Call of Duty: World at War Composed by Sean Murray
Promo (2008)
Rating:
6/10
5
Full Tracks. Used by Permission
“CALL OF DUTY: WORLD
AT WAR, while it may not be the most "authentic" OR
"romantic" musical experience
for a World War II shooter, it certainly is an effective one. ”
Modern World War Two Fare
Review by Christopher Coleman
"We knew we were going to
have to stay within the expectation of Call of Duty (that we needed to
have some big bold, orchestra), but there wasn't anyone telling me
that I couldn't throw a big, fat, oberheim synth underneath it!"
There could hardly have been more pressure on the next game of the CALL OF
DUTY franchise. CALL OF DUTY 4: MODERN WARFARE boldly took the franchise
in a new direction with it's engrossing storytelling and new game features.
It garnered the praise of critics and gobbled countless hours of addicts (myself
included). As successful as MODERN WARFARE was, initial reaction to the
announcement of next CALL OF DUTY game was mixed at best. First, the
announcement that TREYARCH would assuming the development responsibilities
caused concern in some, as CALL OF DUTY 3 didn't meet their expectations.
(I personally sank more hours in COD3 multiplayer than any other
multiplayer game on the Xbox 360 to date). Second, there was a dull groan
that echoed through cyberspace as it was also announced that this next
game would be returning to World War II era. Third, not only would this be a WWII FPS, but it would encompass the
Pacific Theater, which historically has proven to make for far less
successful games than their European theatre counterparts.
Still, the question that plagued my mind right up until the launch of the
demo was, "Who is going to be scoring this thing? Whoever it is, they have
one heckofajob ahead them."
Most reading this review will know that it was MICHAEL GIACCHINO who
helped to launch the CALL OF DUTY franchise way back in 2003. The
franchise went on to have other notable composers like: GRAEME REVELL,
JOEL GOLDSMITH and HARRY GREGSON-WILLIAMS, score subsequent games of the
franchise. That's a pretty rich line up - one not so easy to follow
either. The key to the musical direction for CALL OF DUTY: WORLD AT WAR
would be Treyarch's choice of just what type of game they would be putting
out. A return to the Call of Duty 2 or 3 style or something new? As it
turns out, composer SEAN MURRAY got the scoring gig. SEAN MURRAY has
delivered a few games for Activision in the past such titles as
TRUE CRIMES: NEW YORK CITY and TRUE CRIMES: STREETS OF L.A.
Despite the fears of so many, CALL OF DUTY: WORLD AT WAR is being touted
as a success. Interestingly (and wisely), Treyarch decided to build on the
many successes of CALL OF DUTY 4: MODERN WARFARE, at least in terms of the style of gameplay, story development, achievements and multiplayer features. In
fact, some would say that they actually improved on some of the very
things that made MODERN WARFARE such a hit! Rather than roaming the
deserts of the Middle East as a US Marine or the much colder environments
of Europe and Asia as member of the British SAS, this time you suit up as
a private in the US Marines hopping from one, hot, Pacific island to
another, fighting off the desperate and lethal Japanese army. In that
wonderful contrast that Call of Duty is famous for, you alternatively play
another private, but this time in the Red Army - poised to take Berlin.
Like its predecessor, CALL OF DUTY: WORLD AT WAR is an entrancing
experience. Moving from mission to mission is wonderfully addicting;
however, the in-your-face-brutality of World War II, guerrilla-warfare is
much more sobering than the cold and, many times, distant fighting of our
stealthily-evovled modern wars. So WORLD AT WAR combines the best of both
worlds: the classic WWII FPS gaming experience and the game play features
of Modern Warfare. And backing all of it is SEAN MURRAY's score.
WORLD AT WAR ranges from the triumphant, heroic sort of fare that we've
all come to expect from a WWII game to indigenous sounds of both Japan and
Russia. Most surprisingly though, SEAN MURRAY introduces a clear,
contemporary edge to this game's score. He certainly delivers the expected
heroic patriotism in tracks like "US Campaign" (1) and "Opening" (5). We
hear Goldsmith-like brass fanfares and strings help the player to stiffen
and straighten their backbone like a flagpole holding the stars and
stripes aloft for all to see. Still, your heroic deeds of the battlefield
aren't exactly taking place in cornfield of Nebraska and Murray's score
reflects this. Fighting through the unforgiving landscapes of Pacific
Islands like: Makin, Peleliu and Okinawa, we find two musical staples of
Japan: the intimidating taiko drum and also the ghost-like, shakuhachi.
