Video Games Live Volume 1 Review

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Medal of Honor (Live)

As if straight out of the Medal of Honor games, every explosive sound and musical tone comes straight out of what anyone would expect for pre-game mission briefings. The solemn attitude is portrayed perfectly, a humble tone that describes hope, but not without loss or sorrow.

The first half of the piece is a series of soft tones, which follows through to a choir, one that starts weak but becomes very strong. A single violin plays powerfully alone for a brief ten seconds, then a piano with the softest of music in the background. Finally, the symphony comes together, the puzzle pieces showing the picture.

The final act of the piece is the victory march heard when completing the game, while reading the credits.

These three sections don’t flow perfectly into each other, but they do work together to create a singular piece.

Civilization IV Medley

One of the more unique pieces on the tracklist, the Civilization IV Medley features plenty of unexpected rhythms and tunes. It begins with a melancholy section of singers that sounds almost tropical. The singing sounds like a mixture of Hawaiian and African tribes, which a bit of a Disney feel.

A male singer takes over, but is not very good. His nasal voice at the end is discouraging. The rhythm singers do a fine job in the beginning, but their part later on seems excessive, where they take precedence over the stronger, more unique music.

What this track lacks in power it makes up in uniqueness. It is the most different of all the tracks, with the possible exception of the Tron Montage.

Tetris Piano Opus No. 1

It is Tetris at its finest. A slow start reminiscent of the waiting menu, then a drastic shift to the piano-only melody that hastened players for decades to think faster and move faster, yet never ends.
 
At just over a minute, it is a complete track, but is still lacking.

God of War Montage
 


As ever, Greek God of War Kratos begins strongest of all, with a full choir and instrumental picking up exactly where the soft Tetris track left off. The female opera singer reciting Kratos’ name over and over, with a series of brass and stringed instruments behind it is nearly raw power.

Then comes a section of heavy drums, the thundering down from Zeus. Short at only three and a half minutes, the God of War Montage expresses everything that the game is, and stands alone more than excellently without it.

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