Halo Was Not What I Expected. 

Love seeing people react to 25 year old music! Oh and for the record, it’s just my normal singing voice with lots of reverb 😉 Thanks for listening.

"do the 30 men in a bathroom thing" lol 💀💀💀💀

Halo's music is so legendary. I'm very thankful that I was able to play the Bungie Halo's as they released. Playing Halo 1 on the original Xbox all the way back in 2001 with my Dad will always be a cherished memory of mine.

Marty didn't have to go this hard for Halos soundtrack but he did and I love him for it

Marty O'Donnell is a gift that keeps on giving tbh

11:58 calling it unsettling is perfect considering this theme represents an enemy that is one of the most conceptually terrifying existential threats in all of sci-fi

Fun fact, those “lady” vocals is actually Marty O’ Donnel’s. Blew my mind when I found that out. They fit so well though.

It's really interesting cause she is not reacting to the gameplay or cutscenes, but just the music, yet she is on point in catching the "feel" of the moment-to-moment narrative and action. Just goes to show how laser focused and in tune the music team was with the game and level designers

The opening suite string part is so perfect because it is tonally on point. It's the vastness and emptiness of space with a hint of intrigue and mystery.

Warthog Run is the most iconic, and will live for generations to come. Not just the mission itself, but also what it invokes, especially the Halo 2 version (Mjolnir Mix).

4:10 "All you greenhorns who wanted to see Covenant up close, this is gonna be your lucky day!" - Sgt. Johnson

Each track is like a Time Machine, taking me back to the simpler times

2 decades later and the music still gives me chills. God how I adore the memories of feeling this in the heat of the moment. Such an amazing time!

Devils... Monsters... being really unsettling is a very apt description, especially when you know the context of the track lol

The halo soundtracks and how they are implemented are referenced in almost every single academic book about game music. The pinnacle of game music, especially the Halo 3: ODST soundtrack

11:58 "This is just reaalllllyyyy unsettling." Sister, you have no idea.

Cannot stress enough how important halo was for the gaming industry. If you ever decide to play it please do it blind and do it with the older graphics, the remaster did a lot to kill the moodiness of the game’s environments which goes so far for its environmental story telling. It will feel like a generic shooter at first but it’s so much more than that. Cannot stress enough how important it is to be spoiler free on the first play through, you can only have that experience once with halo and you don’t want it to be wasted. It can feel a bit dated these days but if you play it coop with a friend you will have a great time, even more so if they are also going in blind, or if they can keep their mouth shut ;)

Truth and Reconciliation Suite is practically the entire game in music form. All of the main tracks play in the major order of appearance. You can practically see the story unfolded through the music. Love Halo

You know, I'd just like to say that Halo is more than a shooter. Its a story with amazing ups and downs. Intensity, somber notes, horror, and melancholy victory. It is a story that has inspired hundreds of people especially children to keep pushing through when the times get tough. I definitely recommend playing it, or watching a friend or family play it.

Halo is such an important conerstone of video games and art and engineering as a whole. Everyone involved was at their peak of passion, and everything came together so perfectly and masterfully that it's nothing short of magical

For context: "Warthog Run" is played during the last mission of the game, which sees the player driving a Warthog through two kilometers of service corridors on a self-destructing starship as it falls apart around you, while three different hostile factions fight each other and you. It's an intense piece of gameplay, and deserves the epic soundtrack it receives.

Please make this a trilogy, the evolution from games 1-3 is so good. 😭 Especially since they go up in clarity and complexity with the newer console's increased capability.

It never crossed my mind that the Warthog Run track is the culmination (and then some) of all the other styles in the soundtrack. The strings, the male vocals, the drums. Fitting, since it plays during the final climax of the game.

Even though ive listened to these tracks hundreds of times. For some reason, this video made me tear up. In a good way. Seeing peoples reaction to these iconic pieces brings me joy.

Halo is a beautiful game, in terms of checking every box, story, gameplay, writing, music, multiplayer, community, just everything. Absolutely brings back memories the best games ever made to me

Oh god, the library. That theme has left me with some serious PTSD

“If that’s a running theme throughout this I’m gonna be very happy” well do I have news for you

Devils… Monsters… gives me chills every time. At that point in the game it goes from space opera fps to horror film

The music in Halo pairs unbelievably well with the visuals in the game. It combines high-stakes, well-executed combat with the wonder and excitement of exploring locations in the far reaches of space never seen by human eyes. The result is that it is far, FAR more immersive than any other FPS I’ve played. If I had to put it into one phrase: playing Halo feels like fighting in a cathedral.

