Halo 3: Music to Watch Armageddon By

By Simon Parkin Published 8 November, 2007

Marty O'Donnell on Finishing the Fugue.

'This is how the world ends, not with a bang but with a whimper'. So ends T. S. Eliot's 1925 poem, The Hollow Men, a sentence also chosen to start and conclude the Halo trilogy's overarching marketing campaign.

Except, of course, climactic whimpers and blockbusting action epics are uneasy bedfellows; who'd collapse their bombastic trilogy with a timid snivel when they could detonate it in a sea of apocalyptic pixel fire and awful noise? And so, to escape the confines of the poem's story but borrow its classy whiff of literary respectability, the line was cut in two, the second part discarded and the noisy drama of the trilogy's conclusion left to resound un-tempered.

But while the way in which Halo's world ends might have outplayed without much understatement or surprise, the series' soundtrack defies videogame convention, mostly underlining the action not with heavy metal bangs and testosterone but with the melancholy aahs of a pensive choir. First Person Shooters are about distorted guitars, guttural screams, double kick drum pedals and air-punching marines, not the ebb and swell of a minor key melody. In this sense, the game grasps some of the expectation-confounding surprise Eliot spoke of.

"Juxtaposition is a very powerful tool for the composer, one that's woefully underused in videogames," explains Marty O'Donnell, the bearded and kindly man behind this, one of videogaming's most memorable soundtracks. "When writing for an action game I think it's important not to take what is happening on screen for granted from a musical perspective. One must try something unexpected, something fresh and imaginative; something to interest the listeners without distracting them."

Eurogamer is sat with O'Donnell prior to the Videogames Live concert at the Royal Festival Hall. It's a curious event, started by the irrepressible videogame composer Tommy Tallarico. The world-touring concert employs local (and mostly bewildered) professional orchestras to perform some of gaming's most popular melodies to an audience made up of dedicated geeks and, perhaps, the odd curious classical music fan. 100 feet under the intermittent bulb flashes of tourist cameras aboard the London Eye, the master of melodic motif awaits his curtain call to lead the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir through pieces from Halo's well-loved soundtrack.

'Halo 3: Music to Watch Armageddon By' Screenshot 1

"Every game I've ever worked on I've fully believed will come to be regarded as the best one in all of history," he chuckles. "But as I sat behind closed doors in 1999 and saw the vision of the first Halo game I was...it was just so powerful. From the first I wanted that soundtrack to be epic. At that time only a tiny proportion of games employed live orchestras for their soundtracks; mostly it was midi orchestras to cut costs. I went to Bungie and pleaded. I said, if you can cover the costs I can get the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (I'd worked with them for a few advertisement projects in the past) and I will make something truly special. It paid off. That said, let it be known that I didn't turn a profit on the first game though..."

The first Halo game saw Master Chief propelled onwards through his solo mission by lively string and brass sections. In contrast the second game shifted to more guitar-orientated approach, even employing widdling fretnerd Steve Vai for some of its dive-bombing licks. The third game however marked a shift back to the orchestral roots of the series. Eurogamer wonders if this was always O'Donnell's intention? "Absolutely," he replies. "I took an orthodox, almost formal approach to the trilogy. If the first game was A and the sequel B then Halo 3 was A Prime. Each soundtrack is independent of one another but there's a formal structure going on there." He pauses. "Actually, to be honest, when I got to the end of Halo 2 I thought to myself: 'that was probably enough guitar.' It's hard to get that kind of perspective when you're knee-deep in a project but, once it's finished you step back and get that zoomed out view on things..."

Halo's soundtracks are rare in that almost every gamer who has played one of the games could pick out and hum two or three themes. Few are the videogames to achieve that. Ask a player to do the same with some of gaming's other big hitters - Half Life, The Elder Scrolls, Super Mario, Gran Turismo - and they'll likely falter after the first tune, if they even manage that. With so many memorable melodies Eurogamer asks if there's a moment in the game where the synergy between soundtrack and action work in harmony particularly well. "I find I always like the last thing I wrote the best - whatever that is," O'Donnell explains. "The final piece of music I wrote for Halo 3 was the cinematic that plays out after the end credits have rolled. I like the way the music brings a sense of closure with it, book-ending the trilogy in a pleasing way."

