My grandfather passed away in 2010. One day, about a month before the cancer took him, he was visiting and I had the Halo 3 menu on the TV - “Never Forget”was playing. He heard this song and stood at parade rest as he became entranced by its beauty; I stood there next to him in silence. After it ended he said “At my funeral, play this song for me.” To this day, whenever this song plays, I picture that proud ex-Marine standing in the living room: strong jaw upraised, eyes filled with sorrow, hands clasped behind his back, ever the stoic soldier. He finished his fight soon afterwards. I make this post in honor of him and the strength that he imparted to me, and how this beautiful song has played such a pivotal role in so many lives.
You'll forgive me for it is the internet, and such a story is so profound and sincere that our calloused souls immediately reflex "this must not be true." You'll forgive me because if the story's true, it stands on such a deep foundational core of "human being" that you know not only why I had to preface this comment, but ultimately why I had to write appreciation towards yours. Semper Fi.
@@wren7195 I can see why you’d be skeptical, but he knew I loved Halo and he also knew his time was nearing its end. He was depressed at that time and I guess hearing how sad Never Forget is, plus knowing how dear the series is to me, felt a surge of emotion
ODST is so atmospheric and the mood is great. They really enhanced the gameplay and makes every halo game up through Reach feel incredibly cinematic as you're playing.
"Never forget what?" Never forget that is just the main menu music. You went from Tribute to Never Forget which is what you get from beating the campaign and then you're just sitting in the main menu absorbing the vibes
@@caramelldansen2204 it was originally called unforgotten in Halo 2, it's called this because Michael decided to do a Marty style piece but Marty didn't know how to fit it in, so it was originally part of the Halo 2 end credits and then was slightly remade for the Halo 3 menu
”Is there like a story aspect to the game that I just have no clue about?” Hearing someone say that while listening to Tribute is so wild. That song evokes so much emotion.
Seriously. Like. Understatement of the century. I love how even someone who didn't experience it at the time, can still feel and relate to the emotions that were instilled in us. To this day I cannot hear this music without goosebumps.
Goes to show just how important the music is to the whole story. If it can invoke emotion without any knowledge of the background, that’s something special.
Halo is a very story focused franchise. It encompasses not only games, but comics, novels, movies, animated short films, and even an anime. There are countless stories, beloved characters, and deep and complex lore. It's essential the Star Wars of videogames
@@mctyfun531The non cannon show that’s horrible… yeah… such a disappointing waste of potential. 343 and Microsoft continue to disappoint and mismanage the franchise.
@@stealthhunter6998 343i never respected Bungie's halo games, they had their own ideas and now the creators of the show are doing the same by ignoring the source content. Hope it dies like Netflix's Witcher.
@@stealthhunter6998 Bungie barely acknowledged and perhaps even at times resented the Halo EU (books, comics etc). MS/343i on the other hand embraced it a lot.
I showed my girlfriend Halo a few years ago, and when she heard Never Forget, she told me it felt like she was feeling nostalgia for something she had never experienced before. It's such a perfect way to describe it
Listening to three gates INSTANTLY transports me to the Ark Also it’s cool that Never Forget can bring you to tears without even having the sentimental value of the Halo 3 experience itself attached to it
I feel like never forget, really embodies that sense nostalgia, taking you back to cherished memories. Regardless of wether or not the song holds any significance to the listener. Its just such a well paced, well composed track. Marty is a genius composer
15:45 "For us, the storm has passed. The war is over. And let us never forget those who journeyed into the howling dark, and did not return. For their decision required courage beyond measure. Sacrifice, an unshakeable conviction that their fight... *our* fight... was elsewhere. As we start to rebuild, this hillside will remain barren, a memorial to heroes fallen. They enobled all of us, and they shall not be forgotten... ... I remember how this war started, what your kind did to mine. I can't forgive you, but you have my thanks... for standing by him to the end. Hard to believe he's dead..." "Were it... so easy..."
When you said "this feels like the end of a story" during tribute, you couldn't know how right you are. In more ways than one. End of the story, end of a beloved trillogy, end of a chapter in the lives of the people who played these games. It's very emotional for me.
I was there too. I'll never forget. The Halo games (by Bungie) told great stories about courage, heroism, sacrifice, and stoicism. My dad showed me Combat Evolved when I was 10, and the trilogy plus ODST and Reach played a pivotal role in my adolescence. I will *never* forget them.
@@A-MR.Ewell ny the end arbiter and chief were battle brothers on an insane mission to save the universe. But before that they had been trying literally everything to kill each other. If it were so easy to kill John Arbiter would have succeeded.
He knows. Even before they teamed up, The Chief was legendary among the Covenant. His name was spoken with fear as he was dubbed: "the demon" by the Covenant. The Covenant knew about the Spartans and feared them as well but none more so than The Chief. There were high-level assassin Sanghelli who wore special red armor and were tasked with the most dangerous behind enemy lines missions; which included assassination attempts on The Chief himself. They all failed. Over time the Covenant started to believe that The Chief was unkillable and they trembled even at the mention of him. @@A-MR.E
@@A-MR.E Cortana explains it in the opening lines of Halo 3, it just took Arby a while to figure out what The Covenant never could, and what Cortana knew about Chief from the moment she first met him. John wasn't just a great warrior, he had an intangible way of snatching success from the jaws of defeat. Beating the odds, cheating death - you might call it "luck." Besides, they had a connection, The Arbiter and The Chief. Not on the same level as John and Cortana, but close - battle brothers that saved all the sentient life in the galaxy together. He knows.
The Halo 3 soundtrack never fails to give me goosebumps. Just remembering seeing the Foreward Unto Dawn circling in the distance as this little ship, until that trumpet sounds... and then it rapidly approaches, getting bigger, and bigger, and bigger, and you realize it's coming in VERY close to where you're standing. The bow wave of wind from its approach blows everything around you away, and it finally comes to a stop just above you, seeming to go from 60-0 in just a few seconds. Then, the cargo elevators start to lower, and the ship leaves you with some very nice, very powerful treaded 'gifts'.
One song in particular SO GREAT, it’s name deserve not be used by someone as unworthy as me. A god-like masterpiece. What once was warthog run. You know the rest.
Every Halo game has at least one theme where you can say “yep, this is THE theme” and you’re right on with One Final Effort being that theme. Plays during probably the best moment of the game and it just embodies the entire H3 soundtrack.
Yes Halo is an extremely story focused game, many people buy the games just for the campaign and don’t even touch the multiplayer aspect. You’ll laugh a lot, cry a lot and just have an incredible experience
Never played the multiplayer aspect? Yes everyone buys Halo for the story, but everyone continues to play 100's of hours after the campaign is finished because of the multiplayer. You gotta find some reliable friends to rank up in multiplayer with.
@@iLive4HStyleuntil infinite I was always a 100% campaign guy. I’ve seen the light now but I still prefer single player, now if 343 could write a good one please.
So, fun fact, "Never Forget" was named as such because Martin O'Donnell fully produced the track but then completely forgot it existed until every part of the game has its music. Then near the end of game development he found the track and knew it had to go somewhere, so "Never Forget" ended up as a menu song that can sometimes show up. However, the name has taken on a meaning entirely of its own by the fans as it's been played at countless funerals and is basically the rallying cry of nostalgic fans.
If I'm remembering correctly there was a few people within Bungie and/or Microsoft at the time this game was being made who thought that using a piano for its soundtrack would not work after Halo 2's electric guitar stuff. Marty O'Donnell insisted on using it though. What resulted was a soundtrack that can instantly be recognised from this piano chord alone 0:12
I almost can't bear to hear these soundtracks anymore. It's not just the story but the countless hours I used to spend playing this game with my friends on the couch. Haven't really talked to them in like 15 years at this point. I miss them so damn much.
