Overwatch: Collector's Edition Soundtrack

Recently, when we talk about the most popular game, Overwatch must have a role to play. Released in June 2016, It has appealed over 20 million "members of Overwatch" until now and brought huge profit to the developer, Blizzard Entertainment. As a whole new first person shooting game, of course, it does have better graphic and sound effects. However, compared to other FPS games in the gaming market, which more characters, more strategies, and more team works are the highlights of Overwatch. Each characters has its own abilities and own story, which makes the gaming experience much more interesting while playing with different characters in different battlefields. 

Screenshot of "Overwatch Cinematic Trailer"

Still, despite Overwatch is famous for its gaming experience, it also has much to talk about the soundtrack. The whole music in the album could be divided into three parts, music of preview animations, maps, and interludes of the game. For preview animations, the music of them usually includes multi-oriented features which related to the animations' plot. Take "The World Could Always Use More Hero (Cinematic Intro)" for example, it was used in the "Overwatch Cinematic Trailer" as a commercial advertisement before the game release, briefly illustrated the structure of Overwatch's story and maybe the motivation of two kids to become a hero that fight against villains.

Beginning of the game in "Route 66"

End of the game in "Hollywood"

The music of maps are varies since there are a pile of maps with varies style. "Hanamura", "Temple of Anubis", "Hollywood", "Route 66", and even "Nepal" have their own features of Japan, Egypt, LA, Midwest, and temple of Nepal. These music would be played in the preparing period of game before having a exciting battle in these delicate maps. Finally, the highlight or the play of the game would be showed after having a fierce fight, which every player would like or even eager to get the MVP of the game. "Victory" is the most essential part with inspiring and exciting mood, which is very impressive that we would think of the play of the game whenever we hear it.

We all want to be the MVP of the game, since there would be a replay of your excellent performance.

Watching the play of the game feels quite good if you are the MVP and got lots of kills.

Album Information:

1. Overture - Sam Cardon
2. Rally the Heroes - Derek Duke
3. Temple of Anubis - Derek Duke
4. The World Could Always Use More Heroes (Cinematic Intro) - Neal Acree, Sam Cardon, Derek Duke & Cris Velasco
5. King’s Row - Derek Duke
6. Legacy - Cris Velasco
7. Prepare to Attack - Neal Acree & Derek Duke
8. Hanamura - Derek Duke
9. Old Soldier - Derek Duke
10. Watchpoint: Gibraltar - Derek Duke
11. Numbani - Derek Duke
12. Situation Critical - Derek Duke
13. Hollywood - Derek Duke & Adam Burgess
14. A Future Worth Fight For - Derek Duke
15. Volskaya Industries - Derek Duke
16. Dorado - Derek Duke
17. Victory - Neal Acree & Derek Duke
18. Route 66 - Derek Duke
19. We Are Overwatch - Neal Acree & Derek Duke
20. Nepal - Derek Duke
21. …And Overwatch for All - Sam Cardon, Cris Velasco & Derek Duke

Ref:

1. Overwatch Soundtrack Review - Soundtrack Geek

2. Overwatch Game Audio Review - The Sound Architect

Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn (Original Soundtrack)

Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn is a Japanese animation movie which is originated in the novel of same name written by Harutoshi Fukui and adapted into seven movie episodes in 2010 in order to celebrate the 30th anniversary of gundam series. Directed by Kazuhiro Furuhashi and music composed by Hiroyuki Sawano, both the new visual effect applied and the majestic surrounding music made it a great commercial success, which includes the box office,  the sales of novel, manga, and of course, gundam model toys.
The whole movie started from the meet of a boy and a girl, Banagher Links, a student, and Audrey Burne, the princess of Zabi. However, it was just a beginning of suffering. Banagher soon discovered the meaning of his family background, world situation, wars between Earth Federation and Neo Zeon, and the heavy burden of hope, or even curse, from a peace treaty, Laplace, in sequence. Gradually, he assumed his responsibility and got ready to fight for peace by piloting RX-0, the unicorn gundam.

Unicorn Gundam RX-0 in NT-D mode

The Fierce Fight between SinAnJu and RX-0, also a fight between Full Frontal and Banagher

  

 Full Frontal                                              Banagher Links

Since the story talks about wars, we cannot miss the exhilarating part, "MOBILE SUIT," during the unicorn gundam transformed from normal mode to NT-D. Besides, "BRING ON A WAR" and "FULL-FRONTAL" would also be recommended for those who like intense feeling with Japanese style, especially the later one represent the confrontation with Banagher's enemy, Full Frontal. For lyrical one, "ON YOUR MARK" is one full of hope as if it's the dawn after dark. Last but not least, the most essential part must be "UNICORN", which is the soul of these soundtracks while it is full of power, magnificent but also tender and inspiring, just as the movie lines go, "Humanity alone possesses a god the power to trascend the now, the inner god called 'possibility'."

Album Information:
1. U.C.0096
2. UNICORN
3. THE UNIVERS
4. MINEVA
5. MOBILE SUIT
6. LAPLACE
7. MARIDA
8. A LETTER
9. INFERNAL AFFAIRS
10. E.F.S.F
11. PIANO TO ANNA
12. ON YOUR MARK
13. FULL-FRONTAL
14. BRING ON A WAR
15. INEQUALITY~A CLOUD OF WAR
16. OTTO~FOR A CHANGE
17. LIFE & DEATH
18. THE DISTANT PAST
19. GO ON A FORAY
20. FEAR→SORROW
21. H@RO
22. RX-0
23. LICHT MEER
24. ZERO GRAVITY

Ref:
Gundam Unicorn - Official Website
Soundtrack Review - Anime Instrumentality

Links and Picture Sources:
Picture 1, Picture 2, Picture 3, Picture 4, Picture 5, Picture 6

Frozen (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

When it talks about Disney Animation in recent years, it must be Frozen that comes to our mind first. Being both fun and inspiring, Frozen was highly praised, even accumulated nearly $1.3 billion worldwide. Considering of its success, maybe Frozen is more a musical than an animation. 
Compared with other animations, Frozen does have excellent background music, but also puts much more emphasis on the songs like "Let it go", "For the First Time in Forever" etc. Simple Lyrics and light-hearted rhythm might be factors of being catchy songs, especially "Let it Go". Moreover, the reason of having an arrangement similar to broadway comedy, that is songs sung by people instead of music only with instruments, featuring a new way to enjoy this anime as a musical. 

