The world of orchestral game music continues to grow.  In this year alone I've listened to (and reviewed) many scores from this genre and am continually enthused to see such focused attention placed upon the music of these video games.  Jeremy Soule, fresh off of his work on "Prey," adds on to this with "Guild Wars: Nightfall."

 

Now, as in most cases, I have not played the game and can only attest to the music as heard on its own. To size things up, I immediately noticed that there was wealth of music waiting to be heard as this score checks in at over 80 minutes of material.  It's a staggering value for its price! 

 

Soule's score is very dramatic and focused on the story arc of the game play.  At least, that's my deduction.  The early moments of the score are very pleasing to listen to as the composer continues to demonstrate his range with an eclectic (yet focused) blend of music.  In particular, as was the case with "Prey," the opening track is a clear highlight.  With hints of arabic flavor and orchestral melody, it's an original sounding piece that is a treat to listen to.  This opening cue sets up a nice transition to the tone that follows with more of a middle-eastern motif that lends itself nicely to a fantasy setting.

 

As the score progresses toward the middle act, level music begins to take foot.  By that term, I am referring to the linear movement of music within each of the game's levels.  While it surely makes for nice pacing to the actual game play, it had me begging to hear dramatic statements to punctuate the flow.  It's a matter that's out of the composer's hand, I'm sure, as the focus of the music is for the game itself, after all.  That said, my wishes were soon granted.

 

The latter stages of the score are wonderfully engaging.  The music starting from track 25 on is quite cinematic in feeling.  Validating the groundwork that was laid in the music leading up to this, this section of the score brings into play the thematic hints from earlier, offering up an exciting conclusion.

 

In conclusion, Guildwars: Nightfall is indeed a videogame score, but it offers a far better alternative to film music that is currently being released.  While I did find it a tad too lengthy, I can work around that and enjoy the score in segments of my own choosing.

 

The soundtrack can be bought through the nifty DirectSong.com web site, where the purchase of videogame music is being taken to a whole new level. 

 

Final Score: Guild Wars: Nightfall offers an engaging brand of orchestral music, full of rich texture and thematic content and is a soundtrack worth seeking out, no matter the medium.