Outcast (Video Game Score)

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

Without question, without me ever thinking twice, if one single person is searching for game music that can match and eclipse film music, then Outcast is the title to look for. Medal of Honor even isn't that good, yet they come oh so close. The music was even written before the first game score of Medal of Honor was composed by Michael Giacchino. Composer Lennie Moore easily constructed a piece of music that breaths life into a game that doesn't even contain a single real acting person. Of course there are real actors lending their voice to the proceedings and everything is fit to film levels, such as the environment, worlds and story telling mode. And since this is a Belgian game production I am so proud to point out that Outcast is one of the best adventure games ever to come out. Sure it had its faults but its goddamn interesting game play and its sole inventive adventure source makes us only wonder why not more games cover this territory. And another word, Belgians sure know their musical side when it comes down to film music. The TV series of the American version "The Mole" covered all excellent pieces of any great composer, from Goldsmith, Williams, Horner to the most used of all Zimmer and they didn't have to care about the large budgets. And Infogramic picked up one person that could show them one thing, like Giacchino Lennie Moore is capable of showing what Williams means by bringing big orchestral music. Outcast easily must be in any fans' collection, if not you are missing out one of the ever best film music scores of all time.

I'm simply not kidding, Outcast is performed by a large orchestra and a mesmerizing choir, that delivers both the dark strength as the wondrous tones of beauty. And let me tell you, even if some tracks don't deliver the interesting beauty as the others, they make a serious impression through their constant large orchestral tone. From start to finish this score is a beauty, 'Opening Title' is short but to the point, brining directly fanfares and choir in a brilliant mix. 'A New World' is Stargate like travel music when you travel from world to world, only here expanded in length. For 3 minutes the pace never lets up and Moore throws in a variation of the main theme, glorious. Perhaps the only tracks that will not mesmerize listeners as the others would do are 'Okaar - The Forest World' with its ethnic percussion a la Jurassic Park and its reoccurring threat theme used in many other tracks and 'Okasankaar - The Swamp World' even when it has some good swelling moments. 'Motazaar - The Mountain World' is for Star Wars geeks since it covers mystery strings a la John Williams' legendary score and the low sounding tuba's and horns. The three action tracks if we can call them that are brilliant examples of choral and orchestral perfection. They are so cool to hear during the game, it actually effects your gaming itself. Whenever you get close to enemy soldiers during the game this tune starts to play, I liked them all so much that I simply went to every soldier and started to fight with him, this suspenseful and threatening score became simply breathless through the chorus of the orchestra and never stops to amaze me, 'Rising Tension' of them being the best of the three.

Yet from the tension, danger to action music we have much, much more. Some Egyptian drums, the duduk and some swelling brilliance lightens 'Talanzaar - City in the Desert' while true choral and orchestral fanfares show the beauty and wonder of two worlds without you ever knowing what it does during the game. 'Shamazaar - The Temple World' is beautiful but 'The Discovery of Adelpha' simply has these fanfares a la Stargate with both its choir and orchestra bringing what I call "music that eclipses everything you know". Yet, it simply doesn't stop, a compilation from either the fanfares, wonder or travel music is heard for two exhilarating minutes in 'The Decisive Battle' before without question true film magic arrives. 'Marion's Death / Going Home' is one of the few musical pieces used during cut scenes (with other words, music that has to accompany the scene without being free from boundaries) and here a climatic emotional eclipse is reached, the choir flies through the speakers with an unfelt emotional brilliance and it easily gives you a climax to live for. This is all what Outcast delivers. Never mind what you think of game music, simply forget that there are indeed midi musical shit tunes coming from the console. This and the Medal of Honor scores are living proof that orchestral music, even for games ridicules 80% of what we hear during films these days. Who doesn't love an adventure score with thematic outbursts of themes (and there are several even if I didn't say anything about a main theme) and transported there through a massive and excellent orchestra and choir. Simply, Outcast is a must have and without it, your collection is missing one of the ever best soundtracks ever composed.

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. Opening Title (1.04) Excellent Track

2. A New World (3.08) Excellent Track

3. Motazaar - The Mountain World (3.43)

4. On Dangerous Ground (6.50) Excellent Track

5. Talanzaar - City In The Desert (7.05)

6. The Soldiers Attack (3.03)

7. Okaar - The Forest World (7.12)

8. Shamazaar - The Temple World (6.58) Excellent Track

9. Rising Tension (4.17) Excellent Track

10. The Discovery Of Adelpha (7.41) Excellent Track

11. Okasankaar - The Swamp World (6.23)

12. The Decisive Battle (2.11) Excellent Track

13. Marion's Death / Going Home (5.03) Excellent Track

Total Length: 65.10

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