Jonpon

Halo Combat Devolved - a retrospective

Links

Music: YouTube

I still can't believe that I managed to complete this project last month but it certainly took a lot of work to get it finished. You could say that it has been stewing in my brain for almost 11 years and now it has finally come to fruition.

The most difficult thing to do during these massive projects is to replay short sections of a track over and over again to pick up the notes for any transcription. When coupled with non-standard time signatures and a high level of discordance in many parts of the Halo: Combat Evolved soundtrack, it can become incredibly stressful when you have assigned strict deadlines for yourself. I think it just heightens the sense of anxiety and urgency when your brain cannot easily structure and process what it is receiving at the time. This is exactly what the music is trying to achieve - to keep you on the edge, always wondering what is going to be around the corner.

There's nothing wrong with the music here - it's absolutely perfect when paired with the intended surroundings and when casually listening to the soundtrack for enjoyment. However, no compositions in any video game are designed to have small two to three second chunks played for an extended period of time. You end up having to power through but it can cause a massive strain as you attempt to dissect each individual sound.

What does stand out though is the fact that I would happily just listen through the entire soundtrack once again in a heartbeat - it really is that good. I can't praise it enough. Maybe that is just the nostalgia goggles speaking on my behalf or the fact that the Halo franchise was such an important part of my childhood for me but either way, it's always going to hold a special place there regardless. Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3, Halo: ODST, Halo: Reach. I have all of those original soundtracks in physical form and intend to hold onto those until the day I die. They mean that much to me.

I hope that you also have a favourite franchise for which you can hold the music so dearly close to your heart too. It is a wonderful feeling.