The Mass Effect trilogy is one of those rare series of Videogames that can connect with the players on a genuinely emotional level, and that’s part of the reason why it’s one of the most beloved games of all time. And the music or the soundtrack of the trilogy is one of the most important ways it had managed to form that connection with the players–as it’s score effortlessly translated the core themes of these games in a musical form that’s as catchy as it’s memorable.
In fact the main theme of the OST in the first game of the series, which was used many times throughout the trilogy, blended the eerie coldness of space with a sense of humanity which is extremely impressive from a musical standpoint while also succeeding in making the players invested into it’s characters and worldbuilding. But the third entry in the trilogy saw a different direction in it’s background score which was a stark departure from the first two games.
And in a recent interview with The Guardian, Jack Wall, the composer behind the sci-fi styled soundtrack of the first two Mass Effect titles, discussed why he didn’t return for the third game in the trilogy which is due to issues with development chief Casey Hudson. The full interview is filled with tons of fascinating, behind-the-scenes insights and a must-read for all fans of Mass Effect.
“Casey was not particularly happy with me at the end,” Wall said. “But I’m so proud of that score. It got nominated for a Bafta, and it did really well … [even if] it didn’t go as well as Casey wanted.”
“Fallouts like that happen, it’s just part of the deal,” he commented. “It’s one of the few times in my career that’s happened, and it was a tough time, but it is what it is.”
And while the score for Mass Effect 3 was much more bombastic and epic in scale than what was used in the first two titles, it did fit the themes of the game pretty effectively.
Wall also shed some light on the score to the Suicide Mission of Mass Effect 2 and how spectacular it was from the perspective of the game’s narrative.
“It was the biggest mind-f***ing thing I’ve ever done in my entire life,” Wall said. “And there was no one available to walk me through it, because they were all freaking out trying to finish the game. I handed it in, and they had to do a lot of massaging on their end in order to get it to work, but they did it… and the result is still one of the best ending sequences to a game that I’ve ever played. It was worth all that effort.”
Jack Wall also went on to compose scores for multiple Call of Duty games, including the most recent Black Ops 6.
