Maybe you think Halo 2 is nostalgically over-cherished to a degree that ignores its lackluster weapon choice, truncated and claustrophobic level design, and narrative choices that are just too melodramatic at times (okay, perhaps that’s just me), but there’s literally no way to deny that its soundtrack is one of the hallmarks of gaming audio bliss. Marty O’Donnell brought a world to life through a beautiful blend of orchestral and rock music that just soars–and, no, despite some modern audio twists, the Anniversary soundtrack doesn’t cut it (okay, chucking out that Breaking Benjamin song is totally for the better.)
This week, the maestro himself shared a video on his YouTube channel that breaks down some of the development of some classic Halo music in a way that brings on all the feels, including some never-before-heard material.
What some fans may already know is that the secret guitar contributions on one of the lesser-known tracks from the game were from John Mayer. As was revealed way-back-when in the lengthy IGN interview with O’Donnell, Mayer had recorded a few guitar lines and, due to some contractual issues, couldn’t take credit for it.
Well the secret is not only out, but, thanks to O’Donnell, you can now check out some unpublished improv from Mayer himself in this latest video. It comes up toward the end, but this is really worth checking out in its entirety:
Recently, O’Donnell also shared a little secret about the original Halo theme as well–that second vocal part might’ve been sung by someone you least expected…
