Battlefield 6
Less is sometimes more
It rarely happens on this site, but with this review, I'm finally back on the pulse. After all, Battlefield 6 which was released two weeks ago, is currently the talk of the gaming world and is enjoying great popularity! So it's all the better that I was able to finish my little marathon on the Battlefield-history (almost) on time, so that I can now talk about the latest installment in the series.
I can't say anything about the game itself that hasn't already been covered in depth in various reviews and video essays: Battlefield 6 looks good, seems to build on the strengths of its predecessors, and based on my experience with the open beta, it succeeds in doing so. In any case, I'm looking forward to throwing myself into the fray in the (near) future – assuming I get a new PC.
The score
That's why I'd rather get straight to the topic of this review: the soundtrack. As is customary these days, the game's OST has already been released and comprises 25 tracks. These were composed by Henry Jackman. Although the Brit is described on the internet as a “film and TV composer” – which is absolutely justified when you consider the various award nominations for his work on Puss in Boots, Wreck-It Ralph or X-Men: First Class , with titles such as Uncharted 4, Just Cause 3 and his contributions to Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege this British composer also has considerable experience in the field of video games.
It's difficult for me to guess what kind of briefing the developer Battlefield Studios gave the composer. My guess is: “Do what fits a modern military shooter.” That's exactly what Jackman did, delivering precisely the kind of music we expect from games and movies of this genre. A mix of action and suspense, driving strings, powerful drums, and accentuating brass, as we know them from movies such as Tenet (AmbushHenry Jackman), The Dark Knight (Dagger 13Henry Jackman) or Extraction also by Jackman). Corresponding counterparts in the video game sector are the modern Call of Dutys or Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas 2 from 2008.
And this is precisely where I could end this review, because there is basically nothing more to say. The concept was implemented almost like a blueprint, and there isn't a single moment during the 55-minute runtime that makes you sit up and take notice. Even when the familiar Battlefield-theme is used, its original, majestic, dramatic attitude is in direct conflict with the down-to-earth approach of the album. Consequently, the familiar “Dada dat da dat dat” has been reduced to a simple quote that appears briefly in tracks like A Changed WorldHenry Jackman or Clear and HoldHenry Jackman so that we don't forget which franchise the soundtrack belongs to.
Another truth about the blueprint is that the music works well due to its production value and fits the game and its setting perfectly. Nothing sounds wrong here... well, almost nothing. Battlefield 6Henry Jackman, the game's theme song, is a real disappointment, as its breakbeat makes it neither a showpiece nor a tribute. Admittedly, what we hear is still worlds better than the misstep that was the music for Battlefield 2042 but that would be too easy a comparison.
Instead, I would contrast it with the music from Battlefield 1 and Battlefield V which brilliantly captured the two world wars in their own way. In comparison, Battlefield 6 seems almost boring, putting it on a par with BF3 and BF4. Its Warsaw ThemeJukka Rintamäki was also rehashed here, but not enhanced. With Making Love to Morgan WallenLimp Bizkit a track by Limp Bizkit also finds its way onto the album. Why? No idea. And Battlefield: The After-partyHenry Jackman, Limp Bizkit is another best-of compilation of the score, also featuring the nu metal band.
So why am I not happy? Well, most likely because I still have the score for Battlefield V ringing in my ears. If my previous stop had been Battlefield 2042 I would be much more enthusiastic here (I really don't want to hate, but the album is ab-so-lute rubbish). Nevertheless, Jackman's approach is too simple, too direct for me. The scores for Bad Company 1 and Bad Company 2 showed that you can provide wonderfully different musical accompaniment for the same setting and still give it its own USP. Battlefield 6lacks this, its affiliation with the franchise being established solely by quoting the theme. If that doesn't bother you, you'll get good to very good action fare here – no more, no less.
