25 Greatest Musical Tracks From The Halo Series

24. Ghosts of Reach - Halo 2

While Halo 2 generated a lot of bad feedback due to its painfully upsetting cliffhanger ending and somewhat of a forced campaign told from two perspectives of the war, it didn't stop the audio department from delivering another knock-out soundtrack that stands as tall as Halo: Combat Evolved. And so it went for Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori to compose a much more in-depth, compulsory soundtrack that dug deeper into the Halo mythos by exploring the humans, Covenant, and Forerunners altogether. "Ghosts of Reach" takes its time to introduce a more down-to-earth touch to the story (later tracks further down the list have also contributed to the human cause), seeing as how Halo 2 has a level or two that takes place on the soil of Earth herself. These key levels are based in a futuristic African city, while carrying over the naturalistic sound of the wilderness with it. To embellish this, O'Donnell and Salvatori included a collection of background drums that fit well with the setting while fitting in Halo 2's theme (partially) near the end to cap it off. The addition of a chorus of monks at the beginning give it that naturalistic vibe, and it tells the listener right away that they are on Earth, fighting for her survival.