Music is a powerful medium. Capable of stirring up long-forgotten memories and evoking powerful emotion in the listener, music can reduce even the burliest of blokes into blubbering, crumpled heaps. And who says that us guys are afraid to show their sensitive side? Poppycock. Of course, video games are no exception to this rule, and as often is the case, a stellar soundtrack can greatly accentuate the on-screen antics, elevating even the most perfunctory scene to hard-hitting greatness.
In a continued celebration of some of gaming’s ear-pleasing aural accomplishments, PSU presents yet another instalment in our on-going Classic Tracks series. This time around, we a stroll down memory lane and pin our ears back to the classic jingle of Tomb Raider’s Theme of Lara.
Name: Main Theme (aka Theme of Lara)
Soundtrack: Tomb Raider
Composer(s): Martin Iveson, Nathan McCree
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Tomb Raider is notable for many things (well, two things in particular at the time of its release, as far as horny, salivating teenagers went), one in particular being its barebones soundtrack. While the game’s action/adventure stable mates at the time were quick to assault our senses with a relentless, bombastic aural army, Tomb Raider played it carefully, with the game’s score kicking in at only specific, pre-determined intervals. This made for a much more cinematic, subtle experience, accentuating the atmospheric values of the game’s then-awe inspiring locales. Indeed, most of the time you were accompanied only by the sound of Lara’s exertive grunts and gunfire, until you happen upon a pack of hungry wolves or stumble across a perplexing puzzle. It was stripped back, and it worked.
Lara’s theme is a mainstay of the series, and was reworked many times over for future iterations, though its original form remains perhaps the most iconic. Aside from serving as a companion to the title screen, it also plays at various intervals throughout Miss Croft’s adventure, punctuating the copious amounts of climbing and combat with a soothing, almost dream-like quality. Indeed, it’s a strike contrast to the remainder of the score, which is comprised mostly of ominous, tension-building sound bites and adrenaline-pumping ditties that accompany the many battles. The Main Theme, however, signals downtime; a chance to catch your breath, perhaps explore the area and fumble through your inventory only to find out you are alarmingly low on Uzi rounds. Check it out below.