Before Destiny even launched, Bungie released "Awakening" as a standalone single to build anticipation for their ambitious shared-world shooter. This single track served as an early glimpse into the orchestral grandeur that composers Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori were crafting for the game's full score.
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It arrived in 2013, a full year before the game would hit shelves. "Awakening" is a sweeping orchestral piece that captures the moment a Guardian is resurrected by their Ghost for the first time. The composition builds from quiet, tentative strings into a full-bodied orchestral statement, mirroring the journey from confusion to purpose that defines the opening moments of Destiny's campaign.
It's a track that does a remarkable amount of worldbuilding through music alone. As a standalone release, it's a fascinating artifact of Destiny's pre-launch era, when the mythology was still shrouded in mystery and every piece of media was carefully doled out to a hungry fanbase.
The track would eventually find its proper context within the full Original Soundtrack, but hearing it in isolation captures that specific feeling of anticipation that surrounded one of the most hyped game reveals of its generation.