an unassuming ambience featuring a blend of very quiet choirs and
sustained strings shifting beneath a solo guitar.
The last of the tracks that has multiple versions is “Leonardo’s
Inventions Pt 1” (1-15). In this instance, the second ‘version’ is in fact
a direct continuation of this cue to be found near the end of the second
disc. Piano arpeggios swirl out the pensive theme for Leonardo’s
machinations. The first disc of ASSASSIN’S CREED II ends less
distinctively than it began, with “Venice Combat Low” (1-16) and “Venice
Escape” (1-17) both being effective but less overtly interesting gameplay
cues, the placement of which is fairly self-explanatory. The insistent
4-note motif in the first is sitting on the border of annoying. Luckily
the second offers more variety and a lot more energy in the form of a
distorted but not overpowering rhythm and a strong entry from the lead
vocalist.
Launching into the album’s second disc, “Darkness Falls In Florence” (2-1)
is an appropriately dark and menacing ambient piece, with nervous strings
and some vocal swells. It’s not terribly interesting but it sets up the
overall tone of the second disc well and leads into the beautiful
“Sanctuary” (2-2). Piano, a rare presence on the score, returns to solo
over a bed of strings and synths. It is a peaceful cue, but seems fraught
with underlying complications and drama — perfect, in other words, for its
placement. “The Madam” (2-3) is one of the most creative tracks on the
album. It makes interesting use of the lead vocalist’s shimmering voice as
a very exposed solo element. The track is very brief, but as she dances
over the synth pad, there is an unmistakable sense of grace and elegance
conveyed by the singer.
“Approaching Target 3” (2-4) and “Flight Over Venice 2” (2-5) are both
alternate versions of tracks from the first disc, and though both remain
faithful to the spirit of their precursors, both are weaker tracks,
failing to muster the same energy or interest. This, unfortunately, is a
smooth transition into the album’s weakest portion. With the exception of
a few notable moments, “Ezio in Florence” (2-6), “Venice Industry” (2-7),
“Stealth” (2-8), and “Notorious” (2-10) are all rather underwhelming. In
fact, to be fair, there is nothing inherently wrong with the tracks except
for the fact that they represent the only segment of the album where one
doesn’t feel the same strength and significance to the music outside of
the game. They’re ‘just’ successful gameplay ambiences, and so while the
rest of the album can keep your active attention without much effort,
these tracks release it and are probably too insubstantial for anything
but background listening — which is what they were intended for.
“Venice Combat” (2-9) breaks them up with an insertion of activity that
recalls the motif from “Venice Escape” — clearly a conflict theme for the
city. In any case, the second disc picks up again in its second half.
“Night Mission in Venice” (2-11) is a very film-y piece with theatrical
strings lending some gravity to one of the game’s most important
assignments. “Chariot Chase” (2-12) is possibly the strongest cue on the
disc, and certainly one of the most elaborate action sequences overall.
KYD does an excellent job of bringing together most of the instruments and
sound colours he’s used in the rest of the score, resulting in a large and
dynamic listening experience. The percussion is particularly engaging,
with many different layers and textures employed.
With “The Plague” (2-13), we encounter one of the creepiest ambiences on
the entire album. Distant vocals, slightly detuned bells, and a brooding
synth pad mingle with strings to paint an eerie picture. From there,
heading to the end, “Wetlands Combat” (2-14) and “Wetlands Escape” (2-15)
are very cool action tracks with a heavy, murky feeling to them, supported
by large percussion and low distorted guitar chugging. The second one
brings vocals into the mix as well.
In a nostalgic nod to the first disc, “Leonardo’s Inventions Pt 2” (2-16)
continues to develop Leonardo’s pensive theme, this time with guitar and
strings supporting the piano more prominently. “Hideout” (2-17) follows,
pushing us toward a more synthetic atmosphere — not unlike the first
album’s ending. It is a deep and contemporary cue with clean electric
guitar lines. As a necessary acknowledgement to the fans of the previous
score, “Animus 2.0” (2-18) concludes the ASSASSIN’S CREED II score with a
wholly synthetic, broad, and menacing ambience. Unfortunately, it lacks
the range and complexity of “Access the Animus” from the first game’s
score, and results in a rather unrewarding end to the album. I suppose, if
nothing else, it makes us anticipate the next installment more fervently.
ASSASSIN’S CREED II is a mighty achievement. From the first track, it
absorbs you and brings you to a world of intrigue, history, and rich
environments, and its greatest strength is its ability to convey those
elements independently, without needing to rely on the game’s visuals as a
crutch. It’s encouraging to see JESPER KYD’s musical ideas from the first
game mature so smoothly and successfully here, and the stylistic melding
he’s known for is on display here. Also worth mentioning is the superior
quality of the audio production — instruments that aren’t supposed to
sound synthetic no longer do, there are more live elements, and the
juxtaposition of synthetic and organic elements is more seamlessly
handled. Nevertheless, the second disc of the album is undoubtedly weaker
than the first, if only because it provides less material to pay direct
attention to.
That being said, ASSASSIN’S CREED II is a score I will be returning to
time and again for the sheer artistry and beauty on display, and it
reaffirms JESPER KYD as a composer to watch. Its impact grows with each
successive listen.
