What are your thoughts about Boris' composing work in A Crack in Time?

I know that right away, people are going to say they love David's composing skill over Boris' music any day. Which by the way, I don't blame them because David's composing is what made Ratchet and Clank so unique and original. David's use of clanking sound effects, epic and bouncy beats and rhythms brings Ratchet and Clank come to life, from the first game to Quest 4 Booty.

With a Crack in Time, since it was going to a more cinematic approach, Insomniac needed a composer that would not only do epic scores, but also sync the music at the right time duration, whether it is from the cutscenes or in the gameplay itself. In my opinion, Boris' composing is impressive, but there were flaws with the music he composed for A Crack in Time.


The Good

- There were some tracks that felt like it belonged to Ratchet and Clank. Places like some segments in the Great Clock and Axiom City is where it felt like it belonged in the Ratchet universe.

- I've heard somewhere in the Insomniac Forums that the music in A Crack in Time were orchestrated with real instruments rather than just a software like most game companies uses. I really like the fact that real instruments were in play with this games' track, which made the overall soundtrack epic in a fresh soothing way.

- The time duration of the music was pretty impressive, especially with most of the cinematics in the game. Scenes like All the time in the Universe and Alister's Folly is where I was blown away by the syncing of the music and the music itself.

- The variety of music and number of tracks were large and awesome in this game. I really like the fact that there were so much type of music genres that you would enjoy listening to, especially in the space radio segments. Jazzy, Rock, Trance, Classical, you name it.


The Critical

- I will agree with many people that ACIT's music didn't felt like the Ratchet and Clank we used to remember. It didn't had the bouncy, mechanical, quirky charm that David would compose in the previous Ratchet and Clank games. Boris' music was composed very well and some tracks felt like R&C, but I would say that 70% of the music in ACIT didn't felt like Ratchet and Clank what-so-ever.

- Half of the music didn't felt that original. There were some well known classical scores that were used in the game, but with their own composed version of it. I could have sworn I heard a bit of Beethoven in one of the Space Sectors...

- The Groovitron music in A Crack in Time didn't felt that memorable in my opinion. I thought the Groovitron music in Tools of Destruction had more charming tracks than in ACIT because David only stick to one type of dance music, while Boris stuck with different types of dance music genres.

- The use of Jazz, Rock, Trance and Classical was neat in ACIT, but it didn't had a Ratchet and Clank touch to it. I liked the variety of music in the game, but the final composed products could of been better.



In results, I thought Boris' composing is great, but he could of done a bit better with the soundtrack in A Crack in Time. I thought it would of been a wise idea if Insomniac had both Boris and David composed ACIT's overall soundtrack. Having two composers to make a game soundtrack may sound like a dream fantasy idea or nearly impossible these days, but I'm sure that it could happen. I have even seen multiple composers who have made music for video game soundtracks, but I guess that idea is too late to do now, huh?

This is where I say that I like both composers, but I like David a tad bit more due to bringing originality to his composing in the Ratchet games. Boris is amazing in presentation and sound with his composing, but originality is where it became a hit and miss in A Crack in Time.

I agree. I love both Boris and David's music, but David's really gave it the feeling that RC has. Boris gave us a new type of music that, although sounded epic, didn't sound like RC style that we've seen in the past. My favorite soundtrackt has to be the moon in Up Your Arsenal, David did it so well, and Blackwater city in RC1 was gold. I wish David could come back, I like both, but if I had to choose one, it'd be David.

EDIT: BTW, Tipsy, is the fourth Cwazy Cinema almost done? I heard you got delayed again. Sorry me and everone keep asking. They are done so good and funny, though.

Honestly, I think David and Boris should work together. I kinda miss the bouncy, catchy feeling of the earlier scores, but at the same time, the new score made the game seem more cinematic and feel more epic.

Hmm it's hard to pick since I like both quite a lot, but I do enjoy David's music from the earlier games a bit more though, since it was more R&C-y, if you know what I mean a lot of the time I cant really notice the music in CiT (in levels) but when I can it is really good, especially during the cutscenes

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Some of his pieces were okay, Vorselon's attack on the Fongoid village on Quantos for example was truly epic!
But David Bergeaud's music was better, and frankly, as the guy who composed ALL the other Ratchet music, he kind of knew how to give it a sort of Ratchet-ey feel to it!

I have enjoyed music from both composers. I thought the FMV music in A Crack In Time was superb (The Last Lombax is a particular favourite (number 1 on my top 25 played list in iTunes )) though I was a little disappointed that Salchow didn't use what I've been called "Ratchet's Theme" (a bit of music that's been with the series since at least Ratchet 3 and I think I heard it as far back as the first game)

His in game level music, however, I thought was a bit lacking. I much preferred Bergeaud's level music.

Well i think that the music of david was waaay better, we grew up with his music, the epicness, the awesomeness HOW COULD THEY DARE TO CHAANGE THAAHAHAAAAT...

Sorry for freaking out, this really hurts meh..

Isaac Clarke can handle loads of dead corpses, transformed to terrifying Monsters, then, after all that terror he can hold still to get a needle in his eye
can stay cool while his dead Girlfriend is yelling at him, can deal with a giant monster and a Gunship at once...IN SPACE, BUT HE CANT JUMP???
1:0 for Ratchet.

Well i think that the music of david was waaay better, we grew up with his music, the epicness, the awesomeness HOW COULD THEY DARE TO CHAANGE THAAHAHAAAAT...

Sorry for freaking out, this really hurts meh..

I'm sure it wasn't Insomniac's fault for the change. Perhaps David was unavailable to do the track for A Crack in Time because he was occupied composing for documentary The Glass House at the Sun Dance Film Festival in 2009 (the same year ACIT was released).

This is what happens when you dig research on a composer for your sound design class.

Personally, I like Boris's style better. It gave the epic feel that R&C needed I think.
I like the seriousness it portrays.

There is not a type of music that defines Ratchet and Clank. No one ever gave the series a musical definition. To say that David's style was more Ratchet and Clanky because that's the music the series started out with doesn't make it define the series.
I can't say anything about the groovitron tunes in A Crack In Time because I honestly can't remember them.