If you've played through Alan Wake 2, you know the scene. It's a ridiculously amusing, unforgettable surprise from way, way left field during an otherwise generally bleak game, and I wouldn't have it any other way. For the unfamiliar, turn back and play Alan Wake 2 (it's worth it) before reading this article, as we will be getting into spoiler territory from here on out.
The Alan Wake 2 I'm talking about, of course, is the interactive Herald of Darkness performance, performed by the Old Gods of Asgard during one of the talk show segments. It's such a popular sequence that Remedy creative director Sam Lake took to the stage himself during The Game Awards 2023 and danced his little heart out while real-life Finnish rock band Poets of the Fall played the song live.
Masayoshi Soken, the acclaimed composer behind Final Fantasy 14 and all of its expansions, as well as Final Fantasy 16, has also gone on record as being a big fan of Alan Wake 2's surprise musical number. In a roundup of the best video game music from 2023 by VGC (thanks, PC Gamer), Soken gushed about his top pick.
"I usually listen to a lot of music, but lately, I haven't been listening to game soundtracks on their own," he said. "But to bring up some music I heard recently while playing games that surprised me, I would choose the scene where 'Herald of Darkness' plays in Alan Wake 2. It's out there to have a gun go off while the music video starts playing all around out of nowhere during the gameplay, and I found that interesting. And on top of that, the MV is made interactive. Nothing to say other than, damn – that's cool!"
It's one thing notching the seal of approval from players, critics, and awards show judges, but it's another thing entirely coming from Soken, himself known for his brilliant and often genre-bending video game soundtracks. Now we just need a live-action, interactive heavy metal music video in Final Fantasy 14 and we'll really be living.
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