The Halo franchise has become renowned for its musical scores.  Ever since the debut of the first trailer for the original Halo, people have been in awe of the masterful soundtracks that have defined the Halo franchise.  Halo 4 is no exception to this well-established fact.

When Halo 4 was first announced, many Halo fans were worried about the score the game would have.  Until now, the music for every Halo game (except Halo: Wars) has been composed by Martin O’Donnell and Michael Salvatori. These two composers have weaved a musical tapestry so beautiful and awe-inspiring that many consider the music of Halo to be better than that of most Hollywood movies.  However, with the transition from Bungie to 343 Industries as the game developer comes also a transition of composers.  The monumental task of living up to the previous Halo soundtracks was given to British vocalist/songwriter/composer Neil Davidge.

Though it is certainly different from the previous Halo soundtracks, Davidge’s score for Halo 4 is absolutely amazing.  Just as the story of Halo 4 is an evolution of the franchise, so too is the musical score. Davidge uses a combination of live music and synthetic adjustments to create a flawless score that doesn’t just live up to expectations; it soars far above them.  Some people (like my older brother) ask how one can feel empathetic for Master Chief considering you never see his facial expressions.  The answer lies in the music.  Despite the fact that your character in Halo: Reach is a random spartan with no name or face, the ending of that game leaves you on the verge of tears because of the beautiful musical score.  The same is true of Halo 4; though you never see his face, you feel Master Chief’s emotions through Neil Davidge’s incredibly epic, powerfully emotional music.  The music of Halo 4 conveys the emotions that must be conveyed, and it is for this reason that the ending of Halo 4 left me in tears and in awe.

Thanks to the brilliance of Neil Davidge, Halo 4 has a soundtrack that is the epitome of epic.  Listening to the music gives a feeling of such greatness, it can only be described as “Ascension.”  To any and all Halo fans who read this: buy this soundtrack!  If you enjoy listening to other Halo soundtracks- or any musical scores in general- you will fall in love with this masterpiece, which debuted at number 50 on the top 200 Billboard and has become the best-selling video game soundtrack of all time.

Check back for Part 3: a review of the multiplayer of Halo 4.