Close Up: Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker Original Soundtrack
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker Original Soundtrack
KDE-CDS-MGSPW
The Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker soundtrack is the first one since Metal Gear Solid 2 that wasn’t composed (partially) by Harry Gregson-Williams. It didn’t hurt the music too much, however, because though it’s not as great as Metal Gear Solid 4’s, this soundtrack is still very good, and it is still instantly recognizable as a Metal Gear soundtrack.
The cd contains 28 tracks for a total playtime of 1,2 hours. A decent number, and while not complete, most of the tracks you want to hear are on there.
Track List
- Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker Main Theme – 2:56
- Heavens Divide – 5:12
- Rain of Bane – 1:25
- Marshland – 1:41
- Clients – 2:11
- Heavy Arms – 2:02
- The Spear – 1:33
- Fearless – 1:14
- Tank Corps – 2:17
- Little Brother – 5:03
- Highland – 1:37
- Cold Principle – 3:23
- Pupa – 1:31
- Hide-out – 2:30
- Air Strike – 2:30
- Entry Gate – 2:23
- Chrysalis – 2:22
- Cocoon – 2:10
- Mother Base – 1:39
- Dead Ahead – 2:09
- Facility – 0:47
- Take Down – 1:54
- Boot Sequence – 1:51
- Peace Walker – 3:00
- Outer Heaven – 4:59
- Uninterrupted Signal – 1:56
- Zero Allies! – 4:35
- Koi No Yokushiryoku – 4:56
Opening the case. The cd itself looks pretty nice too
Artwork behind the cd
The back of the fold out booklet
Now, about the music itself. Peace Walker has a great mix of dramatic, bombastic music and quiet, slow paced tracks. There are a few that rise above the rest. Here is a top 5 of the my favorite tracks on this cd:
Top 5
Heaven’s Divide
This is the vocal theme of the game. An emotional, heartfelt song that nicely complements the story. It fits the game perfectly, while at the same time being a great song on its own.
Outer Heaven
A powerful and ominous track, which fits the title well. The music, together with the name of the song, evokes associations of Outer Heaven as a force to be reckoned with and a threat to the world. The track contains sorrowful tones and strong, staccato parts that reflect determination. This builds to a climax before suddenly ending.
Zero Allies!
This is quite a long track. It starts with a slower paced sample from the Main Theme, followed by eerie vocals and contrasting drums. Then, it build towards a more orchestral part. At the end (3:20 mark), it becomes more calm once again.
Little Brother
Slow, quiet and melancholic. This is the track that accompanies one of the best cutscenes in the game, and it complements it well. The final part is actually a remix of Heaven’s Divide, but performed so differently that it becomes something new.
Main Theme
Like the name of the track says, this is the main theme. A long build leads to a climactic finale. Sounds like Metal Gear, but still has its own melody. It concludes with a wind instrument remix of the main theme.
Conclusion
Previous Metal Gear soundtracks may have set the bar high, this one still delivers. It’s not the best score, but the tracks that are good, are really good. The only annoyance is that the track list is, once again, incomplete. A shame, but since this cd was quite cheap, it’s forgivable. If you are a Metal Gear fan and you see this for a good price, consider getting it.