The music for the 2013 action-adventure survival horror video game The Last of Us , developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment, was composed by Argentine musician Gustavo Santaolalla. Supplementary music for the game's downloadable content The Last of Us: Left Behind was composed by Santaolalla, Andrew Buresh, Anthony Caruso and Jonathan Mayer. Both soundtracks were produced by Santaolalla, Mayer, and Aníbal Kerpel, with separate segments recorded in both Los Angeles and Nashville.
Santaolalla, known for his minimalist approach to composing, was excited to work on the soundtrack due to the game's focus on the characters and story. The directors were inspired by his work and sought him out early in the game's development. The musician began composing thereafter, with few instructions from the development team on the tone that they intended. In collaboration with each other, the team and Santaolalla aimed to make the soundtrack emotional, as opposed to scary. Santaolalla used various instruments to compose the score, including some that were unfamiliar to him.
The soundtrack album for The Last of Us was released on iTunes in June 2013. Additional compositions, including some composed for Left Behind, were released on a second soundtrack in February 2014. Critical reception to the soundtracks was positive, as reviewers felt that the music connected appropriately with the gameplay. In particular, critics felt that the minimalist approach of the soundtrack's composition matched the gameplay. The game's music was nominated for numerous awards. Several tracks became popular and begot cover versions and live performances.
During the initial development of The Last of Us , creative director Neil Druckmann and game director Bruce Straley compiled musical tracks that they found inspirational. When searching for a composer to work on the game's music, they realised that Gustavo Santaolalla composed many of their compiled tracks. Straley described Santaolalla's music as "organic instrumentation, minimalist, dissonance and resonance with the sounds". [1] The composer agreed to work on the game's soundtrack when contacted by Sony. [1] After hearing the game's pitch, Santaolalla was excited to work on the game. He had previously wanted to compose for video games and was approached by several other developers following his wins for Best Original Score at the Academy Awards, but he refused to work on projects without a focus on story and characters. [2] [3]
"I was approached by several companies to make music for video games. One company in Europe wanted me to work on a western video game that would have been a huge project – both financially and in terms of visibility and what it could represent. But it was more of the same, you know? I wanted to do something that connected what you do in the games with the heart – more than just the gymnastics, the shooting, the fighting, the surviving."
– Gustavo Santaolalla on deciding to compose the score for The Last of Us [3]
Santaolalla began work on The Last of Us early in its development. Druckmann did not give him specific directions but offered him the game's stories and themes. Santaolalla appreciated this freedom and felt it assisted his process. He felt the need to "go into some more dark place, more textural and not necessarily melodic", when composing. [4] The composer prefers to compose as he records, as he has little knowledge of reading and writing sheet music. To challenge himself, Santaolalla used a variety of unique instruments that were new to him, giving "an element of danger and innocence". [4] For some tracks, he used a detuned guitar, producing deep noise. [4] Santaolalla retrospectively realized he had composed a sonic contrast between the protagonists, with the Fender VI six-string bass guitar representing Joel and a ronroco representing Ellie. [3] The title track was composed on the latter instrument. [5]