'Halo 3: Music to Watch Armageddon By' Screenshot 2

"That's not quite properly answering the question though. In terms of a piece of music that worked well in-game, well...hmm. In the first Halo there was a snow level set a night towards the end of the game. You climb into a banshee and fly up into the sky, snow blanketed mountains all around you. Whenever I play that section I'm surprised at how effective the music works with that scene. I think that's probably my favourite moment."

O'Donnell has been composing for many years, writing scores for a diverse range of products. Eurogamer asks as to what makes composing for videogames different. "I've written soundtracks for all manner of things from soft drink advertisements through to videogame soundtracks for the likes of Riven," he explains. "In every case my job is to invoke emotions that convince people to engage with the product. The core difference with a contemporary console title is the technology; in videogames players can now control the action on screen and so there needs to be dynamic flexibility in the way my compositions are presented. But essentially the basics of my job are the same whether it's inviting people to buy children's vitamins or kill swathes of brutes. The job is always to write thoughtfully and in an interesting way."

Even so, surely composing music to soundtrack the apocalypse must have added unusual pressure in the case of the most recent Halo game? "You know, we've done so many things with this series that have added pressure onto ourselves. It's almost like everything we've done has been over the top in terms of stress levels. I've reminded the team many times that, ultimately, we're not curing diseases here. Whatever game series you're working on, no matter how high profile it is and how high expectations are, it's still just entertainment. Expectations can only go so far because of that. It's a clichè but there comes a point when you realise you just need to have fun with what you're doing. In the end, we're not going to save anyone's life through it."

Picture of Simon.

About Simon Parkin

Simon Parkin is an author and journalist on video games. A regular contributor to Eurogamer since 2005, his work has also appeared in Edge, The Telegraph, Gamasutra and Boing Boing.

Read more articles from Simon by visiting the Simon Parkin archive page.

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Comments (60) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • caffeinedreamer #1 4 years ago

    TS Eliot for the win!

  • Nick261007 #2 4 years ago

    So do people still think Halo 3 is a 10/10 after playing it for a while?. I don't, multiplayer gets boring and repetitive with badly made maps. And single player is only average. Theatre and forge are nice but hardly used or needed. They should have thought more about the actual game instead of the side order of gimmicks. Graphics should have been better, music is cool as always but hardly anything new.

    No way in hell is Halo 3 a 10/10, COD4 kills it in all areas and gets a 9?, I don't get it. And this isn't me having a pop at Eurogamer really, it's all websites who gushed over Halo 3. It really didn't deserve the praise it got at launch, average at best, barely scrapes a 8/10 for me.
    Edited by 3 at 08/11/07 @ 11:47

  • Spanky #3 4 years ago

    Diddley Dee, Diddley Dee, Diddley Diddley Dee!

    Riverdance!

  • w00t #4 4 years ago

    That was quick Nick!

    On topic however, the music is excellent in the Halo series. Only the Hitman music (by Jesper Kyd) rivals it in games. Audio doesn't get enough attention or appreciation.

  • Garulon #5 4 years ago

    "So do people still think Halo 3 is a 10/10 after playing it for a while?. "

    Playing through it again, on Legendary, in co-op. Yep, 10/10. Wonderful game.

  • drumm23 #6 4 years ago

    TS Elliot: PS3.
    Keats: 360.

    LET'S GET REAAAADY TO RUUUUUUUMBLE.
    Edited by 1 at 08/11/07 @ 12:03

  • Wash #7 4 years ago

    "Playing through it again, on Legendary, in co-op. Yep, 10/10. Wonderful game."

    Couldnt agree more, Halo 3 is one of those rare games that gets me going back to do better.

    Love it, and theatre is awesome.

  • mattigan #8 4 years ago

    I got the overkill achievement the other day (legit too), I rule!!!

    Just thought I'd let you all know!!

