Top 25 Soundtracks 2011: Number 18

Number 18: Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2

At long last, one of last years victors appears on the list! Red Alert 2, the brainchild of Frank Klepacki, may have dropped a few spaces, but it's no worse for the drop, and I'm personally quite glad to see that RA2's unique mix of industrial-funk/rock held up so well against the mass influx of newcomers this year.


In case you missed it when it first was released, RA2 was the sequel to a Command and Conquer spin off title that took the cold war (and World War II) in another direction. While both the first Command and Conquer and its brother Red Alert 1 were fairly similar (hmm...maybe I should review RA1 next year), C&C's sequel took a very different approach with very atmospheric and smooth music. It wasn't bad, but when it came time for Klepacki to compose a soundtrack for RA2, the game needed something hard hitting.

He complied.



RA2's soundtrack is diverse in style, at least so far as it can be given that it's all industrial-funk or industrial-rock in one way or another. While it has hard hitting music like "Hell March 2" above or "Destroy" it also throws other tunes at you, everything from the slow grooving "200 Meters" to the funky and aptly named "Industrofunk."

RA2's soundtrack is solidly composed, brilliantly executed, and flat out fun to listen to. As with most of Klepacki's music, it can be easily listened to in a lot of situations while still fitting its source. RA2's soundtrack is a solid choice on all fronts.

Red Alert 2
Enjoyment: 3.5

Stand Alone Quality: 3.75

Composition: 4

Emotional Reaction: 3.75

Non-Gamer Enjoyment: 0

Nostalgia: 1

Total: 4

Number 18--Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 by Frank Klepacki

Number 19--Streets of Rage 2 by Yuzo Koshiro

Number 20--Final Fantasy VII by Nobuo Uematsu

Number 21--Shadow of the Colossus by Kow Otani

Number 22--Chrono Cross by Yasunori Mitsuda.

Number 23--Sonic CD US by Spencer Nilsen.

Number 24--Megaman II by Manami Matsumae, Yoshihiro Sakaguchi, and Takashi Tateishi

Number 25--Dawn of War II by Doyle W. Donehoo