To produce unique sounds, Santaolalla recorded in various rooms, including a bathroom and kitchen. [4] The team wanted the game's AI to affect the music. They also tried to make the music evoke a reaction from the player, as their familiarization with the sounds would trigger a previous emotion that they felt. Music manager Jonathan Mayer felt that the game's action music was atypical for video game action music, stating that it is "relatively low-key", and that taking it out of context changes the immediate reaction to it. [6] The game's theme, "The Last of Us", was the first piece of music that the team received, and they were very impressed. [6] With the music, the team aimed to "get emotion", as opposed to "horror". [7] Inspired by the sparing use of music in the film No Country for Old Men (2007), the team used music judiciously and tried to find other ways to "make your palms sweaty". [8] The orchestral portions of the score were recorded at Ocean Way Studios in Nashville by the Nashville Scoring Orchestra. [9]
Aside from the official soundtracks, licensed tracks also appear in the game. In the main game, during the section titled "Alone and Forsaken", Joel and Ellie listen to the songs "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive" and "Alone and Forsaken", both by Hank Williams. [10] In the downloadable expansion pack The Last of Us: Left Behind , Ellie and Riley dance to the Etta James cover of the song "I Got You Babe". In addition, "String Quartet No. 3 in E-Flat Minor, Op. 30" by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and "String Quartet No. 4 in E-Minor (B.19)" by Antonín Dvořák are also present in Left Behind. [11]
The Last of Us | |
---|---|
Soundtrack album by | |
Released | June 7, 2013 |
Studio | |
Genre | Soundtrack |
Length | 55:31 |
Label | Sony Computer Entertainment |
Producer |
|
The soundtrack for The Last of Us comprises songs from the game, composed and produced by Gustavo Santaolalla. The soundtrack spans thirty tracks, covering a duration of 56 minutes. Sony Computer Entertainment first published the album digitally via iTunes on June 7, 2013, and physically on June 13, 2013. The soundtrack was also included as pre-order downloadable content in the Sights and Sounds Pack. [5]
The orchestral score, performed by the Nashville Scoring Orchestra, was recorded at Ocean Way Studios in Nashville, while the soundtrack's drums and percussion, performed by Santaolalla, M.B. Gordy and Jonathan Mayer, was recorded at EastWest Studios in Hollywood. All recording was done by Mark Senasac and Aníbal Kerpel. The soundtrack was mastered by Tom Baker at Precision Mastering in Los Angeles. [12]
In the context of the game, the soundtrack was well-received. Computer and Video Games 's Andy Kelly called it "sparse and delicate". [13] and Eurogamer 's Oli Welsh felt it complemented the game's environments, [14] and Destructoid 's Jim Sterling felt it complemented gameplay. [15] Game Informer 's Matt Helgeson considered it "understated and haunting". [16] Game Revolution 's Keri Honea felt the album could be enjoyed outside of the context of the game, praising its unusual tracks and sound. [17] GameSpot 's Tom Mc Shea named the music one of the game's standout features, praising its addition during emotional scenes. [18] AllMusic 's Thom Jurek praised the album's variety and felt Santaolalla could "draw in and keep the attention of the listener". [19]
In the United Kingdom, the album topped the Soundtrack Albums Chart in July 2024, having previously charted several times since its release. [20] It simultaneously peaked at 33 on the Vinyl Albums Chart, [21] 79 on the Physical Albums Chart, [22] 84 on the Scottish Albums Chart, [23] and 92 on the Albums Sales Chart. [24] In France, it charted at 154 in December 2022. [25]
All tracks are written by Gustavo Santaolalla
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "The Quarantine Zone (20 Years Later)" | 3:40 |
2. | "The Hour" | 1:02 |
3. | "The Last of Us" | 3:04 |
4. | "Forgotten Memories" | 1:08 |
5. | "The Outbreak" | 1:32 |
6. | "Vanishing Grace" | 2:06 |
7. | "The Hunters" | 2:00 |
8. | "All Gone" | 1:13 |
9. | "Vanishing Grace (Innocence)" | 0:56 |
10. | "By Any Means" | 1:53 |
11. | "The Choice" | 1:42 |
12. | "Smugglers" | 1:38 |
13. | "The Last of Us (Never Again)" | 1:02 |
14. | "The Last of Us (Goodnight)" | 0:51 |
15. | "I Know What You Are" | 1:22 |
16. | "Home" | 3:08 |
17. | "Infected" | 1:16 |
18. | "All Gone (Aftermath)" | 1:04 |
19. | "The Last of Us (A New Dawn)" | 2:28 |
20. | "All Gone (No Escape)" | 2:54 |
21. | "Vanishing Grace (Childhood)" | 1:41 |
22. | "The Path" | 1:29 |
23. | "All Gone (Alone)" | 1:22 |
24. | "Blackout" | 1:39 |
25. | "The Way It Was" | 1:31 |
26. | "Breathless" | 1:24 |
27. | "The Last of Us (You and Me)" | 2:09 |
28. | "All Gone (The Outside)" | 1:58 |
29. | "The Path (A New Beginning)" | 2:47 |
