Emperor: Battle for Dune (Video Game Score)

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

Along with Command & Conquer, Dune is the best working strategic assault game on the planet. It mixes the strategic defense with the conquering attack and therefore a lot of fans have witnessed the joys of it. Pretty important with a game like that must be a musical background sound that doesn't bore the player when he or her have entered level 3 and quits for its long overrun musical bleeps. Video Game scores have changed now and vary between the orchestral mammoths and the more synthetics sounds which work on themselves. Dune always stayed in the category of the later. And after Dune 2000 composed by Frank Klepacki, we have Emperor: Battle for Dune composed by three composers, namely returning name Klepacki, but also David Arkenstone and Jarrid Mendelson. Klepacki is one that sticks with the style he employed in Dune 2000, with the synthetic sound with additional choir and varying ideas returning. However they work again in context. 'The War Begins' uses the same Dune style, with choir as supporting role and a rhythmic percussion style later developing into a faster rhythm. 'Ride the Worm' introduces even some more Ethnic tones when the choir enters the stage and 'Assembling the Troops' sticks mainly with the ideas and themes of Dune 2000, only varying them slightly in tone. The second composer who adds a different kind of layer to the music is David Arkenstone and he does it with a little more coolness. Mostly his electric guitar riffs can take you to ideas of light hardrock music but his contribution is more interesting and fun. 'Unstoppable' even has some Vangelis like Blade Runner music and mostly due to the electric guitar and synthetic horn sounds.

However the best track of the album is his and 'Harkonnen Force' is simply too fun, with a perfect electric guitar riff that simply shines cool anyway you want it. He ends the score with 'Tribute to Evil' which is a bit more rocking in its attitude, partly reminding me of Resident Evil when the electric guitar jumps in on that, only in Resident Evil is was better. The third and final composer is Jarrid Mendelson and he unfortunately does it differently but also weaker. Its actually not music he composes but a synthetic mood, with bleeps, weird musical sound effects and simply no real theme or cohesion through it. This is sad since he equally takes a large part of the score through his head. 'Not an Option' is still somewhat acceptable but the rest and by that I mean especially 'Sabotage' and 'Gnola' are simply non melodic and quite frankly irritating. That they will make a different impression is the game is understandable since they function but overall, as music they are totally forgettable. Emperor: Battle for Dune has some advantages more then Dune 2000 and that is especially because of the first two tracks by Klepacki which bring some difference and overall David Arkenstone, which introduces cool guitar riffs. However it is Jarrid Mendelson's complete lack of musical cohesion which is the downfall. However as a working musical game score, I don't pay a lot of attention to that part so I must admit that 65% of this score is definitely worthy for examination and the rest you have to accept as underscore for a game which takes your mind more in the game then on the music itself.

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. The War Begins * (4.35)

2. The Machine ** (4.50)

3. Not An Option *** (3.52)

4. Unstoppable ** (5.50)

5. Ride The Worm * (5.35)

6. Sabotage *** (4.19)

7. Harkonnen Force ** (5.29)

8. Assembling The Troops * (7.42)

9. Gnola *** (3.48)

10. Legacy ** (6.14)

11. The Specimen *** (5.06)

12. The Spice Must Flow * (4.47)

13. Tribute To Evil ** (6.22)

* Composed by Frank Klepacki

** Composed by David Arkenstone

*** Composed by Jarrid Mendelson

Total Length: 69.13

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