Couldn't keep it together at Never Forget, especially after tribute. I mean I was already crying my eyes out at Finish The Fight, but I'm just a wreck now.
Different times now.. some of my most memorable times involved playing this game on split screen with my buddies. Everyday after school my friend would come to my house and we’d play this until his mom came by to pick him up. And almost every Friday my other friends would come over and we’d just have a blast.. Damn, what a time
I want Never Forget to be played on my funeral lmao. I love that song and I've listened to it like a million times and I still cry because of the memories.
So, for your comment at 18:10, some general things to be aware of. 1. Yes, halo has a very significant story aspect! And some of the best tracks, including the one playing at this time, are playing during story beats. Let’s say the vibes you get from this are not incorrect, it is kind of the end to a story. 2. A lot of the tracks, like on a pale horse, represent entire levels or sections of levels. Elements within them may loop or repeat depending on your progress through a mission, before progressing to the next general section of the level and the next section of the track. This is also, for example, why the suggestion to start at 2 minutes in for Three Gates was a thing, because it’s that particular section of track that is really good.
I was really off put by the "start at 2 comments" at first but in context with One Final Effort it works well. You don't need the teaser of Three Gates, you get all the goodness from the intro but with the tail it deserves
Whenever you react to Halo Reach's music, I strongly recommend you watch the Deliver Hope trailer because it has one of the most amazing pieces of Halo music I have ever heard. Edit: So a quick clarification. The music in the Deliver Hope trailer was never released on Reach's OST, but i swear it is one of the most amazing tracks I have ever heard.
That quote.... My personal best moment in the entire franchise. So much comes together and goes full circle. Especially according to the music. Everything that was build up for cortana and master chief comes together and even their soundtracks are combined.
My husband, daughter in law, sons, and brothers still play Halo Master Chief Collection every Saturday night. Since 2007 the Halo cillection has been a part of our family bonding. ❤❤❤ So many great memories of LAN parties and fun choas!
Halo 3 is by far my favourite piece of media ever. What Marty O’Donnell and co accomplished was a stroke of perfection. I verge on tearing up every time I hear “tribute”, “never forget” and “keep what you steal”, such iconic riffs.
16:10 "This feels like the end of a story" I love the way you describe these things. It's nice to see people appreciating this stuff like you do! You've earned a sub from me! I'm gonna be watching your Xenoblade videos too, as I adore that game series just as much as Halo!
One of my favorite things about the halo music that not a lot of people talk about, is that the instruments in most of the pieces represent individual characters, (although I wouldn't be surprised if someone has commented this already and I missed it) Cortana - Piano Master Chief - Strings UNSC (Military)- Drums & Brass Covenant (Aliens) - Synth/Techno & Vocals, sometimes wood percussion Flood (Scary Aliens) - High Strings and Vocals When going back and listening to the music you can tell whats happening in the story just by the way the instruments collide and interact and influence each other There's a piece that plays at 9:54 when two characters reunite that just beautifully combines their two instruments, and themes, into one goosebump inducing moment when they finally come together again after so long.
Yes, I can almost imagine myself in a setting of a faction when I hear the music, like when unsc type themes I can imagine marines gearing up and getting ready for war as sgt Johnson yells at them to pick up the pace, like the beginning of the piece tribute
The way it works is you have a cutscene that comes before each level, like a mini movie. It sets up what you're doing and gives context. Then as you play the music adjusts to what kind of activity you're doing, so fast paced for action, or dramatic if there's so.e threat pending. The gameplay is also occasionally interrupted with short reprieves where the characters will talk and update the story, this is often accompanied by it's own music. Then you close out the level with another cutscene, and there's end credits like a movie.
18:26 Ah yes, I remember my 9-year-old self being so hyped to play this game, booting it up on the old Xbox 360, and then having this song hit me like a truck on the main menu. Didn’t really know why it hit me so hard at the time but looking back, it’s clear how much these stories, and the beautiful music written to enhance them, really stuck with me.
Yes. Even if it's just a video game... the struggles of humanity, chief and the arbiter. We were there every step of the way. Along side friends that played with us. It is commonly thought... this is nostalgic music. And it truly is.
The first song was used in the E3 2006 trailer for Halo 3. Hearing it almost brings me to tears because it brings me back to that time. It felt like no other game had ever been as hyped as Halo 3 was at that monent. Also, play the games. You won't regret it.
Halo is one of the most important game franchises to me, I played Combat Evolved when I was only Three years old (I'm 24 now) my dad was a huge gamer) and I would often play with him and his friends and still beat his friends cause of how much I played the game, I could never beat my Dad at it though lol Halo 2 I probably enjoyed even more than Combat Evolved growing up, it just seemed so grand in comparison with the story and new songs, even many remixes of old tracks Halo 3 made me into an avid Xbox player single handedly growing up, the Campaign, the Multiplayer, Forge, and the Music all tying it together, it was such an amazing finale to the original trilogy. The song "Tribute" legit made me cry when it was used in game because of the accompanying scene... Everytime I hear the soundtrack no matter which game, whether it be CE, 2, 3, even from ODST, Reach, and the newest games too, I get reminded of all the good times I've had playing each and every game Even with the direction Halo has gone in recent years, I don't think anything will ever stop me from loving the franchise and especially the Music The music in the 343 entries is no slouch at all and goes so hard But Marty O' Donnell is something else, man. He's an amazing composer and nothing has truly topped his work in the Halo franchise imo Halo is truly Legendary, and the Music plays such a huge part of that for sure
I love that she gets so invested with “keep what you steal” and yet for us Halo vets we know this one played during one of the most terrifying and stressful missions in the game. 😂
“We’ll light the ring, and we’ll all go home”… Halo’s story, music, scenery, etc is what really brought me in as a kid and still to this day as an adult. The trilogy is really just untouchable when it comes to the music and it continued to get better with each of the games. And to add to my above statement: Playing through the games, way too many times (it’s never enough), I know exactly which part of the game each section of music playing comes from. And it brings a whole next level of emotion when you know exactly what’s happening in game when these songs are playing..makes me tear up every single time just like you were doing during “Never Forget”, I believe that this song will always get me to tear up. Just shows how much the music means to us and especially to those who have played the games.
My mom was always against video games until one day I happen to leave the main menu on the tv. She asked what was playing and I said Halo. She could not believe this game had such a magical soundtrack and would actually ask me to play the ost sometimes. I love this music with everything I have and I’m glad it’s reached another the same way
Never Forget is a personal favorite of mine. It would play on the main menu and I'd spend a lot of time there just listening as a camera panned across a desolate landscape. BTW ODST stands for Orbital Drop Shock Trooper. Think of them like space paratroopers.
Your reaction to never forget is all of us who played the game thinking about our childhoods. I used to just sit on the main menu and listen to that play over and over (with the storm in the background)
Something to note about Behold a Pale horse. The first section is a reprise/remix of "On a Pale Horse" from the first Halo game. If memory serves, both themes play during vehicle based sections which fits the horse motif and you were spot on about the pale horse representing death as the covenant(enemies) see Spartans, and master chief in particular as Demons.
Bungie Halo has to have the most emotion inducing music of any game ever. It is sheer brilliance and pure art. Seeing someone else enjoy the music brings me such unexplainable joy
Never Forget really hits hard on the main menu. Unfortunately the Halo Xbox 360 servers shut down in early 2022 leaving behind many memories for so many people. Hearing Never Forget while in the menu definitely feels haunting and nostalgic. Always will be my favourite halo track!
