Soundtracks in videogames are as integral to the experience as any other aspect. How many games from our formative years would be lost to our ever-fading memory were it not for the music? Sounds, like smells, and tastes, can spirit us back in time with a rather jarring haste – how many times have you heard a snippet of music or a sound effect from one of your childhood favourites and been overwhelmed with memories you thought long gone?
In this post, we’ll take a look at a series of games that impacted my youth in a big way, and for which the soundtrack still evokes strong memories of the 90s and early 00s. The original Tomb Raider series, developed by CORE Design and published by Eidos Interactive was one my earliest gaming experiences (ignoring visits to friends houses and trips to the arcade) and subsequently made the biggest impact. The soundtracks, initially composed by Nathan McCree, and later by both Peter Connelly and Martin Iverson, combined with the excellent sound direction of the game combines to create the perfect atmosphere – capturing the solitude, wonder, and fear involved with exploring the ruins of ancient civilizations. The beauty of sound within the ‘CORE’ Tomb Raider games continues throughout the subsequent releases, and each of the games have a special place in my heart, due (in no small part) to the brilliant soundtracks. However, rather than presenting a bloated list, I’ll pick out a couple of tracks, or aspects of the sound design from each. This, if you are unfamiliar with the series, should give you a good idea of the quality, and if you are familiar, I hope you enjoy a trip down memory lane. Just watch for the dart shooters and concealed spike pits – memory lane contains untold treasures, but it may be hazardous…
As a brief warning, I am by no means musical and know little about the magic and craft that goes into these soundtracks. It’s beyond me, and I’ll likely use the wrong terms for certain things, bear with me. And for this list, I will only be selecting from the mainline titles from 1996-2003, as those were the ones I played the most. Never got around to raiding tombs on the Gameboy, unfortunately. And as the Crystal Dynamics games came out that little bit later, they don’t reside in my memories to the same degree, although perhaps we’ll look at those at a later date.
Tomb Raider (1996) - Nathan McCree
Main Theme:
There are a lot of variations in this theme across all the games, but there is something about the original, it just means the most. I don’t know if it’s the best, as each game brings something new to it, but the sense of wonder I got when playing the game for the first time – nothing comes quite as close and solving the puzzles along with my dad solidified this game in my mind as faultless (despite the faults) - and the music with it. Such a simple arrangement, but the drawn-out high pitch notes pull you in, and as the plucking intertwines with the choir, your imagination is set alight. Strings follow moments later and before you know it, your heart is steeled against the dangers of tomb raiding, and all you want to do is plunge into the caverns and explore the ancient mysteries that lie before you.
Into the Catacombs:
This piece of music, unlike most of the others, is more atmospheric. There are no swelling strings or harmonising choirs here. No, what you get from this track is a chill in your bones, a tingle up your spine, a crawling over your skin. As you explore the hauntingly quiet locations of Tomb Raider, you’ll hear what might be the shuddering of an old pipe, the faint roar of wind, the shaking loose of distant rock, and the ethereal sounds of the mysterious and unknown.
Second Battle:
This piece starts with urgency and accompanies one of the early tastes of combat, you’ll have killed some pesky bats, shot some wolves from afar, and gunned down a bear - but none of these were with music. ‘Second Battle’ begins as you step through hanging vines and into a chamber. You launch Lara around the cavernous space to dodge, shooting the wolf pack as you acrobatically dance with death. All the while you’ll be spurred on by this heart racing composition. If you’re quick enough, the music will be mid flow as the last wolf falls, and as the latter half of the track plays out, it will follow your heart-rate and pumping adrenaline, slowly fading out as you realise you are alone again and safe once more… but for how long?
Beautiful and Mysterious:
A retelling of the main theme, but with clear inspiration for the title music in ‘The Last Revelation’, this piece is thoughtful and slow, with a sense of wonder all of its own.
Tomb Raider II (1997) - Nathan McCree
Venice:
This track, perhaps more than any other in the series, captures the character of a location, specifically Venice, in the best way. Speeding along canals, breaching the historic structures, and gunning down assailants. In this location, it seems that all you need are strings (and pistols).
Awe:
This track of a synthesised choir is unfortunately very short, but what it accomplishes in game (and out of it) is the conveying of a feeling, and it matches it title perfectly. You are in awe just by hearing it, and that in and of itself is enough.
Tomb Raider III: Adventures of Lara Croft (1998) - Nathan McCree
Something Spooky is in That Jungle:
This, for some reason, is one of my favourite tracks in the series. The gentle tweeting of birds, the calling of animals, and the slow beating of drums - it all leads into a flourish that begins the picking of a sitar and the familiar strings. Before you know it, the composition has grown in complexity and you are in Lara’s shoes, exploring the deadly jungles of India.