4:24 It is an FPS, but it was *the first time that it was executed well* on consoles. Back then console shooters were viewed as less than their PC progenitors. Many of the common practice tricks we enjoy today (checkpoints, dual stick controls, aim assist, etc.) are because of this game. 7:32 Always a classic! It only plays twice, but the context radically alters the feel. Fun fact: the female vocals were actually done by Marty O'Donnel himself. 11:04 "What is it?" "That stench, I've smelt it before..." 14:52 Another classic. I can't tell you how great it feels to just drive those. 5:39 This would have been considered a tonal clash before Halo came out. The fact you can jam out while going to town on Covenant is both comedy and zen. There's a forward rolling rhythm without being in your face about it.

I remember hearing "Devils... Monsters..." for the first time and being terrified beyond belief. It was at that point I questioned if I had chosen the right game to play, if my loadout was adequate. I ran through ammo counts and keybinds in seconds, making sure that I was ready for what lay ahead: An onslaught of epic proportions against an enemy that did not relent. Jumping, and shotgunning large shamblers while fragging and spraying groups of flood swarmers. The terror as the ammo counts dwindled and went red, the uncertainty of having to melee certain forms while reloading with what little ammo I had left. For an 8 y/o at the time I first played, that was sheer terror.

Showing my age but there was nothing like being on your dorm floor and you'd hear the opening chant come from down the hall and had to jump on in your room. Halo was beyond a thing.

Devils and monsters gives me immediate anxiety of being a 10 year old again and being scared out of my skin.

I’ve never heard of music as tonally perfect and beautiful as Halo. It has slow burns, uplifting combat, scary ass themes, desolation, it’s got everything. Marty and Michael put their SOULS into Halo’s music theory.

The Halo series soundtrack really is something, isn't it? 2 years went by, 10 years went by, 20 years went by, and it never stops being amazing, does it?

I’m so glad this popped up on my feed. I’ve haven’t come across your content before but since I love all things Halo it did today. It was such a joy to hear this soundtrack with fresh ears through you. The score IS hypnotic, and I did at one point slept to this soundtrack for weeks end back in the day. I think I was 15 when Halo CE came out and there was nothing else like it. Truly revolutionary for gaming. Like others have said, if you decide to play it, do it with a friend and classic graphics. Thinking about my first play through with my brother… .. sorry I had to pause. Was chocking up with tears. This game was magical. Especially booting it up on the OG Xbox and staring at the main menu for 20 mins for the first time. Just sat there.. watched and listen. Your mind transported.

That Marty O'Donnell, man. He knew what to give those Halo games. One of the best composers out there imo. I'd also recommend btw, Red Dead Redemption and RDR2's soundtracks, RDR1 also had a dlc for it called Undead Nightmare.

I wholeheartedly recommend looking into every Halo soundtrack, a personal favorite is the Jazzy/Blues of Halo 3: ODST. Deference for Darkness is, in my opinion, Marty O'Donnells underappreciated masterpiece.

Hi Emily! I'm an elder Millennial (turning 36 next month) and I grew up playing and loving Halo in both middle school and high school. The gameplay is phenomenal don't get me wrong, but it was never the part that really hooked me and made me a life long fan - the music and story did that. I remember getting this soundtrack on CD in grade 12 (I'm old don't judge me! XD) and listening the crap out of it. It's by far one of my favourite soundtracks of all time (possibly only eclipsed by those of Halos 2, 3, and Reach), and I actually wrote the first draft of a YA sci fi series I'm currently working on back in high school while blasting this through my headphones. Seeing you react to it for the first time made my heart so happy. Thank you for this! I'm SO glad you loved it!

As a long time gamer and massive Halo fan since 2001.. I can feel every note and see every level of the game. It's incredible how Marty and Michael were able to not only create an icon and benchmark for soundtracks and video gaming as a whole, but embed feeling and invoke such strong memory and emotion with their work. Halo is a masterpiece.

