Year: 1996
Type: Original Soundtrack (OST)
Composer(s): Juraj Karkuš; Ľubomír Ruttkay
Number of tracks: 17

★★★★★

Relaxed hunt

Chaser was a game. Period. That's all I can really say about it. According to the screenshots, it's a first-person shooter from the Slovakian studio Cauldron from 2003, which I actually only played because it was included as a full version in an issue of the GameStar-magazine. Was it a good game? What was the story? No idea. But it doesn't matter for our purposes, after all, a game doesn't have to be good to spoil us with a great soundtrack.

Juraj Karkuš and Ľubomír Ruttkay are the composers of the score and a reason to remind myself why I can be happy to offer my content strictly in writing (since I couldn't properly pronounce their names that is). The 17-track score before me is clearly influenced by the zeitgeist of the 2000s post-The Matrix-era, which seems to be particularly prevalent in games of this kind. However, the action focus of the chaser promised in the title falls by the wayside musically: anyone expecting exciting, inspiring melodies will be disappointed here for the most part.

Instead, the music focuses on creating a relaxed and unwinding flow, as we know it from chill lounges or the room of that one dude who couldn't quite leave the student times behind. It's probably due to the sci-fi setting, wherefore a 'spacey' atmosphere was created. Here, head-nodding rhythms (HMS Majestic, Bar, Little Tokio Part 1) and wafting bass (Nippon Hotel Part 1) are the dish of the day, which is consistently carried through, but deprives Chaser of any opportunity to sharpen its profile.

So the OST goes more in the direction of Vampires: The Masquerade – Bloodlines and less of a Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay. Comparable candidates for this would be Independence War 2: Edge of Chaos, for example, whose score also sees itself more as background music, although this should be mostly credited to its nature as a space exploration game. In my world, however, this focus doesn't really fit in with Chaser as an action-oriented shooter.

However, there are exceptions to the rule, which is why there are also a few more 'exciting' tracks to be found. Little Tokio Part 2 throws piano strumming into the mix, which pleasantly breaks up the monotony of the synth basses. Nippon Hotel Part 2 combines stereotypical Asian koto sounds with drum rhythms and this time synth vibes, which creates an interesting soundscape and gives it a bit of a Need for Speed-feel. And in Portland , an electric guitar even pops into the Portal–meets-SimCity-atmosphere.

One thing that does bother me is the integration of sound effects from the game. This may be a matter of taste, but I personally find it annoying when a track begins with the sound of the sea and the screeching of seagulls (Harbour) or when wolves howl in between (Siberian Anadyr, Siberia Novy Yeropol). I only accept this in very rare exceptions and Anno 1602 has not earned the status of Chaser in this respect.

What it has done, though, is proving my initial skepticism wrong: the score is not exceptional, or even exceptionally good. It is a solid treatment of the sci-fi formula that has been stringently carried through. Personally, I miss that certain something, but I wouldn't call the OST inaudible either. If you're in the mood or are looking for a bit of entertainment for your next night-time hike in a trenchcoat through smoke-filled street canyons, you'll find a solid offering here - no more and no less.

No.	Title	Artist(s)	Ratings
1	Intro	Juraj Karkuš; Ľubomír Ruttkay	2
2	HMS Majestic	Juraj Karkuš; Ľubomír Ruttkay	3
3	Montack City	Juraj Karkuš; Ľubomír Ruttkay	3
4	Bar	Juraj Karkuš; Ľubomír Ruttkay	3
5	Implantation of Spider	Juraj Karkuš; Ľubomír Ruttkay	2
6	Little Tokio Part 1	Juraj Karkuš; Ľubomír Ruttkay	3
7	Little Tokio Part 2	Juraj Karkuš; Ľubomír Ruttkay	4
8	Nippon Hotel Part 1	Juraj Karkuš; Ľubomír Ruttkay	2
9	Nippon Hotel Part 2	Juraj Karkuš; Ľubomír Ruttkay	4
10	Portland	Juraj Karkuš; Ľubomír Ruttkay	3
11	Harbour	Juraj Karkuš; Ľubomír Ruttkay	3
12	Siberian Anadyr	Juraj Karkuš; Ľubomír Ruttkay	3
13	Siberia Novy Yeropol	Juraj Karkuš; Ľubomír Ruttkay	2
14	Spaceport	Juraj Karkuš; Ľubomír Ruttkay	3
15	Jailhouse	Juraj Karkuš; Ľubomír Ruttkay	2
16	Outro	Juraj Karkuš; Ľubomír Ruttkay	2
17	Chaser	Juraj Karkuš; Ľubomír Ruttkay	3