Music of Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect 2 is an action role-playing video game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts. It was released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 on January 26, 2010, and for PlayStation 3 on January 18, 2011. The music of the game was primarily composed by Jack Wall. His previous work with BioWare was as the main composer for Jade Empire and the original Mass Effect. Music from the game has been released in several albums. The main soundtrack album, Mass Effect 2: Original Videogame Score, was released on January 19, 2010 and spans two discs and 27 tracks, covering a duration of 1:55:43. Reception of the soundtrack was generally positive from critics.
Composition
The music of Mass Effect 2 was primarily composed by Jack Wall.[1] His previous work with BioWare was as the main composer for Jade Empire and the original Mass Effect.[2] The score also features some pieces by Sam Hulick, David Kates, and Jimmy Hinson, with additional editing and in-game implementation by Brian DiDomenico.[1] Unlike the original Mass Effect, the composers aimed for a darker and more mature sound to match the mood of the game.[1] The music incorporates both orchestral and classic sci-fi arrangements which were inspired by the soundtrack of the cult classic film Blade Runner and music by German electronic group Tangerine Dream.[1] The harmonic structure of Wendy Carlos's Tron soundtrack also represented significant influences.[1] To complement each character, the composers gave them their own theme song to convey their personalities and backgrounds.[1] According to Kates, "it was one of our mandates to create a dynamic score that expressed a wide range of emotions."[1] He also calculated that the game features around 180 minutes of music.[3]
Major downloadable content packs for the game, which include Kasumi - Stolen Memory, Overlord, Lair of the Shadow Broker and Arrival, feature new music. The soundtrack from Kasumi - Stolen Memory and Arrival was composed by Sonic Mayhem duo Sascha Dikiciyan and Cris Velasco,[4][5] while the music from Overlord and Lair of the Shadow Broker was composed by Christopher Lennertz.[6][7]
Releases
Mass Effect 2: Original Videogame Score
Mass Effect 2: Original Videogame Score is the main soundtrack album of Mass Effect 2, containing a selection of music from the game. It was released by Electronic Arts on January 19, 2010 and spans two discs and 27 tracks, covering a duration of 1:55:43.[8]
| Disc 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "The Illusive Man" | 2:23 |
| 2. | "Humans Are Disappearing" | 2:00 |
| 3. | "The Attack" | 5:13 |
| 4. | "The Lazarus Project" | 1:10 |
| 5. | "A Rude Awakening" | 1:39 |
| 6. | "The Normandy Reborn" | 2:06 |
| 7. | "Miranda" | 5:22 |
| 8. | "Jacob" | 6:02 |
| 9. | "Freedom's Progress" | 5:41 |
| 10. | "Thane" | 9:19 |
| 11. | "Garrus" | 6:04 |
| 12. | "An Unknown Enemy" | 2:41 |
| 13. | "Samara" | 8:53 |
| Disc 2 | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "Grunt" | 5:26 |
| 2. | "Horizon" | 2:56 |
| 3. | "Tali" | 5:58 |
| 4. | "Mordin" | 6:27 |
| 5. | "The Normandy Attacked" | 2:11 |
| 6. | "Jack" | 6:28 |
| 7. | "Legion" | 6:22 |
| 8. | "Jump Drive" | 2:16 |
| 9. | "Crash Landing" | 3:43 |
| 10. | "The Collector Base" | 3:52 |
| 11. | "The End Run" | 2:57 |
| 12. | "Suicide Mission" | 4:45 |
| 13. | "New Worlds" | 2:30 |
| 14. | "Reflections" | 1:19 |
Mass Effect 2: Atmospheric
Mass Effect 2: Atmospheric is a soundtrack album of Mass Effect 2, containing tracks of ambient and atmospheric music from the game that were missing from the original soundtrack. It was released by Electronic Arts on September 7, 2010.[9]
| Tracklist | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "What the Future Holds" | 2:41 |
| 2. | "Charges of Treason" | 1:35 |
| 3. | "Shuttle Ride" | 1:09 |
| 4. | "Finding Samara" | 4:05 |
