In December 2007 Akira Yamaoka, composer and sound designer for the “Silent Hill” series, echoed the sentiments of many professionals in the gaming industry when he said Japanese developers needed to step up their game design to match that of Western developers.  With regards to music and sound design, Western games have moved away from traditional melodic soundtracks and focused more on epic orchestral or moody atmospheric music.  One of the earliest and most important developments illustrating this trend is Jeremy Soule’s soundtrack to “Secret of Evermore.”

 

“Secret of Evermore” was released in 1995 for the Super Nintendo.  The game is wholly unique in that it was published by Square Enix (Squaresoft then at the time), but developed entirely in the United States.  It is also significant in that it was Jeremy Soule’s first venture into composing for video games.  Soule would become well-known for his work on “Guild Wars” and the “Elder Scrolls” series, so it is fitting that the only Western-developed game from Square would have music composed by someone who would become a prolific composer for Western games.

 

The music itself ranges from incredibly dark and atmospheric to charming and orchestral.  Throughout the entire score, there is a clear image of the world being brought to life.  The music is good on its own right, but also grants realism to the game’s setting.

 

Listen first to the track “Within the Volcano” from “Secret of Evermore.”  There are deep, echoing noises underlying primitive drums.  The entire track is permeated by the sound of hot air rushing forth from the core of the volcano.  These elements add up to a track that stands on its own, but adds much more to the gamer’s experience by establishing this volcano as a dangerous, deep, overwhelmingly hot place.

 

Compare that track to “Barrel Volcano” from “Super Mario RPG”, released by Square in 1996 for the Super Nintendo.  This track also prominently features percussion, but places it over a bass groove and synths to make a much more melodic track.  The feeling of a volcano is still conveyed, but in a much different way.  One might make the argument that the music is stronger on its own, but does not grant its setting the same level of ambiance.  Granted the overall tone of the game (“Super Mario RPG” is lighthearted, “Secret of Evermore” is relatively grim), these two tracks serve very different purposes.

 

Now compare “Pirates of Crustacia” from “Secret of Evermore” to “Lively City by the Sea” from the 1993 Enix title “Illusion of Gaia”, again for the Super Nintendo.  Notice how they both use the cries of seagulls to illustrate the proximity to water.  Both tracks have melodic elements, but they are much more prevalent in “City” than in “Pirates.”  Also, even though both settings are near the sea, only “Pirates” actually uses the sound of waves.  As with the volcano comparison made earlier, “Secret of Evermore” sacrifices melodic elements in favor of establishing the settings.

 

Featured prominently in many Western series including “Half Life”, “Dead Space”, and “Mass Effect”, atmospheric music has been a growing trend in recent console generations.  These great soundtracks all owe something to Jeremy Soule’s “Secret of Evermore” soundtrack, which paved the way for atmospheric music in Western games.  While standing on its own, the score creates ambiance and enhances the gamer’s experience. The soundtrack to “Secret of Evermore” was truly ahead of its time.