  • drumm23 #9 4 years ago

    10/10 definitely. The multiplayer is majestic and all the knobs seem to have stuck with Gears Of War: "You stole my killlllll agggggggghhhhhhhhh, this is the single worst thing anybody has ever done to me in my entire life" etc etc

  • BillyBrush #10 4 years ago

    what gamer is going to falter on the Super Mario tunes???

    My mum could recite them and she wouldn't know if Halo was a game or a cake mix


    the rest though -great point well made

  • Lutz #11 4 years ago

    Marty O'Donnell is my god. I want his babies.

  • mattigan #12 4 years ago

    I agree with drumm23 it's all rather civilised in H3 Multiplayer

  • ruckus #13 4 years ago

    Halo's soundtracks are rare in that almost every gamer who has played one of the games could pick out and hum two or three themes. Few are the videogames to achieve that. Ask a player to do the same with some of gaming's other big hitters - Half Life, The Elder Scrolls, Super Mario, Gran Turismo...

    I think Super Mario is a rather poor choice for the point you are trying to make.

    Jade Empire had a better soundtrack than Halo for me personally, but then I don't rate Halo's that much at all.

  • SomaticSense #14 4 years ago

    Nick: Has Bungie threatened to rape you sister or something? Because you seem to be on an anti-Halo crusade at the moment.

    Halo 3 a 10/10? Actually yes imo, definitely when compared to a lot of recent shooters. Isn't revolutionary, but does it's job very, very well, with good graphics decent AI, and - for once in a Halo game - decent level design. And 10/10 is worthy of a game which doesn't really have any faults per se. Plus the Theater mode and Forge are revolutionary when it comes to shooters, and have totally changed what I expect in future.

    Multiplayer does get boring, yes. But it's the same with every game. It could do with a few more maps though, but they'll come in time.

  • Lutz #15 4 years ago

    Quote: "That's not quite properly answering the question though. In terms of a piece of music that worked well in-game, well...hmm. In the first Halo there was a snow level set a night towards the end of the game. You climb into a banshee and fly up into the sky, snow blanketed mountains all around you. Whenever I play that section I'm surprised at how effective the music works with that scene. I think that's probably my favourite moment."

    Gotta agree with him there. That is one beautiful, perfect piece of gaming. Two songs from that area are Pale Horse and Under Cover of the Night. Superb pieces, both.

    My single most stand alone moment in the music though isn't, AFAIK, in any game. Halo 1, final track of the CD, called "Halo". It's the satndard Halo theme at it's best. But at the there's a pause of about 10 seconds, then a 1 minute piece on the piano. (Played I'm guessing by Marty) And it singularly encapsulates everything that is Halo.

  • jonthepymm #16 4 years ago

    Halo's soundtracks are rare in that almost every gamer who has played one of the games could pick out and hum two or three themes. Few are the videogames to achieve that. Ask a player to do the same with some of gaming's other big hitters - Half Life, The Elder Scrolls, Super Mario, Gran Turismo...

    I think The Elder Scrolls is superb. I could hum Morrowind straight off - one of the best soundtracks ever.

  • Lutz #17 4 years ago

    average at best, barely scrapes a 8/10 for me.

    Average = 8/10. I love the level of maths skills from posters. ;)

  • Drpwnage #18 4 years ago

    Interesting Article EG. The Halo 3 music is outstanding, the melancholic piano music accompanying the front screen stands out for me.

    Nick, your a stuck record constantly expounding your Halo3 opinions, no one gives a toss.

  • AFX #19 4 years ago

    Video Games Live was a great event. I've posted loads of videos from the show on YouTube including Halo 3 with Tommy Tallarico on electric guitar
    Edited by 1 at 08/11/07 @ 12:19

  • WJF #20 4 years ago

    It's pretty easy to hum the Morrowind theme because it was one of two tunes in the entire game. Either he hasn't played it more than four minutes or had the sound off.

    /whoop, looked down, saw someone else had beaten me to it while i was logging in!

  • rhinoxious #21 4 years ago

    I've barely scratched the surface of multiplayer,

    What you need is toget off the bloody playlists and use the full bredth of game moeds and customisation available in custom games.

