Life has been incredibly busy the past month, but I’m happy to finally be back writing another one of these things :)

One of my favorite things about the Mass Effect soundtrack is how it sticks so closely to the source material. Every track oozes a thick sci-fi vibe, which does wonders for the atmosphere. The most iconic song on the soundtrack is creatively named Mass Effect Theme.

Mass Effect is, in a lot of ways, about space. The vast, unknown expanses of space, and what kind of life exists out there. The Mass Effect Theme sounds appropriately “spacey” as well, which is immediately apparent via its classic sci-fi instrumentation and motifs. The opening segment is dark and empty- there’s not much going on at all, but the little that’s there sounds ominous and foreboding. It makes it feel as if you’re entering the great unknown, and that exciting, dangerous things await just out of sight. I imagine that’s what it feels like venturing into the far reaches of space for the first time, as mankind has just done in the Mass Effect universe. They’ve taken that giant leap, and the universe they’ve discovered is fascinating. As the song moves along it begins to ramp up in intensity, representing the scope of new races and cultures they encounter, as well as the new conflicts that are about to shape humanity’s future. The later part of the song is appropriately awe-inspiring quality to it, one that makes you feel as if great, epic things are about to happen. They of course do, which is why this theme works so well.

A grand space opera such as Mass Effect demands an iconic theme. Luckily for us, it got one. For a game that embraces science fiction as brazenly as this, it’s incredibly awesome to see it have a powerful main theme that showcases those very aspects. The Mass Effect Theme is just too cool.

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It's surprising how a single, strong piece of music can sell an entire game, and set the mood perfectly.
 
The rapid, round synth pops in the middle, before the more conventional snares and brass, manage to bring back some of the auditory tricks I grew up with. For me it has a bit of an alien quality to it, and suggests space and the unknown, something that a lot of space games now don't even bother with, but which I consider vital to making a game set in space feel like more than a series of narrow metal corridors with pop-up targets and bags of loot.