Echo of Soul is one of those MMORPGs that seems doomed to languish and be tossed around from publisher to publisher until it fades from memory. Before that happens, however, I wanted to take a listen through its relatively modest soundtrack to see if there is some music here worth preserving.
My verdict? Yes, there actually is. Echo of Soul’s OST isn’t going to knock your socks off, but it’s competent and does a good job at laying down an audio backdrop for this fantasy realm. I could name a quick dozen MMOs off the top of my head that failed to do even this much with their soundtracks, so I think EoS deserves a little credit here. Let’s listen!
“Title Screen”
The main theme here is pretty old-school fantasy, complete with tweeting birds and a high fantasy approach, but it works — female vocals and all. Really, any theme that I can walk away humming easily has accomplished the job it sets out to do, and that’s the case with this one.
“Mneme Village”
I am particularly fond of this cheery village tune. It gives me this image of a sleepy little burg just starting to wake up and go about its day. This track isn’t the most complex, but what it lacks in technical accomplishment, it makes up for in charming personality.
“Brie Forest”
This short track delivers a glimpse into a forboding forest that would be perfect real estate for witches, trolls, and bogeymen. I kind of liked the Halloween vibe I got from it, so why not include it on this list?
“Arena”
Another short track, Arena takes us into the realm of combat. Drums are slams, horns are blared, and pulses are quickened during its run. Could’ve done without the silly female vocals, though, although that was pretty liimited.
“Mnes Forest”
Another forest track, this one conjures more of a tranquil, reflective tone. It’s not deep, but I think it would be a great zone track for any wooded region.
“Peak of Goddess”
The last track I wanted to highlight is another well-done inspirational piece that lifts you up in the minute or so of its runtime. Probably my only criticism of this and the other tracks that I featured today is that they’re good enough that you genuinely want to hear more than a mere minute of them, so you find yourself disappointed when they quickly wrap up.
MMOs are meant to be heard as well as seen, and chances are that music ties your memories to these games more than you might realize. Every two weeks Jukebox Heroes listens through a game soundtrack and picks out the highlights to share and discuss. And if you like this column, then don’t miss the author’s MMO music podcast, Battle Bards!
