The soundtrack (save the CD versions of tracks 1 and 34) was also included in the game directory of both the full and demo Audiosurf releases on Steam as part of Audiosurf 's The Orange Box Soundtrack. Using an appropriate program, it is possible to extract all audio tracks heard in-game from the hl2_sound_misc_dir.vpk archive file. Although the CD contains several exclusive tracks, it does not include all of the music heard in the game.
The limited edition Half-Life 2 "Gold" package included, among other exclusive extras, a CD soundtrack. Most, if not all, of the tracks were named by Marc Laidlaw. It is an amalgamation of newly-composed music and several cues from Bailey's previous work on Half-Life. It's the sort of song that says, "no, no, get the shotgun out for this bit.The Half-Life 2 soundtrack was composed by Kelly Bailey. It's such a driving, adrenaline-building instrumental that it makes what could be a difficult fight in tight hallways feel like a liberating licence to take out your frustration on the Combine forces. It comes at the perfect time, after a tense encounter with a Combine Advisor. Portal 2 is also worth praising for its use of dynamic music-giving it a playful quality as it reacts to your interactions with the game's puzzle elements.ģMy favourite track from the Half-Life 2 series as a whole is Sector Sweep, from Episode 2. Its music sounds broken and chaotic, as if degraded by thousands of years of disuse. Of particular note is Portal 2, the music of which nicely mirrors the plot of the game. Borderlands 2's electro-Southern rock strikes me as an obvious example.ĢValve is continually a master of this, and I could have easily written this piece about any of their games.
Outside of this one particular sub-genre, though, there are plenty of distinct sounds.
It's a shame that in adhering to a particular style, so many of these pieces are lost. That said, even noting this, the individual compositions can be excellent. But I'd argue that there is a noticeable homogeneity among military shooters in particular-a phenomenon that is perhaps ironically fitting, given the stories that tend to lay at the heart of these games. And Half-Life 2's soundtrack does its job exceptionally well.ġYes, this is an exaggeration. It's a manipulative shortcut, sure-the scene is otherwise too short to make anybody care about Winston-but then, that's a soundtrack's job. It's a haunting, sad refrain that lends poignancy to the action. In isolation, the scene is kind of ridiculous, but it's effective in game-a reminder that the Combine's actions aren't simply limited to the isolated horror of Ravenholm, but affect everyone fighting for their freedom.
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