Scene of "Frozen Heart"

First of all, the whole movie begins with "Vuelie (feat. Cantus)", creating an atmosphere of the native but amazing magical world. Next, "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" and other ones play an important role to illustrate the story and express the mood with the scripts combined with lyrics. Of course, "Let it Go" is a good example of describing Elsa's loneliness. "In Summer" would be Olaf's turn to show off, an interesting and funny snowman.

Elsa sings "Let it Go" with great sorrow

Funny snowman Olaf with his summer dream, "In Summer"

Between these scenes, the soundtracks behind, or we say background musics can not be absent. The chasing scene with "Return to Arendelle", Elsa's fear of her power with "Sorcery", and the last moment "Whiteout", while Anna is turned into an ice block by curse. Last but not the least, "The Great Thaw" and "Epilogue" combine each important parts of whole anime, and come to the final with happy ending.

Album Information：

1.	"Frozen Heart"		1:45
2.	"Do You Want to Build a Snowman?"		3:27
3.	"For the First Time in Forever"		3:45
4.	"Love Is an Open Door"		2:07
5.	"Let It Go"		3:44
6.	"Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People"		0:50
7.	"In Summer"		1:54
8.	"For the First Time in Forever (Reprise)"		2:30
9.	"Fixer Upper"		3:02
10.	"Let It Go" (single version)		3:47
11.	"Vuelie" (featuring Cantus)		1:36
12.	"Elsa and Anna"		2:43
13.	"The Trolls"		1:48
14.	"Coronation Day"		1:14
15.	"Heimr Àrnadalr"		1:25
16.	"Winter's Waltz"		1:00
17.	"Sorcery"		3:17
18.	"Royal Pursuit"		1:02
19.	"Onward and Upward"		1:54
20.	"Wolves"		1:44
21.	"The North Mountain"		1:34
22.	"We Were So Close"		1:53
23.	"Marshmallow Attack!"		1:43
24.	"Conceal, Don't Feel"		1:07
25.	"Only an Act of True Love"		1:07
26.	"Summit Siege"		2:32
27.	"Return to Arendelle"		1:38
28.	"Treason"		1:36
29.	"Some People Are Worth Melting For"		2:06
30.	"Whiteout"		4:17
31.	"The Great Thaw (Vuelie Reprise)"		2:29
32.	"Epilogue"		3:04

Ref：
1. Frozen - Wikipedia
2. Soundtrack Review: Frozen (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
3. My own opinions:)

Next week would be "Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn Original Soundtrack". See you then!!

Imitation Game (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

As a great hit in 2014 and receiving both honors and criticizes, The Imitation Game is a true story adaption about the life of Alan Turing, a genius mathematician who helped Allies to crack Axis' codes in world war II and made contributions to modern computing. Besides, it also features Turing's characteristic, relationship, and sexual orientation, which makes Imitation Game not just a historical movie, but the one represents social issues and his legend.
Directed by Morten Tyldum and music by Alexandre Desplat, The Imitation Game is absolutely excellent both in plot and music, and it starts in a scene of interrogation of Turing being suspected of being a spy, then he talked about his past, his life, and his desire during this interrogation.
Began with "The Imitation Game", an opening title with mysterious numbers and words floating around. Soon after, a warm and touching version in "Mission", and again, the meaningful one which represents the whole story in "Alan Turing's Legacy" at the end. Perhaps, we could say that the entire The Imitation Game is all about these theme musics, illustrating a complicate main idea, or maybe the spirit of this movie, showing Turing's incredible talent but also his suffering during his lifetime.

As the story goes by in the movie, the musics also vary in many ways. "Crosswords" feature the anxiety of the compete process with orchestra and xylophone. "End of the War" is about an important period comes to an end and the next coming life period. The one I enjoy the most is "Alone with Numbers", while Turing did not get along with his colleagues well and satisfy superiors. That is the time that he recalled his childhood, thought of his future, and suffered from the uncertainty between his faith and loneliness, which is quite a nice one that makes you actually perceive Turing's helpless mind and also, his strong will. Maybe just as he said, or even said by others,
"Sometimes it is the people no one imagines anything of who do the things no one can imagine"
allows Alan Turing to be a legend.

Album Information：

1. "The Imitation Game" 
2. "Enigma"
3. "Alan"
4. "U-boats"
5. "Carrots and Peas"
6. "Mission"
7. "Crosswords"
8. "Night Research"
9. "Joan" 
10. "Alone with Numbers" 
11. "The Machine Christopher"
12. "Running" 
13. "The Headmaster" 
14. "Decrypting"
15. "A Different Equation" 
16. "Becoming a Spy"
17. "The Apple" 
18. "Farewell to Christopher"
19. "End of War"
20. "Because of You"
21. "Alan Turing's Legacy" 


Ref:
1. Imitation Game - Wikipedia
2. Imitation Game Soundtrack Review - Movie Waves
3. My own opinions:)

Next week would be Frozen (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), see you then!!