The combination of these two, iconic, Japanese instruments juxtaposed
against the familiar elements of Americana makes for a visceral musical
experience, which mirrors the ebbs and flows of these bloody skirmishes.
Early on, Murray establishes a several motifs - the boldest are
heard the least often. In "Opening" and "Trenches Long" we find a
declamatory, 4-note, brass motif that proves to be the main thematic
connection of the entire score. Long after the islands of the Pacific have
been won, and into the battle of Berlin, Murray resurrects the 4-note
motif in "Bold Men" (26) - musically connecting these two theatres of
battle. Another notable, musical segment can be heard in the Peleliu
missions and also while flying the PBY Catalina missions which follow.
Upon reaching the Peleliu missions, Murray establishes a pulsing, string
segment which is mindful of John Powell's recognizable musical-mark from
The Bourne series. In tracks like "Peleliu 1A Load Jungle Push" (9), "Air
Addicts" (10) or "PBY Wild Card" (16), we hear this idea undergirded with
both acoustic and synthesized percussion, which greatly bolsters the
amount of tension and urgency of the moment.
As the Call of Duty series is known for, the player proceeds through the
game in a non-linear fashion - jumping back and forth between at least two
main characters who are active in very different environments. Players of
the game are aided in the transition from the Pacific theatre to the
Russian/German campaign and back again via Murray's score. Waking up in
the cold defeat of Stalingrad, the hot, tropical jungles of the Pacific
are quickly made a memory and musically we are moved away from the
pounding taikos and shakuhachis and to Russian musical standards instead.
The full orchestra is back in full-force, but now accompanied by a bold
choir. In "Russians" (31) we get one of our strongest tastes of Murray's
Soviet flavor. Listening to this dance between brass, snare drums, low,
male chorus and slightly brighter female chorus, it's almost impossible
not to have thoughts of the famous, Polyushko Pole (Meadowlands). As you
battle your way from the frozen lands of south-western Russia into the
heart of the German empire, Murray recalls the male and female choruses
and layers in the occasional balalaika and bell toll; making sure your locale
is not completely forgotten.
The final ingredient of the CALL OF DUTY: WORLD AT WAR original score is
what truly sets it apart from all other games of the sub-genre. With the
standard, heroic elements and cultural elements well established, there is
one more layer that takes the score in a unique direction. While the 100
piece orchestra and choir in Prague provide a solid performance, there is
an important element of this score that couldn't be provided by them. SEAN
MURRAY mentions in our
interview
with him that the decision was made to take the music from being tonal and
thematic at the onset of missions, down to atonal and dissonance towards
the completion of those missions. This is more than just an interesting
choice. It's an effective one. Murray has the music reflect the inner or
psychological turmoil the player would likely be experiencing in such
harrowing situations. This opens the door for him to employ his modern,
electronic toolset. Numerous synthesized elements creep along side (or
sometimes blast there way over the top of) variations of ideas established
earlier. During
these frenetic moments of gameplay, it's unlikely this unconventional mix
will even be perceived. One of the most poignant examples of this can be
heard in the track "Hell's Gate GTR" (28), where they player has descended
into the dark-heart of battle. Sonically, the player is aptly surrounded
by a dark ambient mixture of strings, low frequency bass, harmonics and
textures that are ghost-like shrieks and moans -certainly something that
was never heard over the 1940's airwaves. This was an inventive and brave
move to have the music reflect the "world at war" WITHIN the
soldier/player, over the large-scale, outter war in which he is taking
part.
CALL OF DUTY: WORLD AT WAR, while it may not be the most "authentic"
or "romantic" musical experience for a World War II shooter, it certainly is an
effective one. Within the context of the gameplay, we are allowed to feel
the "duty to country," loyalty to fellow soldiers (or comrades as it
were), the threat of an unseen, determined enemy or the psychological
breakdown of a soldier in swimming in the midst of war's great horrors.
Not surprisingly, this is wear SEAN MURRAY's score operates best. In
its native context, the score could easily earn an 8/10. As a
stand-alone listening experience, the music suffers. Without the
frenetic or atmospheric gameplay, the music is simply harder to connect to
than music written for some of the competing franchises or even its own
forerunners in the genre. Still, it must be said, that the music of
WORLD AT WAR is an evolutionary step that was almost a must for the
survival of the WWII shooter. Adding this
contemporary edge via the example of MODERN WARFARE and by SEAN MURRAY's eclectic score, WORLD AT WAR has shown that this
sub-genre of game still has much life left in it.
