8. Green And Blue - Halo 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=hKgpPWdwOlI Halo, from the start, wasn't known for its big character deaths. The only impactful deaths were from Halo 3 with both Miranda Keyes and Sergeant Johnson. Both were huge characters, with Keyes being around since the beginning of Halo 2 and Johnson since the days of Halo: Combat Evolved, except in the first game he wasn't a main character, instead just a random marine who would show up, die during gameplay, and come back alive later on in the game. He only became a series staple in Halo 2, and met his untimely (and nonsensical) end near Halo 3's climax. Regardless, both characters were offed and had their own music to show for it. Both were influential to the plight of the Master Chief, and everyone thought the worse was over. Until Halo 4 happened. Cortana, one of the series' larger-than-life characters, and perhaps one of the biggest inspirations in video games to date, met her end. Near the beginning of the campaign it was hinted that she was slowing dying from what is known in the Halo universe as Rampancy, which means AI's (artificial intelligence) that outlive their seven-year lifecycle with slowly "think" themselves to death, essentially becoming nothing but random code and memories. During the events of Halo 4 Cortana is in her eighth year, way past her limit, and it meticulously deteriorating. In these moments where the Chief must watch his best friend, companion, and partner suffer at the hands of something that isn't her fault, it was hard not to cringe. It home knowing there was a strong possibility she would die, even with all the positivity going around that the Chief would make it back to Earth to help restore Cortana back to her natural state, if such a thing is possible. And during Halo 4's absolutely unforgiving and intense climax, Cortana is taken away from both the Chief and the fans. Her death certainly grabbed the long-time Halo fans by the balls, slapped them in the faces, and went "thought it wasn't possible, right? Wrong."
The reason for why I brought Cortana's death into this is two-fold, as it is important to understand the point of "Green And Blue". This track is played during and after Cortana's death, which is treated as a eulogy. That silent, prolonged stretch of time in the beginning tells something is going to happen, and when the first piano key drops, things get real. Like, very real. For anyone that was honestly affected by the emotion of the last cutscene of Halo 4, I understand completely if a tear came to your eye, because it sure as hell happened to me. Not only was Cortana's death personally affecting to me as a fan, but the music built up this emotional tidal wave inside of me that let loose after the first piano key. It was right then that I knew Cortana was going away and not coming back. It's really powerful stuff. With Halo 4, the music was made to be different from the original trilogy. It shows in full here, as it was
never this emotional when Keyes or Johnson was at death's door. It built up for 4 years to mature into a much more investing soundtrack about loss and death, that through all the hope, action, and suspense, there is a quiet moment where you are unsure about what will happen until it hits you in the face like a gail force wind. Then after it passes, and the piano plays its final key, and the chorus begins, you stand in awe at what was taken from you, and what you'll never get back.