Saturday, February 27, 2021

Soundtrack Saturday: Assassin's Creed IV - Black Flag

 

In this weekly feature, I recommend game soundtracks. I share a few of my favorite tracks, talk about why everyone should listen to the soundtrack, and a little bit about the composer. This week's choice is Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag by Ubisoft.



THE STATS

Name: Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal/Milan/Kyiv
Publisher: Ubisoft
Release Date: October 29, 2013
Genres: Action-adventure, stealth
Composer: Brian Tyler



MY FAVORITE TRACKS

(The full list of tracks are linked by playlist below... and I highly recommend some good headphones to best enjoy all of the subtle elements of the music!)

(Length: 3:18) This sounds and feels the like most representative track of the entire game. When I hear it, I think "Black Flag." [This piece was actually composed/arranged by Sarah Schachner.]

(Length: 2:55) This is an 80's rock ballad, and you can't convince me otherwise. TURN IT UP TO 11! (This is obviously my favorite.)

(Length: 5:16) Supposedly they play this song in the newest game (Valhalla), making some musical reference to a relation between the main characters. That's the kind of nerdy thing I love about game developers. Musical themes are important, and gamers notice them! It also sort of reminds me of themes from the Van Helsing games, which I love.

(Length: 4:44) Well, of course there's a track just for Blackbeard's ship. Isn't it great?!

(Length: 3:12) All. Of. The. Guitars. I'll let you count how many different ones are in the song. I'll wait. [This piece was actually composed/arranged by Omar Fadel.]


You can listen to the full soundtrack on YouTube:



WHY DO I RECOMMEND IT?

It's a pirate game. You know it's going to have some awesome high seas backdrop music. There are also a lot of cultural influences in the tracks, giving them added layers of interest and sound. Just give it a try, eh? This is a really good one. (Oh, and despite the description of the YouTube playlist, you won't find any sea shanties -- not the ones you're probably looking for, anyway.)


THE COMPOSER: BRIAN TYLER

You probably do not know this name. Brian only has a handful of video games under his belt, and -- I would argue -- is best known for his work on film and television scores. If you've watched Constantine, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem, The Expendables, Iron Man 3, Now You See Me, Avengers: Age of Ultron, The Mummy (2017), Crazy Rich Asians, Escape Room, or Five Feet Apart -- you've heard Brian's music. In contrast, if you've played Lego Universe, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, or Far Cry 3 -- you've heard the best of his gaming music in its entirety (including Black Flag).

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