SOUNDTRACK OF THE WEEK #12 – The Last of Us (Music by Gustavo Santaolalla)
Though those who have played this game may agree this is a bit of a stretch, I wanted to highlight something related to the snowy/winter season this week . . . Gustavo Santaolalla’s original music for The Last of Us is hauntingly beautiful. The entire game is scored with plucked or bowed string instruments (apart from a few minor appearances of synth/percussion elements), creating a unique sound that is effective in a wide range of narrative settings. Moments of desolation, intimacy, tension, and even coziness are all present across this album. Even though I’m biased through how much I’ve listened to this soundtrack, I am amazed how much a concrete sense of sound palette can enhance the definition of a game or film’s world.
(P.S. Many tracks in the album share their root title since they also share overall thematic material, so this week’s “selected highlights” largely refer to all tracks with those titles.)
– Sy Anderson
From “46 Best Snow Games”:
“The Last of Us along with The Last of Us Part 2, includes some snow-based levels. We’ll focus on the first game to avoid any potential storyline spoilers for the main narrative. Within the first game, players eventually find Ellie and Joel at Lakeside Resort. Here, Ellie is mainly on her own as she seeks out resources to help Joel recover. However, there is a new threat that emerges leaving players in a fight for life once again, but we’ll avoid saying too much more than that as again, The Last of Us is a pretty heavy narrative-driven experience.”
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