5:40 If You Know, You Know. Marine 1 *"Up High, Here She Comes"* Marine 2 *"Is The Dawn Rated For Atmosphere?"* Marine 1 *"I Guess We're Going To Find Out, Hey Take Cover"*
From a guy who played it upon release. I can honestly say that NO other game I've ever played has had a soundtrack impact me so heavily. To this day, it still gives me goosebumps.
Man, I instantly made a swooping handgesture mimicing the frigate's descent and lowering of the lift when that part came on. And now I'm tearing up at the start of Keep What You Steal. Halo will always be special
10:00 this track always makes me emotional. 3 games building up to this moment. A reunion of two who never should have been broken apart. The protagonist doesn't show many emotions and it's still such a big emotional gesture.
Chief keeps it bottled up for years after Cortana's "death". All of a sudden he just can't keep it to himself anymore and he cracks, and you see that there's humanity within Maester Fief
We all felt "Never forget", now if you feel it that way being and adult, now imagine me, 15 years, right after the school with my best friend listening to this... that was shocking! I drop a tear without my friend notice it only to see him also dropping a tear! it was amazing!
Three Gates is an adaptation of Leonidas from the second game's soundtrack, a song that plays as the protagonist crosses a lake to assassinate the prophet of regret, one of the religious leaders of the Covenant. One of my favourites from the Halo 2 soundtrack.
Marty odonnel is probably my BIGGEST musical inspiration. His work for halo 3 and ODST specifically. Those games really shiwed me how much a piano can effect a whole song. Just adding bits here and there can darastically change the emotion of the song.
Honestly the halo trilogy alone could be a case study about how good it is. Its still wild to me how good the soundtrack to these games are still good this many years later.
'Never Forget' is special to me, and im sure a lot of people like me who grew up on Halo 3. It isn't just a beautifully composed piece, its a memory of your friends. All together sharing an unforgettable experience. And even after your friends all signed off for the night, that soundtrack accompanied as you sat to hesitantly shut off the console for what we didnt know would be one of the last times. I miss you guys, and ill truly never forget you and all our efforts we put into those game nights.
To give an idea of how good this music works as a story device, for every song that played, I could tell you exactly what was happening and what the characters were doing and saying.
Same to me. The music intensifies the moments so much that you barely can listen to the music without imagining what happened in the game. Marty's emotional equity really hits.
Halo has always done such a great job at making you feel like you are fighting a battle that cannot be won .Which makes every victory for the humans feel like a major relief, especially in Halo: Reach. The mood is pretty much "We're losing this war but damn, if we're gonna go down...WE'RE GOING DOWN FIGHTING!"
Your reaction to Never Forget is me every single time I hear it to this day. Halo 3 was a big part of my childhood and that song alone just makes me think of it and reminisce. To this day, it’s part of my playlist to try to fall asleep at times. The whole entire video I was waiting for it and your reaction didn’t let down! Thanks for listening to this soundtrack. Absolutely stunning.
Halo 1-3, odst, and reach have some of the best soundtracks in all of gaming. If you ever did reaction videos to the cutscenes of each game, the soundtrack is 10x more powerful and the eyes will get watery lol. Glad you like these!
Halo 4 has an underrated OST. It trades some of the epicness of the previous OSTs for suspense and a little bit of dread. It has a little bit of nightmarish quality to it that is very different. Halo 5's OST is unmemorable outside of a couple of tracks. Infinite has a very good OST and sounds much like a new take on the original trilogy's OSTs.
"I will never forget that feeling I just felt" encompasses everyone who played this masterful franchise. You just can't describe that "feeling" the Halo soundtrack gives you, to 100% accuracy. Such a unique bunch of video games.
19:06 it's enough to make a grown man cry. Never forget how much fun we had with halo 1,2,3,ODST and reach and how much it was a part of my childhood playing halo was, playing halo with my brothers not caring about a thing just eating PB&j chilling playing halo
The soundtrack encompasses the themes of the game so well. The tiniest bit of hope shining through the most dire possible situations, the feeling of like, "This is it. If we fail, humanity is over"
This game was my childhood, listening to these songs breaks my heart and makes me fall in love all over again. People say its just a game but Halo to me personally got me through some terrible times and I met some great people along the way. I am getting oldish as a type this comment but the memories are forever with me and I will cherish them forever. Playing the MCC every now and then brings a smile and a warmness in my heart that I have never felt in any game before. The word beautiful could not do justice to this game and music. [2007- 2024]
Halo 3 makes me feel many things for sure. It's one of those soundtracks that I can just hum to and hit on the beats on a whim because it's both so recognizable and I've listened to it so much. There are great soundtracks that come out even to this day, but nothing quite hits like Halo 3.
This was my first online game. All of this music is ingrained into my head. I was singing along with it from my memory the entire video. I can place exactly where these tracks are in missions and in trailers. I’m so glad to watch someone else experience this for the first time. All of the halo games really. I know others have already answered, but yes there is a large story aspect to the games. Halo CE’s story is almost like an 80’s action sci-fi love letter mixed with Alien. Halo 2 plays like a drama. It’s probably the most complex and the best story of the games. Halo 3 plays like a modern action flick. If you are interested you should look up the cutscenes or story. It’s pretty interesting and detailed! ODST is based on noir investigation movies. Reach starts out like a military thriller but quickly turns into a tragedy Never Forget makes me cry. It was the menu music. It reminds me of all the time me and my friends killed in 08-10 on this game. The late nights, the custom lobbies, Forge mode, pictures, bungie favorites, Team Snipes, Grifball, SWAT, and everything else. Never Forget makes me get lost in a wave of nostalgia.
I love these 3 vids of yours. My favorite part has been your consistent ability to go “oh this feels like spacey or menacing” and those bits/songs in question are *exactly* used on those very moments. It’s made me really appreciate the incredible work put into these OSTs
I just watched all of your react content for this trilogy and I am still amazed at how music can tell a story. I literally saw the story from beginning to end in my mind just listening to the music and hearing your reaction.
So Halo is a very sad and emotional set of games with an incredible story. Finish the Fight is a song used in the promotional trailers but a version did play in the games and it was a very intense scene. Halo 3 had probably the highest stakes so the entire story was very intense. The tone is definitely much darker in Halo 3 than it was in the others. Humanity is on the backfoot trying to survive. Halo 3 is the most emotional of the original three games. You are correct Tribute is the song played at the very end. The game had a very somber but uplifting ending. A we lost a lot of good people along the way but the war is finally over type of ending.
the part when you asked about how the games goes, that song was called tribute and thats at the end after the war during a cutscene showing the dead from the war and the admiral or captain hood giving respects for the dead and anouncing that during the rebuilding after the war that the hillside they stand on would remain barren in honor of those who died to fight the alien covenant
I legit started tearing up when Never Forget started (Also highly recommend Never Forget Midnight Version if you listen Halo 4's). That song holds such a special place in mine and everyone's hearts. That song epitomizes melancholy and nostalgia. Everyone has their own images that come to mind when it plays, giving everyone a unique yet shared connection with the music.
18:25 "Never Forget....never forget what?" I guarantee youll never forget this song. Such an incredible piece. And then the piano comes in with vocals and good Lord do you feel in your soul. Such a beautiful song that makes me cry every time i hear it. Easily the best that surpasses even the iconic intro from CE. Just ..... breath taking.
Thank you so much for this, halo is such a musical experience, personally my favorite experiences have been halo 3, halo ODST and halo Reach, those are so unique musically
Finish the Fight was "an event". It marked the most hyped trailer of that E3. Goosbumps to this very day. Regarding ODST... The soundtrack for that game is... different. Both Halo 3: ODST and Halo Reach have this eary atmosphere of something is not clicking, but is so beatifully layed out that you get immersed in this melancholic sadness.
