Welcome to a new ongoing series on the channel where I analysis the musical score from some
of the greatest movies, tv shows and video games.
It’s here where I discuss how a soundtrack compliments it’s corresponding title, along
with how it came to be.
In this episode, I’ll be going over the tender and powerful video game score of Shadow
of the Colossus, composed by Kow Otani.
We’ll talk about the game’s use of the score and how Kow visualizes emotion.
Before we start, consider subscribing to find more soundtrack analysis on other titles in
the future.
I release a weekly video on the channel so you can satisfy your analysis needs.
With all that said, let’s begin.
Since this is my first of many episodes of Score UnCovered that goes over a video game,
I want to first note how wildly different the score of a film or tv series is compared
to one of a video games.
A spectator takes a diverse approach to a video game, a sequence of events that is based
on viewer interaction, rather than one of a scripted story that plays the same every
time, obviously.
The leitmotif, or a recurring theme of a character or situation, within a video game is usually
extensive and can be recycled throughout the title.
Much like a television series, with a variations of one theme, a video game bears that similarity,
and it’s because of the project’s sizable timeframe that needs to be composed.
What primarily makes a game soundtrack distinct overall is the music coverage over the user-interfaces,
such as: title screens, options menus, bonus material, etc.
All this and character leitmotifs builds up over time, creating an immense soundtrack.
Now that we have an underlying idea of how a video game soundtrack is produced, and what
actually bridges up to my discussion on the Shadow of the Colossus score, there are distinct
properties that triggers the game’s musical output.
Throughout a players play-through there are events that need to done in the game to allow
a certain track to be called upon.
Shadow of the Colossus is the greatest example of this.
While the game’s orchestral soundtrack is enormous, the only segments where music can
be heard is during cut scenes and encounters with colossi.
After some calculations, I’ve found that 1/3 of the game excludes its music.
That third is time being spent traversing from one colossus to the next.
The atmospheric soundscape, along with the occasional cries from the mute protagonist
and foot stomping from his careless horse, are the only composed noises.
The subdued composition enacts a lack of life in the protagonist’s lifeless journey across
this unknown land.
Although the game isn’t bland or dull, but rather showing a greater meaning of solitude
in the protagonist’s expedition.
Whenever the score is generated in the play field, its to accompany the strongest moments
within the game and allows the player to have an understanding of their surroundings.
Since the game’s silence is characterized as the protagonist’s seclusion, the music
signifies the presence of the land’s residence.
You might categorize the music associated to any given colossi, as that monster’s language.
Talking about colossi themes, the music of each colossus, apart from a couple colossi
that are slightly more distinct, is separated in 3 stages: introduction, battle and conclusion.
The evolution of the colossi’s theme is the greatest reinforcement to the game’s
motif of anguish.
The combined themes not only needed to complement each other, but needed to be easily transitional
between each other to better suit an interruption whenever the player succeeded in the progression
or, subsequently, stumbles.
In other words, whenever the player jumps on the colossus the second theme would need
to overtake the first theme’s place.
If the player fell of the beast, the music would reset back to the introduction theme
to start the process over again.
the fluid theme transitions within the colossi encounters is one of the greatest techniques
that immerses the player into the game.
Whenever the protagonist approaches a colossi, the music presents a calming and intimate
outlook before you go in to raid the beast of his plunder, or whatever that black demon
goo is.
This is the introduction of the encounter.
The low-key theme allows the transition between the music’s absence and it’s reproach
into the game to bring awareness to the player for their preparation.
After determining the best plan of attack Wander, the protagonist, pounces on the beast
and, in turn, transforming the music into the battle sequence.
As the most profound music in the game, these tracks are some of the high points in the
soundtrack.
Merging from a tranquil tone into a dynamic melody that if full of energy, we match a
feeling of anticipation and urgency.
At this point, the player is pushing to stay attached to the creature by keeping their
stamina bar from exhausting.
This particular game design is portrayed in the music as a sense of desperation.
The introduction and battle music are both recycled for other colossi encounters.
Unlike the previous two sequences, the conclusion music is unchanging for each colossus death.
The track used for this sequence is titled: “The End of the Battle.”
This theme is played after giving the colossi the final blow.
The heavy stringed instruments resonates a deep and dramatic tone that keeps bringing
us back to attempt to grasp the game’s real meaning.
Since the game has no direct dialog, almost none, we don’t realize the meaning until
the conclusion of the game.
The game’s location is one of the ongoing questions that the player has throughout the
story.
We don’t get a true answer of how Wander got to his destination, which is interestingly
enough called the “Forbidden Lands.”
The game’s true intention of this location and it’s origins are unknown and the mysteries
of the “Forbidden Lands” is tenfold.
The only entry way into this land is by an extended thin bridge that you must enter from
the peak of grand mountain.
But, there is no need to understand how we got here or what this place can do, the enigma
of this territory is what makes the game mythical.
To further suppress the region of Shadow of the Colossus’s setting, director Fumito
Ueda, asked Otani to rearrange the score so there is no connection to any particular ethnicity.
To execute this, Otani introduced the Irish Bouzouki, a stringed instrument, much like
a acoustic guitar, used to implement a foreign sound.
Shadow of the Colossus uses the Bouzouki as it’s leading instrument and boosts the motif
of the score.
The music of the game also includes instruments such as:
Woodwind, which include: Flute, Clarinet, Oboe and Fagotto.
Brass wind, which include: Trumpet, Trombone and Horn.
Violins for the strings.
Piano and synthesizer, which was played by Kow Otani
And a choir that expands the game’s ambient tone.
Before we conclude the episode, don’t forget to subscribe.
You’ll find more soundtrack analysis videos for other popular video games in the future.
Based on your interest for Shadow of the Colossus, you might be interested to hear of these other
titles i’ll analyze in the future, such as Elder Scrolls, Dark Souls and Metal Gear
Solid.
If you want to request a movie, tv show or video game for Score UnCovered, let me know
here on YouTube or on my Twitter page.
When you demonstrate the score of any project, you are usually explaining how it manifests
a visual for the audience or how the music highlights the motif.
The score of Shadow of the Colossus is the critical element of the game that drives emotion
for it’s players.
The design of this game depends on the audience to develop the story on their own without
an explanation, and to do that, the story can only be set up with the assistance of
it’s score.
Without dialog from the protagonist and a clear understanding of his journey, music
is the balance of clarity.
The delicate highs of the booming trumpet’s competition with string instruments and the
mournful lows of the cascading piano, provokes fear, sadness, joy and faith in Kow’s score.
The art of Shadow of the Colossus is found within it’s elegant music.
I want to thank you for watching this episode of “Score UnCovered”.
As the first analysis on the series that focuses on a video game, I wanted to start in the
right direction, a game that isn’t necessarily my favorite, but highlights the importance
of mixing a score with a continuous scene.
To end the episode here, once more, thank you greatly.