    Get some friends together and have some fun with it!

  • MrFlintBlackman #22 4 years ago

    16bit era had far more memorable soundtracks than recent games. Halos soundtrack is good but doesn't make the game feel epic.

    Okami soundtrack on the other hand is stunning.

  • Xerx3s #23 4 years ago

    'This is how the world ends, not with a bang but with a whimper'

    Fact: What the campaign said :'This is how the world ends'. What Cortana said: 'Your poet Elliot was wrong'.

    So 'Except, of course, climactic whimpers and blockbusting action epics are uneasy bedfellows; who'd collapse their bombastic trilogy with a timid snivel when they could detonate it in a sea of apocalyptic pixel fire and awful noise?' isn't much to the point (?).

  • Xerx3s #24 4 years ago

    TS Elliot: PS3.
    Keats: 360.

    LET'S GET REAAAADY TO RUUUUUUUMBLE.

    Keats would just cough him to death.

  • goz #25 4 years ago

    Xerx3s: Um, it's exactly to the point.
    Edited by 1 at 08/11/07 @ 12:27

  • dolphan #26 4 years ago

    Nothing beats the chocobo theme from the FF games for getting engraved into your brain - daa da-da-da-da da-da da da daaa ...

    Oh, and Sonic 1 had amazingly catchy music as well. For wow factor over catchiness, the Deus Ex theme wins hands down. You knew as soon as you got to the mainmenu that this game was going to be something else.

  • Xerx3s #27 4 years ago

    'Xerx3s: Um, it's exactly to the point.'

    No, it talks about a bang instead of a whimper and that 'bang' would fit perfectly with a blockbuster action title.

  • Vin #28 4 years ago

    lolz.

  • Xerx3s #29 4 years ago

    Yeah, sorry, compiling.....


    <a href='http://xkcd.com/303/'>\0/ </a>

  • Tonka #30 4 years ago

    As if we didn't have enough Halo 3 threads already...

  • BobsUncle #31 4 years ago

    'that was probably enough guitar.'

    There's NEVER enough guitar! The Wammy bar dive at the start of Halo is pure class.

    WEEEEEOOOOOOoooooooooeeeeEEEEEE~~~!

    Like a dashboard stuffed with the beaks of a thousand Eagles. Awesome. Awesome to the max.

  • legendmir #32 4 years ago

    mario tunes not memorable?!?!?!

    i wrote a piece of uni cw based around videogame music and its effect on mass culture and one of my points was that so many ppl can hum the mario tune straight off...

    EG you fools!

  • magicpanda #33 4 years ago

    Said it before and I'll say it again...

    The only good thing to flop out of the giant, pulsating Goatse that is the Halo Behemoth is the theme tune. It's pure quality.

  • BobsUncle #34 4 years ago

    "one of my points was that so many ppl can hum the mario tune straight off..."

    I can't. I hope you got a 3rd.

  • Killerbee #35 4 years ago

    Great article. It's always interesting to have a bit of insight into the creative process behind poplr games, and the music is every bit as much an important part of that as the graphics or controller interface.

    Halo has got a gret soundtrack and it's true - I can hum a couple of the tunes in my head even after just one play through of the original game a couple of years ago.

    I'm afraid I do have to take issue with the suggestion that Mario and Oblivion aren't as memorable - I can hum tunes from both of those games - surely Mario has some of the most memorable music in gaming ever!? Gran Turismo has always had a (mostly) licensed soundtrack, therefore it's an unfair comparison, and most of Half-Life isn't scored. The Music only pops up at key moments, so it's again not really a fair comparison with a game that has music playing pretty much throughout.

    Nobuo Uematsu's work with Square is pretty memorable, as is the music from both God of War games (sorry, can't remember the composer's name off the top of my head...). The Metroid Prime trilogy has uniformly great music too. Timesplitters 2, Bioshock...