All 3 of these videos were very enjoyable to relive the moments nostalgically while also watching you nail describing the emotions/themes which are exactly how they were used in the games
18:23 “Never Forget. Never forget what? What if I forget?” You won’t. (Edit) 22:04 - Told ya lol Jokes aside, I’ve been listening to these soundtracks since I was a little kid in 2004, and it is very cool to see someone new to the franchise experience some of, in my opinion, the best soundtracks in gaming. Also if/when you go back to the halos you’ve already done, and since you seem to have a preference to Halo’s use of choirs, you should check out: The Maw - Halo: CE [Pretty short somber song made up almost entirely of a male choir] Heavy Price Paid - Halo 2 [Very sad, but VERY pretty song composed of mostly choral singing with a piano for flavor] Heretic, Hero - Halo 2 [Percussion heavy with a choir, and bass guitar to back it up] Halo Reborn - Halo 3 [Straight up beautiful choral opening with a pretty unsettling ending] Hope you see this and give my recommendations a try!!
I love seeing people react to a game series that brought me smile during my childhood. This was the game I cherished with big bro and all the music is imho just so damn fitting that sometimes you dont realise that there is even music and when you do, it feels like a trip
Also, btw, for future listenings - I HIGHLY recommend both Ori and the Blind Forest along with it’s sequel, Ori and the Will of the Wisps. Both stellar, STELLAR soundtracks.
Sitting in my room with some tears in my eyes. Thinking about good times. Better times with friends and countless rounds of fun in the best trilogy of a game. My childhood, my present self and my future. I hope to see some of you in the showdown.
Tribute is the end of the game, the end of the war. But the cost of the war was higher than anyone could have imagined. The Hero doesn't ride off into the sunset. The Hero is lost somewhere in the void, just waiting. Never Forget has a meaning that is unique to anyone that listens. The most profound one I can think of is when the original Halo 3 Xbox servers went down forever, those that were on the last match would come together and just reminisce the good times had on the servers, and when the final game finally ended, we came back to the menu and Never Forget played, and it just hit you in the feels so damn hard
Youve simply GOT to do a video contrasting all of the "A Walk in the Woods" renditions from each game. A Walk in the Woods Heretic, Hero Zealous Champion Another walk Walking away, & Through the Trees
"Never Forget" always gives me chills and makes me tear up with all of the emotions packed into it. Closing out an amazing story and journey. Playing through them in my early childhood and growing up with them. They truly changed my life. Such beautiful pieces. Thanks for doing this and experiencing them along with us!
Halo is probably the only game series where I can hear a song and think "oh, that's from this segment". so iconic.
Listening to tribute I swear I could just hear Lord Hoods monolog.
Is the Dawn rated for atmosphere?
When I was 8 years old, this was the only game I played for almost a year. So I know this feeling just as well friend.
@@levi22es one way to find out, grab some cover
You should try a game called 'Valley'.
My grandfather passed away in 2010. One day, about a month before the cancer took him, he was visiting and I had the Halo 3 menu on the TV - “Never Forget”was playing. He heard this song and stood at parade rest as he became entranced by its beauty; I stood there next to him in silence. After it ended he said “At my funeral, play this song for me.”
To this day, whenever this song plays, I picture that proud ex-Marine standing in the living room: strong jaw upraised, eyes filled with sorrow, hands clasped behind his back, ever the stoic soldier.
He finished his fight soon afterwards. I make this post in honor of him and the strength that he imparted to me, and how this beautiful song has played such a pivotal role in so many lives.
I thank him for his service and I wish him a peaceful rest.
Clearly a man of class. Thank you for the post him for his service.
You'll forgive me for it is the internet, and such a story is so profound and sincere that our calloused souls immediately reflex "this must not be true."
You'll forgive me because if the story's true, it stands on such a deep foundational core of "human being" that you know not only why I had to preface this comment, but ultimately why I had to write appreciation towards yours.
Semper Fi.
May he rest in peace
@@wren7195 I can see why you’d be skeptical, but he knew I loved Halo and he also knew his time was nearing its end. He was depressed at that time and I guess hearing how sad Never Forget is, plus knowing how dear the series is to me, felt a surge of emotion
You'll Love Halo 3: ODST. Very different overall tone, Marty sort of went off on a jazz tangent with that game, and it totally works
This, I commented about this on a prior video actually. It'd be a great video to see
Agreed.
ODST is so atmospheric and the mood is great. They really enhanced the gameplay and makes every halo game up through Reach feel incredibly cinematic as you're playing.
And now you must have an appreciation for free-form jazz!
*defference for darkness plays quietly*
I also recommend this one last time. The Menagerie is probably my favorite piece of music ever. It just fits the vibe of my psyche.
Love your facial expressions.
Thanks Marty 😀
The Godfather of Space Opera bringing a sense of balance with just your presence! #MartyForCongress
No wayyyyy
Oh! He IS here! Hi Marty!
Heyya Marty, I hope your run for office goes well man! Wishing the best.
"Never forget what?"
Never forget that is just the main menu music. You went from Tribute to Never Forget which is what you get from beating the campaign and then you're just sitting in the main menu absorbing the vibes
Fun fact: it's called Never Forget because Marty O'Donnell forgot the name of the original and named it Forgotten, then Never Forget, instead!
@@caramelldansen2204 lmao no way
@@caramelldansen2204 even better, i heard he also just, forgot about the song existing till they basically finished putting all the music in the game
@@caramelldansen2204 it was originally called unforgotten in Halo 2, it's called this because Michael decided to do a Marty style piece but Marty didn't know how to fit it in, so it was originally part of the Halo 2 end credits and then was slightly remade for the Halo 3 menu
@@mythicknz8203 UNforgotten! Thanks!
”Is there like a story aspect to the game that I just have no clue about?”
Hearing someone say that while listening to Tribute is so wild. That song evokes so much emotion.
you just had to be there
@@ACheekyOtterI really want her to experience it.
Seriously. Like. Understatement of the century. I love how even someone who didn't experience it at the time, can still feel and relate to the emotions that were instilled in us. To this day I cannot hear this music without goosebumps.
That's one of those, "Where men cried" moments 😂😭
Goes to show just how important the music is to the whole story. If it can invoke emotion without any knowledge of the background, that’s something special.
Halo is a very story focused franchise. It encompasses not only games, but comics, novels, movies, animated short films, and even an anime. There are countless stories, beloved characters, and deep and complex lore. It's essential the Star Wars of videogames
Good thing you didn't mention the ongoing you know what lol.
@@mctyfun531The non cannon show that’s horrible… yeah… such a disappointing waste of potential. 343 and Microsoft continue to disappoint and mismanage the franchise.
@@stealthhunter6998 343i never respected Bungie's halo games, they had their own ideas and now the creators of the show are doing the same by ignoring the source content. Hope it dies like Netflix's Witcher.
There's a TV show too but we don't talk about it. 😅
@@stealthhunter6998 Bungie barely acknowledged and perhaps even at times resented the Halo EU (books, comics etc). MS/343i on the other hand embraced it a lot.
I showed my girlfriend Halo a few years ago, and when she heard Never Forget, she told me it felt like she was feeling nostalgia for something she had never experienced before. It's such a perfect way to describe it
Anemoia.
Anemoia.
Anemoia.
Ammonia.
