Yes, I know, breaking another rule I'd set myself: no soundtracks. Thing is, I just finished Halo 2. Let me restate that:

I. Just. Fricken. Finished. Halo. 2!

<cough>on beginner level...</cough>

No really, call me a lamer but it's pretty hard even on that level! So, this one is a tip o' the hat, a 'well met, good sir!' and a general salute to the folks of Bungie for continuing the Marathon legacy, and, believe it or not, to little bits of M$ for backing up the Bungie lads with a big, if-we-don't-ship-a-to-die-for-title-for-xbox-we're-toast, production budget. The soundtrack alone is awesome.

Bungie have always liked their soundtracks. They rocked with Paul Sebastien's Power of Seven with Marathon 1, 2, and Infinity. Incidentally, Thomas Dolby did some stuff with Sebastien, but I digress...

You know, I've often said (repeated, actually, apologies in advance to whoever thought of it first) that the only thing that M$ could produce that didn't suck would be a vacuum cleaner. Well, I stand corrected, they can occasionally do some pretty awesome stuff. Thanks to Bungie - and I'm sure a bunch of equally crazy, gifted microserfs - Halo, Halo 2 (and I'm sure Halo 3) are masterpieces. The soundtracks do the games justice. I choose this title as AoW not lightly. Who the hell else ropes in a whole orchestral string section just for their soundtrack!? It's cinematic in quality, and yet somehow I'm not doing it justice by saying that. Nice work, ladies and gentlemen, nice work. And thank you.

Favourite track from this: Unforgotten - yes it's crappy YouTube mono low-rate quality, but you get the picture.

P.S. Hats off also to that crazy, brilliant, warthog jump master, Randall Glass for getting props in the credits!

Go Earth!

Tags: AotW