30. | "Returning" | 3:36 |
Total length: | 55:35 |
The Last of Us Volume 2 | |
---|---|
Soundtrack album by | |
Released | February 7, 2014 |
Studio | |
Genre | Soundtrack |
Length | 58:43 |
Label | Sony Computer Entertainment |
Producer |
|
The Last of Us Volume 2, the soundtrack for the downloadable content The Last of Us: Left Behind, features compositions from the game, composed and produced by Gustavo Santaolalla. It also features works from Andrew Buresh, Anthony Caruso, and Jonathan Mayer, as well as some additional tracks from the main game. The soundtrack spans 25 tracks, covering a duration of 58 minutes. [26] Sony Computer Entertainment first published the album on iTunes and Amazon Music on February 7, 2014, one week prior to the release of Left Behind. [27]
The recording and mastering of the soundtrack took place in the same locations as the first album. The orchestral score, performed by the Nashville Scoring Orchestra, was recorded at Ocean Way Studios in Nashville, while the soundtrack's drums and percussion, performed by M.B. Gordy, Santaolalla and Mayer, was recorded at EastWest Studios in Hollywood. All recording and mixing was completed by Aníbal Kerpel, with additional mixing by Mark Senasac, Joel Yarger, Mayer and Caruso. The soundtrack was mastered by Marc Senasac at PlayStation Recording Studios. [28]
In the context of the game, the soundtrack was generally well received. Mike Futter of Game Informer felt that the soundtrack improves the game. [26] Adnan Riaz of Nouse echoed similar remarks, stating that the soundtrack accompanies some of the game's "crucial moments", and that it "builds the atmosphere for the exchanges" between the characters. [29]
No. | Title | Music | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Fleeting" | Gustavo Santaolalla | 3:00 |
2. | "All Gone (Seasons)" | Santaolalla | 2:00 |
3. | "Evasion" | Andrew Buresh | 1:20 |
4. | "All Gone (Partners)" | Santaolalla | 2:17 |
5. | "Cause and Effect" | JD Mayer | 2:15 |
6. | "All Gone (Reunion)" | Santaolalla | 1:48 |
7. | "Stalking" | Santaolalla | 1:59 |
8. | "Left Behind (Together)" | Santaolalla | 2:43 |
9. | "The Capitol" | Anthony Caruso | 3:21 |
10. | "Head Rush" | Santaolalla | 3:26 |
11. | "Wandering" | Santaolalla | 2:07 |
12. | "All Gone (Overcome)" | Santaolalla | 1:53 |
13. | "Unstable" | Santaolalla | 1:51 |
14. | "The Last of Us (Astray)" | Santaolalla | 3:29 |
15. | "Answers" | Mayer | 1:15 |
16. | "Drawn In" | Santaolalla | 1:10 |
17. | "Apprehension" | Mayer | 1:33 |
18. | "The Path (Vacant)" | Santaolalla | 2:59 |
19. | "Convergence" | Mayer | 2:50 |
20. | "Shadows" | Santaolalla | 0:59 |
21. | "No Mercy" | Santaolalla | 2:34 |
22. | "Fleeting (Affection)" | Santaolalla | 1:48 |
23. | "Extinction" | Buresh | 1:56 |
24. | "Consumed" | Caruso, Mayer | 4:15 |
25. | "Left Behind" | Santaolalla | 3:55 |
Total length: | 58:43 |
The Last of Us won Excellence in Musical Score at the 2014 SXSW Gaming Awards, [30] and the soundtrack received nominations at the 10th British Academy Video Games Awards [31] and Spike VGX 2013, [32] and from Hardcore Gamer, [33] IGN [34] and GameTrailers . [35] The game's main theme was performed live at the 2012 Spike Video Game Awards in Culver City, California, on December 7, 2012. [36] Music from The Last of Us was also performed live at The Last of Us: One Night Live in Santa Monica, California, on July 28, 2014. The event featured scenes from the game performed live by the actors, accompanied by the game's score, performed by Santaolalla and his band. [37] The popularity of the game has led to numerous cover versions of the music being released by various artists, such as violinist Taylor Davis. [38] Santaolalla adapted his music for the television adaptation of The Last of Us, which premiered in January 2023. [39] In June, he performed music from the game at the Hollywood Bowl as part of The Game Awards 10-Year Concert. [40]
Jak and Daxter is an action-adventure video game franchise created by Andy Gavin and Jason Rubin and owned by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The series was originally developed by Naughty Dog with a number of installments being outsourced to Ready at Dawn and High Impact Games. The first game, Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, released on December 3, 2001, was one of the earliest titles for the PlayStation 2, and is regarded as a defining franchise for the console.