This has been an incredible three-month journey, and I'm glad to have shared it with you all. Here's to three more! 😂
Listening to three gates INSTANTLY transports me to the Ark
Also it’s cool that Never Forget can bring you to tears without even having the sentimental value of the Halo 3 experience itself attached to it
100%, when behold a pale horde played all I remembered was when the forward unto dawn breaks atmosphere on the ark, bro chills
Love you Billy. Go Birds
I remember Never Forget when I launched Halo 2 at launch in November 2004. My brother and I just took it in. It was a new era
I feel like never forget, really embodies that sense nostalgia, taking you back to cherished memories. Regardless of wether or not the song holds any significance to the listener. Its just such a well paced, well composed track. Marty is a genius composer
For me thee gates takes me back to delta halo before killing the prophet of regret
"Never Forget" is every Halo player's funeral song. It hits so close to the soul.
15:45
"For us, the storm has passed. The war is over. And let us never forget those who journeyed into the howling dark, and did not return. For their decision required courage beyond measure. Sacrifice, an unshakeable conviction that their fight... *our* fight... was elsewhere. As we start to rebuild, this hillside will remain barren, a memorial to heroes fallen. They enobled all of us, and they shall not be forgotten...
...
I remember how this war started, what your kind did to mine. I can't forgive you, but you have my thanks... for standing by him to the end. Hard to believe he's dead..."
"Were it... so easy..."
Chefs kiss👌
Perfect!
“Wake me, when you need me”
Come on, Chief. I need you.
In memory of those fallen in the defense of Earth and her colonies. March 3 2553.
117
Chills
When you said "this feels like the end of a story" during tribute, you couldn't know how right you are. In more ways than one. End of the story, end of a beloved trillogy, end of a chapter in the lives of the people who played these games. It's very emotional for me.
It was the end of an Era man. I’m glad to have lived through that time.
It was the end or near the end of, imo, the golden age of gaming. And hotdamn was I there for it.
I was there too. I'll never forget. The Halo games (by Bungie) told great stories about courage, heroism, sacrifice, and stoicism. My dad showed me Combat Evolved when I was 10, and the trilogy plus ODST and Reach played a pivotal role in my adolescence. I will *never* forget them.
Beautiful memories, fellas.
Best times, we were truly blessed
17:05 "hard to believe he's dead"
"Were it so easy"
Why do you think the arbiter said that? I think that he knows he’s still alive.
@@A-MR.Ewell ny the end arbiter and chief were battle brothers on an insane mission to save the universe. But before that they had been trying literally everything to kill each other.
If it were so easy to kill John Arbiter would have succeeded.
@@Dunkopf well said…
He knows. Even before they teamed up, The Chief was legendary among the Covenant. His name was spoken with fear as he was dubbed: "the demon" by the Covenant. The Covenant knew about the Spartans and feared them as well but none more so than The Chief. There were high-level assassin Sanghelli who wore special red armor and were tasked with the most dangerous behind enemy lines missions; which included assassination attempts on The Chief himself. They all failed. Over time the Covenant started to believe that The Chief was unkillable and they trembled even at the mention of him. @@A-MR.E
@@A-MR.E Cortana explains it in the opening lines of Halo 3, it just took Arby a while to figure out what The Covenant never could, and what Cortana knew about Chief from the moment she first met him.
John wasn't just a great warrior, he had an intangible way of snatching success from the jaws of defeat. Beating the odds, cheating death - you might call it "luck."
Besides, they had a connection, The Arbiter and The Chief. Not on the same level as John and Cortana, but close - battle brothers that saved all the sentient life in the galaxy together.
He knows.
The Halo 3 soundtrack never fails to give me goosebumps. Just remembering seeing the Foreward Unto Dawn circling in the distance as this little ship, until that trumpet sounds... and then it rapidly approaches, getting bigger, and bigger, and bigger, and you realize it's coming in VERY close to where you're standing. The bow wave of wind from its approach blows everything around you away, and it finally comes to a stop just above you, seeming to go from 60-0 in just a few seconds. Then, the cargo elevators start to lower, and the ship leaves you with some very nice, very powerful treaded 'gifts'.
one of the most epic things in the OG games ngl. Even today i just stand there and watch.
One song in particular SO GREAT, it’s name deserve not be used by someone as unworthy as me. A god-like masterpiece. What once was warthog run. You know the rest.
Every Halo game has at least one theme where you can say “yep, this is THE theme” and you’re right on with One Final Effort being that theme. Plays during probably the best moment of the game and it just embodies the entire H3 soundtrack.
"All ships fire at will"
@@dernwine That was a solid cutscene, but nothing beats two scarabs
@@aksis2133 Tank beats everything!
@@aksis2133 two scarabs wasn't a cutscene
The majority of the song was in previous games, with Unyielding and Truth and Reconciliation. It's a rearrangement.
Yes Halo is an extremely story focused game, many people buy the games just for the campaign and don’t even touch the multiplayer aspect. You’ll laugh a lot, cry a lot and just have an incredible experience
Never played the multiplayer aspect? Yes everyone buys Halo for the story, but everyone continues to play 100's of hours after the campaign is finished because of the multiplayer. You gotta find some reliable friends to rank up in multiplayer with.
Sergeant Johnson has some brilliant one liners
The only time i cried was when i saw Halo. Dumbstruck. Blinded by its majesty
Apart from halo 5… ugh
@@iLive4HStyleuntil infinite I was always a 100% campaign guy. I’ve seen the light now but I still prefer single player, now if 343 could write a good one please.
So, fun fact, "Never Forget" was named as such because Martin O'Donnell fully produced the track but then completely forgot it existed until every part of the game has its music. Then near the end of game development he found the track and knew it had to go somewhere, so "Never Forget" ended up as a menu song that can sometimes show up.
However, the name has taken on a meaning entirely of its own by the fans as it's been played at countless funerals and is basically the rallying cry of nostalgic fans.
No way this is true, right? The version in Halo 2 is named Unforgotten lmao
@@tom2matI was about to say lol. Maybe Unforgotten's backstory but def not Never Forget.
@@tom2mat it's basically what Martin said during a 2 hour interview with KeyofGeebz on Geebz's gaming channel RPGeebz
@@tom2mat It’s true, just for Halo 2.
Reminds me of band of brothers
If I'm remembering correctly there was a few people within Bungie and/or Microsoft at the time this game was being made who thought that using a piano for its soundtrack would not work after Halo 2's electric guitar stuff.
Marty O'Donnell insisted on using it though. What resulted was a soundtrack that can instantly be recognised from this piano chord alone 0:12
I almost can't bear to hear these soundtracks anymore.
It's not just the story but the countless hours I used to spend playing this game with my friends on the couch.
Haven't really talked to them in like 15 years at this point. I miss them so damn much.
Couldn't keep it together at Never Forget, especially after tribute. I mean I was already crying my eyes out at Finish The Fight, but I'm just a wreck now.
Different times now.. some of my most memorable times involved playing this game on split screen with my buddies. Everyday after school my friend would come to my house and we’d play this until his mom came by to pick him up. And almost every Friday my other friends would come over and we’d just have a blast.. Damn, what a time
@@UPLYNXED Never forget.
I know man. I understand totally.
Why not just check on them? See how they're doing?
I want Never Forget to be played on my funeral lmao. I love that song and I've listened to it like a million times and I still cry because of the memories.
based
"Keep what you steal? What is it that was stolen?"
Two hearts. A human one and a cybernetic one.
And the Activation Index… as a souvenir, just in case.
@@xCrimsonxTidex Thought I'd try shooting my way out. Mix things up a little.
Officially it's actually knowledge that is stolen, as Cortana takes information and keeps it with her. But yes, that too!
@@VainerCactus0 “Just keep your head down… there’s two of us in here now.”
the green one and the blue one
This is what "bring your TV and an extra controller if you have one" sounds like.
So, for your comment at 18:10, some general things to be aware of.
