Gamelan bells ringing out over deep forest ambience, immediately unlike anything else on your playlist. Kena: Bridge of Spirits brought in Balinese ensemble Cudamani for the score and it shows in every track. "Battle of Six Gongs" layers percussive metalwork over combat intensity in a way that just makes Western orchestra boss themes sound boring by comparison.
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"Befriending Spirits" is gentler, all shimmering tones and warmth. The development tracks have this raw quality. "The Mountain" builds slowly, like the game's world growing around you. "Bridge of the Spirits" ties it all together with weight and resolve.
Nine tracks from the PS5/PS4 era that sound like nothing else from that generation. For anyone who thinks game scores all blend together.