Naughty Dog, LLC is an American first-party video game developer based in Santa Monica, California. Founded by Andy Gavin and Jason Rubin in 1984, the studio was acquired by Sony Computer Entertainment in 2001. Gavin and Rubin produced a sequence of progressively more successful games, including Rings of Power and Way of the Warrior in the early 1990s. The latter game prompted Universal Interactive Studios to sign the duo to a three-title contract and fund the expansion of the company.
Gustavo Alfredo Santaolalla is an Argentine composer and musician. Known for his minimalist approach to composing, he rose to fame for creating the scores for Brokeback Mountain (2005) and Babel (2006), for which he received two Academy Awards for Best Original Score in consecutive years. Santaolalla also gained recognition for his work on The Last of Us games, composing the original title and its 2020 sequel. He returned to reprise his themes and co-compose the score for the 2023 HBO adaptation.
Babel is the original soundtrack album, on the Concord label, of the 2006 Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe Award-winning film Babel directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu and starring Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Adriana Barraza, Gael García Bernal, Rinko Kikuchi and Kōji Yakusho. The original score and songs were composed and produced by Gustavo Santaolalla.
The Last of Us is a 2013 action-adventure game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. Players control Joel, a smuggler tasked with escorting a teenage girl, Ellie, across a post-apocalyptic United States. The Last of Us is played from a third-person perspective. Players use firearms and improvised weapons and can use stealth to defend against hostile humans and cannibalistic creatures infected by a mutated fungus. In the online multiplayer mode, up to eight players engage in cooperative and competitive gameplay.
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End is a 2016 action-adventure game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. It is the fourth main entry in the Uncharted series. Set several years after the events of Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, players control Nathan Drake, a former treasure hunter coaxed out of retirement by his presumed-dead brother Samuel. With Nathan's longtime partner, Victor Sullivan, they search for clues to the location of Henry Avery's long-lost treasure. A Thief's End is played from a third-person perspective, and incorporates platformer elements. Players solve puzzles and use firearms, melee combat, and stealth to combat enemies. In the online multiplayer mode, up to ten players engage in co-operative and competitive modes.
Neil Druckmann is an Israeli-American writer, creative director, designer, and programmer. He is the studio head and head of creative of the video game developer Naughty Dog, and is best known for his work on the game franchises Uncharted and The Last of Us, having co-created the latter.
Bruce Straley is an American game director, artist, designer, and studio director. He previously worked for the video game developer Naughty Dog, known for his work on the video games The Last of Us and Uncharted 4: A Thief's End. Straley's first video game work was as an artist at Western Technologies Inc, where he worked on the Menacer six-game cartridge (1992) and X-Men (1993). Following this, he formed a company, Pacific Softscape, where he worked as a designer on Generations Lost (1994). After the company disbanded, Straley was eventually hired at Crystal Dynamics, where he worked as a designer on Gex: Enter the Gecko (1998) and was initially game director for Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko (1999); he left the company partway through development of the latter.
The development of The Last of Us, an action-adventure game, began after Uncharted 2: Among Thieves' release in October 2009. Sony Computer Entertainment published The Last of Us for PlayStation 3 on June 14, 2013. The three-year development, led by studio Naughty Dog, was kept secret for the majority of development. In the game, players assume control of Joel, a middle-aged smuggler tasked with escorting a 14-year-old girl named Ellie across a post-apocalyptic United States in an attempt to create a potential cure against the world-ending infection to which Ellie is immune. Creative director Neil Druckmann was inspired to include the Infected as a main enemy in the game after discovering the Cordyceps fungi. Set 20 years after the outbreak has destroyed much of civilization, the game explores the possibility of the fungi infecting humans.
The Last of Us, a 2013 action-adventure survival horror video game developed by Naughty Dog, deals with the relationship between smuggler Joel, and Ellie. Joel is tasked with escorting Ellie across a post-apocalyptic United States in an attempt to create a potential cure against an infection to which Ellie is immune. The relationship between the two characters became the basis of the game's development.