1. Yes, halo has a very significant story aspect! And some of the best tracks, including the one playing at this time, are playing during story beats. Let’s say the vibes you get from this are not incorrect, it is kind of the end to a story.
2. A lot of the tracks, like on a pale horse, represent entire levels or sections of levels. Elements within them may loop or repeat depending on your progress through a mission, before progressing to the next general section of the level and the next section of the track. This is also, for example, why the suggestion to start at 2 minutes in for Three Gates was a thing, because it’s that particular section of track that is really good.
I was really off put by the "start at 2 comments" at first but in context with One Final Effort it works well. You don't need the teaser of Three Gates, you get all the goodness from the intro but with the tail it deserves
Marty: * hits a single piano key *
Halo fans: PANDEMONIUM
Absolute musical mastery.
Don't forget Michael Salvatori
"Never forget", Spartans never die they're just missing in action 😭
You didn’t have to go there, bud
Yeah
0:10 2 keys, 1 note. All you need is that to make a true Halo fan cry, get goosebumps and go "YEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!"
Whenever you react to Halo Reach's music, I strongly recommend you watch the Deliver Hope trailer because it has one of the most amazing pieces of Halo music I have ever heard.
Edit: So a quick clarification. The music in the Deliver Hope trailer was never released on Reach's OST, but i swear it is one of the most amazing tracks I have ever heard.
That score makes me... remember Reach
Im coming back after hearing that 2 min masterpiece, It makes my eyes sher a tear
Ehh I think the Discover Hope music is cool but a bit generic and would take time away from other better tracks in game
She’ll really like We Remember because of the electric guitar.
I just watched it and cried for about 10 minutes afterward
Sitting in the custom games lobbies and hearing Never Forget is something that no other game comes close to
10:57 “ keep your head down. There’s two of us in here remember”
That quote.... My personal best moment in the entire franchise. So much comes together and goes full circle. Especially according to the music. Everything that was build up for cortana and master chief comes together and even their soundtracks are combined.
@@SilverViper1000 right on
Brings a tear to my eye
Figured I’d try shooting my way out.
@@kozzy18 Mix things up a little.
My husband, daughter in law, sons, and brothers still play Halo Master Chief Collection every Saturday night. Since 2007 the Halo cillection has been a part of our family bonding. ❤❤❤ So many great memories of LAN parties and fun choas!
Halo 3 is by far my favourite piece of media ever. What Marty O’Donnell and co accomplished was a stroke of perfection. I verge on tearing up every time I hear “tribute”, “never forget” and “keep what you steal”, such iconic riffs.
Dont reduce mike salvatori too just and co
Never Forget is definitely one of my all time favorite Halo pieces.
16:10 "This feels like the end of a story" I love the way you describe these things. It's nice to see people appreciating this stuff like you do! You've earned a sub from me! I'm gonna be watching your Xenoblade videos too, as I adore that game series just as much as Halo!
One of my favorite things about the halo music that not a lot of people talk about, is that the instruments in most of the pieces represent individual characters,
(although I wouldn't be surprised if someone has commented this already and I missed it)
Cortana - Piano
Master Chief - Strings
UNSC (Military)- Drums & Brass
Covenant (Aliens) - Synth/Techno & Vocals, sometimes wood percussion
Flood (Scary Aliens) - High Strings and Vocals
When going back and listening to the music you can tell whats happening in the story just by the way the instruments collide and interact and influence each other
There's a piece that plays at 9:54 when two characters reunite that just beautifully combines their two instruments, and themes, into one goosebump inducing moment when they finally come together again after so long.
Yes, I can almost imagine myself in a setting of a faction when I hear the music, like when unsc type themes I can imagine marines gearing up and getting ready for war as sgt Johnson yells at them to pick up the pace, like the beginning of the piece tribute
This is an awesome observation I had only noticed piano for Cortana, I'm going to pay more attention with this in mind from now on
The way it works is you have a cutscene that comes before each level, like a mini movie. It sets up what you're doing and gives context. Then as you play the music adjusts to what kind of activity you're doing, so fast paced for action, or dramatic if there's so.e threat pending. The gameplay is also occasionally interrupted with short reprieves where the characters will talk and update the story, this is often accompanied by it's own music. Then you close out the level with another cutscene, and there's end credits like a movie.
18:24 "Never forget"
I'M NOT CRYING UR CRYING
We're all crying 😭
23:31 “I count two Scarabs! Repeat: Two Scarabs!”
18:26 Ah yes, I remember my 9-year-old self being so hyped to play this game, booting it up on the old Xbox 360, and then having this song hit me like a truck on the main menu. Didn’t really know why it hit me so hard at the time but looking back, it’s clear how much these stories, and the beautiful music written to enhance them, really stuck with me.
Yes. Even if it's just a video game... the struggles of humanity, chief and the arbiter. We were there every step of the way. Along side friends that played with us.
It is commonly thought... this is nostalgic music. And it truly is.
I feel this nostalgia every time I boot up MCC on PC. Halo 3 is still great in 2024
And then I was called a squeaker by some teenagers on a custom game
The first song was used in the E3 2006 trailer for Halo 3. Hearing it almost brings me to tears because it brings me back to that time. It felt like no other game had ever been as hyped as Halo 3 was at that monent.
Also, play the games. You won't regret it.
Halo is one of the most important game franchises to me, I played Combat Evolved when I was only Three years old (I'm 24 now) my dad was a huge gamer) and I would often play with him and his friends and still beat his friends cause of how much I played the game, I could never beat my Dad at it though lol
Halo 2 I probably enjoyed even more than Combat Evolved growing up, it just seemed so grand in comparison with the story and new songs, even many remixes of old tracks
Halo 3 made me into an avid Xbox player single handedly growing up, the Campaign, the Multiplayer, Forge, and the Music all tying it together, it was such an amazing finale to the original trilogy. The song "Tribute" legit made me cry when it was used in game because of the accompanying scene...
Everytime I hear the soundtrack no matter which game, whether it be CE, 2, 3, even from ODST, Reach, and the newest games too, I get reminded of all the good times I've had playing each and every game
Even with the direction Halo has gone in recent years, I don't think anything will ever stop me from loving the franchise and especially the Music
The music in the 343 entries is no slouch at all and goes so hard
But Marty O' Donnell is something else, man. He's an amazing composer and nothing has truly topped his work in the Halo franchise imo
Halo is truly Legendary, and the Music plays such a huge part of that for sure
We have such a similar story it’s crazy
halo beats destiny any day this music is unmatched
@@itsbearbaby9224I was about to say this is so similar to how I fell in love with video games
I love that she gets so invested with “keep what you steal” and yet for us Halo vets we know this one played during one of the most terrifying and stressful missions in the game. 😂
“We’ll light the ring, and we’ll all go home”… Halo’s story, music, scenery, etc is what really brought me in as a kid and still to this day as an adult. The trilogy is really just untouchable when it comes to the music and it continued to get better with each of the games.
And to add to my above statement: Playing through the games, way too many times (it’s never enough), I know exactly which part of the game each section of music playing comes from. And it brings a whole next level of emotion when you know exactly what’s happening in game when these songs are playing..makes me tear up every single time just like you were doing during “Never Forget”, I believe that this song will always get me to tear up. Just shows how much the music means to us and especially to those who have played the games.
My mom was always against video games until one day I happen to leave the main menu on the tv. She asked what was playing and I said Halo. She could not believe this game had such a magical soundtrack and would actually ask me to play the ost sometimes. I love this music with everything I have and I’m glad it’s reached another the same way
Never Forget is a personal favorite of mine. It would play on the main menu and I'd spend a lot of time there just listening as a camera panned across a desolate landscape. BTW ODST stands for Orbital Drop Shock Trooper. Think of them like space paratroopers.
