Overview

Killzone 3 continued Sony Computer Entertainment's line of post-apocalyptic first-person shooters in 2011 to solid commercial and critical reception. The soundtrack reunited the team from the Killzone 2, including gifted symphonic composer Joris de Man, the experienced performers of the Nimrod Session Orchestra, and the recording engineers at Abbey Road Studios. To coincide with the game's release, the soundtrack was released digitally. It is available commercially and can also be downloaded with a voucher featured in the special edition versions of the game.

Body

The soundtrack begins with the headlining theme for Killzone 3, "Ever We Fight On". The track initially represents the hostile environment of the soundtrack with dark ambient orchestration, but transforms into a more hopeful and heroic anthem at the centre. The Nimrod Session Orchestra once again bring out the most of the music here and the strings, in particular, capture the bittersweet emotions of the game. It's quite a departure from previous themes in the soundtrack, but still maintains the characteristic essence of the franchise while staying memorable at all times. It's bound to leave a strong impression on listeners right from the menu screen.

As with the first two instalments of the series, Joris de Man focuses much of his attention on intricately scoring the cinematic cues in the game. Tracks such as "Just a Moment Ago" work excellently for retrospective scenes in the game, while being a rollercoaster of emotion in their own right. Once again, de Man demonstrates his capacity to develop his music in a fluid and dramatic manner to complement the ever-changing visuals. While these tracks are all cinematic, they're fortunately long and rich enough to stand on up on their own.

Other impressive cinematics include the heart-pounding introductory cue "Dies Irae" and climactic centrepiece "No Exit Strategy". Building on the Killzone 2 soundtrack, both feature particularly epic use of chorus. Another track that works excellently on a number of levels is "Unfair Fight & Captured", which offers a dark personal insight into the central character. In a manner reminiscent of Michael Giacchino, Joris de Man somehow manages to combine a classical majesty in these tracks with the emotional depth and grit necessary for a video game score.

The second half of the soundtrack features tracks used in the main environments, and some of these tracks represent a shift from what listeners are used to. "Grab The Minigun" is one of the most surprising action scores on the soundtrack, since it mixes stealth orchestrations with contemporary elements. The guitar riffs used in the centre of the track will definitely inspire attention, while the use of electronic beats fits the futuristic setting. "Sniper Crossfire" and "Escape on the Tram" are other outstanding tracks that mix organic instrumental performances with electronic beats, both to exciting effect in context. It's interesting to see de Man enrichen the series' stylistic elements, while still mostly focusing on fully-fledged symphonies.

Summary

Once again, Joris de Man demonstrates his command of the Nimrod Session Orchestra with his various emotional and exciting orchestrations on Killzone 3. While the soundtrack offers little new to the series, it does build on an already successful approach. Listeners should feel satisfied with the expansive digital release, which is filled with rich themes and dramatic cues throughout, including the outstanding "Ever We Fight On". Overall, highly recommended for cinematic soundtrack followers.