To answer your question, yes Halo's main series is a First Person Shooter. Some call it a Space opera in terms of story telling and the music backs it up. The main synopsis for the first game is the year is 2552, you play as a Spartan II Super Soldier named John 117, also known by his rank, Master Chief (Petty Officer). You are an augmented human in a power suit and a companion AI named Cortana. You battle against an alien group known as the Covenant, who are hell bent to exterminate humanity. Its up to you and Cortana to stop these beings from destroying everything, as well as explore this mysterious Ring floating in space called Halo, and the secrets it holds.

You have opened a can of worms with this one, and I am here for it.

With every song, my mind is brought back to the hours and hours spent on each of these levels. So much emotion and memories of legendary mode.

Just imagine how many of us felt as kids when playing & listening to this game for the first time. Speaking in my case, it was truly an amazing experience.

usually the "thing" in the opening suit is usually immediately followed by the warthog run. the combination is often considered the pinnacle halo theme. unfortunate that "on a pale horse" wasn't included this time. its short but powerful and since you liked the strings so much you would probably love that song as well.

11:14 I was vibing so hard with under cover of the night until this PTSD inducing nightmare started My god, my fight or flight went off so hard LMFAO

I kind of wish she had screenshots of what environment you're walking through when hearing these pieces, like how some of the chilling high pitch notes really add to the creepiness factor of Flood infected areas. There's an extra level of appreciation you miss when not knowing what levels the pieces are made for

Marty is truly a legend. These tracks are forever. They will never age poorly. The sound design of the original halo trilogy is incredible and without a doubt is one of the key points in what made the franchise so memorable. You could play any of these pieces of music on a public speaker somewhere and someone will immediately recognize them and have flashbacks to what part of the game they were tied to. That is so incredibly rare. People remember menu screen and opening tracks right and left, but it's hard to think of any other franchise where the entirety of a gaming trilogy of soundtracks is memorable. Bungie and Marty did so many things right with the sound design in these games.

Most of these themes are so iconic that they're reintegrated into basically every entry of the franchise but with a little extra added to them (definitely recommend checking out the variants on your own). Each entry has also a couple of unique themes that makes them stand out from the rest, so hopefully you'll check some of them out I think also listening to ODST’s and Reach’s soundtracks are a must, since they're the most unique in the series given that these games are spinoffs.

Somewhat different tone but Halo 3: ODST (separate game from Halo 3) had some of my favorite music in the series.

The older Halo games have such a relaxing and, as you put it, hypnotic feel to them. They were definitely on my homework playlist when I was in high school. The Medal of Honor series also has some phenomenal music (composed by Michael Giacchino), along with Battlefield 1.

The music paired with the story and atmosphere is what makes Halo CE one of the best

"Arrival" from Halo 4, the ost for the final mission, i think it's one of the hypest moments in my life, it truly made me feel like the hero in the action film, fighting against the odds.

You saying EDMy is accurate. The vibe i believe Marty was going for was futuristic yet tribal.

I remember playing Halo 2 back in 05 and being blown away. I had never played a first person shooter before, and a friend and I sat down after work one day and started on the campaign. I went and bought a refurbished Xbox the next week with Halo 1 and 2. To this day Halo 1 is my favorite shooter. Under Cover of Night kind of chokes me up a bit. When it plays near the end of the game the whole tone of the story had changed. Revisiting an earlier location with an entirely new purpose, it was just done so well.

Devils…monsters… the composer did such a good job of capturing that feeling of rediscovering a long forgotten horror. The Flood consumes all, welcoming them to their eternal grave

Not enough people make videos reacting to the Halo games OST, when it’s such a unique, defining collection of soundtracks. Highly recommend that you give a listen to the rest of the series, as each game always has something new for it.

Under the Cover of Night is my favorite track in this OST, and it's successor tracks especially in Halo 3 are phenomenal.

I was not expecting to cry to this but here i am tearing up. So many beautiful memories :')

I love how the music alone let's me visualize what would normally be on screen as it's so ingrained in my memory and she's able to fairly accurately describe what would be there as well.

As a longtime Halo fan, it was super cool seeing you experience the magic of the soundtrack. I remember playing back in 2001 before Halo was a THING. While we were playing, the music would kick in and I’d look over to my best friend incredulously like, “Is this the best video game ever or am I crazy?”

