Overview

The PlayStation Vita's Assassin's Creed III: Liberation is an exclusive new game that was released at the same time as the highly anticipated console and PC title Assassins Creed's III. For the first time in the series, the main protagonist is in fact a female, called Aveline, with whom you partake on a journey set in 18th Century New Orleans. The music to this game has been written by Winifred Phillips, an experienced composer of movie-to-game adaptations like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Speece Racer, and Legends of the Guardians. A digital soundtrack featuring a total of 26 in-game tracks was released during the game's release window. While it has its moments, the soundtrack is nowhere near as well-produced as Lorne Balfe's main score for Assassin's Creed III.

Body

The "Liberation Main Theme" is a suitably striking introduction to the soundtrack. It features an exotic woodwind melody, authentic vocals, tribal drumming, and hectic string work that all maintain the Assassin's Creed sound and draw listeners into the experience. However, like most other tracks in this soundtrack, it isn't properly mixed as the volume balance and reverb between the different layers is inconsistent. The female vocals would have been a highlight had they been kept on a more comfortable volume, but end up being overbearing. The brass and strings work on this track — alongside many others like "Virtual Pursuit" — lacks power and sounds largely synthetic. Furthermore, it is easy to see that the percussion work here and on tracks such as "Agate's Power" is not original, instead based on samples from standard drum libraries such as Storm Intakt. It's clear from the start that this production lacked the proper funding that other Vita scores such as Resistance: Burning Skies and Time Travelers received.

Another disappointing aspect of the soundtrack is that it tends to be generic and bland. I was really excited by a track called "Animus", expecting a vibrant, worldly, perhaps electronically-tinged piece. However, my joy was short lived as it was nothing but a subdued ambient track. The unsettling industrial sounds are certainly haunting, particularly in context, but it doesn't do much on a stand-alone listen either intellectually or superficially. The majority of the tracks here follow suit, with tracks like "Poverty" or "Shanty Town" featuring more suspenseful soundscapes using low-key instrumental arrangements. Even action tracks such as "Aveline's Escape" or "Ride to Oblivion" tend to sound ordinary, lacking outstanding melodies or unique percussion. All of the soundtracks in the series have featured tracks written for similar purposes, but they tend to be innovative in their approaches. By contrast, while Liberation's tracks are solid and effective, they lack a personality of their own.

There are some additions that stand out on a musical level. One of the most hybridised creations on the soundtrack, "Abstergo Ops" gradually builds atmosphere with its electronic and vocal parts. The dramatically paced cinematic "The Hunt" also continues the vocal focus and features a stirring string melody. However, even these tracks are somewhat compromised by the outdated feel and low quality of the sound textures. One track that sounds amazing without being diluted by production problems is "Society Suite in 4 Movements". It is a very enjoyable, relaxing pastiche that makes interesting use of Baroque-inspired melodies and authentic instruments such as the harpsichord. "The Cathedral Ground" is another beautiful track that reflects the historical setting, incorporating stunning organ parts. Other stand-alone highlights include "Safe Harbor", with its more exotic and uplifting orchestration, and "Chasing Freedom", a refreshingly upbeat action theme in a score filled with barren, moody pieces.

Summary

Winifred Philips is a talented composer, but she needs proper resources and decent budget to express herself. In an age where even handheld games can feature lavishly produced scores, the unprofessional sampling and mixing of this soundtrack just doesn't hold up. It doesn't help that the soundtrack is dominated by bland imitations of typical suspense and action scoring approaches. There are some amazingly beautiful themes, especially the more classically-oriented tracks and, in many ways, the main theme. Unfortunately, I am not sure they warrant a purchase of the full soundtrack release.