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In video game history, not many franchises have made as much impact as Halo. Released in 2001, Halo: Combat Evolved not only redefined the First-Person Shooter (Fps) genre but also helped establish the Xbox as a major player in the gaming market. The game introduced players to a rich narrative filled with deep lore, memorable characters like Master Chief, and groundbreaking multiplayer experiences.

The game revolutionized the entire gaming industry and made Xbox a leading console. | Image Credit: 343 Industries

The game’s legacy is very deep and has influenced countless games and franchises including novels, animated series, and a live-action television adaptation. Yet, not many players know that before the Master Chief donned his iconic green armor, the vision for the game was very different: originally it was intended to be a real-time strategy (Rts) and real-time tactics game.

The History and Development of Halo

The origins of Halo can...

There’s no doubt that games such as NieR Automata and Hotline Miami have proven that the potential impact of a well-crafted and thoughtfully complemented musical score can’t be overstated. Much like it does in cinema, a good soundtrack can prove to be crucial to enhance emotions, set the tone, create atmosphere, and elevate the overall game to new heights.

Whether it’s haunting tunes that accompany quieter character-building moments or triumphant melodies during epic boss battles, a good soundtrack can thrill players and leave a lasting impression that keeps bringing them back for more. In this article, we take a look at the top 5 games with the best soundtracks that you definitely need to give a shot at.

5. NieR Automata NieR Automata‘s legendary soundtracks blend haunting mechanics with emotional depth. Image via Sqaure Enix

NieR Automata debuted in 2017 to critical acclaim, not just for its beautiful plotline,...

Streaming platform Pandora has unveiled its Most-Thumbed Movie Songs Playlist. Based on Pandora listeners’ thumbs-up activity, 102 of the most popular movie songs were rounded up.

Among the most-thumbed tracks are “Earned It” by the Weeknd from “Fifty Shades of Grey,” “See You Again” by Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth from “Furious 7” and “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri from “Twilight.”

Other classic movie songs featured include “Titanic’s” “My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion, “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston from “The Bodyguard” and “Mrs. Robinson” from “The Graduate” by Simon and Garfunkel.

Oscar winners for best original song also making the playlist are Adele’s “Skyfall,” from the James Bond movie of the same name, and the 2018 winner “Shallow” by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper from the “A Star Is Born” remake.

The playlist can be streamed here. Here’s the full list of...

Bungie's hit multiplayer shooter had its story "substantially revised" before release a legal document has confirmed...

Bungie's much-hyped shooter Destiny launched last year on a wave of advertising hype and a clamour of gamer interest. But as sales broke records, some critics asked, where was the deep, expansive story Bungie had boasted about before release? The answer to that question has appeared from a surprising source.

Over the past few months, composer and former Bungie employee Marty O'Donnell has been locked in a legal battle with the studio, with O'Donnell claiming that Bungie fired him "without cause" in April last year. It's a case O'Donnell has since won within the last day or two, and in its aftermath, a public legal document from the case has emerged thanks to Venturebeat. 

That document reveals that Destiny's story was "substantially revised" before release, which is why the game's launch was delayed from...

Paul McCartney visited The Daily Show on Tuesday to promote "Hope for the Future," his original song written for video game Destiny. But instead of discussing the track in detail, he and host Jon Stewart mostly goof around about random topics – including McCartney's subpar gaming skills and Stewart's son's preference for Ellen over The Daily Show.

In the above clip, the former Beatle strides onstage to a "thunderous" audience ovation, leading Stewart to make a self-deprecating jab. "I’ve had a lot of jobs where I showed up, no applause,...

Fans of music in games will be excited to know that the first Game Music Connect event is scheduled to take place on September 9th in London at the Southbank Centre's Purcell Room. The event will feature a long list of horror game composers such as Jason Graves (Dead Space series) and a closer look at scoring for next-gen consoles.

From the Press Release

Game Art Connect Ltd presents a new live event series, Game Music Connect created for fans of music in games, aspiring and professional composers of all backgrounds and those interested in learning about the art and science of creating today's cutting edge video game soundtracks. Featuring interviews and roundtable discussions with some of the world's leading composers and audio directors in the video games industry, the first Game Music Connect event is scheduled to take place at Southbank Centre's Purcell Room, London on September 9, 2013.

The premiere...

Feature Ryan Lambie Feb 14, 2013

As Bungie hints at an imminent information drop for its forthcoming Destiny, we take a look at what we know so far...

