Halo Music Can Be Done

Games Other Halo
1

Frank 'O Connor said it’d be hard to capture Marty 'O Donnell’s musical brilliance, so 343i will take a different approach and produce a sound that’s ‘Halo’ enough. I think that was a load. I’m all for 343i; they’re a hardworking team undergoing extreme challenges putting them in “fetal position, tears streaming” to please Halo fans. I’m not entirely sure of Halo 4’s music, I heard a clearer version of a Halo 4 track from the OST that seems like what’s going to takeover as the new theme. I didn’t find it ‘Halo’ enough. It was more orchestral and beautiful, it seemed like it was lacking the mysterious, military, and -Yoink- beats that made Halo’s music over the decade.

I was listening to Halo 4’s new track earlier, trying to appreciate it, when I found a couple of Halo Wars tracks. I decided to listen to some of those instead. I loved 'em. They sounded COMPLETELY Halo! Sure, it was a completely different approach, a new sound if you will, yet it still managed to maintain its Halo. And dig this, it wasn’t composed by Martin 'O Donnell, musical genius. It was composed by some guy named Stephen Rippy. Halo music can be done, and it doesn’t need 'O Donnell.

When I first heard Halo 4 music, two sides of me were raging. One that was a little worried of too much change to Halo, and another trying to piece up why the new track sounded like music from a sailor movie (probably wouldn’t make sense to anyone else). If anything, I’d believe the Halo track lacks in wonderous ‘space-ish sounds’ and chanting the most.

I don’t completely have a problem with Halo 4’s soundtrack now, though. Listening to the snippet from 343’s ViDOC, it sounds like it’d make a fine track. Not like the older songs, in my opinion, but as a Halo track. Don’t get me wrong, I thought the track was a completely beautiful and brilliant track, just not for Halo, IMO.

I’ve created this thread in hopes that someone will be able to help me better understand what’s in Halo’s future for music. If someone could explain their reasons for thinking otherwise from my complaints, I would very much thank them and ‘thank’ them. Both original and Waypoint definitions.

No poll attached to this one, I’m looking for ‘advice’ so I ask for your help. Thanks for reading and if you have anything to help, please leave your reasons in the comments below.

2

Personally, I like the direction the music is going in.

I’m sure there will be some classical style returning in other tracks that we’ll here when the game releases.

3

The Arrival soundtrack reminds me too much of Uncharted, rather than Halo.

It’s also mediocre, in my opinion.

4

I do love the new direction they’re taking with the music, though I doubt any of the stuff we’ve seen so far is the actual main theme I’d be willing to bet that they’ll stick to what we all know and love as the main theme and stick their own twist to it.

Let’s be honest here, could Halo games with John as the main character really be the same without this as the main theme? I would doubt it very much.

As for the rest of the music, it’s a good thing they’re not trying to emulate Marty’s work. As good as it was, we should give the new composer a change to put his own mark on Halo’s music. It’s time we get something new, and I’m sure it’s going to be excellent.

5

So far, the ‘thank’-s I’ve been giving has gone out to those supporting the possibility that original Halo music would return. The latest track was lacking originality in so many parts. If it’s the new theme, I’m disappoint. If it’s just a track within the Halo game, I guess I could live with it.

> The Arrival soundtrack reminds me too much of Uncharted, rather than Halo.

I ‘thank’-ed this for two reasons. The fact that it explains my exact thought on the track, and the fact that Uncharted was the FIRST thing that came to mind when I first heard this song. Guess I’m not alone.

I’m mostly concerned that 343i doesn’t change too much of Halo; the parts of Halo that ‘seduced’ me. If 343i becomes too obsessed with making their own game to the fact that they think everything must go and be replaced with mostly their ideals, not only will it completely tarnish any respect I had for 343i, it’ll ruin Halo for the rest of my life.

Improving a few aspects of Halo isn’t that bad, but completely starting a Bungie genocide on Halo will be the death of the franchise. I doubt 343i will go that far, though. They seem like a pretty intelligent and dedicated industry. I just hope they know where the borders lay.

6

The new Halo 4 music is perfect. I hated the Halo Wars soundtrack, while I loved Halo 2 and the orchestrated Halo 3 soundtrack. If Halo 4 goes in that direction, it could boast the most beautiful music in the franchise.

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> The new Halo 4 music is perfect. I hated the Halo Wars soundtrack, while I loved Halo 2 and the orchestrated Halo 3 soundtrack. If Halo 4 goes in that direction, it could boast the most beautiful music in the franchise.

I cannot share your opinion on the Halo Wars soundtrack or Halo 4’s music. However, I do agree with Halo 4 heading in the direction of Halos 2 and 3’s sound.

8

I’m indifferent to Halo 4’s music. As long as they let me mute it, I’m fine.

