Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Soundtrack Is Awesome, But Will Remain Leashed (Review)

Because there won’t be an official soundtrack release… get it?

I’ll be honest and say I haven’t been as excited about a Star Wars game in a long time, but The Force Unleashed is looking to live up to the hype. I was curious how composers Jesse Harlin and Mark Griskey would handle the game’s music; would they rely too heavily on classic Star Wars motifs, or would they create something truly original?

It sounds as though we’ll be getting the latter this time around. Familiar Star Wars motifs are used tastefully to enhance the experience and to remind gamers that they are indeed in the Star Wars universe, but the music in the game not only sounds amazing, but is completely original, sounding dark and moody as one would expect from a game focusing on the dark side of the force.

Read our impressions of a portion of the game’s score and find out where you can hear it for free after the jump.

I’ll start by saying that the score sounds amazing, with portions being recorded by the Skywalker Symphony Orchestra. Honestly, I don’t know how much of the score was recorded by the renowned orchestra, but the sample libraries they used (if they did at all) must have been stellar because all the pieces here sound like orchestral recordings.

“The Force Unleashed,” the only piece here composed by Jesse Harlin, opens with defiant brass and a tense string melody in the background, making way for a powerful chord progression that comes in at the end to set the stage for this epic journey into the depths of the dark side. “General Kota and the Control Room” starts on a down note, giving the impression of a hopeless struggle against insurmountable odds. The brass is truly the star here, taking on a more hopeful tone towards the end of the piece.

“Infiltrating the Junk Temple” is one of my favorites, as it’s full of atmosphere. Tense strings rest in the background and an unsettling harp melody moves up an down a scale before the brass section voices a foreboding melody. Some familiar Star Wars motifs make their way into the piece in a subtle way, which is a nice touch. Rhythmic percussion is added towards the end, adding a sense of urgency.

Another piece, “Approaching Felucia,” imparts a sense of despair with solo woodwinds and subdued strings. “The Sarlacc Unleashed,” on the other hand, is a tense piece with a steady ascending then descending violin segment that is repeated throughout with brass stabs and a powerful timpani drum beating away at a steady pace. Sounding somewhat mischievous, “PROXY and the Skyhook” starts with a playful yet dangerous woodwind melody that dances around occasional notes from the strings section. About midway through, the action intensifies, closing the piece on a suspenseful note.

Rounding out the selections are “Juno Eclipse and Finale” and “Ton’yy Rho’s Uglehop,” two upbeat pieces that stand in contrast to the remainder of the music presented here. The former is strangely tranquil, hinting at the outcome of this episode of the Star Wars universe. The second track is a fun piece with an ethnic flair that features a collection of string instruments, one of which is completely warbled, creating a unique effect in the background. The melody is catchy, and I found myself enjoying this track a lot.

Well, it’s unlikely we’re going to see any sort of official soundtrack release for Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, so you’re going to have to settle for enjoying it in the context of the game for the most part. As a consolation prize, you can hear all the tracks we’ve mentioned streaming from this review over at Tracksounds.  I highly recommend checking it out, as there are definitely some great moments within that will hopefully get you excited about the game’s release next week.

What are your thoughts regarding the music featured in the Star Wars universe to date? Did you find something you liked in these pieces from The Force Unleashed?