Biohazard 2 Complete Track

With a name like Biohazard 2 Complete Track, one would expect the entire musical score to what we Americans know as Resident Evil 2, especially given the double-CD case. I figured I could save myself the trouble of buying the original Resident Evil 2 soundtrack by picking up this, but unfortunately, that's not the case. Rather, this set contains all of the music that wasn't on the first CD soundtrack release. So, in essence, it "completes" the original CD (which I ended up shelling out even more money for after I bought this album.)

So what's on here, you say? Most of the music in the Biohazard series is very ambiant by nature, and is meant mainly to contribute to the atmosphere. And, to be honest, most of my favorite tunes ended up being on the first CD. You'll find the intro tune here, a lot of the scattered incidental music (such as when the ravens crash through the window, or when the various cutscenes are played), and other short, moody tracks that aren't present on the first soundtrack release.

The track layout certainly is inspired, at least. The slower, more ambient tracks are mixed in together with the more fear-inspiring pieces of music. So after hearing a calm, eerie tune you're surprised by a loud and downright scary one. Alas, many of the tracks here are very short and, with a few exceptions, usually aren't longer than a minute or two.

There are also a handful "Extreme Battle" tracks found near the end of the CD, which I assume are from the bonus games that you can play after the main game is beaten. Though I've never gotten to any of these games, I actually enjoyed these pieces more than the rest of the CD, perhaps because they're very militaristic and less ambient than everything else. There's also an excellent eight-minute medley composed from the most exciting tunes from the original OST.

The second disc is really only one of those silly looking mini-CDs. It's filled with sound effects, some voice, and what seems to be an interview with the composers (in Japanese, of course.) I guess if you ever wanted to record sound effects from the game or listen to Claire scream continously, here's your opportunity. Personally, some sort of drama CD with the original Resident Evil voice actors would've been nice (and probably hilarious), but my dream will probably never come true...

To be honest, you should really only buy this CD if you bought the original Biohazard 2 OST and felt horrendously empty due to the lack of missing songs. As for me, I wasn't one of them. With the exception of the Extreme Battle music, I'm perfectly satisfied with what was on the original. This is only for the big Biohazard music freaks.