Ellie is a character in the video game series The Last of Us by Naughty Dog. She is portrayed by Ashley Johnson through motion capture and voice acting; in the television adaptation, she is portrayed by Bella Ramsey. In the first game, The Last of Us (2013), Joel Miller is tasked with escorting a 14-year-old Ellie across a post-apocalyptic United States in an attempt to create a cure for an infection to which Ellie is immune. While players briefly assume control of Ellie, the artificial intelligence primarily controls her actions. Ellie reappeared as the playable character in the downloadable content prequel The Last of Us: Left Behind, in which she spends time with her friend Riley. In The Last of Us Part II (2020), players control a 19-year-old Ellie as she seeks revenge on Abby.
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune Original Soundtrack from the Video Game is the soundtrack to the 2007 action-adventure video game Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, developed by Naughty Dog. Composed by Greg Edmonson and performed by the Skywalker Session Orchestra, it was released on November 20, 2007 by the game's publisher, Sony Computer Entertainment.
The Last of Us Part II is a 2020 action-adventure game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Set four years after The Last of Us (2013), the game focuses on two playable characters in a post-apocalyptic United States whose lives intertwine: Ellie, who sets out in revenge for a murder, and Abby, a soldier who becomes involved in a conflict between her militia and a religious cult. The game uses a third-person perspective; the player must fight human enemies and zombie-like creatures with firearms, improvised weapons, and stealth.
Approximately 2,100 people developed The Last of Us Part II over more than five years, led by the 350-person team at Naughty Dog. Sony Interactive Entertainment published the action-adventure game in June 2020 for the PlayStation 4; a remastered version was released in January 2024 for the PlayStation 5. A sequel to the 2013 game The Last of Us, Part II's core development began after the 2014 release of The Last of Us Remastered. Neil Druckmann returned as creative director, co-writing the story with Halley Gross, while Anthony Newman and Kurt Margenau were selected to be co-game directors. Matthew Gallant was Remastered's game director.
The Last of Us is an action-adventure video game series and media franchise created by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The series is set in a post-apocalyptic United States ravaged by cannibalistic humans infected by a mutated fungus in the genus Cordyceps. It follows several survivors, including Joel, a smuggler who lost his daughter during the outbreak; Ellie, a young girl who is immune to the infection; and Abby, a soldier who becomes involved in a conflict between her militia and a religious cult. The games use a third-person perspective in which the player fights against hostile humans and cannibalistic creatures with firearms, improvised weapons, and stealth.
The music for the 2020 action-adventure survival horror video game The Last of Us Part II, developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, was composed by musician Gustavo Santaolalla, with additional music composed by Mac Quayle. The original score album was released digitally alongside the game in June 2020, featuring the work of Santaolalla and Quayle. An additional extended play, Covers and Rarities, was released in September 2021, featuring five cover songs from the game and its marketing performed by Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson, who portrayed Joel and Ellie, respectively. The game also received two single releases as vinyl records: one in June 2018 featuring music from the trailers, and one in the Ellie Edition of the game in June 2020.
The Book of Life is a 2014 animated musical fantasy comedy film directed by Jorge R. Gutierrez, produced by 20th Century Fox Animation and Reel FX Animation Studios, and distributed by 20th Century Fox, featuring the voices of Diego Luna, Zoe Saldana, and Channing Tatum with supporting roles by Christina Applegate, Ice Cube, Ron Perlman, and Kate del Castillo.
The music for the American post-apocalyptic drama television series The Last of Us was composed by Gustavo Santaolalla and David Fleming. Santaolalla composed the music for the video game franchise on which the series is based, including The Last of Us (2013) and The Last of Us Part II (2020). Several of Santaolalla's tracks from the video games were reused throughout the series; his work on the series focused on recrafting his previous work, while Fleming created original music inspired by real-world sounds within a decayed civilization.
Wild Tales (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack to the 2014 black comedy anthology film Wild Tales (Spanish: Relatos salvajes) directed by Damián Szifron. The album featured eleven tracks—seven of them were cues from the film score composed by Gustavo Santaolalla and a compilation of four songs heard in the film. Quartet Records released the soundtrack on 17 October 2014.