Soundtrack Review: Spore Hero (2009)
This is a review of the video game soundtrack Spore Hero by Winifred Phillips.
“Though technically more brilliant than Sim Animals, it fails to deliver consistently great themes, but has a lush orchestral soundscape to keep you entertained”
Spore, one of the most innovative video games to come out this decade (or ever) finally reaches the hands of hungry Wii players. In Spore Hero you have the ability to create your own creature and save the planet on which you have landed. Something evil followed you there and only a true hero can save the world from this menacing threat. As you go along, you will earn various parts to enhance your hero’s ability. The video game soundtrack is by Winifred Phillips who composed Sim Animals earlier this year.
Track List
1. Spore Hero Main Theme (****)
2. Home World (****)
3. Haven (*****)
4. Sporable (***)
5. Sporaging (***)
6. Sporezone (***)
7. Monster Mayhem (****)
8. Sporexplore (***)
9. Beast Brawl (****)
10. Wanderment (***)
11. Sporeward (****)
12. Creepy Things (****)
13. Evolvable (***)
14. Sporabilities (****)
15. Nemesis (****)
16. Critters (***)
17. Spore War (****)
18. Hero Theme (****)
Not Sim Animals
Sim Animals was 35 minutes of great and jolly musical pieces perfect for the game. In Spore Hero there is over an hour of music that fits the game just as well. Spore Hero is a more complex game than Sim Animals and it shows in the music as well. The sound and themes of Sim Animals were simplistic while the sound and themes of Spore Hero are definitely more complex, but is it for the better?
I hear similarities between the two scores and listening to the first three cues, you can be fooled into thinking it’s more of the same, but it’s not. ‘Spore Hero Main Theme’ takes us into the heart of the game with a good but not great theme. ‘Home World’ with it’s very Disney-like sounding opening is more complex than the opening theme while retaining the sound. The best cue on the score has to be ‘Haven’ which is light, almost dancing along while keeping you entertained.
Bit Too Complex
Some of the cues are a bit too complex to truly enjoy, like ‘Sporable’, ‘Sporaging’ and ‘Sporezone’ that doesn’t allow for a thematic presence to occur. It shifts very quickly with experimental sounds, which I’ve mentioned before is perfect for the game. As a solo listening experience however, it doesn’t feel quite as great. A lot of video game scores are married to the game and are great as a team, but listened to as a work on it’s own is an entirely different experience. That’s why it’s hard to judge the video game score Spore Hero on it’s own, yet that is what I must do.
The feeling of the score changes around track 7 with ‘Monster Mayhem’ that has a much higher tempo, when the mayhem really starts. ‘Beast Brawl’ is another one. It never gets dark like some of Winifred’s work for God of War however. It still feel whimsical, but that is the nature of the game and it’s audience.
Conclusion
Though technically more brilliant than Sim Animals, it fails to deliver consistently great themes, but has a lush orchestral soundscape to keep you entertained. There are some good stuff in here, and should fit your bill if you like complex, but light orchestral music. I think that since it’s more complex, it loses some of it’s charm in the process. I would personally put some more simplistic thematic cues in there to give it the extra breathing space it needs. Again, Winifred Phillips displays why she considered to be a hugely talented composer and the nomination for Best Original Score at The Hollywood Music In Media Awards is certainly no fluke.
Listen to Spore Hero by Winifred Phillips below:
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