Game Music, Reviews

Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures More Than Mindless Barbarian Music (Review)

September 22, 2008 | | Comment? Share thison Facebook Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures More Than Mindless Barbarian Music (Review)on Twitter

This is not what you’d expect from the Conan universe. I was thinking thumping percussion and bombastic orchestral music, but composer Knut Avenstroup Haugen apparently had other ideas. Coming off as dark and subdued, the score more resembles that of a Diablo title than that of the numerous other MMOs out there today, which is a good thing in my book.

From the various ethnic flavors that make their way into the music to the outstanding sound quality that would have you think the score was recorded by a live orchestra, the Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures soundtrack is definitely something to look into if you’re into quality atmosphere.

Hit the jump for detailed impressions of the 2-disc soundtrack.

Like I said, the production values here are quite good. While Knut Avenstroup Haugen used the Quantum Leap Symphonic Orchestra library for the majority of the score, he supplemented the pieces with a host of session artists to give the music a live feel. Choir is used extensively as well, but in a tasteful way that avoids that doesn’t come off as over the top like many other titles have in the past.

Also adding to the listening experience is the ordering of the tracks. The music is broken up into “journeys” that progress through different areas of the game, creating a nice flow to the album. The first journey opens with “The Sands of Forgetfulness – Tortage Beach,” which features a beautiful oboe solo from Henrik Eurenius alongside some gentle guitar strumming via Per Einar Watle. Similarly, “The Arrival – Cimmerian Welcome” starts the second journey off with a beautiful violin solo from Ola Moen, with guitar work and snappy percussion that gives the piece a Spanish flair.

The third journey visits a very European, fantasy-like sound, while the fourth and final journey ventures into the burning desert with Moroccan vocals and percussion from Aissa Tobi on “Akhet – Portal to Stygia.” One of my favorite tracks from this section is “Kheshatta – City of Mages,” which features an exotic woodwind calling out into the distance before a sinister string progression trudges along with heavy beating percussion. The final track, “The Dreaming Anew: Memories of Cimmeria” offers a melancholy yet beautiful female vocal performance from Helene Bøksle, closing the album on a contemplative note.

While I said the soundtrack is mostly dark and subtle, the combat pieces that come at the end of the album are exactly what I was expecting from the start, complete with powerful percussion, brass, and epic strings. This kind of music also makes its way onto the bonus disc. However, the most interesting music on the bonus disc comes via the three tracks provided by Norwegian death metal act Turbonegro, featuring electric guitars and profanity in typical rocker fashion. I wonder where these songs fit into the game! The remaining pieces, including “Night of the Serpent” and “Lacheish Plains” are stylistically more in line with the rest of the score, and are actually some of the best pieces on the album, providing more gloomy ambiance.

The discs come housed in a CD case with rounded edges and a nice cardboard sleeve to top it off. I definitely enjoy the atmosphere created by the music here, and would recommend it to anyone who’s into this genre of music. There are some bombastic orchestral tracks that didn’t really fit in with the rest of the music, but they’re thoughtfully tucked away at the tail ends of each CD to ensure a cohesive listening experience. The attention to detail in terms of track ordering and the sound quality are greatly appreciated, and make the Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures soundtrack a memorable standalone experience. You can pick it up on Amazon MP3 or iTunes if you’d like.

Are you currently playing Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures? What did you think about the game’s music?

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