It's no secret around here that I love a good original film score. So much so, I've put together a top 10 movie soundtracks list. But due to the nature of this classical music website, I don't get a chance to talk about another of my passions. As a child of the 80s, I grew up in an age of video games and development, so it should come as no surprise that I'm also a huge fan of original video game scores. Because I don't get to play video games nearly as much as I did as a kid, I only get through a few games a year. Thankfully, there are the Spike Video Game Awards. Below are the four nominees/winner of the 2011 Video Game Awards for best original score.
Bastion - Darren Korb (WINNER)
2011 Supergiant Games
Bastion is an action role playing game released in July of 2011. This indy style game was critically recognized for its unique art style and audio/sound. It also won the 2011 Spike Video Game Award for best original score. Listen to the entire score, composed by Darren Korb, here at Supergiant Games. Darren Korb, born in 1983, has an extensive background in rock music and composition. Korb began learning music by picking up a guitar at the age of 12. Korb's approach to Bastion is heavy on the rock side - think the London Symphony Orchestra's take on Led Zepplin. It's a fantastic album, brilliantly executed and orchestrated.
Batman: Arkham City - Nick Arundel & Ron Fish
2011 Watertower Music
The majority of the Batman: Arkham City was composed by Nick Arundel, with a few tracks by Ron Fish. However, the score these two men created is nothing short of monumental. I agree with many of the soundtrack's reviewers that this original video game score is a unique blend/representation of both Danny Elfman's and Hans Zimmer's famous Batman original film scores. For those of you who haven't played the game, you can find most of the Batman: Arkham City soundtrack on YouTube. And, for those of you who love the film scores, you'll definitely want to checkout the Batman: Arkham City video game soundtrack.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Michael McCann
Sumthing Else Music Works
Michael McCann is no stranger to critical acclaim; several of his previous compositions have earned him awards and nominations. McCann's Deus Ex: Human Revolution is an atmospheric work of art. The game itself is a prequel to the original released in 2000, but even still, takes place in 2027. The music is a futuristic, blended soundscape with industrial references that reminds me of Daft Punk's Tron soundtrack, which was nominated for Grammy Music Award for best score soundtrack. After listening to the album, I find it rather intense - so it's not something I'd listen to all the time - but still enjoyable to say the least.
Portal 2 - Mike Morasky
Valve Corporation
Portal 2 is a critically acclaimed puzzle based video game published and released by Valve Corporation. Winning the title of Ultimate Game of the Year at the 2011 Golden Joystick as well as ranking within Time's Top 10 Video Games of 2011, it was also nominated as one of Spike Video Game Awards Game of the Year. The soundtrack, composed by Mike Morasky, was released in full for free downloading - something that is rarely done. With over three hours of music, there is a lot of music to which to listen. Given that the game's main character is a robot, the score is an electric mix of synthesized instruments that helps the player focus on the puzzle at hand - in other words a modern/futuristic take on the Jeopardy theme.
