Battlefield 2042's soundtrack is amazing
Please remember that this is all just my opinion, and that I speak as a fan of the soundtracks to Battlefield 4 and Battlefield 1.
When I heard about the disastrous launch of Battlefield 2042, I basically avoided the game entirely and didn't know anything about it besides some of the pre-launch hype. It wasn't until this year when season 4 released with a free trial that I decided to finally give the game a shot.
I was immediately hooked when I watched the introductory story trailer, which revealed a terrifying glimpse into the world of Battlefield 2042: a world devastated by rampant climate change, where all but two global superpowers have crumbled, whose refugees have all but been absorbed into a desperate war to control the last of Earth's fleeting resources.
When I was faced with this story premise, I was shocked. For one, just at the fact that a major gaming franchise like Battlefield had created such a strongly political story premise. But also, that the decision was made not to have a singleplayer story campaign, despite how incredibly inspired this story was, especially when compared to the mediocre stories of most of the other Battlefield games.
When I loaded into the main menu, I was again surprised, this time by the music. It was much grittier and noisier than in any Battlefield game I'd played before. It fit perfectly with the subject matter at hand. I was instantly immersed into the world of Battlefield 2042, and I would continue to be astonished by the game's soundscape as I played through the free trial.
After hearing what was in the game, I later listened through the full original soundtrack. The harsh electronics and industrial noise so strongly evoked the themes of apocalyptic climate change, and the desperation of humanity hoarding what little resources were left to survive.
I was amazed that such a big franchise (with its fair share of iconic, if a bit traditional music) made such a sharp turn into such visceral uncharted territory, both in terms of the soundtrack itself, and the world it had brought to life.
To talk more specifically about some of the tracks, what better way to begin than by discussing the Battlefield 2042 theme itself?
Every Battlefield game has had its own take on the original Battlefield theme, and this game is no different. I've always loved Battlefield 4's heartbeat-esque, bass-pounding Warsaw theme, as well as the Classic Theme present in Battlefield 1 - a triumphant return to an iconic classic. But Battlefield 2042...it completely dismantles any semblance of a traditional spin on that theme that goes all the way back to Battlefield 1942. No...it's one hundred years later, and Earth is an even more broken place. Battlefield 2042's theme is a profound statement on the ultimate futility of war: a mangled and atonal cavalcade, it is a complete reversal on the very same theme which once represented the heroism and valor of soldiers on the frontlines. Much like the Earth itself which mankind has fought over for thousands of years, the music itself is tired and broken as humanity enters (possibly) its final battle. It's brilliant.
Some other highlights on the soundtrack include The Observation of Beautiful Forms, Between the Bows, and 5 Degrees of Warming, which I've written some light analysis about below.
Observation is a forlorn yet uplifting funeral march featuring scratchy strings, echoing sirens, shaky static, and unmistakably industrial horns. To me, Observation conjures a heartbreaking image of humanity's incredible technological progress contrasted against its own role in destroying the very world it was born to.
Between the Bows is a riveting and intense noise jam that keeps building and building until a very cathartic release partway through the song, followed by another short passage of intense noise. I interpret this to be an illustration of the uncompromising and destructive manner that man established himself in the world by, until finally faced with a demise of his own making, leaving a peaceful, yet still fundamentally broken world.
5 Degrees of Warming is an insanely oppressive and heavy track that starts with what sounds like some kind of alarm or sonar ping system, followed by these dreadful and terrifying strings (I believe it's called a halldorophone, if it's safe to assume that Hildur Guðnadóttir composed this soundtrack with a similar instrumental palette to Joker). The track continues relentlessly, with each stroke getting heavier and louder, the repeated alternation between the two notes generating an extremely aggressive sound, reminiscent of an alarm system blaring at maximum volume. This is the sound of our world screaming for us to stop, but we just keep making it worse.
Unfortunately I didn't play during season 2 or 3, so I don't know about any of the specific tracks that were added during those seasons. I know the soundtrack was received very poorly from most Battlefield fans, so it must have been difficult to create more music for the game that was more pleasant while still complementary to the other tracks. But I still think the newer music present in the game is a nice progression of the same themes anyway. Like I mentioned before, the season 4 main menu theme is great. It really instills that sense of urgency and hopelessness of the battle at hand.
Even the song titles are thematically resonant! Irreversible, Load Bearing, When does a country stop being a country?, Hourglass, Tipping Points...I could keep going on about how great these tracks are at establishing the atmosphere of Battlefield 2042's world, but I think you get the idea.
I know there are some people who enjoy the soundtrack, but still don't believe it fits into the game, because games are supposed to be fun, and Battlefield especially can be very lighthearted in its multiplayer gameplay. There's definitely something to be said for that, and I definitely agree that it would make for an even better film score (I would love to see the movie that Battlefield 2042 clearly wanted to be). Regardless, I still thought it was very effective at instilling a sense of dread and importance while playing, similar to the ominous airship horns in the music for the opening mission of Battlefield 1.
Anyway, I should probably conclude this way too long post about a heavily disliked soundtrack that probably nobody will even care about lol.
In my opinion, Battlefield 2042's soundtrack is a misunderstood masterpiece of purely instrumental storytelling, and Hildur GuĂ°nadĂłttir & Sam Slater did an incredible job composing it.
It perfectly encapsulates the themes and aesthetics of the world that was crafted to be the background of Battlefield 2042, and the fact that it was so effective in that makes it all the more tragic that there will never be a singleplayer campaign for the game. Maybe the theoretical campaign or movie that Battlefield 2042 could've been is infinitely better in my head, but I'm still sad that this setting will probably never be fully realized in a linear narrative.
I hope that if you've read this post, you now enjoy and understand Battlefield 2042 and its soundtrack at least a little more than you did before.
