Game music of the Day: Prince of Persia

GR's ongoing tribute to the beloved world of videogame music

Words: on August 19, 2010

Welcome to GamesRadar's daily blast of all things pertaining to the ever-growing field of game music. Each post will introduce new sounds, games, composers and fan-made remixes of gaming's greatest aural achievements.


August 19, 2010

Game: Prince of Persia
Song: Healing Ground
Composers: Inon Zur, Stuart Chatwood

     
Above: This one builds. Give it a minute, ya bastids!

Oh, what?! You forgot about 2008’s Prince of Persia just because it doesn’t star Jake Gyllenhall and the hero doesn’t have a Godsmack Wrestlemania entrance theme?! That’s partially GR’s fault, as we tend to fixate on that kind of crap, but hopefully Ubisoft remembers this Prince, because it’s an adventure unbelievably worth revisiting. We called it the prettiest game of 2008, and I think the music was a big part of that.


Above: 2008’s Prince of Persia had something fans weren’t expecting: Colors! 

The middle of the song gives me goosebumps every damned time. It may start off somber, almost in mourning, yet you can almost hear long lost nobility being brought back to life as the songs builds to a crescendo of gorgeous vitality. I wish the official track above played that specific part more, because I sure as shit never got tired of hearing it while climbing every nook and cranny or PoP’s elaborate and platform-happy temples. It’s called “Healing Ground,” but I believe it actually plays throughout the game and not just when the Prince and Elika restore life to barren points of… uh, Persia?

Inon Zur worked as lead composer on the game, who has since gone on to create award winning soundtracks for Fallout 3 and Dragon Age: Origins soundtracks, with help from a Stuart Chatwood, a Canadian musician who's had a hand in almost all of the Prince of Persias under Ubisoft. Coincidentally, this wasn't the first time the two had worked in conjunction on a PoP game, as they were both involved in delivering the opposing light and dark melodies for the dual princes in The Two Thrones. (Please note how I carefully avoided a Spin Doctors reference!) You can hear more PoP cuts from Zur at his website. Nice job, boys. Let’s do it again someday.

Aug 19, 2010

Game music of the day: Chessmaster and more!
Listen carefully - you're hearing one of the worst game tracks ever created

 


Game music of the day: Galcon Fusion
Cheesy space music full of indie awesome

 


Game music of the day: C&C Red Alert
Who knew tank rushes could be so funky?

Related

Games:


Prince of Persia (next-gen) (Xbox 360)

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Prince of Persia (next-gen) (PS3)

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Prince of Persia (next-gen) (PC)

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Platforms:

Xbox 360, PS3, PC

Topics:

Game music

30 Comments
Order Comments: Newest First | Oldest First
  • EnragedTortoise1

    EnragedTortoise1  - 1 year, 5 months ago  - Report

    A-mazing game, too bad I only rented it.
  • Millikin

    Millikin  - 1 year, 5 months ago  - Report

    Man this makes me feel tired. It's a lullaby and a half.
  • JayBeat

    JayBeat  - 1 year, 5 months ago  - Report

    Very Purdy
  • philipshaw

    philipshaw  - 1 year, 5 months ago  - Report

    This sounds like Uncharted music, well in Nolan North does a voice in the game
  • CH3BURASHKA

    CH3BURASHKA  - 1 year, 5 months ago  - Report

    It's very uplifting. I'm also getting a lot of Beyond Good and Evil vibes, an excellent vibe to have. Also, there's a clear Egyptian influence. I would know: I've seen all of the Mummy movies. That's right, all of them.
  • toastile

    toastile  - 1 year, 5 months ago  - Report

    I want to play this game now.
  • elpurplemonkey

    elpurplemonkey  - 1 year, 5 months ago  - Report

    Great music, and the game was incredibly pretty- but was it me or did the game get painfully repetitive? Maybe it's partly my fault- after Sands of Time, I haven't really been able to embrace any PoP (not even the surprisingly competent Two Thrones.)
  • Jackelsburg

    Jackelsburg  - 1 year, 5 months ago  - Report

    the game was alright, a bit too easy though lol
    but yes the music was definitely great
  • SHAPATTAK

    SHAPATTAK  - 1 year, 5 months ago  - Report

    A great entry for GMotD. This is a gorgeous game with fantastic music. I played through the game with my 6 year old daughter and she loved the music. For weeks I would hear her walking around the house humming it to herself.
  • GamesRadarTylerWilde

    GamesRadarTylerWilde  - 1 year, 5 months ago  - Report

    @Radagast107 Wel, er, don't worry buddy, we do one every weekday...
  • Radagast107

    Radagast107  - 1 year, 5 months ago  - Report

    Decent music, but what about Lord of the Rings Conquest, Burnout Revenge, Fallout 3, or Mass Effect 2. All have a great selection of music!!
  • gamingfreak

    gamingfreak  - 1 year, 5 months ago  - Report

    Great music for an underrated game.
  • JohnnyMaverik

    JohnnyMaverik  - 1 year, 5 months ago  - Report

    You can dress a turd up in cell shaded pretty graphics but it's still a turd. Nice tunes though...
  • IThinkLizzieIsHot

    IThinkLizzieIsHot  - 1 year, 5 months ago  - Report

    OMG!!!1 I always loved that song. Every time I hear it, it takes me back, back 2 years ago when it was simpler time. But seriously, I fell in love with that game and its music, not to mention the VO. For some reason, that overture puts me in my happy place.
    But no thanks to that shithead Jake Gyllenhall, this OST is kinda hard to find by itself. Thanks GR.
  • ihopethisisnotantistasblood

    ihopethisisnotantistasblood  - 1 year, 5 months ago  - Report

    yay my favorite 360 game
  • ThatGuyFromTV

    ThatGuyFromTV  - 1 year, 5 months ago  - Report

    This music reminds me of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles' music, except that this is much more epic. Speaking of which... GR, FFCC needs a music of the day, and Square Enix, you need to put the original FFCC on a current gen system so it can use online the way it should have the first time!
  • StrayGator

    StrayGator  - 1 year, 5 months ago  - Report

    I want to rephrase something I wrote.
    Both the game visuals and music could be described as romanticized european concept of ancient Persia.

    E.g. everything is exotic and mystical and fantastic and skyscraping minarets and noble savages and arabic flute playing a mawwal, when actually it's mostly western instruments not utilizing quarter notes accompanying a medieval fantasy prince saves princess fights demon and someone has to sacrifice something in the end - all under the shadow of N. Nolan North.


    p.s. If Elika looks just like Natalie Portman, does that adds to my "middle-eastern fantasy world" theorem?
  • cronoman66

    cronoman66  - 1 year, 5 months ago  - Report

    its this and Mirror's Edge I regret trading in both beautiful, unique games, I much prefer this PoP to past and present PoP's and the score was very much part of it, and actually the first time I noticed Nolan North so my association with him is always going to be this game
  • H2A2I00

    H2A2I00  - 1 year, 5 months ago  - Report

    This game was a blast to play and I never will understand the hate it got. Everything about it from the visuals, sounds and gameplay was so smooth. I hope they make a sequel because that game was so good.
  • juicenpancakes

    juicenpancakes  - 1 year, 5 months ago  - Report

    @Phazon117: You watch your tongue, young man.
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