Darker, more electronic, and deliberately nothing like what came before. Neil Davidge took over composing duties for Halo 4 and pushed the Xbox 360's final Halo entry into industrial textures and synth-heavy atmospheres that split the fanbase right down the middle.
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"117" is the emotional centerpiece, building from quiet piano into a full orchestral surge that actually rivals anything O'Donnell wrote. "Green and Blue" captures the Chief and Cortana relationship with this vulnerable piano and vocal piece that feels genuinely intimate for a shooter soundtrack.
Then there are the remixes. Gui Boratto reworking "Awakening" into minimal techno, Caspa giving "Ascendancy" a dubstep treatment, Apocalyptica bringing cellos to Cortana's theme. Wild choices that somehow work as their own separate listening experience.
The whole album feels like it's trying to say goodbye to someone. If you bounced off Halo 4's sound the first time, the remixes alone are worth a second look.