Published on Feb 17, 2005
My original idea for this introduction was to be about how this
was the first review for a videogame soundtrack on the Daily Vault.
I was getting all excited and thinking to myself, “Wow, here’s a
little bit of history! Even after when Jason has fired me for
stealing company funds, this review will still be here!” Well as it
turns out, Chris Thelen reviewed
The Sounds of Gran Turismo
way back in 1999, thus claiming
what was to be my little niche in the annals of the Daily Vault. I
won’t hold it against him. Anyways, I now present to you the second
videogame soundtrack review ever here at the Vault (I think).
For those who don’t know the
Metal Gear Solid series, let me give you a little
background. Many believe these games to be some of the best ever on
any gaming console, due to the vision of director Hideo Kojima. If
I were to sum up what these games are about it would be this:
tactical espionage. In other words, you play a spy, who is code
named Snake. For
Metal Gear Solid 3 in particular, the story takes place in
the ’60s, during the Cold War.
For the past two
Metal Gear Solid entries, Kojima realized the need for the
soundtracks to his game to be more than just beeps and whistles. It
was for this reason he recruited Harry Gregson-Williams, who has
scored such films as
Enemy Of The State,
Shrek 2, and
Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason. Williams has brought
instant legitimacy and success to an area of music no one really
cares about.
However, Williams is not alone in this endeavor; he was assisted
by various Japanese artists who provide the soundtrack with a
techno sound. In fact, the album consistently and successfully
manages to blend both classical and techno sounds. Tracks such as
“Sidecar – Escape From The Fortress” or “Takin’ on the Woods”
usually feature techno beats as the foundation of the track, with
Williams providing the orchestral, instrumental, and choral
flourishes.
Metal Gear Solid 3‘s action takes place almost entirely in
the jungle, and that is accurately reflected in the music itself.
Along with the primary techno beats, Williams incorporates congas,
flutes, native chanting, any sound to get the notion across at the
core this music is supposed to reflect the primal side of man. When
the Shagohod (essentially a walking nuclear tank) makes its first
appearance, Williams signals it with a methodical, and pulsating
drum beat, perhaps representing the mechanical nature of the
device. This game is very violent at its core; this is bloody, and
brutal material Williams has to work with, and he makes it
work.
Now, so far
Metal Gear Solid 3 has had all the elements of a good spy
movie, but what is the one thing missing so far? That’s right, the
spy of the opposite sex. The tracks that involve EVA, the love
interest for Snake, “EVA’s Unveiling” and “EVA’s Reminiscence” are
primarily sultry, jazz-influenced numbers befitting of a spy’s
romance.
The major flaw of this soundtrack is that it features 43 tracks.
That is a lot of music to sift through, and many tracks fail to
stand out. Many are simply too short, and too derivative of the
other stellar tracks on the album. As a result, I found it
difficult to listen to the entire album the whole way through.
There are also ten tracks that have nothing to do with the overall
theme, but are featured in some way during the game. While their
inclusion gives a more complete experience, they kill momentum.
However, despite the bloated nature of this work, there are many
standout songs.
The title track, “Snake Eater,” is a blatant attempt to copy a
James Bond opening track, but in all honesty I found it to be a
better effort than any of the Bond opening numbers from the past
few films. It captures that
Goldfinger/
Thunderball vibe, lending a sense of authenticity to the
time period the game is set in. The various boss tracks (“The
Pain,””The Fear,” “The Sorrow,” etc.) also are fun to listen to,
but the coup de grace is the “Main Theme.” You will not find a
better theme in any video game than the one we are presented with
here. It is performed various times throughout the album, in
different ways, but it always retains an emotional poignancy. It’s
the equivalent of the Bond theme; it can be used for both tender
and fast-paced moments.
To go over every aspect of this album would be fruitless.
Instead, I’ve tried to condense it a way that gets the point across
that
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is a solid work of music,
one that can be listened to on its own for the most part. That to
me demonstrates how successful this soundtrack is.