Varèse Sarabande release Austin Wintory's score for the game ABZÛ. The game is an epic descent into the depths of the sea, where players explore beautifully rendered ocean environments with fluid swimming controls. The experience draws inspiration from the deep innate narrative that we all carry within our subconscious: the story of ABZÛ is a universal myth that resonates across cultures. The name references a concept from the oldest mythologies; it is the combination of the two ancient words AB, meaning ocean, and ZÛ, meaning to know. ABZÛ is the ocean of wisdom...

The score opens with the track 'To Know Water' which brought to mind Ooberman's 'Twinkling Aurora', from their 2006 album Carried Away, as well as a flavour of Nathan McCree's score for the original 1996 Tomb Raider game. In fact McCree's Tomb Raider score was brought to mind quite a lot while listening to this soundtrack.

At its heart, the music for ABZÛ is a beautifully moving classical movement in its own right. The score contains 18 tracks (58 min, 49 sec) and while it's hard to pick out favourite tracks I'd have to highlight 'Delphinus Delphis'; 'No Field Was Formed'; 'No Destinies Ordained'; and 'Osteoglossum Bicirrhosum'.

It's an incredibly intricate and moving collection of themes that will stir many emotions in even the coldest of hearts. Wintory has delivered a masterpiece here which wonderfully straddles the line between game score and classical music.

10

Darren Rea