Year: 2022
Type: Original Soundtrack (OST)
Composer(s): Jason Graves
Number of tracks: 12

★★★★★

Nothing new in the West

Rarely has a game title predicted the basic musical direction of a soundtrack more accurately than Hard West 2. Or does the music actually conform to the game? Don't know, doesn't matter. The score for the recently released Wild West turn-based strategy game does exactly what it promises. The spaghetti western-style guitar riffs sound suitably badass, and fans of old Clint Eastwood films, the Borderlands- series or Bastion will generally get their money's worth musically.

However, since Hard West 2 is about the supernatural too, Jason Graves also introduces instruments that are atypical of the genre such as strings ("Not a Generic Gunfight") for the sake of drama, builds up a creepy atmosphere with wind-like whistling in "Oregon Chills" and slips into primitive realms with the tribal-like "Shadow Dance", which he already visited in Far Cry Primal.

Overall, the score does a lot of things right: the manageable number of tracks have an average duration of five minutes and are more entertaining than boring. Tracks such as "Ghost Train", which is reminiscent of Bonanza, are fun and a few gems can shine among the tropical mishmash. Certainly not one of Graves' best compositions, but nothing to sneeze at either.

Nr.	Title	Interpret(en)	Ratings
01	Hard West II	Jason Graves	4
02	Gunslingers	Jason Graves	3
03	Not a Generic Gunfight	Jason Graves	3
04	Echoing Lead	Jason Graves	2
05	Shadowless Noon	Jason Graves	3
06	Oregon Chills	Jason Graves	2
07	Ghost Train	Jason Graves	4
08	Shadow Dance	Jason Graves	5
09	Running Out of Time	Jason Graves	3
10	Utah Fever	Jason Graves	3
11	Undead Army	Jason Graves	3
12	Lament for the West	Jason Graves	3