Halo for it's time was really big on environmental storytelling, tone and atmosphere. It has proper rising and falling action in the narrative that usually syncs with rising and falling action in gameplay hence the track diversity. It also came before the time that console shooters felt the need to constantly be loud and in your face with everything all the time.

15:59 The context from the game is this is the song that plays as you drive one of those "giant jeeps with a gun" down the spine of the ship as you desperately try to get to a way out before the ship's engines explode. Meanwhile, there is a massive battle going on all around you.

Once Devils....Monsters... Came up, the unsettling flight or fight feeling coming just gives you the chills!

Referring to 8:30, I've always looked at the game's more somber tones to immerse you in what humanity is feeling in the universe. At the start of the game, a lone human ship is being chased by a force that just wiped out one of the UNSC's (Humans Military) most defensive planets. The feeling that Marty's masterful music gives you, is a combination of desperation, hope, and a sense of duty that just perfects the game in every way. I highly recommend taking a look at more of the music in Halo, especially "Never Forget". That one never fails to get an emotional response out of me.

A walk in the woods is so great gives me chills to this day

Warthog Run on the final mission in Halo 3 is probably the most epic moment in video game history.

Another thing thats worth noting is how the music is blended and implemented in the games. Some tracks are cut down to a few integral parts depending on what is happening in the game in front of you. A lot of this music would only play in bits and pieces to create little *breadcrumbs* so to speak. After the leit-motif is established, that sort of musical footnote gets cashed in so to speak, where the full music is brought together for a big moment. And this is done accross almost all of yhr halo games, with each game adding and itterating on the themes and ideas that came before, only shifting and changing to fit the needs of the story. Its one thing to listen to the music as is. Its another to experience something like the opening to A Walk in the Woods opening up into the full song as you treck through the cold interiors in the bowels of the halo ring, traversing the halls that seperate the massive tundras that stand between you snd your objective. And yet, with all of that, it's still just as easy to glean the point just by listening to the music by itself. All the points the music wishes to convey are still there. The game simply points it out to us in big bold signage.

I’m so glad you got the chance to listen to this soundtrack. The music Halo is so distinct and nothing like any other first player shooter. I personally love Halo 2’s soundtrack the best, and while you may also like it, I feel like you Halo 3’s and Halo 3 ODST’s music are right up your alley!

Covenant Dance has always been my favorite. When it comes on during gameplay you get chills

Hey everyone!! I’m so glad you’re all enjoying this video 🥺 I’ve just done a community post asking for themes for Halo 2! So go check it out xo

Warthog run always bring me back to my first time completing the compaign with ny buddy. Your having to drive the jeep with the big gun it to safty while things are blowing up around you the graound is falling apart under you, and the bad guys are shooting you. With the song playing in the back ground it is just amazing.

You hit on something important that mostly goes unsaid. There is a very thoughtful, emotional core to Halo's music. Don't know if you plan to expand on this video, but I recommend the first movement of Halo 3 ODST's "Deference for Darkness" and Halo 2's "In Amber Clad".

The opening suite does a great job at portraying what is happening. You are on a spaceship that has just come across a mysterious ring world. Brothers in arms gives the feeling of preparing for battle and that is again the case. Your ship is being attacked by the enemy and the humans are preparing their response to the attack. Every Halo fan gets PTSD when they hear Devils... Monsters... Seriously you should listen to more Halo music and I do suggest playing it. It is a FPS but it has an incredible story that is much more than it initially seems.

Halo 1 was and is a Space opera. It has an intro, intrigue, rising start, troubles, overcoming adversity, build up, sudden turnabout/betrayal, panic, resolve, and finally resolution. The music is proof. You can follow the game along so well using just the music....cause it's an opera.

Someone has probably already said this, but the context of Warthog Run is basically the grand finale of the entire game. In short, you've set the reactor of an enormous, crashed human ship to go supernova in order to wipe out something that could threaten all life in the galaxy and your ride out of there just got shot down before your very eyes. There is one starfighter still docked in the ship's hanger over a kilometer away. Cue a mad dash to the very last hope of living to tell the tale. Cue Warthog Run.