I really can recommend the ODST live action trailer and the first 5 min Of Halo 3 ODST.
Both show pretty good what ODSTs are.
Same bro. I love all the versions in each game.
Never Forget always hits different after that first playthrough
Your reaction to never forget is all of us who played the game thinking about our childhoods. I used to just sit on the main menu and listen to that play over and over (with the storm in the background)
Something to note about Behold a Pale horse. The first section is a reprise/remix of "On a Pale Horse" from the first Halo game. If memory serves, both themes play during vehicle based sections which fits the horse motif and you were spot on about the pale horse representing death as the covenant(enemies) see Spartans, and master chief in particular as Demons.
A version of it also plays during the gondola section on Delta Halo in Halo 2
17:04
"This feels like the ending of a film."
For many of us it was the ending of our childhood.
It literally was for me. Around the time Halo 3 multiplayer started fading away to make room for Reach, I was graduating highschool.
Bungie Halo has to have the most emotion inducing music of any game ever. It is sheer brilliance and pure art.
Seeing someone else enjoy the music brings me such unexplainable joy
The Halo Trilogy is basically a religious experience. Especially for young men of the era.
Never Forget really hits hard on the main menu. Unfortunately the Halo Xbox 360 servers shut down in early 2022 leaving behind many memories for so many people. Hearing Never Forget while in the menu definitely feels haunting and nostalgic. Always will be my favourite halo track!
5:40 If You Know, You Know.
Marine 1 *"Up High, Here She Comes"*
Marine 2 *"Is The Dawn Rated For Atmosphere?"*
Marine 1 *"I Guess We're Going To Find Out, Hey Take Cover"*
The way my jaw dropped during that part playing it for the first time🤣
Miranda Keyes: "I'm making my descent"
That scene plays out in my head whenever I hear that segment of the track
A little bit later:
“Tank beats ghost”
“Tank beats hunter”
“Tank beats everything, ah man I could do this all day”
Tank beats ghost! Tank beats Hunter! Tank beats everything!!
From a guy who played it upon release. I can honestly say that NO other game I've ever played has had a soundtrack impact me so heavily. To this day, it still gives me goosebumps.
5:34 "Look, up high! Here she comes!"
Nuff said
When that frigate comes down with scorpions. iconic moment.
I can even picture the screen shake and the dust flying by haha
“Is the Dawn rated for atmosphere?”
Man, I instantly made a swooping handgesture mimicing the frigate's descent and lowering of the lift when that part came on. And now I'm tearing up at the start of Keep What You Steal. Halo will always be special
@@captainkeyes1523 Guess we’re gonna find out!
"Tank beats ghost...
Tank beats hunter...
Tank beats everything!"
10:00 this track always makes me emotional. 3 games building up to this moment. A reunion of two who never should have been broken apart. The protagonist doesn't show many emotions and it's still such a big emotional gesture.
Chief keeps it bottled up for years after Cortana's "death". All of a sudden he just can't keep it to himself anymore and he cracks, and you see that there's humanity within Maester Fief
We all felt "Never forget", now if you feel it that way being and adult, now imagine me, 15 years, right after the school with my best friend listening to this... that was shocking! I drop a tear without my friend notice it only to see him also dropping a tear! it was amazing!
Three Gates is an adaptation of Leonidas from the second game's soundtrack, a song that plays as the protagonist crosses a lake to assassinate the prophet of regret, one of the religious leaders of the Covenant. One of my favourites from the Halo 2 soundtrack.
Leonidas from the Delta Halo Suite is my favorite, too! Crossing the gondola while avoiding Jackals on Legendary with the Beam Rifle kept me amped!
Marty odonnel is probably my BIGGEST musical inspiration. His work for halo 3 and ODST specifically. Those games really shiwed me how much a piano can effect a whole song. Just adding bits here and there can darastically change the emotion of the song.
Honestly the halo trilogy alone could be a case study about how good it is. Its still wild to me how good the soundtrack to these games are still good this many years later.
'Never Forget' is special to me, and im sure a lot of people like me who grew up on Halo 3. It isn't just a beautifully composed piece, its a memory of your friends. All together sharing an unforgettable experience. And even after your friends all signed off for the night, that soundtrack accompanied as you sat to hesitantly shut off the console for what we didnt know would be one of the last times.
I miss you guys, and ill truly never forget you and all our efforts we put into those game nights.
To give an idea of how good this music works as a story device, for every song that played, I could tell you exactly what was happening and what the characters were doing and saying.
Same to me. The music intensifies the moments so much that you barely can listen to the music without imagining what happened in the game.
Marty's emotional equity really hits.
More or less same. I may need some time to recall but I can do it
Halo has always done such a great job at making you feel like you are fighting a battle that cannot be won .Which makes every victory for the humans feel like a major relief, especially in Halo: Reach. The mood is pretty much "We're losing this war but damn, if we're gonna go down...WE'RE GOING DOWN FIGHTING!"
Your reaction to Never Forget is me every single time I hear it to this day. Halo 3 was a big part of my childhood and that song alone just makes me think of it and reminisce. To this day, it’s part of my playlist to try to fall asleep at times. The whole entire video I was waiting for it and your reaction didn’t let down! Thanks for listening to this soundtrack. Absolutely stunning.
If you play Halo 1, 2 and 3 the song "Never Forget" will hit harder than ever before. "Wake me when you need me" *Cryopod shuts*
Halo 1-3, odst, and reach have some of the best soundtracks in all of gaming. If you ever did reaction videos to the cutscenes of each game, the soundtrack is 10x more powerful and the eyes will get watery lol. Glad you like these!
Halo 4 has an underrated OST. It trades some of the epicness of the previous OSTs for suspense and a little bit of dread. It has a little bit of nightmarish quality to it that is very different. Halo 5's OST is unmemorable outside of a couple of tracks. Infinite has a very good OST and sounds much like a new take on the original trilogy's OSTs.
@@carteljameson8395Halo 4 ost is super underrated it's just like 1 tier below the Bungie games and Ilex should react to it
Honestly, probably better to actually play the games. There’s still lots of context to be had from dialogue and gameplay during the missions.
at 5:38 seeing the Frigate coming in hot to give us the scorpion.... God what an experience Bungie Halo was
16:09: "Oh this feels like the end of a story."
343i: Were it so easy.
The Bungie era of Halo has one of the best stories of any media form. It's one of those works of art that everyone needs to experience at least once.
"I will never forget that feeling I just felt" encompasses everyone who played this masterful franchise. You just can't describe that "feeling" the Halo soundtrack gives you, to 100% accuracy. Such a unique bunch of video games.
19:06 it's enough to make a grown man cry. Never forget how much fun we had with halo 1,2,3,ODST and reach and how much it was a part of my childhood playing halo was, playing halo with my brothers not caring about a thing just eating PB&j chilling playing halo
The soundtrack encompasses the themes of the game so well. The tiniest bit of hope shining through the most dire possible situations, the feeling of like, "This is it. If we fail, humanity is over"
This game was my childhood, listening to these songs breaks my heart and makes me fall in love all over again. People say its just a game but Halo to me personally got me through some terrible times and I met some great people along the way. I am getting oldish as a type this comment but the memories are forever with me and I will cherish them forever.
Playing the MCC every now and then brings a smile and a warmness in my heart that I have never felt in any game before. The word beautiful could not do justice to this game and music.
[2007- 2024]
CAN'T WAIT for watching you listening to ODST's soundtrack. It is one of the most special soundtracks in Halo and a real standout.
Great reaction!