9

Personally I reserve my judgement of a soundtrack until I’ve heard more than three songs.

10

To answer your question, the Halo 4 song that you hated is Halo’s future.

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> Personally I reserve my judgement of a soundtrack until I’ve heard more than three songs.

Good point. Still, the thought of that track being the main theme would be very… disturbing for me…

I cannot say I hate the soundtrack yet. However, I can say I have a reason to feel a bit worried about the new soundtrack. I’ll admit, I get startled pretty easily. Still, it’s only because I worry about what exactly 343 plans on changing. I worry about preserving the things that sucked me into Halo in the first place.

12

Old Halo has came to a deadend, it chosed the right one, it was fun while it lasted, now it is time for it to change directions.

Left - Boring
Middle - Fun
Right - Mysterious

It’s heading down that Right one.

PS: i sure hope the song “Never Forget” or “Unforgotten” returns, :3

13

I hope they add a new variation of the WartHog run theme.

14

For people who don’t know what music we’re talking about: CLICK HERE
The music will be great, I trust who ever will be composing this score to do a great job. Sure, they have HUGE boots to fill replacing Marty but maybe that’ll give something fresh to the series. This is a whole new trilogy with a whole new feel and thus will need a whole new style of music to go along with it. From that piece we’ve heard, I can say I’m definitely on board with this guy. It uses a lot of elements that have been the staple of Halo’s fantastic and mysterious sound(Strings, drums & Choirs).

I can’t wait for them to reveal the composer! Hopefully, it’ll be someone we know, maybe they’ve composed other games or films. We’ll have to wait and see. I don’t know why but I have a feeling it could be someone like Harry Gregson-Williams (Metal Gear Solid, The Chronicles of Narnia) or Steve Jablonsky (Transformers, The Island). Harry because he’s worked with Sotaro Tojima before on Metal Gear Solid 4 or it could be Steve because it sound slightly similar to his style of music.

I could be wrong of course. But I wouldn’t mind either of those 2.

- Jason Garwood

Ps. Found this piano cover. Surpised there’s a piano cover out there already! HERE

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> For people who don’t know what music we’re talking about: CLICK HERE
> The music will be great, I trust who ever will be composing this score to do a great job. Sure, they have HUGE boots to fill replacing Marty but maybe that’ll give something fresh to the series. This is a whole new trilogy with a whole new feel and thus will need a whole new style of music to go along with it. From that piece we’ve heard, I can say I’m definitely on board with this guy. It uses a lot of elements that have been the staple of Halo’s fantastic and mysterious sound(Strings, drums & Choirs).
>
> I can’t wait for them to reveal the composer! Hopefully, it’ll be someone we know, maybe they’ve composed other games or films. We’ll have to wait and see. I don’t know why but I have a feeling it could be someone like Harry Gregson-Williams (Metal Gear Solid, The Chronicles of Narnia) or Steve Jablonsky (Transformers, The Island). Harry because he’s worked with Sotaro Tojima before on Metal Gear Solid 4 or it could be Steve because it sound slightly similar to his style of music.
>
> I could be wrong of course. But I wouldn’t mind either of those 2.
>
> - Jason Garwood
>
> Ps. Found this piano cover. Surpised there’s a piano cover out there already! HERE

Steve Jablonsky also did the Gears of War trilogy which gives him that Microsoft connection. Harry Gregson-Williams would be awesome for sure though. I would assume the composer is someone big or else they would have just told us already.

16

OP… you’ve heard one half-completed track ripped from a video so its terrible quality anyways. First of all, i discredit everything you say because of your quickness to judge. You have no idea what the OST is going to sound like?

Second, its a new trilogy with a new composer. The feel is different, everything is different. Its good they’re doing their own take on it.

On top of all that i thought it had a very Halo-ish feel and in and of itself was a beautiful piece.

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> OP… you’ve heard one half-completed track ripped from a video so its terrible quality anyways. First of all, i discredit everything you say because of your quickness to judge. You have no idea what the OST is going to sound like?
>
> Second, its a new trilogy with a new composer. The feel is different, everything is different. Its good they’re doing their own take on it.
>
> On top of all that i thought it had a very Halo-ish feel and in and of itself was a beautiful piece.

Wrong. What I was so “quick to judge” was what I’d judged so far. This thread was created in hopes that reasonable members of the Halo community would help convince me otherwise. Like the opening said, I came for advice. Second, the track I heard was a clean version (eliminating anything that wasn’t part of the track) from the ‘Working For 343’ ViDoc. I heard it very well. And through Beats, even crappy snippets sound orchestral. Judgement wasn’t too quick. I didn’t judge the entire OST. I judged the one track that didn’t appeal to me. Some users agreed with my opinion, others assured me that the soundtrack would be just fine.

You’ve misread the opening and over-exaggerated. Sometimes it’s better to overlook facts before posting.