Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is pretty remarkable, especially for fans of 80s-era action movies. Hilariously cheesy one-liners, absurd characters and plot, and plenty of action fill the game as it draws inspiration from films like Predator, The Terminator, RoboCop and Aliens.
Yet it’s the retro-synth soundtrack by Australian duo Power Glove that completes the whole package and makes it that much more special. Much in the same way that Daft Punk’s score for Disney’s Tron: Legacy was a match made in heaven, Power Glove were seemingly born to score a game like FC3: BD. Their work on the Blood Dragon soundtrack does exactly what any good soundtrack should do – it enhances the game’s world, gives it a memorable and impactful identity, and cements it in your mind as the retro-VHS homage it was meant to be.
Power Glove’s “Warzone”
While all of the soundtrack is original work, it’s clear where certain tracks, like “Warzone” for example, draw their inspiration from. While sounding very similar to the Terminator theme, “Warzone” has a more harsh, action-packed sound to it, so it isn’t quite a direct comparison. Still, they’re close enough that the similarity is undeniable. The percussion hits wonderfully hard, and the clanging of metal sets the tone for Rex Colt’s mission amidst the ashes of Vietnam War II.
Another Terminator homage comes from one of the game’s combat themes, cleverly named “Combat II”. It subtly pays tribute to one of the best scenes in the film, the tech noir shootout between the T-800 and Kyle Reese (played by actor Michael Biehn, voice of Rex Colt in the game). As Reese barely escapes into a vehicle with Sarah Connor in tow, the T-800 pursues with one of the best, most frazzled and synthesized-laden chase themes. Here’s the original scene:
Now listen to “Combat II” and hear the similarity:
Despite being some three decades apart, the sound is quite similar without being a blatant ripoff. Obviously the newer version is much clearer thanks to the advances in recording quality and technology, but little instances like that where a player might go “Hey, that’s like that one part in such-and-such film!” are cool and create a nostalgic bond with Blood Dragon.
However, not everyone playing Blood Dragon or listening to its soundtrack will have those fond memories of 80s action films to draw nostalgia from. For them, a lot of the charm that makes the soundtrack so appealing is lost, and understandably so.
What’s left once the nostalgic factor is removed is still a fantastic, retro-style soundtrack with exceptional melodies, heavy beats and glorious synthesizers throughout.
“Resurrection”
“Resurrection” stands out as one of the soundtrack’s best, and approaches a level of musical proficiency rare in most soundtracks. A pure dance track, “Resurrection” wouldn’t sound out of place in a club or a DJ’s setlist. The infectious beat and reverberating bass hooks you in while the airy synth throughout keeps you there until the very end of the track.
Following the same tone as “Resurrection”, “Power Core” is a pulsating track of synthesized goodness, but much slower in tempo.
“Power Core”
The pounding bass and the slow synth build up which culminates at o:23 into the song reveal the true darkness of this track. A wonderfully atmospheric track, “Power Core” is a personal favorite and the perfect mood-setter for the game.
“Power Core” was also one of the three songs released on Power Glove’s Soundcloud page to tease the soundtrack before its release, and has since received more than 200,000 listens on this song alone.
“Sleeping Dragon”
“Sleeping Dragon” is a much different song than what the rest of the album has to offer. “Thought provoking” isn’t generally a term used to describe anything in Blood Dragon, yet “Sleeping Dragon” invokes deeper emotions absent from the rest of the game and its soundtrack. Its melody is both smooth and memorable, and beautifully layered. The added pan flute intertwined with the delicate synthesizer throughout the track really drives its meaning home, but in an elegant way. Power Glove’s writing on this track demonstrates their skills are much better than what a standard downloadable game’s soundtrack might require.
“Blood Dragon Theme”
The synth-rock anthem that drives Blood Dragon isn’t even heard in the game until the last mission, which should give you an idea of how epic it is. Wicked electronic drumbeats throughout this one top off the grandiose synthesizers, making even the proudest of Europe fans giddy.
The Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon Original Game Soundtrack is available from both iTunes and Amazon MP3. While it is worth every penny and can be enjoyed by many people, not just fans of soundtracks, there are some notable song omissions from this album. Several tracks that you hear during the game don’t appear on the official soundtrack, which is unfortunately common among officially released soundtracks. It’s a bummer when these things happen, but it’s common to not have every song the artist wrote to appear on a soundtrack. Thankfully, YouTube exists!
