In this weekly feature, I recommend game soundtracks. I share a few of my favorite tracks, talk about why everyone should listen to the soundtrack, and a little bit about the composer. This week's choice is Ori and the Blind Forest by Moon Studios.
THE STATS
Name: Ori and the Blind ForestDeveloper: Moon Studios
Publisher: Microsoft Studios
Release Date: March 11, 2015
Genres: Platform-adventure, Metroidvania
Composer(s): Gareth Coker
MY FAVORITE TRACKS
(The titles link to YouTube videos... and I highly recommend some good headphones to best enjoy all of the subtle elements of the music!)First Steps Into Sunken Glades
(Length: 4:34) I love, love, love the "singing tone" of the oboe from :55 to 1:41, leading into a darker and deeper section punctuated with cello, piano and other strings. This clearly sounds like the beginning of a journey, rife with emotion.
Down the Moon Grotto
(Length: 3:55) The "singing tone" has moved on to a clarinet and piano in this piece, and I love how the finger cymbals are used throughout the first half of the piece, moving to a tapped-out rhythm on a larger cymbal, and back to the finger cymbals. The plucked strings at the end is a nice touch, too. It makes the whole piece very mysterious!
Climbing the Ginso Tree
(Length: 5:39) This one is up there as my almost-favorite. I love the layer of perpetual, percussive movement that is somehow low-key and mellow despite the obvious building of the piece that audibly symbolizes the "climb."
Restoring the Light, Facing the Dark
(Length: 2:28) The "singing tone" is back, accompanied by a more frantic percussion and winds. This is an epic climax! I only wish it was longer and composed of more parts. The break halfway through is beautiful, doubling down on everything for the last push of the piece. Imagining this echoing and thundering through a symphony hall gives me goosebumps! Oh, to be part of the orchestra that recorded this!
The Waters Cleansed (feat. Tom Boyd)
(Length: 2:02) Another short piece, this one has a playful marimba and guitar. It's pleasant and uplifting. I want more of it.
The Sacrifice (feat. Aeralie Brighton)
(Length: 3:07) I don't really have words to accompany this one. You just need to listen to it for yourself. Though, fair warning -- the second half may very well bring you to tears if you love emotional music.
You can listen to the full soundtrack on YouTube:
WHY I RECOMMEND IT
Beautiful orchestral music! It has its own unique sound, a theme that runs throughout, and spreads the love across the full spectrum of instruments to make a balanced whole. It's everything that musical composition should be, and it's beyond fantastic to find it in a video game soundtrack!THE COMPOSER: GARETH COKER
There isn't much about the guy, but he's worked on some of my favorite game titles! Aside from both Ori games, he has also worked on Primal Carnage, Minecraft, Ark: Survival Evolved, and Darksiders Genesis. But really, all you have to do is listen to this score -- which has been compared to that of Joe Hisaishi on the Studio Ghibli films. I look forward to seeing what else he works on in the future!
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