    I'm sure I could go on... :)

  • neuroniky #36 4 years ago

    Halo has a very subtle and enjoyable soundtrack, and there are many highlights in it, but it surely isn't the most popular videogame music I've heard, nor the better ever made. Super Mario theme is much more known, as it is the gameboy Tetris theme... as for quality, I think FFVI has the best music ever... when I play Aria de Charactere on the piano it always manage to ipnotize somebody with its beauty. Homeworld usage of music was pure poetry too, but it really doesn't count since it used an already famous piece of classical music.

  • the_sas_man #37 4 years ago

    Mass Effects soundtrack is sounding very nice

  • symbiote #38 4 years ago

    "So do people still think Halo 3 is a 10/10 after playing it for a while?. I don't, multiplayer gets boring and repetitive with badly made maps. And single player is only average"

    Sorry, but you blew it at "So"

  • Rodney #39 4 years ago

    I think first level bos in Streets of Rage 2 has the best music in a game ever.

  • Garulon #40 4 years ago

    "most of Half-Life isn't scored. The Music only pops up at key moments"

    The music in HL and HL2 especially is more dark electronic ambient than melody too. It always reminds me of hanging out near Electricity substations when I was a kid, never fails to shit me up, and fitst the game beautifully.

    The E3 Halo 3 trailer music is absolutely hands-down the most memorable, stirring piece of music ever composed for a video game though. single piano note building to a tremendous cresendo whilst MC watches the Covenent tear something out of Africa? Wow. Going through that in the game? Wow++.

  • wayn3h #41 4 years ago

    Best in game music goes to Uniracer imo. :D

  • SomaticSense #42 4 years ago

    "As if we didn't have enough Halo 3 threads already... "

    I would 100% agree with you, if it was actually a forum thread. It's not though is it.

  • Nick261007 #43 4 years ago

    Symbiote, I guess I touched a nerve. I'm sorry that my opinion on Halo 3 upsets you so much. The game is average though and didn't deserve 10/10, most people seem to agree on that. Even Kristian Reed said he would take Metroid Prime over Halo 3 every time.

    The game is average, but continue to think otherwise if it makes you happy. Tom got taken in my the MS hype machine and I guess you did to.

  • wowami #44 4 years ago

    Best Music Ever?

    1989 - Computerbase - Plymouth.

    Import Jap Megadrive newly arrived.

    no video connection available so listened to the game music test menu via the headphone socket and heard "Chinatown" by the mighty Yoshi Koshiro for the first time.
    £189.99 deposit laid down there and then ( months before launch )

  • SomaticSense #45 4 years ago

    "The game is average, but continue to think otherwise if it makes you happy. Tom got taken in my the MS hype machine and I guess you did to."

    I've got no problem with differing opinions, but it's this attitude that makes you a complete tit.

    Suggesting that we are all misguided fools led caught by "the MS hype machine" causing us to "think otherwise" regarding the quality of it is bang out of order.

    What a nobhead.

  • Dunk360 #46 4 years ago

    "So do people still think Halo 3 is a 10/10 after playing it for a while?."

    Yes. KThxbai.

  • Daryoon #47 4 years ago

    "Halo's soundtracks are rare in that almost every gamer who has played one of the games could pick out and hum two or three themes. Few are the videogames to achieve that. Ask a player to do the same with some of gaming's other big hitters - Half Life, The Elder Scrolls, Super Mario, Gran Turismo..."

    That's a really RANDOM selection of games...

    Surely Mario is close to - if not equalling - Tetris so far as memorable main themes go?

  • Grim... #48 4 years ago

    I thought I was at this concert, until I read "100 feet under the intermittent bulb flashes of tourist cameras aboard the London Eye, the master of melodic motif awaits his curtain call to lead the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir through pieces from Halo's well-loved soundtrack."

    Festival Hall is nearly half a mile from the eye, unless you went to a special concert in the Jubilee Gardens (or the All Bar One) or something.

    (That space invaders ninja in no way deserved to win the 360, don't you agree?)

  • banjoted #49 4 years ago

    Most people couldn't hum more than one Mario tune? Nonsense.

  • Garulon #50 4 years ago

    "I'm sorry that my opinion on Halo 3 upsets you so much. "

    What's your gamertag?

