Gamertell

Title: Spore Hero Original Videogame Score
Price: $8.99
Rating: Two Thumbs Up; 95/100; A; **** out of 5.
Pros: Identity of the soundtrack is introduced in the first track and sprinkled throughout the whole album in various forms. Length is just right.
Cons: Too few high-energy and up-tempo songs
Overall: Spore Hero Original Videogame Score is a superb collection of music. It features professionally crafted musical themes and sets a high bar that other videogame composers should aspire to reach.

Spore was one of the most ambitious video games in recent memory. Will Wright’s vision of a universe of different creatures inside a video game made Spore the most talked about PC game in the later half of 2008.

From the success of the original incarnation of Spore comes a sort of spin-off for the Wii called Spore Hero. Spore Hero leaves the concept of growth and evolution behind in favor of light quests suitable for the youngest of gamers. Backing up the gameplay to Spore Hero is an original score composed by Winifred Phillips who is also responsible for creating music for other games including SimAnimals, The Maw and God of War.

Phillips’ music has always done a wonderful job of matching the vibe of a game whether the character is walking carefree through lush fields of vegetation or dealing a decisive blow to the final boss. With a game such as Spore Hero and the audience it caters to, you would imagine the soundtrack would consist of quirky or blatantly jolly songs, but Spore Hero’s soundtrack totally outdoes those expectations. The entire soundtrack is orchestral in nature and drips of complexity and style. It’s entirely possible to view Spore Hero’s music as that of a feature animated film and not that of a video game.

In The Beginning

Spore Hero The Original Videogame Score was released on October 6, 2009, by Electronic Arts Music. It can be purchased as a digital album for $8.99 from Amazon. Unlike the soundtrack to SimAnimals which lasted for about 36 minutes, Spore Hero‘s collection of songs clocks in at a little longer one hour. There are a total of 18 tracks with most songs lasting for about 3 minutes on average. This is a very impressive length for a game comprised of relatively short quests such as Spore Hero. You can be pretty much guaranteed that you won’t hear the same old musical score every time you enter a new area.

Natural Selection

One of the most interesting things I noticed in this score is how its identity established in the main theme is carried throughout multiple songs. For example, 15 seconds into the first song a short piece of music is introduced that serves as a calling card for Spore Hero. (You can hear what I’m referring to by clicking on “Spore Hero Main Theme” in the Amazon music player below. About seven seconds into the sample you hear what I’m referring to as Spore Hero’s calling card.)

In later songs such as “Sporeward,” “Sporeable” and “Hero Theme,” variations of that signature sound are repeated to match the vibe of the song. This helps to glue together the varied musical stylings of the soundtrack. Sure there are songs like “Haven” that produce a feel good mood, but there are plenty of aggressive and brooding tracks such as “Monster Mayhem” that spring your eyes open just when you thought it was safe to drift away.

A couple songs on the album stood out over the rest. The first is “Spore War” which is the heaviest song on the soundtrack. It has a mixture of electronica, drums, guitar and choir voices that reminded me of God of War. If I could compare this song to anything I’d say it’s on par with a section from a rock opera. This is exactly the kind of song I would want to be playing in the background as a game is reaching its conclusion.

The other noteworthy song is “Sporexplore.” This track has a very tribal feel to it and fits in well with Spore’s basic philosophy of creating life and guiding it through unfamiliar territories. I admire the different percussion effects that surround the before mentioned Spore Hero calling card in the middle of the song. I was taken back to the time I listened to music from Donkey Kong Country while this song played (which is a huge compliment).

Evolution

If all music from video games were crafted such as this, the industry would be propelled to new heights of style and originality.

Spore Hero Original Videogame Score does a great job of asserting an identity and constantly reaffirming itself throughout the length of the soundtrack. Winifred Phillips and Spore Hero’s music producer Winnie Waldron are a couple of the industries best creative minds. I recommend this soundtrack to fans of gamers and music buffs alike. The quality is nothing short of superb.

Below are some samples from Spore Hero Original Videogame Score. Feel free to click through and hear for yourself why this soundtrack is worth purchasing.

Site [Winifred Phillips] Purchase [Amazon]