The Assassin's Creed Soundtracks Deserve More Credit
Image via Ubisoft
The Assassin’s Creed games are well-known for immersing you in past civilizations and cultures, and part of that immersion comes from the music of this series. From sea shanties in Black Flag to the incredibly dramatic music of Assassin’s Creed II, the series deserves way more credit for its soundtracks. Here are four tracks from the Assassin’s Creed series that deserve praise from the VGM community.
Arguably the best game in the series, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is off to a strong start right from the get-go. The main theme by Brian Tyler is a memorable piece that reflects the open seas of pirates. It starts with a calm melody as the beautiful strings play. Mid-way through the theme, a ruckus begins as the drums take the piece into high gear. It’s similar to an enemy ship appearing on an open sea with cannons blasting towards us.
Tangled Grove’s version of the main theme for Assassin’s Creed IV is stellar. They play instruments that you’d expect, including the fiddle, hurdy-gurdy, irish bouzouki, mandolin, bodhrán and acoustic bass. The stellar playing all make for an accurate, gorgeous cover of the song.
The main theme of the whole series, “Ezio’s Family” is a touching song that brings to mind the cinematic quality of the franchise. The dramatic, operatic voice emblematic of the Renaissance era, the emotional piano, and the epic strings all make this a piece to remember. The singer in particular is incredibly impressive as she reaches the highest tones imaginable and nails them.
Despite all of the drama of the piece, there is one instrument that stands out: the guitar. One could say that this lone guitar is like Ezio himself. This core responsibility of an Assassin is then passed on to the other protagonists of the series, making “Ezio’s Family” a perfect theme for the franchise moving forward.
Multiplayer Ensemble does a remarkable job replicating the sound that Ubisoft and Jesper Kyd created. The singer gives a fantastic performance just like the original, and all of the instruments come together to create a truly emotional cover.
We’re back on the high seas of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag for this one. While you’re sailing with the crew, a cool moment often occurs that adds so much detail to the world. The crew begins to sing authentic sea shanties, and this attention to detail is partly why the Assassin’s Creed games should be praised when it comes to its music. In fact, one of the top comments in a video compiling all of these shanties says that these songs make “chores a lot more tolerable” for them.
Despite not having a backing crew, Colm McGuinness has published a wonderful cover of the song “Leave Her Johnny,” which is featured in Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. His varied range is impressive as he overlays his performances together into one cover. The voice is rich and pleasant to listen to, despite there being no backing music.
With the American Civil War as the background, Assassin’s Creed 3’s main theme by Lorne Balfe is absolutely striking. The thunderous marching drum snares, the rip of the strings section, and slight electronic elements of the piece (that reflect the conclusion of Desmond’s story) all make for a groundbreaking track. It feels grand, epic, and tries to promise an exhilarating experience, which some would say it didn’t deliver. This song is so striking that Lindsay Sterling’s cover has received over 40 million views alone.
A piece like this needs a lot of musicians behind the song to do it justice, and the Magic Orchestra provides an enchanting version of it. It’s a slower take on the song with a focus on the beautiful instruments behind it. The strings come across wonderfully in the cover, as well as the flute which gives the song a little graceful note to the overall piece. Overall, it’s a great performance by the Magic Orchestra.
Hopefully, I've convinced you that the Assassin’s Creed series has powerful music that helps to transport you to a different time and place. These are just a few examples of the incredible soundtracks that have us all making a leap of faith.
CHRIS PENWELL
Chris Penwell is a writer and podcaster who loves to talk about video game music. His favorite soundtracks are from the Kingdom Hearts series, Celeste, Beyond Good & Evil, Gravity Rush, and Final Fantasy X.