TheÂAssassin’s CreedÂseries is all about one thing. No, not assassinating, thepast couple of titleshave thrown that part out the window. No, they’re about recreating a historic setting and immersing players in it. Jesper Kyd, one of the composers in the upcoming titleÂAssassin’s Creed: ValhallaÂwould know something about that.Kyd is a renowned composer, having worked not only in games but also in film and TV. For now though, let’s focus on his work in scoring video games. Kyd has a long history with theAssassin’s CreedÂfranchise. He has made music for the series since its first entry, all the way through the Ezio trilogy, withRevelationsbeing the last. Even before working onAssassin’s CreedÂtitles, Kyd’s resume was impressive. His name and music appear inHitman: Codename 47,ÂHitman: Blood Moneyand evenAmok. After departing with theÂAssassin’s CreedÂseries, Kyd went on to score music forBorderlands 2ÂandÂ3,ÂState of Decay 2ÂandÂWarhammer: Vermintide 2, among others. Kyd’s body of work has earned him multiple awards as well. The composer is a BAFTA award winner first and foremost, with multiple other commendations from IGN, MTV and Hollywood Music in Media Arts.
The only question remaining is what Kyd’s inclusion inÂAssassin’s Creed: ValhallaÂmeans for the game’s soundtrack. Listening back over the OST’s ofÂAssassin’s Creed 2ÂandÂBrotherhood, you may find what are now auditory staples of the franchise. History bleeds into every track with the use of grand orchestras, chanting choruses, and heavy, syncopating drums during those more action-packed tracks. InÂValhalla, it’s going to be fair to expect not just time-appropriate themed music, but also experimentation with those tools. Kyd’s music is influenced but not limited by the time period of the game he’s working on.
If you’d like to listen to some of Kyd’s work, you can find every track he’s worked on in theAssassin’s CreedÂfranchise on theUbisoft Music Youtube channel here.ÂAssassin’s Creed: ValhallaÂwill bereleasing holiday seasonthis year across current and next-gen platforms, on PC and on Google Stadia.
