- Original Mass Effect composer Jack Wall explains why the cinematic music was one of his “favourite” parts to write
- He says cinematic moments help “propel the story forward”
- Wall adds that cinematic music is “our opportunity to give the player goosebumps”
Jack Wall, the composer for Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2, has explained how the game’s cinematic music acted as an integral part of each narrative.
In an interview with TechRadar Gaming, where the composer discussed BioWare’s closure and how orchestral and synth music influenced the series, Wall said, “One of my favorite parts of being a composer for any game is the cinematic moments that propel the story forward.”
He explained that cinematic moments accompanied by tracks are vital to the story, and “This is our opportunity to give the player goosebumps.”
Wall explained that he wrote the music to be specifically connected to “both to places/environments and characters — always driving the story forward.”
“The music won’t change in those moments depending on the gameplay as they are baked into the visuals,” Wall added. “They are wonderful pauses for the player to just take it all in. Especially for a game like Mass Effect where those cinematics are generally rewards for getting to the next phase of gameplay.”
Interestingly, Wall revealed that after he was hired for Mass Effect, BioWare divulged the entire story to him “along with the full arch of time, the Reapers, etc,” providing him with a creative direction for the soundtrack.
“It was one of the most exciting sci-fi stories I’d ever heard,” he said.
In the same interview, Wall also shared his favorite memories from working at BioWare and revealed that he considers Mass Effect 2‘s infamous final quest, Suicide Mission, to be “one of the 10 best endings for a video game ever.”
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!
