Polish studio Creepy Jar seems to have done something unthinkable, making their most recent open world survival a successful entry into the genre (which was for some time plagued by early access flops). Green Hell takes the player into the Amazonian forest, where things are obviously not easy and everything wants to kill you. The survival aspect is obviously the heart of the game, which pleased the fans and critics by including nuanced mechanics and a satisfying narrative.
While the main theme seems to be the most enjoyable and melodic listen, the score belongs to the games world.
Music plays a vital role, and with the game as grounded in the harsh realities of nature as this one, it must have certain qualities. The score by Adam Skorupa (Witcher 2, Bulletstorm) and Konrad Wierzynkiewicz (Witcher 2), which was just posted on YouTube for fans to listen to, has some of those qualities, but despite excelling at atmospherics and ambience led by electronic sounds, shallow or strictly ornamental use of folk instruments fails to leave any lasting memory of Green Hell’s great setting.
The score is Western at heart, and strings, cello, electric guitar take up majority of the album, which unfortunately has some one minute long tracks. The parts where the music reflects South America sound the best when meshed with electronics, resulting in soundscapes to some extent reminiscent of those from Far Cry Primal or Shadow of Tomb Raider.
Despite excelling at atmospherics and ambience led by electronic sounds.
While the main theme seems to be the most enjoyable and melodic listen, the score is bound to the games world, ultimately pleasing fans of the game and slower, unsettling and more atmospheric albums.