Classic Game Themes: EVE Online
EVE Online is in many ways the most complex, absorbing and time consuming MMO that I've never played. I didn't survive beyond a twenty-one-day trial and found that the exacting minutiae of the game far too demanding. However, although the mechanics were not to my taste, my limited experience left a strong impression upon me and I still have a healthy respect and a strong sense of fascination for this niche market product. I'm not alone in this. Many gamers do not play EVE Online but are fascinated by both its intricacies and community.
Because of the sandbox nature of EVE Online, it's soundtrack is designed to be ambient rather than event specific. Yet the electronic score by Jón Hallur Haraldsson superbly embellishes the games overall atmosphere. CCP have made much of games music (about seven hours in total) available on Soundcloud. If you like such artists as Tangerine Dream and Vangelis you'll find many common parallels with Haraldssons's work.
Although there is much to choose from, I have decided to use the track Below the Asteroids as an example of the composer’s contribution to EVE Online. It has an introspective quality that draws the listener in and adds to the ongoing immersion. Due to its space setting the game has less visual input to engage the player, so must rely more on the soundscape and complexity of the game itself. This track highlights exactly how Jón Hallur Haraldsson does that.
