25 Greatest Musical Tracks From The Halo Series

3. Arrival - Halo 4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=M5A15Dy3D-I This is it. The final three. I'd imagine there would be possible controversy or unending agreement between the top three, but honestly I see no other choice but to choose these next selections as the best of the best. The following three Halo tracks are not only the greatest musically composed of the Halo series, but some of the most beautiful and rewarding pieces of video game audio ever. So, without further holdups, let's get into the runner-ups. Halo has been labeled as the one game in the series that turned up the intensity several notches in character development, aura and mystery, and most importantly combat. The action set pieces in Halo 4 are high spectacles in how gorgeous they are to watch and how fun they are to play (not to mention how difficult they are). With these awesome set piece moments needs to be great music accommodating them, and Halo 4 has a wide plethora of action themes that hold no punches. "Arrival" happens to be the one action theme from Halo 4 that draws the most attention. It's the musical piece played during the game's final level, Midnight, and WOW does it end the conflict on a high note. "Arrival" is easily identifiable due to its upscale in sound and heavy instrumentals, with loud drum beats and a full orchestra providing just enough suspense to make the final level satisfying on the ears. I often compare Neil Davidge's work here to Steve Jablonsky or Trevor Rabin, maybe even a bit of Hans Zimmer thrown in. It's apparent that Davidge has crafted a genuine specialty in the use of drums and booming sounds, which to me speaks volumes about how action-packed the game will be. With the events happening in-game, "Arrival" plays like that proper last stand or final fight that sends the game out in an explosive bang. Of course, this is right before we see Cortana for the last time, where "Green And Blue" follows up immediately after. "Arrival", in terms of Halo 4's narrative, is the audio's way of telling us how important the conflict is not only by saving Earth, but by trying to save the one thing that you just can't lose: Cortana. As the level moved along at a fast pace, I was constantly wondering to myself "How does Cortana fit into all of this? What kind of card will she lay on the table?" I was concerned with taking down the Didact (the main antagonist of Halo 4) and ending this seemingly impossible fight, where all the odds were stacked against me. But I was more worried about keeping Cortana safe and back to Earth. As "Arrival" picked up in drums and orchestra, I saw something coming that a lot of people probably hinted at some point: Cortana playing the sacrifice card to help the Chief bring down the Didact. That's when "Arrival" struck a cord inside me, triggering my heart into a beating mess. When it got intense, I grew incredibly tense. And those final moments only manifested my worst nightmare. "Arrival" is one out of several Halo tracks that gets me emotionally invested to such a high degree that I grow into the Chief's armor, seeing what he sees and feeling every bullet, slam, and explosion. It's music like this that sells the narrative and illusion that video games are art, no matter what the naysayers argue or point out.