It is recordings like these that show what next-gen games should aspire to, in an age when samples are too often used as a substitute for orchestras. The weight that the Slovak National Symphony bring to the aforementioned compositions - as well as the more classically-oriented “Russian Deliberations” - is incredible. In addition to showing prowess as a composer and orchestrator, Tyler - an experienced symphonic conductor - maximised the potential of the compositions at the performance stage. Whether the racing string runs and piercing brass flutters of “Russian Warfare”, or the heavy percussion and brutal discords of “Paris Siege”, this soundtrack packs quite a punch. Tyler discards the understated electro-orchestral ambience of Modern Warfare 2 in favour of plenty of high-octane action cues. The melody isn’t flexible enough to suit all these incarnations, but it provides an appealing hook to unite some very different pieces together.Ĭontrary to the main theme, the majority of the soundtrack is more striking than it is moody. The melody is reprised plenty of times in the score - spanning the preparatory military march “Prague Hostilities”, the dark ethnic soundscapes of “Warlords”, to the relatively liberated orchestration “First Contact” - to portray the mixed feelings of war. But perhaps more interesting is the way the melodic elements becomes overwhelmed at 1:05 mark with more percussive elements - showing the challenges and danger that lie ahead. He utilises this technique once again here to simultaneously portray the proud nature and sad undercurrents of war. Those that have heard Tyler’s main themes before, most notably on Battle: Los Angeles, will know how he stirs emotion with the repetition of long rich phrases. With the title theme, Brian Tyler exposes the militaristic main theme for the game.
Tyler doesn’t deviate from the modern military styles expected from him here, but develops these styles throughout to offer a highly satisfying final score. With Modern Warfare 3, the composer finally made the breakthrough he desired and his score was celebrated with a digital soundtrack release. While the composer has enjoyed a massive rise to fame through his involvement in Hollywood films and television scores, his attempts to break into the game industry were less successful through LEGO Universe and True Crime: Hong Kong. Keen to keep the series’ music cutting-edge, Infinity Ward overlooked Hans Zimmer’s company for this instalment in favour of Brian Tyler. Call of Duty -Modern Warfare 3- SoundtrackĬall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 inspired a popular backlash when it was released, but its sales still broke launch records - not just for video games, but for all entertainment.