Meteorite Cavern:
Dreadful, in the best way. This track is similar to the ‘Background Soundtrack’ I mentioned for the original ‘Tomb Raider’. This track is ominous, and littered with barely audible flourishes – it’s hard to tell exactly what these are, they could be voices? Whatever it is, the unknown there only adds to the atmosphere created by the long deep droning of it. A perfect example of how music can add to the feel of a virtual world, and make you experience it as if you were truly there.
Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation (1999) - Peter Connelly
Title:
Of all the music in all of the Tomb Raider games, this one for me is the standout. The treasure worth taking (that hopefully won’t cause an Egyptian catastrophe). The slow melodic character of this track, especially when accompanied by the introductory fly through the games levels has stuck with me all this time. There is a feeling of hopefulness that is mirrored in the game’s opening as you take the younger incarnation of Lara through Angkor Wat under Von Croy’s guidance. This portion of the game does not fully reflect the rest however, as the location shifts to Egypt in short order. Ancient Egypt is always where I feel the game shines most, and here it is soundtracked perfectly, the music fitting Egyptian environments better than those of Cambodia. There are accompaniments to this theme in short tracks that are played throughout, but in my opinion, nothing else in the soundtrack comes close to this. A perfect encapsulation of ‘Tomb Raider’, and the Egyptian theme. The two ‘Egyptian Mood’ tracks are noteworthy, however.
Tomb Raider: Chronicles (2000) - Peter Connelly
Main Theme:
This game is different to me musically, I’m not sure why, but there is less here that grabs me. The opening theme however, I feel, is a unique take and perfectly depicts the sombre tone of the game, and Lara’s apparent death. The tolling of the bell, the whistling of wind, and the patter of rain. There are similarities here to ‘The Last Revelation’ theme too, but the added effects are what make it fit to this particular game so well.
Tomb Raider: The Angle of Darkness (2003) - Peter Connelly and Martin Iverson
Main Theme:
Again, we have another main theme, this one however stands out from the others. A full orchestral performance. This changes what ‘Tomb Raider’ is, as the game did too. While the game was less than well received by most, I feel that the music is unimpeachable. The themes of the last game in the original series are perfectly reflected in this piece and should be applauded. Aspects of the original tune remains, but it is so much more here, sadness, and wonder is captured, so much of the dark Parisian streets, and Lara’s despairing situation.
The Accused:
This track comes in waves, the music shifting as it does. The strings here evoke a powerful sense of isolation, and you truly feel how alone Lara is in this world – perhaps more so than in any abandoned tomb.
Battle with the Beast:
This track harks back to the original with its monk-like chanting and its thick atmosphere. It pulses with regular swells of music, much like ‘The Accused’ and accompanies the exploration of the archaeological dig perfectly.
Le Serpent Rouge:
This track represents an insight into the modern world. While Lara does explore modern day locations in many of the games, this, to the best of my knowledge, is the only location where in-world music is playing. Here Lara is alone (save for the French blokes she kills), out of hours in a deserted club. At the flip of a switch the music plays, but nobody dances. The only thing to disturb the beat is Lara’s acrobatics and the death throes of the unfortunate guards.
"Don't You Think You've Seen Enough?" Lara Croft (TR2)
All of these games have far more to offer musically than what I have listed here. These are some of my favourites, but almost without exception, everything of this era is great. A set of soundtracks that perfectly convey the mood and atmosphere of the games they represent. In writing this, I was reminded of the Tomb Raider Suite project. Several years back, I received my copy of the vinyl press of the orchestral recording. This project, headed by Nathan McCree is a wonderful and respectful preservation of the music that has defined a generation of gaming. You can find out more here, I heartily recommend it! There has also been a project by Peter Connelly & Martin Iveson to rerecord the music of Tomb Raider 4, 5, and 6 - you can find out more about that here. Unfortunately I am yet to get my hands on a copy however.
What are your favourite tracks in the Tomb Raider games? As I say, I like pretty much all of them, but that would make a rather long blog post. Do you prefer the music in the original set of games, or the latter iterations? And if you enjoyed this post, please subscribe, or comment below. Hopefully I can do some more of these soon! In the meantime, check out my previous post:
Also, if you would like to contribute monetarily, you can, if you are feeling particularly generous, support the blog for as little as £1.11 per month over on Patreon. Any money raised there will be put back into the blog, either to buy books for research, to buy games to talk about, or to fund whatever else might improve the content here. And if you enjoyed this, please do consider subscribing yourself, if you haven’t already and sharing or referring a friend - buttons below! Thank you!