Welcome to the second installment where we are talking about (or listening to) music from classic Dungeons & Dragons games. I always felt like these games made great use of audio. I remember playing them and having my headphones on late at night, listening to the sounds of skittering creatures in dark caverns, all of it complimented by some of the best RPG music in the business.
Icewind Dale II – The Severed Hand
This song stands on its own, with an epic introduction that
continues strong throughout what is the final battle of the game. A confluence
of events that just brings the experience together for the definition of a
memorable moment.
Baldur’s Gate – Sword Against Darkness
So many of the songs in this soundtrack just come out hard,
emphasizing the tempo of combat. Not that this particular scene was all that
challenging for me at the time, where the music outperformed the moment in
gaming.
Neverwinter Nights: Hordes of the Underdark – Main Theme
Given this expansions theme of being located in the
Underdark, this theme’s tone compliments the experience perfectly. There’s a
dark undertone to it, but moments of higher pitched instruments that cut
through it, like a shining hope amidst the oppressive darkness. This expansion’s
narrative was similarly fantastic.
Baldur’s Gate – The Friendly Arms Inn
Pull up a chair, huddle near the fireplace and rest your weary
bones for a spell. Your journeys have been hard, and you’re not done yet - but
for tonight? Tonight, you sleep well, my friend.
That is the vibe I get from this slow, comfortable song.
Neverwinter Nights 2 – King of Shadows Battle
What an amazing (if somewhat frustrating) battle this was for me. The
music comes in fast and hard, and when the chanting vocals enter the song
later, it just compliments what has happened to this point in the story and
sets the stage beautifully.