| 5. | "Facial Reconstruction" | 1:34 |
| 6. | "Chatting with Mordin" | 1:47 |
| 7. | "Finding Archangel" | 2:44 |
| 8. | "Negotiating with Miranda" | 1:48 |
| 9. | "Pure Krogan" | 3:19 |
Mass Effect 2: Combat
Mass Effect 2: Combat is a soundtrack album of Mass Effect 2, containing tracks of action and combat music from the game that were missing from the original soundtrack. It was released by Electronic Arts on October 5, 2010.[10]
| Tracklist | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "Gunship Battle" | 2:42 |
| 2. | "Gathering Charges" | 2:14 |
| 3. | "Mother vs. Daughter" | 1:33 |
| 4. | "Collector Fever" | 2:39 |
| 5. | "Testing Memories" | 2:57 |
| 6. | "Infiltration" | 3:55 |
| 7. | "Delivering the Cure" | 3:06 |
| 8. | "Escape from Omega" | 1:59 |
| 9. | "Convincing Jack" | 1:56 |
| 10. | "Grunt Awakens" | 2:10 |
| 11. | "The Long Walk" | 4:18 |
| 12. | "The Human Reaper" | 1:34 |
| 13. | "The Swarms/Shepard's End" | 1:24 |
| 14. | "The Final Reckoning" | 1:11 |
Mass Effect 2: Kasumi's Stolen Memory
Mass Effect 2: Kasumi's Stolen Memory is a soundtrack album of Mass Effect 2, containing music from the game's downloadable content pack Kasumi - Stolen Memory. It was released by Electronic Arts on November 30, 2010.[4]
| Tracklist | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "Death from Above" | 2:59 |
| 2. | "Making Our Escape" | 2:43 |
| 3. | "Infiltration" | 2:35 |
| 4. | "Party Music" | 2:03 |
Mass Effect 2: Overlord
Mass Effect 2: Overlord is a soundtrack album of Mass Effect 2, containing music from the game's downloadable content pack Overlord. It was released by Electronic Arts on December 14, 2010.[6]
| Tracklist | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "Final Conversation" | 1:37 |
| 2. | "Boss Combat" | 1:39 |
| 3. | "Tension Rising" | 1:39 |
| 4. | "Combat Troops" | 1:32 |
Mass Effect 2: Lair of the Shadow Broker
Mass Effect 2: Lair of the Shadow Broker is a soundtrack album of Mass Effect 2, containing music from the game's downloadable content pack Lair of the Shadow Broker. It was released by Electronic Arts on December 14, 2010.[7]
| Tracklist | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "As They Enter" | 1:14 |
| 2. | "Building Explosion" | 1:39 |
| 3. | "Agent Combat" | 1:06 |
| 4. | "Double Cross" | 1:12 |
| 5. | "Vasir Combat" | 3:26 |
| 6. | "Shadow Broker" | 1:10 |
| 7. | "Final Combat" | 2:44 |
Legacy
Legacy is an album composed mostly of tracks written for Mass Effect 2 but not used in the game. It was digitally released by Big Giant Circles on March 14, 2012.[11]
| Tracklist | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "Shepard of the Galaxy" | 6:27 |
| 2. | "Cosmic Visions" | 2:15 |
| 3. | "Faster Than Light" | 3:49 |
| 4. | "No One Believes Me" | 1:38 |
| 5. | "March of Legions" | 1:14 |
| 6. | "Hold the Line" | 1:29 |
| 7. | "Lost Souls" | 1:46 |
| 8. | "This Place Feels Unnatural" | 2:27 |
| 9. | "Nova Siberia OC ReMix" | 2:55 |
Reception
Reception of the soundtrack was generally positive from critics. Reviewer Dante Alighieri of Sputnikmusic gave the main soundtrack album a rating of 5 out of 5, stating that "[Wall's] vibrant use of strings and horns, coupled with the heavily reverbed grand piano makes the soundtrack a bleak and grim affair to go through.[2] In contrast, Simon Elchlepp, writing for Square Enix Music Online, gave the soundtrack a mixed review and claimed that the composing team "way too often chooses the same means when trying to underscore moments of action and danger, producing the same, formula-driven sound over and over in an attempt to create gravitas."[12] The game's score was nominated for Best Original Music at the 2011 British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards and Best Soundtrack Album at the 9th Annual Game Audio Network Guild Awards.[13][14][15]
References
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