Soundtrack Review: Mass Effect 1
By deactivated-629f1f5a477d3 2 Comments
One of the Best Soundtracks Ever Heard for a Video Game
Mass Effect is flat-out one of the best games of the past five years. And one of the things that makes it so great is the soundtrack, which is a real score, instead of some cardboard effort, or some stock music. Nope, this is full studio work, and actual thought went into it. No, the the soundtrack isn't there for background, it's part of the living breathing game. They build off each other. The soundtrack helps complete the mood and atmosphere, instead of hindering it.
It's a tribute to 80's sci-fi movies with its constant synth use, but there's also plenty of horns, some piano and somehow, it all comes together in epic fashion. And epic it is. This could easily be in any movie, and it should. Jack Wall and Sam Hulick did an amazing job here. Not once did I think that a piece of score was overdone while listening to the music itself. Something I can't say for most modern movie composers.
Memorable Highlights:
"Mass Effect Theme"
"Love Theme"
"Uncharted Worlds"
I also found the credits track rather interesting. It's not amazing, but it'll keep any electronic/indie/80's music fan happy. The guitar work in it isn't half-bad either.
Overall, another great achievement in video gaming: an amazing soundtrack that makes others cringe in terror. An amazing game, an amazing soundtrack with memorable tracks, keeping you interested and into the mood. And although it's too short (most tracks clocking in at 1:30), it's still an amazing job. The standard in video game music has just been set a lot higher, courtesy the synths and scores from Mass Effect.
5/5 Stars