Halo 3 makes me feel many things for sure. It's one of those soundtracks that I can just hum to and hit on the beats on a whim because it's both so recognizable and I've listened to it so much. There are great soundtracks that come out even to this day, but nothing quite hits like Halo 3.
This was my first online game. All of this music is ingrained into my head. I was singing along with it from my memory the entire video. I can place exactly where these tracks are in missions and in trailers. I’m so glad to watch someone else experience this for the first time. All of the halo games really.
I know others have already answered, but yes there is a large story aspect to the games. Halo CE’s story is almost like an 80’s action sci-fi love letter mixed with Alien. Halo 2 plays like a drama. It’s probably the most complex and the best story of the games. Halo 3 plays like a modern action flick. If you are interested you should look up the cutscenes or story. It’s pretty interesting and detailed! ODST is based on noir investigation movies. Reach starts out like a military thriller but quickly turns into a tragedy
Never Forget makes me cry. It was the menu music. It reminds me of all the time me and my friends killed in 08-10 on this game. The late nights, the custom lobbies, Forge mode, pictures, bungie favorites, Team Snipes, Grifball, SWAT, and everything else. Never Forget makes me get lost in a wave of nostalgia.
From 18:30 onwards is a very accurate reaction to "Never Forget", beautiful track on the OST!!!
I love these 3 vids of yours. My favorite part has been your consistent ability to go “oh this feels like spacey or menacing” and those bits/songs in question are *exactly* used on those very moments. It’s made me really appreciate the incredible work put into these OSTs
I just watched all of your react content for this trilogy and I am still amazed at how music can tell a story. I literally saw the story from beginning to end in my mind just listening to the music and hearing your reaction.
So Halo is a very sad and emotional set of games with an incredible story. Finish the Fight is a song used in the promotional trailers but a version did play in the games and it was a very intense scene. Halo 3 had probably the highest stakes so the entire story was very intense. The tone is definitely much darker in Halo 3 than it was in the others. Humanity is on the backfoot trying to survive. Halo 3 is the most emotional of the original three games. You are correct Tribute is the song played at the very end. The game had a very somber but uplifting ending. A we lost a lot of good people along the way but the war is finally over type of ending.
I don't think the tone is darker in Halo 3, I will say it's probably the most serious of the trilogy
@@peanutgallery4 Definitely most serious. The stakes are the biggest in 3. Humanity is on the brink of extinction because of the Covenant's actions.
@@Crazyguy_123MCMore likely because of the flood infection
@@khronosis6934 Shh trying to keep out spoilers just in case this person wants to play Halo.
the part when you asked about how the games goes, that song was called tribute and thats at the end after the war during a cutscene showing the dead from the war and the admiral or captain hood giving respects for the dead and anouncing that during the rebuilding after the war that the hillside they stand on would remain barren in honor of those who died to fight the alien covenant
Halo was my childhood and me and my friends still play it, thanks for making me relive that sense of wonder for the first time again :)
I was patiently waiting for the reaction to the key change at 19:40 after seeing the reaction to the piano/vocal segment. Did not disappoint. xD
I legit started tearing up when Never Forget started (Also highly recommend Never Forget Midnight Version if you listen Halo 4's). That song holds such a special place in mine and everyone's hearts. That song epitomizes melancholy and nostalgia. Everyone has their own images that come to mind when it plays, giving everyone a unique yet shared connection with the music.
18:25 "Never Forget....never forget what?" I guarantee youll never forget this song. Such an incredible piece. And then the piano comes in with vocals and good Lord do you feel in your soul. Such a beautiful song that makes me cry every time i hear it. Easily the best that surpasses even the iconic intro from CE. Just ..... breath taking.
Thank you so much for this, halo is such a musical experience, personally my favorite experiences have been halo 3, halo ODST and halo Reach, those are so unique musically
Listening to "Never Forget" I was instantly transported back to the summer of 2006, waiting in orbit, waiting for my friends to get on
in tribute i always hear that lone violin hold tone and always think "thats chief right there" the man the myth the legend.
9:52 "Thought I'd try shooting my way out. Mix things up a little."
"I DO know how to pick 'em."
Finish the Fight was "an event". It marked the most hyped trailer of that E3. Goosbumps to this very day.
Regarding ODST... The soundtrack for that game is... different. Both Halo 3: ODST and Halo Reach have this eary atmosphere of something is not clicking, but is so beatifully layed out that you get immersed in this melancholic sadness.
Reach is a doomed experience , making sure you take as many covies as you can with you.
All 3 of these videos were very enjoyable to relive the moments nostalgically while also watching you nail describing the emotions/themes which are exactly how they were used in the games
18:23 “Never Forget. Never forget what? What if I forget?”
You won’t.
(Edit) 22:04 - Told ya lol
Jokes aside, I’ve been listening to these soundtracks since I was a little kid in 2004, and it is very cool to see someone new to the franchise experience some of, in my opinion, the best soundtracks in gaming.
Also if/when you go back to the halos you’ve already done, and since you seem to have a preference to Halo’s use of choirs, you should check out:
The Maw - Halo: CE [Pretty short somber song made up almost entirely of a male choir]
Heavy Price Paid - Halo 2 [Very sad, but VERY pretty song composed of mostly choral singing with a piano for flavor]
Heretic, Hero - Halo 2 [Percussion heavy with a choir, and bass guitar to back it up]
Halo Reborn - Halo 3 [Straight up beautiful choral opening with a pretty unsettling ending]
Hope you see this and give my recommendations a try!!
I nearly forgot the emotions I felt but just hearing Tribute & Never Forget brought them all right back.
I love seeing people react to a game series that brought me smile during my childhood. This was the game I cherished with big bro and all the music is imho just so damn fitting that sometimes you dont realise that there is even music and when you do, it feels like a trip
Also, btw, for future listenings - I HIGHLY recommend both Ori and the Blind Forest along with it’s sequel, Ori and the Will of the Wisps. Both stellar, STELLAR soundtracks.
True, Will of the Wisps particularly is up with the best of Halo for my favorite videogame soundtracks
Sitting in my room with some tears in my eyes. Thinking about good times. Better times with friends and countless rounds of fun in the best trilogy of a game. My childhood, my present self and my future. I hope to see some of you in the showdown.
17:39 I love this part in the game when Arbiter says "take us home"
Tribute is the end of the game, the end of the war. But the cost of the war was higher than anyone could have imagined. The Hero doesn't ride off into the sunset. The Hero is lost somewhere in the void, just waiting.
Never Forget has a meaning that is unique to anyone that listens. The most profound one I can think of is when the original Halo 3 Xbox servers went down forever, those that were on the last match would come together and just reminisce the good times had on the servers, and when the final game finally ended, we came back to the menu and Never Forget played, and it just hit you in the feels so damn hard
"I didn't want to feel things!"
Ufff just wait until you get to Reach
I hope she watches the cutscenes. The music wouldn't be nearly the same in gravity without it.
19:50 she had the same reaction as the majority of us 🤦♂️😞😭
Youve simply GOT to do a video contrasting all of the "A Walk in the Woods" renditions from each game.
A Walk in the Woods
Heretic, Hero
Zealous Champion
Another walk
Walking away, &
Through the Trees
"Never Forget" always gives me chills and makes me tear up with all of the emotions packed into it. Closing out an amazing story and journey. Playing through them in my early childhood and growing up with them. They truly changed my life. Such beautiful pieces.
Thanks for doing this and experiencing them along with us!
favorite game soundtrack of all time. easily. and yeah, glad you checked out keep what you steal; it’s a gem
What was stolen in context to the story was Hope. It was returned back to Man from the Enemy who wished to take it, the Covenant. The flood.
6:13 When you first heard Halo, were you blinded by it's majesty?