A general complaint (Fan Creations)

by Kermit , Raleigh, NC, Wednesday, March 15, 2023, 09:24 (408 days ago) @ Cody Miller
edited by Kermit, Wednesday, March 15, 2023, 09:44

Because I'm talking to Bungie fans, I won't go on about the impact a great soundtrack can have--you all know this. I think the soundtrack to TLoU game is a big part of its success.

With specific exceptions (the role of music in ep. 3 and 7 and at the end of 1 and 6), I thought the show underutilized a great resource. I noticed that when the show strictly followed the game, they still felt the need to make it different, often by flipping the blocking of the characters. When it came to the soundtrack, when they copied the game, they seemed to have made it different putting music lower in the mix, muting its effectiveness. An exception is the final episode, where they had the right music playing above all else, but left out the crucial part (as Korny noted), where Joel is dodging an army of soldiers with flashlights while carrying Ellie. The resonance of that scene in the game can't be overstated, in no small part because of the version of "All Gone," which serves its purpose to recall the initial trauma of the game.

I know I've said some of this before, but it became clear when I listened to the show's soundtrack. The added tracks are unmemorable, whereas when listening to the soundtrack of the game nearly every track evokes a memory of a scene, which is what a good soundtrack is supposed to do. Bottom line: in my opinion, the show wasn't scored nearly as well as the game, and it's a shame, because this was an unforced error.