Rock Anthem For Saving The World

Shout out to Martin O'Donnell!

Halo. The first Halo game was released back in 2001. Since then, the Halo universe has spawned sequels, books, cartoons, clothing, gaming leagues, and countless giddy fan boys. I would know - I probably qualify as one of said giddy fan boys.

The game definitely deserves the recognition it's gotten. It has a fantastic story, absolutely incredible gameplay, and an excellent multiplayer. Part of the game that some people may not fully appreciate, though, (and the point of this post) is the incredible music that accompanies you as you don your MJOLNIR armor and fight to save humanity.

Music is powerful, a fact which movie makes and the like take advantage of all the time. When you watch Lord of the Rings and the camera is doing those great, soaring aerial views of the fellowship traveling, the music stirs your emotions. You're ready to run out join Aragon and Frodo in their quest to destroy the ring and defeat Sauron. As video games have progressed through the years, they are becoming more and more like movies in this respect. I believe that Halo is the finest example of this.

Martin O'Donnell, the composer of the Halo music (and also a Wheaton grad - woo!) started with a great soundtrack for the first game and kept improving for the sequels. His music is evocative and powerful, on par with any movie soundtrack you care to name. As you explore your first Halo, the music is bold and adventurous, making you want to cruise around in your vehicle and unearth new and exciting discoveries. When you're tasked with destroying an enemy position, the music winds up and gets you in the mood to go and stomp on some aliens faces like you're the fist of God. When you're discovering the creepy parasites known as The Flood, the music makes you nervous to peak around each corner for fear of what might be hiding there. When it's time to run, the music will have you rising out of your chair and slamming the joysticks forward as hard as your adrenaline-filled thumbs can manage, as though that might somehow make you flee faster. When you're victorious, the music will have you throwing your arms up in the air and cheering at the top of your lungs in celebration.

As you might have guessed by now, this music is a far cry from the 8 bit stuff of Super Mario Brothers. We're talking full orchestras accompanied by a twenty person choir to make this stuff. Some top-notch bands (Breaking Benjamin, Incubus, etc.) have even contributed to the Halo soundtracks.

Without such amazing music, Halo would be less than it is. I'm sure it would still be a big deal. The gameplay and multiplayer alone are enough to allow it to stand tall. But other games (Call of Duty, for example) have great gameplay and multiplayer, too. None of them have spawned the following that Halo has.

It might just be that the Halo story is so much grander (aliens and spaceships and superweapons, oh my!) than games like Call of Duty. But it might just as well be that the music in Halo stirs players' emotions so much more than in other games. And when you get players emotionally invested in a storyline or an action sequence, they're yours. Fandom ensues.

Regardless of its effect, the music is stellar and, if you get the chance, well worth listening to.