Ben Prunty continues the ethereally alien sound of Subnautica expertly with his score for the long-awaited sequel, with a catchy new main theme and that gorgeous synth and vocal stylistic combination making for a great album already – and as it’s Early Access, there’s more to come!
One thing that I have always loved about the music for the Subnautica game franchise, whether its Simon Chylinski’s work for the original or Ben Prunty’s Below Zero, is how deeply, richly and beautifully atmospheric it is. The games themselves are gorgeous, with wonder and mystery expertly captured in their meticulously crafted and very alien oceans, and – perhaps most importantly of all – one thing that they get absolutely right is that creeping feeling of unnervingness at the deep blue darkness around you. That slight chill at knowing that anything could be lurking in the watery depths beyond what you can see, even more so when you swim near the edge of an underwater cliff, look down and simply see nothing below you bar deep oceanic blackness. That feeling, as well as the sheer wonder and dramatic mystery I mentioned earlier that you feel as you explore the oceans of Subnautica, is something that Chylinski and Prunty very much understood the assignment for when crafting their respective scores for the games, as the music also captures those feelings brilliantly. And, I’m very pleased to say, it’s a collection of tones that musically continues in Ben Prunty’s sublimely serene soundtrack for Subnautica 2.
I do like a catchy main theme, and Prunty wastes no time in giving us one with opening cue “Subnautica 2”; a gentle synthy atmosphere descends in its opening seconds, echoing ethereally alongside floating vocals before the six note theme for this sequel soundtrack then plinks into frame on upbeat electronics and energetic percussive beats. It interacts lightly with peaceful stylistic ambience over the course of the next few minutes, firmly cementing an updated electronic sound for Subnautica while also harkening back to the serenity of Below Zero and the original game, and also establishing itself as a rather memorable motif overall. All-in, we’re off to a pretty great start! A tense beat then occupies the minute-long “Mind Your Breath”, seeding electronic anxiety alongside some rather shrill vocals before “A Beautiful Place To Die” echoes some more traditionally Subnautica-sounding gentler ambience. This lighter mood also continues into the relaxing “Qualified Investigator”, with cheerful and rather alien-sounding electronics bopping happily along throughout. The main theme then returns in a delightfully head-nodding manner in “An Insult To Octopodes”, dancing enthusiastically all across the enjoyably lively cue.
Notes from the main theme echo atmospherically underneath some absolutely breathtaking synth through the two minute “Follow The Roots”, with both the motif and its tranquil electric upbeatness then also continuing into “Beyond Your Current Survival Horizon” and the sprightly “Angel Comb”. A touch of mystery however then descends for the three minute “I Can Hear The Tree”, with the established synth and electronics still maintaining their wonder from earlier but now with a slight wariness simmering underneath. A calming serenity is then the tonal focus of “Tyranny Of Matter” with some lovely vocal work echoing, before the music grows colder and more ethereal through “It Is Silent” with gentle woodwinds and fluttering waves of electronics. This growing feeling of unsettlement then continues in “Digital Reincarnation” as low-pitched percussion and synth takes the forefront, with “The Living Tombstone” afterward also evoking this with eerie scatterings of moody electronics and percussion alongside an occasional excerpt of the main theme. A faster pace then kicks off “Respect The Crush Depth” as the usually rather tranquil synth is urged along by increasingly tense electronic beats for quite a boppy action cue overall. A darker, more anxious rendition of the main theme then treads carefully through “Heat Shock”.
Some impeccably unnerving electronics practically send shivers down your back in “It Likes How I Scream”, overall evoking a tone of bone-chilling fear as the aforementioned low-pitched instrumentation echoes across this three minute cue. The subsequent “The Ocean Is Blighted” then simmers in similarly ominous atmospheric territory with high-pitched vocals before “Titan Class Biosignatures” brings all this growing tension to a head as eerie percussive plinks grow into full-on aggressive action with bursts of distorted electronics crashing through centre stage. The more ambient side of the score then returns in “Karakorum” with gentle vocals and serene piano notes reprising the main theme, and “Seek Remedy In Strangeness” afterward also follows in this bouncier, more optimistic feel as upbeat synth floats happily throughout its runtime. With the end of the score fast approaching, “When The Daughter Fell From Space” opens with a dramatic burst of choir that then soars rather majestically all across the cue. Final track “Remember We Saw The Stars” then returns to the ethereally atmospheric classic Subnautica sound with electronic hints toward the main theme, closing the album on a rather peaceful note.
Overall, what we’ve heard so far from Ben Prunty’s score for Subnautica 2 is absolutely stunning, and perfectly captures the mystery, intrigue and indeed unnervingness of the game’s meticulously-crafted and very alien ocean setting. The composer continues the sound of the series established in Simon Chylinski’s work for the original game as well as Prunty’s own Below Zero soundtrack with a stylistic combination of atmospheric synth, electronics and vocals, and the resulting music as mentioned fits this sequel like a glove, being both wondrously tranquil (“I Can Hear The Tree”) and eerily ominous (“It Likes How I Scream”) when it needs to be. Leading all this style is then a six note main theme established in opening and Standout Cue “Subnautica 2”, with this catchy new piece enthusiastically and enjoyably asserting itself across a range of tracks (such as “An Insult To Octopodes” and “Beyond Your Current Survival Horizon”) on this sixty seven minute album. Now, you might have noticed I said so far at the beginning there; that’s because Subnautica 2 is of course in Early Access, and as such (according to the soundtrack’s Steam page below) further tracks will be added at regular intervals as the game continues to receive updates. So if you like the music for the game as I do; this is only the beginning.
Score: 7.5/10
Standout Cues: Subnautica 2, I Can Hear The Tree
Buy Ben Prunty’s Subnautica 2 soundtrack on the Steam Store!
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