Video game soundtracks are highly underrated. So much so, that I felt I should write a little feature about it for the guys over at Thumbsticks. It rants a little bit about Dead Space (which I’m playing at the moment and absolutely loving), so bear with it if you can. As always, all criticisms and honest opinions are welcome. A preview for the article is below, but just click on the ‘more’ button for the full written article.
Exploring the U.S.G Ishimura in Dead Space genuinely frightens me. Not because of its excellent lighting, deadly monsters or sense of desperation, but because the soundtrack is note perfect. Resident Evil 5 and Left 4 Dead 2 offer great opportunities to blast zombies to pieces, but they rarely creep you out or disturb you. After much deliberation, the only video game element I can put this down to is the gorgeous audio present in EA’s space survival horror.
The creaks and groans of the floorboards below force the player to check their footing. Metallic footsteps that dent the ventilation shaft above will leave you apprehensive of an impending attack. The scores as you explore the ship are often delicate and desolate, shifting to incredibly violent and dynamic strings as you empty the few bullets you have left into the limbs of a predator. The shifts occur at the precise moments needed to make them feel reactive and impulsive, also ensuring that they never feel unnatural and jarring. (More)
If you’ve got your own favourite video game compositions, by all means drop me a comment below. I’m likely to do a ‘Top 10″ list in the future that highlights some more of the best in gaming music. As usual, you can find a lot of my video game journalism over at Thumbsticks – otherwise just track my gaming habits with my gametag ‘JetSetNick’ on Xbox Live.
JetSetNick
I’ve become quite attached to Ezio Auditore and the renaissance period that he inhabits. So much in fact, that I snapped up the DLC without even reading the number of Microsoft Points that it would cost me. I’ve mentioned my review of Assassin’s Creed 2 earlier in my blog, but below is a quick update on the new additional content. For the full written article, just click on the ‘more’ button.
There was an entire chapter missing from Assassin’s Creed II that I never noticed or cared to enquire about. Sequence 12 is known as the Battle of Forli and was originally scrapped by Ubisoft due to time constraints. It’s now been brought back as DLC, but adds very little to the overarching experience or grandeur of Ezio’s quest.
You may have noticed that in the retail version, not a lot really happens in Forli. It features only as a small sightseeing tour, with our resident assassin learning the very mundane technique of operating a gondola. The brief meeting with the leader of Forli, Caterina Sforza, suggests a possible love interest and a grander role later in the game – but this amounts to nothing. (More)
The second installment of DLC known as “Bonfire of the Vanities” will be released later in February. It’ll cost about 520 Microsoft Points and include three additional Templar hideouts (one of which, the Arsenal Shipyard, was released with the UK limited edition version). As usual, I’ll have my opinions on it written as soon as i’ve played it. Until then!
JetSetNick
I’ve finally powered my way through Spirit Tracks and managed to get a review uploaded to the ThumbSticks website. The game exceeded my expectations and features some fantastic dungeon puzzling, so I highly recommend it to anyone who owns a Nintendo DS. There doesn’t appear to be that many high profile DS games to get excited about this year, so Spirit Tracks is well worth looking into. The preview for my review is below, but you can read the full article by just clicking on the ‘more’ button.
Nintendo has kept the future of Link surprisingly quiet over the past six months. With the next dedicated Wii Zelda still a long way off, fans of Hyrule have been treated to two hand-held offerings to fill the void.
Phantom Hourglass was released on the Nintendo DS in 2007 and now gamers have been treated to Spirit Tracks. With little marketing and an identical engine, players have been understandably sceptical that this sequel is just an unoriginal stepping stone to tide us over. So does Spirit Tracks fly like the bullet train or splutter like the London Underground? (More)
Having never finished the Gamecube title The Legend of Zelda: Windwaker, I just picked it up at my local CEX for the bargain price of £4. I’ll be doing a retro review of it next, so look out for my initial impressions here on my blog. Until next time!
JetSetNick
