Video Games Live – LEVEL 3 Review February 27, 2014

What can I say about Video Games Live?  Created by Tommy Tallarico, it is a worldwide concert series which brings the greatest music ever composed for video games to the masses.  There are huge production values, through special video effects, smoke and lighting.  You actually feel like you’re in the game as you’re listening to this great music being performed by the professionals in your area.  As a gamer, gaming journalist, and music lover, I always hoped I would get the chance to check it out for myself.  Sadly, I was never fortunate enough to get to witness a Video Games Live concert firsthand.  It only came to my neck of the woods once and unfortunately it was a time that I could not check it out.  A few years ago, when the organization announced they were planning to release the next concert album (dubbed Level 2) in High-Definition on Blu-Ray Disc, I picked up a copy on day one.  After watching Level 2 with a 1080p HDTV and top of the line HD surround system, I thought it would be the only way I would get to hear this fantastic performance for myself and I was not disappointed, and I sure knew I wanted to hear more.

Now, thanks to Kickstarter, Video Games Live has just released their third album, LEVEL 3, exclusively as a digital download.  I have to say, it has been quite a treat.  Like with the Video Games Live concert series itself, the new album features an eclectic smattering of video game songs across many different game genres.  There are some old favorites that concert regulars may remember from earlier performances, like Chrono Cross, and The Legend of Zelda, but they are presented on this album in new arrangements.  As for new stuff, PC gamers will appreciate the inclusion of songs from Secret of Monkey Island and DOTA 2, and console gamers will appreciate new arrangements from Journey, Shadow of the Colossus, Beyond Good and Evil, Final Fantasy VIII and Pokémon. The Level 3 album also features some surprises as well, including a new version of one of my favorite video game songs of all time, the “Theme of Laura” from Silent Hill 2, an orchestral performance of the theme to Street Fighter II, and to top it all off, a live performance of the ending theme to Portal, “Still Alive”.

The album opens with “Liberi Fatali” from Final Fantasy VIII. Let me tell you, the track sounded identically to how I remembered it from the game.  In fact, as I type this up, I’m going to look up the part in the game the song was used in just to see how close the Video Games Live version was to the original one.  It’s an energetic and powerful song that many gamers will fondly remember, and a great track to start the album with.

The next track is a slower ballad, “Scars of Time” from Chrono Cross, a beautiful musical piece I remember fondly from the Level 2 concert.  In fact, it is a game one of my site contributors believes has one of the greatest soundtracks from the PS1 era, and the track included in the Level 3 album was used in what is (in his opinion) one of the best opening cutscenes to any game, period.

Moving on, the album continues with the theme to The Secret of Monkey Island, an updated version of the original soundtrack designed to be played by early PC speakers.  Once again, the orchestra does a great job performing the song exactly as you would imagine that theme would be played.  Every bip and bloop from the original MIDI track is presented here by live real-world instruments, making me feel like I was listening to it for the first time all over again.  If I ever planned to take a vacation someplace tropical, I would probably have this song as my soundtrack.

As a recent Pokémon convert, I was pleased to see the Pokémon theme song was included in the album.  When I heard the Pokémon theme on the album for the first time I thought for sure that I was listening to the same orchestra performing it as I had heard perform it in the Pokémon TV show and feature films, only now they had the chance to truly let loose without being pressed to time constraints.  If you’re a fan of the Pokémon games, TV show, or movies, you’ll love hearing this track.

As I stated earlier, this album also offers some surprises.  One of the biggest surprises I found on this album was their version of the main theme to Silent Hill 2, the “Theme of Laura”.  Since I first heard this track several years ago, it has been one of my favorite video game compositions of all time.  Unlike some of the other songs on the album, the VGL version of this song was not a straight pitch for pitch port of the song, but a slightly adjusted version with a tad bit more improvisation in it. If you ever wondered what the “Theme of Laura” would sound like if it were performed by a band like the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, you should give this one a listen.  I loved it.

If you want to hear something more recent, look no further than the theme to the 2012 Game of the Year, Journey.  The music in that game was just beautiful, and a great choice for that album.  It was performed so perfectly, as I listened to that song I immediately felt myself flashing back to the first time I played that game’s final moments.  Maybe I saw you at the top of the same mountain.

One of the most enjoyable things I remembered from the Level 2 album was Tommy’s updated arrangements on classic tunes not originally performed with traditional instruments, like his rockin’ arrangements of the themes to Sonic the Hedgehog, Mega Man, and Castlevania. People looking for tracks like that on the Level 3 album need look no further than the second to last track on the album, the theme to Street Fighter II.  It’s a classic rockin’ tune that really picks up your heart rate.  And yes, it does go with everything.

The album’s final track is a live recording of “Still Alive” from Portal.  It sounded a bit like it was being captured by a tape recorder during a live performance, but I’m certain that’s what the creators were going for.  The performance itself was less about the performance by the orchestra, and more about the audience’s love for this great song.  Throughout the track, the audience is heard cheering, clapping and singing along.  Never having attended a performance of the show myself, listening to the live track made me feel like I was sitting in one of those seats just for a few moments.

The production values on this album couldn’t be higher. In fact, Video Games Live boasts that the Level 3 album features several well-known musicians, as well as several independent performers known for their love of the source material.  Regardless of what kind of gamer you are, you’ll find something in this album that you will enjoy.  Sadly, simply describing this music in words does no justice to how it actually sounds or how it made me feel.  The album is up for download today and if you are interested in picking it up you should be able to find it in the usual places, such as iTunes or Amazon.  Anyone who funded the album through Kickstarter will probably have alternate download arrangements.  Load the songs onto your Smartphone or MP3 player, stream them to your Stereo and enjoy.

I can’t think of anything better to listen to as I wait for Quinni-Con.