  • miiiguel #51 4 years ago

    "So do people still think Halo 3 is a 10/10 after playing it for a while?."

    Every single time I play it mate, every single time.

  • Lukus #52 4 years ago

    Nick1672372167t83834, have you even played it all the way through? You don't appear to have any Live statistics.

  • Lutz #53 4 years ago

    Rodney: Streets of Rage 2 has some conking music, but the best was level 7 and 8. Much better than the boss fight.

    Oh, and there's DEFINITLY such a thing as too much guitar, and yes, Halo 2 had it. Halo 2 vol 2 is much better than Halo 2 vol 1, and vol1 has more of the game stuff.

    Halo 1 & 3 are considerably better than 2 for music (Well, and gameplay let's be honest)

    The A, B, A prime thing is a good way of saying it.

  • Beardedmonkey #54 4 years ago

    Is it just me or are there certain people (naming no names) who seem to sit hitting F5, waiting for a Halo article/thread to appear so they can go:

    "OMG!1!1! Halo was never a 10! It is my God-given duty to bring this to the attention of the world, as only I have the necessary force of will to avoid being taken in by Microsoft and it's nefarious marketing schemes! I have decided, in my infinite wisdom, that this holy quest shall take the form of relentlessly trolling gaming forums."

    Gah!

    Anyhoo... The Halo soundtrack is, indeed, rather nifty. Its good that developers are spending more time on music.

    Now we just need to try to get the message through to the developers of driving games, with their unrelenting love of Nu-Metal and rubbish Hip Hop!

  • Garulon #55 4 years ago

    "through to the developers of driving games, with their unrelenting love of Nu-Metal and rubbish Hip Hop!"

    Custom soundtracks rule for this.

  • Xerx3s #56 4 years ago

    I've got no problem with differing opinions, but it's this attitude that makes you a complete tit.

    Suggesting that we are all misguided fools led caught by "the MS hype machine" causing us to "think otherwise" regarding the quality of it is bang out of order.

    What a nobhead.

    Seriously, DO THE RIGHT THING AND HIT THAT IGNORE BUTTON. Make life for all of us a lot more enjoyable. Everything he says suggests that he is an idiot, why bother reading his stuff?
    Let him live his fantasies where nobody hears him.

  • Xerx3s #57 4 years ago

    Is it just me or are there certain people (naming no names) who seem to sit hitting F5, waiting for a Halo article/thread to appear so they can go:

    Yup. Venture into the forum to see it in full effect.

  • groovychainsaw #58 4 years ago

    Custom soundstracks are awesome, especially in most sports and driving games now, which maybe have 2 good tracks out the '100 fully licensed music tracks!!!1!'. However, with a narrative to the game, orchestral music can have a significant impact, improving (or harming) the narrative if used correctly. The music in halo (and halo 3) has often helped with the epic moment, helping to underscore and amplify what you are doing (less sure bout the electric guitar in halo 2 though Mart! ;-)

  • Beardedmonkey #59 4 years ago

    Would be nice if we didn't have to use Custom Soundtracks though.

    I've discovered some decent bands from game soundtracks ('theLINE' from Amped 2 spring to mind) so it can be worth having a listen.

    With a bit of thought its possible to put together a soundtrack of songs that actually compliment the gameplay. Far more effective than trying to earn cool points by cramming the thing with whichever bands are sporting the haircut d'jour.

  • ilmaestro #60 4 years ago

    fwiw, Xerx3s, I agree with you in that the opening to this piece reads as if the author isn't quite recollecting the relevant line from the Cortana Letters properly.

  • matrim83 #61 4 years ago

    Love the Halo music and like most people I do think that Halo 2 had a bit too much guitar in it.

    However having said that Halo theme MJOLNIR mix is one of my favourate bits from the trilogy.

    And +1 to Lutz. Both Pale horse and Under cover of night are superb.
    Edited by 1 at 08/11/07 @ 22:26

  • The-Bodybuilder #62 4 years ago

    To me, the halo and shenmue soundtracks are the best.


    ESPECIALLY SHENMUE.