Marvel’s Avengers: Original Videogame Soundtrack for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Steam by Bobby Tahouri (soundtrack review).

Videogame soundtracks usually need to blend two types of music: fixed length tracks, such as might play during a game’s cinematics, and looping tracks that play during gameplay. Each track of this second type will have an intro and outro but can then play the body of the track forever, allowing it to work for one or ten minutes of gameplay.

As a result, listening to a videogame soundtrack in isolation can seem ‘odd’ to players because we’re used to hearing a piece of music roll on for ages, ebbing and flowing as we focus on the action but always to be associated with a particular character or place. Which means that when we listen to the soundtrack and each track is presented like a film score, building up to a crescendo over two or three minutes. It’s the same music but also completely different.

This is true of the soundtrack to the ‘Marvel’s Avengers Videogame’ with 16 tracks coming across like the score to a Marvel film you haven’t seen, complete with the expected stirring intro, action track for each of the heroes, the sad track for the darkest moment and then an epic ending.

Though the music is brand new to this game, it adheres to the established feel of Marvel soundtracks, with violins and trumpets building up in layers over military sounding drums. It’s a polished piece of work from Bobby Tahouri, who appears to have scored a few other soundtracks, most notably ‘Rise Of The Tomb Raider’.

As an example, my favourite track is ‘God Of Thunder’, which builds in relentless waves of electric guitars (to suit Thor’s lightning powers?) and a repeated violin riff and is the sort of track that if listened to while working causes you to spew out many words per minute.

Despite the bombastic hero music, the general tone of the soundtrack evokes words like ‘portentous’ or ‘sacrifice’. You know, the sort of music that makes it very clear that someone isn’t coming out of this alive. It reminds me a little of the ‘Lord Of The Rings’ or ‘Deus Ex’ soundtracks. Good music to have on during roleplaying or wargaming sessions rr, as mentioned earlier, a good choice if you’re looking to add some energy while you’re working. It’s stirring enough to quicken your pace but doesn’t get overwhelming or repetitive.

About my only complaint is that at just 45 minutes long, each of the 16 tracks whips by and I could easily go for something double this length. But then, as a gamer, I will always associate game music with long tracks. Perhaps someday the people putting out videogame soundtracks will make them more like the playing experience and less like movie scores, but until then there’s always the loop button. Still, if my biggest complaint is ‘more of this, please’ that should tell you how much I enjoyed this soundtrack. Excelsior, indeed.

Stuart Maine

September 2020

(pub: Hollywood Records, 2020. 16 tracks 45 minutes on digital or vinyl.

check out websites: https://hollywoodrecs.co/AvengersVG and chttps://open.spotify.com/album/403FQjW66gHP6kS2snEje7