Ok, if there is already a thread please direct me to it, because I couldn’t find it myself.
I was really pleased with the trailer music for Halo infinite, and I like the direction that it’s taking, Halo 3 had the best soundtrack imo, but halo 4 and 5 also had really great ones. So I am hoping for an amazing soundtrack, but I’m just wanting some thoughts, what do you guys think? Should the soundtrack be like halo 3, Reach, newer halos, or a mix? What about a new direction? I have high hopes for this game, and I want it to have an absolutely amazing soundtrack. So give me your thoughts.
I don’t necessarily think it should be like any previous Halo soundtrack in the sense that it sounds similar. I still like the fact that every game has its distinct soundtrack (even if I don’t like the soundtrack of every game).
With that in mind, it’s hard to nail down what makes a good soundtrack. However, something I believe recent Halo soundtracks lack is variation. The original trilogy—Halo 2 in particular—has a lot of variation between different pieces of the soundtrack in terms of instruments used and the tone that is conveyed. This is a big thing I’d like to see from Halo Infinite: that not every piece needs to sound super action packed. With Infinite apparently going back to this sense of wonder and exploration, it’d benefit to have some more ambient stuff, some calmer stuff, and some lighter stuff (e.g., Ambient Wonder, Under Cover of Night, Peril).
The other issue that Halo 5 in particular suffers from is the generic tone. Here it’s difficult to pinpoint what goes wrong and what needs to be done, but I think part of it at least goes back to just doing things a bit differently not just from the norm or from the obvious approach, but also within the soundtrack.
So, what do I want from the Halo Infinite soundtrack? Maybe I want something that’s like Halo CE and 2, not necessarily in style, but in spirit. A soundtrack that has depth and color to it and isn’t afraid to try interesting styles and commit to them.
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> I don’t necessarily think it should be like any previous Halo soundtrack in the sense that it sounds similar. I still like the fact that every game has its distinct soundtrack (even if I don’t like the soundtrack of every game).
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> With that in mind, it’s hard to nail down what makes a good soundtrack. However, something I believe recent Halo soundtracks lack is variation. The original trilogy—Halo 2 in particular—has a lot of variation between different pieces of the soundtrack in terms of instruments used and the tone that is conveyed. This is a big thing I’d like to see from Halo Infinite: that not every piece needs to sound super action packed. With Infinite apparently going back to this sense of wonder and exploration, it’d benefit to have some more ambient stuff, some calmer stuff, and some lighter stuff (e.g., Ambient Wonder, Under Cover of Night, Peril).
>
> The other issue that Halo 5 in particular suffers from is the generic tone. Here it’s difficult to pinpoint what goes wrong and what needs to be done, but I think part of it at least goes back to just doing things a bit differently not just from the norm or from the obvious approach, but also within the soundtrack.
>
> So, what do I want from the Halo Infinite soundtrack? Maybe I want something that’s like Halo CE and 2, not necessarily in style, but in spirit. A soundtrack that has depth and color to it and isn’t afraid to try interesting styles and commit to them.
Woa, You’re absolutely right. I agree that it should be full of variation, could not have said it better myself.
If I had to break down some of my hopes for inspiration in Infinite’s soundtrack, it would probably be something like-
Exploration/General Ambiance: Halo:CE/3 (classics with a lot of mystery and wonder to the soundtrack).
Combat: Halo: Reach (like previous Halos but a bit more militaristic) with a splash of Halo 2 (kick-butt rock music).
Menu/Matchmaking Music: Halo 5 (has some classic instruments and melodies like the monk Halo theme but mixed with cool synthetic instrumentation fitting for the futuristic War Games simulator on Infinity.)
I also agree with what Tsassi said in that I really hope to see more of a place for some lighter, more ambient music (like Under Cover of Night, etc). That’s also why I like Halo Wars 1 because the soundtrack had really great diversity in its music for each environment that honored the spirit of Halo while being like 95% fresh music (imo). I want to see a few of the classic tunes return of course (Monk theme, One Final Effort, Under Cover of Night, etc) but ultimately I also want the music to refer back to that more mysterious ambiance that many parts of CE/3/HW1 had.
