I don’t envy Bethesda when it comes to crafting a soundtrack for a game like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Every player has a completely unique experience in quest order, item acquisition and general discovery, making the creation of a musical score a seemingly impossible task. Yet the latest Elder Scrolls title succeeds in using music to create a truly remarkable sense of place and scale. While nothing will stand out dramatically (aside from the thunderous Viking choir of the opening title screen), the music helps to enhance the rich tapestry of Tamriel’s northern region.
What makes Skyrim‘s soundtrack so intriguing is the almost complete lack of musical familiarity outside of the game. I can’t really hum any of the tunes from the game, but I can easily recognize the music while I’m playing. The bustling city music helps to make the world feel alive and lived in, while the ominous, bass-heavy chords in a cave or tomb enhance the isolation and loneliness of your travels. The battle music fares a bit worse in this area, as the drum-heavy beats and quick strings dramatically enter and retreat with the awareness of your foes. This is the one area the soundtrack truly suffers, as the music has little time to transition properly when a dragon suddenly drops out of the sky to spew burning hot lava at your face. Still, everything has a decidedly Viking or Norwegian feel to it. Sharp piano tones in a tavern actually sent a shiver down my spine and made me think about brewing a cup of coffee or downing an adult beverage to fight back the bitter cold.
My favorite track in the score is “Skyrim Atmospheres,” which acts like a personal journey through the wilderness. The subdued music combines with scenic sounds heard on a typical forest trail. A babbling brook and chirping birds make you feel the natural splendor of the environment. Even when the game’s occasional bugginess does its best to tear you out of Skyrim, Jeremy Soule’s score helps to keep the illusion of a living world.
Skyrim‘s soundtrack won’t stand out in your mind too long after hearing it, but it does make for wonderful music to listen to while reading a book. Better yet, put this music on while playing a tabletop RPG to immerse you in a fantasy world with a striking theme and true believability. The best compliment I can give to the soundtrack is that it conveyed the world setting of Skyrim better than any of the visual enhancements Bethesda poured into the new engine. Thanks to that Viking choir, I felt like a true Dragonborn even when the dragon I was facing turned on his taillights and starting flying backwards.