It's surely the dream of any videogame developer to cut through the static and capture's a generation's interest. And so it was that, after years of relatively low-key successes with such games as the Marathon Trilogy, Myth and Oni, Bungie finally scored its first major hit with Halo.

Launched just over a decade after Bungie's founding, the pre-release buzz surrounding Halo: Combat Evolved prompted Microsoft to acquire the studio in 2000. Microsoft knew it had an important game on its hands - one which could serve as the perfect introduction for its fledgling Xbox console, which had yet to prove itself in the autumn of 2001. The company's instincts were spot on; of the million copies sold in its first year, more than half of...

Halo sounds a certain way to longtime fans of the series. If you ask anyone who's played through the campaigns of the main titles in the series, composer Marty O'Donnell's score has been integral to the Master Chief and Cortana's galaxy-spanning adventures (to the degree that even O'Donnell's own jazzier compositions for Odst were met with doubt and confusion by fans).

But with 343 Industries taking over the franchise from Bungie, the Kirkland, Wa-based developer had to think about what was next sonically for the series, vetting several candidates to give the first game in a new trilogy its own sound. And as Neil Davidge, the man who would eventually get the gig tells it, they didn't want to do the usual film composer doing games things.

Davidge is the longtime producer and writer with the British electronic outfit, Massive Attack, and he knows something about wedding music to action,...

The October release will come in a standard edition as well as a 2-disc Special Edition featuring DJ remixes of the shooter's score.

More details after the jump.

Coming on October 22nd, the Halo 4 Original Soundtrack will feature 15 tracks and around 75 minutes of music from Massive Attack's Neil Davidge, 343 Industries and 7Hz Productions, marking the first time series regular Marty O'Donnell has not been responsible for the music of the long-running shooter series. We'll be running our interview with Davidge about his work on the score later today as well as a brief chat with producer DJ Skee about his contribution to the remix album.

Here's the track list (along with links to samples of selected tracks) which doesn't appear to have any spoilers:

1. Awakening

2. Belly Of The Beast

3. Requiem

4. Legacy

5. Faithless

6. Nemesis

7. Haven

8. Ascendancy

9. Solace

10. To Galaxy

11. Immaterial

12. 117

13. Arrival

14. Revival

15. Green And Blue

Besides the standard edition release,...

2011's a year of milestones for Bungie. The "Halo" series--the Seattle-based dev studio's most famous creation--celebrates its tenth anniversary with "Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary," a remastered edition of the title that introduced cyborg supersoldier Master Chief to the world. Not only did "Halo" delivered the armored space marine to ecstatic players everywhere, it also ensured that Microsoft would find success with the Xbox, the tech giant's first foray in to game consoles. Bungie's original "Halo" codework can be seen in Classic Mode, a feature that lets you see the game as it look

But, Bungie's not building that game. Last year's "Halo: Reach" marked their last work on that franchise, whose future is in Microsoft's hands. But, Bungie's done more than Halo during its existence. This year also clocks in as the 20th that Bungie's been in business and they've just released a documentary to celebrate their longevity.

"O...

Marty O'Donnell has been behind the scenes of just about every noise you've ever heard in a "Halo." Generally game developers bring in external composers to score their games, but Bungie is lucky to have an award-winning composer right down the hall. And the music isn't even the half of it. Voice direction, explosions, energy swords clashing, you name it, Marty's been behind it.

Now that Bungie has competed it's work on "Halo: Reach," their final "Halo" game, O'Donnell is moving on to the studio's brand new franchise. But before he does, I wanted to speak to him about his work on "Reach," specifically his work on one of the most memorable moments in the game.

In the very first playable level, "Winter Contingency," players encounter a laboratory that's been ravaged by a Covenant attack. The scene is eerily quiet, compared to the intense battle you just fought through.

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In speaking with Nathan Fillion (who happens to be a giant nerd, by the way) about his starring role in "Halo 3: Odst," the topic of "Halo: Reach" came up. Guess what? He's seen it. The details are sadly non-existent, but he has gotten an early look at the game when he was in Bungie's offices, which he talks about above.

Regarding his involvement in the title, nothing to announce just yet. But Fillion is quick to impress upon us and Bungie that if they want him, he's absolutely in for another round. It's actually pretty likely that his character will be back in "Reach," given that Buck (as well as Tricia Helfer's character, Dare) both make mention of being on the doomed planet before its destruction at the hands of the Covenant.

Also worth noting that...