BioShock Score

“BioShock,” created by many of the same team members behind the seminal “System Shock 2” proved an enormous hit upon its release, sparking rumors of not only a sequel but a theatrical adaptation as well. One member of the “System Shock” team that did not return was the composer; the straightforward electronica that accompanied that game would be inappropriate to the retro-futuristic look of the new game. Instead, composer Gary Schyman was called in.

No stranger to period games thanks to his work on “Destroy all Humans,” Schyman nevertheless took the score to “BioShock” in a different direction. While period music would be heard in-game on radios and jukeboxes, the game’s original score was grounded in Schyman’s approach incorporated a series of string figures throughout many of the important tracks, with the mournful timber of the instruments representing the myriad tragedies in the game world. First heard in “Welcome to Rapture,” these string figures recur often, usually as a somber conclusion to a piece of action music or during a cutscene. “Cohen’s Masterpiece” is strictly piano-led, but nevertheless deserves note as a stunning bit of virtuoso keyboarding, easily the most impressive and traditionally melodic piece in the game.

Suspense music like “the Science Deck” makes up the lion’s share of what’s heard in-game, and like the more romantic pieces it tends to be string-led, with ascending and descending figures writhing over a low brass hum—not entirely unlike Herrmann’s “Psycho” at times. The writing is in a very modernistic vein, mimicking some of the experimental compositions that were in concert-hall vogue during the game’s 1960 setting.

The really impressive music, though, is reserved for action sequences. Here, Schyman raises a cacophony of percussion and brass, together with high-pitched strings, to create some monstrously impressive bits of dissonant horror. “All Spliced Up” is typical of this approach, with Goldenthal-style trills matched by insistent percussion and strings, while few modern pieces of game action music can match the brief but powerful “The Dash.”

“BioShock” boasts music that’s incredibly effective in the game; it’s a sad shame that getting your hands on the best parts is rather hard. The soundtrack pack-in with the game bizzarely only contained source songs, and none of Schyman’s score. This was rectified after fan outcry by a 17-minute free release of some score highlights. Even this was disappointing; Schyman’s music was streamed live to the game, which meant that many short snippets were combined on the fly into continuous music.

The digital release simply provided 12 of the longest cuts out of context and completely overlooking some of the best action material. Some fans took it on themselves to rip the music directly, but even then the results were unsatisfying; raw rips contained hundreds of short tracks, while fan-made compilations tended to mix the music in uncreative and repetitive ways, often including the source songs in suites with the score. The best way to experience Schyman’s music, unfortunately, is to simply play the game.

9/10 (in game)

5/10 (digital release, rips, fan compilations)

Samples: Welcome to Rapture, The Dash, Cohen's Masterpiece, All Spliced Up