Revelation Online, one of the first Chinese video games to be scored by an American composer is a beautiful tapestry of Asian themed fantasy and free flight and features one of Neal Acree's most critically acclaimed scores to date. Full of lush, melodic themes, Acree's colorful score to Revelation Online blends authentic Asian instruments and full orchestra to create an epic, yet surprisingly emotional work.
Winner of the BSOSpirit Jerry Goldsmith Award and the Tracksounds Genius Choice Vote for Best Score: Video Game. Nominated for an International Film Music Critics Association Award, A Tracksounds Cue Award, A Reel Music Award, A Game Audio Network Guild Award and named one of the top ten scores of 2015 (game and film) by Cinematic Sound Radio.
The melody that emerges during “Capital Living Area” is especially appealing; not quite a love theme, but certainly one that evokes images of romance and tenderness. Later, “Jade Maple Paddock” is a lovely back-and-forth duet between the erhu and the cello, playing a tantalizing theme bolstered by bamboo percussion and a warm, lush wash of strings. This leads into “Jade Maple Villa,” a heart-melting erhu theme that cannot fail to stir the emotions.
The feeling of being surrounded by nature is especially strong in “Stele Forest,” a pastoral piece for flutes, pipa, and light metallic chimes that is calming, like water trickling over rocks. There is action music, with cues like “In to Battle,” the majestic “Hall of Dragon Flame,” and the aggressive “Lair of the Wolf” adopting a more abrasive attitude through war-like percussion hits, more abstract and ethereal use of the woodwinds, a more prominent and hearty brass section, frantic string runs, and even a chanting choir . Acree even ventures into slight horror music territory with “The Spider Queen,” which features creative string dissonances and urgent, violent rhythms to create an unnerving atmosphere, before ending the score on a playful note with the light, mischievous “Spirit Town,” an homage to Joe Hisaishi if ever there was one.