What I would like to see is a proper return of the Halo theme. It should be re-imagined to be unique for Infinite, but it should be present in some form.
I would also prefer a more orchestral sound. H2’s OST was the most diverse in terms of the themes it had, but I actually wasn’t a huge fan of the rock elements of the soundtrack. I prefer a focus on full orchestra, like what H3 and Reach had.
I agree that it shouldn’t be exactly like any other soundtrack, but yeah in spirit like halo 1/2/3. Halo Reach’s soundtrack was good, but was made specifically to reflect the more somber tone the game carried.
Halo 1/2/3 has a primary sense of discovery and wonder in my opinion. Like when in Halo 2 you’re riding through the flood facility and see the ring above with snow descending, or when you get to see how halos are made in Halo 3. Halo 4/5 lack that sense of discovery because they’re more focused on action and blockbuster type stuff.
So maybe more similar to the original trilogy, but they should also feel creative freedom (though not as much as what they’ve done with 4/5). They should aim to make us feel like we’re in some otherworldly yet beautiful place, and make us feel less like we’re on a mission to destroy everything in our path.
I’m in total agreement with previous posters who have highlighted the importance of some ambient tracks to contribute to the sense of wonder in the game. Additionally, I’d say that if the story provides any appropriate segments to implement them, tracks like “Ashes,” “Epilogue” and “Ghosts and Glass” from Reach’s OST were phenomenally solemn, harrowing and haunting in a way that deeply enhanced the tone of the downbeat sections of the campaign- Which is to say, most of the campaign.
I think what’s promised by the trailer isn’t directly any of the above, though. Using “Finish the Fight,” taps us right into the nostalgic vein of the triumphant and cumulative Halo 3 soundtrack. Halo 3 kills it on the soundtrack front as far as I’m concerned, most notably in the department of hype and triumph in “One Final Effort,” (yeah it’s the most mainstream track on that OST for sure, but it’s that way for a reason). O’Donnell built upon and layered over the main Halo theme to give it a sense of familiarity, but a new intensity and some awesome variation. It was intense, rallying, and cathartic without sounding like generic action blockbuster fare like Halo 5’s soundtrack did.
If 343 wants to appeal to mass nostalgia, they’ll at a minimum need to bring back a few tracks that are similarly layered iterations of the classic themes. And, maybe a MJOLNIR mix, just for good measure. I think that’s the most important note for them to hit with the soundtrack (pun probably intended). Still, I’d love some ambient and somber tracks for variety’s sake (assuming the game’s narrative and design support them).
The trailer also had amazing pre-finish the fight music. It gave me that feeling of wow, that’s so cool! What’s next? I was impressed with their music before finish the fight hit hard.
A sense of wonder and mystery, which are stated as key motivations for the development team, should be conveyed through the music. The CE level “Halo” had incredible music when you exited the Forerunner tunnel and started exploring. It gave you a sense of wonder and highlighted just how exciting this new environment could be. Then H2 came along and the music felt so much more hardcore and intense, which fit well with the intensity and severity of the situations you encountered. Then H3 brought with it a sense of finality and significance to every action you took.
Each of these OSTs brought their own dish to the potluck, but those dishes all complemented each other so well. Infinite should convey it’s own distinct meaning through the music. It’s a lot to ask, but I would like for Infinite to bring it’s own dish so long as it complements the other dishes. The problem I had with H4 and H5 was that the dishes they brought to the potluck didn’t really complement the others. It felt like we were all enjoying some steak and potatoes, and H4 and H5 came along with curry and sushi. I like curry and sushi, but they just don’t fit well with steak and potatoes.
There’s a song I heard called wolf totem by the hu, i recommend listening to the song for the instrumental beat. For some reason the it reminds of halo. I just want a song or two with a beat that makes you feel like a badass haha