Live oud and ney flute carving through a full orchestral bed, immediately pulling you out of your chair. Old World's score by Christopher Tin treats each ancient civilization like its own sonic world, and it works. "War Elephant" rolls in with thundering percussion and brass that feels like dust kicking up on a Carthaginian battlefield, while "The Gardens" drifts into something hypnotic and suspended, all shimmering strings over Babylonian-inspired modes.
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The vocal features are the real knockout, especially Abeer Nehme on "I Lift My Eyes," whose voice sits somewhere between devotional and devastating. The Tarab suite at the end just... lingers. If you've ever wanted a 4X strategy game to actually move you emotionally, this is the one.