Video Game News - Advent Rising Soundtrack Review

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Could Advent Rising be the best OST since Halo 2?
by Louis Bedigian

What does it take to get American record labels to recognize the importance and selling power of video game soundtracks? We may never know the answer to that question. Now that Sumthing Distribution is here, we don't have to.

For the past few years Sumthing has been steadily increasing their soundtrack releases with OSTs (Original Sound Track) for Halo, Halo 2 and Fable, among many other top-tier games.

Their latest is arguably their greatest since Halo 2, and it comes from a game I haven't even played: Advent Rising. Its music is so powerful and so pure that I am now compelled to play the game, a game that its composer, Tommy Tallarico, would give a "seven and a half or an 8 on a scale of 1 to 10."

Though I'm not sure I'd agree with his score, one thing is for certain: the soundtrack starts just as beautifully as it ends. The music tells a dark story, bringing to mind an epic adventure with a lengthy journey and countless large-scale battles. A primary example of this is featured on the introductory track, "Muse," which is likely the song the game opens with. "Muse," along with following tracks, have a much bigger sound than your typical game and should be cranked through something much more powerful than the iPod earbuds I'm using.

[Switches to SoundStation 2 speaker system.]

Improved, but I know it could be better.

[Switches to five-disc ultra-crisp Panasonic stereo.]

That's more like it!

"Greater Lights" is an awesome track, which isn't usually something I'd say about a song that sounds like it could've come from singer Lara Fabian. (Lara has a great voice, but it's not my kind of music.) It has that perpetual, sweeping, movie trailer sound that makes it perfect for Advent Rising theater trailers, though I think they're beyond the bulk of their advertising campaign. "Greater Lights" is performed by Charlotte Martin, who wrote the song with Tommy. She performs piano on the song as well.

That song leads perfectly into one of my favorite tracks, "Glorious Human." It's short (too short if you ask me), but has this exquisite, calming theme that progressively heightens, almost as if to say, "The first battle is over, but the war has just begun."

"Stolen Transport" gives some clout to this theory. It's a faster tune with pounding drums and a choir that culminates the action. Like a roller coaster it drops before it peaks, quieting for a brief moment, then lets the listener have it with one final blow.

"Canyon Encounter," "The Rise of Aurelia," and "Edumeas Last Stand" keep the intense pace going, moving the soundtrack forward without loosening its grip on the listener. "Aurelian Conflict" is a bit jumpy and isn't necessarily the kind of song I'd listen to repeatedly, but I think it'd work perfect in an action sequence for the game. Hopefully that's where it was used, or at least for a part of the game that included as much intensity as the music. I'll know soon enough.

I'm going to play through Advent Rising ASAP. Great soundtracks make almost any game worth finishing -- if I love the music this much now, just think of how much I'll love it once I discover how it was implemented. Every gamer knows that nearly half the fun of having a game soundtrack is the memories that arise while listening to it.

It's a tough call, but at this moment my favorite track is the heart-wrenching, spellbinding "Human Demise." The fact that it was well written -- I can always appreciate that. But I'm in awe when composers create a spectacular, continuous (but not repetitive) sound that's filtered through virtually every song. You could listen to a few songs, get a feel for the sound, then pick any of the others at random and know instantly where it came from. For whatever the reason I didn't see how strong the connection was until I heard "Human Demise." But that further proves how amazing the song is.

Convincing gamers to invest in an Advent Rising OST if they haven't played the game is like trying to convince moviegoers to buy a film soundtrack without seeing the film. It isn't going to happen.

This one is special. You can't help but hear a hint of Star Wars and One-Winged Angel in some of the tracks, however, Advent Rising does not copy those classics in any way. It's more of an inspirational thing, or a lucky coincidence. I'll go back to the soundtrack whether I end up liking the game or not. Just like I've gone back to Parasite Eve and Xenogears's OSTs, even though I haven't had the desire to play through them a second time.

Full Track Listing:

1 Muse

2 Poeta

3 Bounty Hunter

4 Aurelia

5 Greater Lights

6 Glorious Human

7 Stolen Transport

8 Canyon Encounter

9 The Rise of Aurelia

10 Edumeas Last Stand

11 Aurelian Conflict