Enemy Remains Soundtrack (Album 2021)

Arctic Sounds

Game Score

There are many great and well-known film musicians like John Williams, Henry Mancini, Vladimir Cosma, Luis Bacalov or also Jimmy Page and Dave Grohl. But there have been amazing game soundtracks as well, already thinking back to 8Bit and classics like Skyroads.

Visionary movie maker Harri Jokinen always has been busy with his friends in Randomheads, Rayhouse Productions and GameRealmMadness working on shorts like “e-Head”, “Linnake” and “Mutantit” and projects like “Neurotron”, “Kalaban” and “Area 51 Defense”. And he stayed true with the topic of mutants and published his latest game “Enemy Remains” for Early Access on Steam.

A feel of horror and the apocalypse somehow always have been part of those projects. Just like in other shorts like “Häx” or music videos like “Satan II”. Formerly mostly Eetu Suoranta was responsible for the right sound, while this time Tuukka Kuusisto as Arctic Sounds took on the challenge to give the top-down shooter the fitting mood.

With the “Main Theme”, everything is already said. The melody is very catchy and flows through the whole room and body, just like e.g. “L’ultima diligenza di Red Rock”. Only we are not in the snowy wild west but in a disturbing dark forest with a torch and a gun.

The thick sound gets an 80s touch right after, adding an alien topic like Greyshadow. With crickets chirping, at first “A Night Out” could even be romantic while starring at the stars or northern lights. But in the half something happens and it gets restless and haunting.

“Last Cabin Trip” could be somewhere near the beach of Yyteri yet its again more horror like “Cabin Fever” or “Dead Snow”. A highlight is “Going To Curch” with drops and bells and a noise running throught marrow and leg. The title “House Of Your Dreams” then reminds of cinematic “House Of Gold And Bones”.

In “A Moment Of Respite”, the main melody is back, before “Hell Is Waiting For Us” rudely holds us from peace like Slayer or Alice Cooper with a grooving beat and motivating. The further we get, the despair increases as the future seems unsure in “Why Me”, that out of some reason would fit in “Halo” as well.

That is why “And Yet It Ends” gives a creepy ending like in “Cube”, as it should be, so you have to play the game through to now where it ends. The score perfectly fits to the whole concept of a great mutant shooter which appeals visually and audically.