The Star Wars franchise has its own soundscape. Everyone knows it. Everyone recognizes it. And whether it’s John Williams doing the score or someone else, the style remains remarkably consistent. It’s like a branding initiative in musical form.
For games in the franchise, one of the key names to watch for is Mark Griskey. This guy got his professional start with LucasArts doing primarily Star Wars titles, including Knights of the Old Republic II. In 2005, he went freelance and began to do work for many game-based adaptations of films (including the Narnia games and Pirates of the Caribbean). His freelance status did not strain his relationship with LucasArts, however. He went on to do the score for the 2008 hit title Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, a new game featuring a Sith apprentice to Darth Vader. The game received mix reviews, though generally positive. Its music was praised by the likes of… well, us. Sadly, a retail soundtrack was never made, but we were well-impressed with Griskey’s score.
Now, the sequel is out, and we have nine tracks’ worth of audio on our hands to discuss the merits of The Forced Unleashed II‘s soundtrack. This digital-only soundtrack was released as a sort of promotional bonus with the game, just as it was with the previous title. But we want you to know about the quality of the soundtrack. With any luck, Griskey’s soundtrack for the upcoming MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic (developed by BioWare) will get a full-scale retail release, perhaps as a printed CD.
But enough about publishing, or the lack thereof. After the jump, you’ll get my impressions of Griskey’s latest Star Wars videogame score. (more…)