There's no way you can listen to just the first OST and not listen to the rest. It's so good, and Halo is renowned for its music and how it innovated audio techniques in gameplay. But also just how Marty O'Donnell just knew all the right things to play and when. Truly somenof his greatest work.

If you enjoy first person shooters, I would 100% watch you play this game. Halo has been my childhood, seeing a new reaction to it would be so cool!

People always place halo 2 and 3 as their favourites of the OG trilogy, but the soundtrack of Halo CE is just so retro and fresh. The feeling it brings can never be replicated. Greatest Video Game soundtrack.

the scene context is what makes these songs so great, like for example that first song is played when you see they hopelessness of the situation the ship is in, how they are about to be boarded by a superior force and people are scrambling to do the best they can.

Brothers in arms does such a good job linking the battle-space and the explore-y feel of halo! Honestly the whole OST is such a vibe. In the game, the audio direction is just so well done. Marty didn't have to go so hard on this, but he did. Legendary.

I little secret Easter egg as what we call in halo, is that the vocals that you enjoyed in that background was the composer Marty o Donnell and I believe he just added it on a whim because he thought it didn’t sound right without it, and I believe it’s recorded background and sped up

i think my favorite thing about halos music is the setting building it does. i hear a song and remember exactly what part of the level it starts playing plus it fits the atmosphere and pace that you progress. its insane. the story of halo is also one of the best science fiction stories ever ever heard their are a lot of novels telling halos story id highly recommend i usually listen to the sound track when i read. if u have played the games reading the books and listing to the music and using your imagination is another level of immersion i don't think i can get from another story movie video game or book

2:52 “in a humongous hall with no one else in it.” I’ve never heard anyone perfectly describe both the musical score and the empty, mysterious feeling of the game in one statement before.

Halo 3 is my favorite OST of any game ever. I still listen to these soundtracks when I’m stressed at work. So nice.

The panniny in a walk through the woods is about discovery. The walking and little things catching your eyes on all sides. Again a perfect song for the level it is was made around.

A walk in the woods is my favorite . Loved their reaction 😅

Need to react to the “Halo Theme (Mjolnier Mix)” from Halo 2. It features the legendary Steve Vai on guitar. And if you love that, there’s a 6+ minute long video of Steve working with the team trying random stuff out and you can see the people in the room freaking out over getting to see that

Warthog Run is the final stretch of the game and NOT EASY. It hits harder when you've driven the warthog to escape

Listening to the Halo 2 and Halo 3 soundtracks are a real treat too, all the motifs and themes evolve and change in a really naturalistic and earnest way.

The music potrays the emotions of each cutscene perfectly.

What makes the music so special is the fact that it accompanies such beautiful setpieces, battles and moments DURING the game that it becomes attached to a moment, like that piano and strings chord I know for the walk off the drop pod and your first impression of the new and mysterious ring world

You can sort of get a good feeling of the factions from the music pieces. Vocals generally seem to be associated with the Halo ring itself and the structures. Guitars(Bass and electric), violins, and snare drums seem to signify the UNSC/ODST(human military). Synths and a lot of percussion seem to be the theme for the Covenant. The Flood seem to use intruments from both the Humans and Covenant sounds, but they sound faster, sort of panicky besides the unsettling squeaky industrial sound that plays throughout.

"A Walk in the Woods" and "Under Cover of Night", I'm pretty sure play during a mission that has a significant stealth option to it, so there's a lot of sneaking around, picking off enemies with a sniper rifle, using camouflage, stuff like that. Unless you decide not to. So the music goes along with being quiet and sneaky.

2:33 Not sure about other people but this theme instantly makes me think of space and the stars, cosmos etc. A sense of wonder, trepidation, the unknown. Marty O'Donnel's ability to evoke these images and feelings with just the soundtrack alone really made Halo and the latter games suffered immensely due to his absence (amongst other things).

Brothers in Arms still gives me chills to this day 😭

13:30 Best kind of EDM, like in older Tekken games like 3 and Tag 1.

Highly, highly recommend checking out more music from the series, all the games have absolutely *iconic* OST’s.

Under Cover of Night is so smooth. All the edges are perfectly sanded off.

20 years later, I STILL get chills from the opening notes of that theme. Marty is one of the great ones.