The Menagerie
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The Menagerie is the fifth track (Disc 1 Track 5) included in Halo 3: ODST Original Soundtrack, and plays in the Halo 3: ODST campaign level Uplift Reserve. It is composed of Ground War (0:00-1:02), Oscar Mike (1:02-2:49), Unleashed (2:49-4:00), and On the Prowl (4:00-6:10).
Overview
Ground War
Ground War (1:02) features a heavy percussion accompanied by the bass, which plays a melody similar to Into the Breach (from the earlier track More Than His Share) followed by variations. The melody repeats until high-hats enter, quickly joined by high strings. The percussion continues as other instruments leave, and the piece ends with a cymbal clash. The piece plays in the opening cinematic, as Taylor Miles exits his pod while being seen by F-99 Wombats, and continues into the opening gameplay sequence. If the opening cinematic is skipped, the piece starts from a random point. The piece plays until Miles cross the first bridge to the area with the shoreline looking towards Old Mombasa.
Oscar Mike
Oscar Mike (1:47) begins with suspenseful strings music before heavy percussion return as the main part, playing a crisper beat accompanied by cymbal. The percussive beats evolves into more complicated variations, slowly building up before strings play a short cue. The heavy percussion beats become more complex before ending abruptly. The piece plays in the area with the shoreline looking towards Old Mombasa. It reprises with additional strings part in Love At Long Range (from the later track Skyline). A percussion-only version may play randomly when roaming in Mombasa Streets and during the final wave of each round in Firefight.
Unleashed
Unleashed (1:11) fades in with muted percussion, soon joined by low strings. The low strings play short notes in a heavy melody slowly becoming more complicated, while the percussion slowly swell. High strings ends the piece with a sharp chord. The piece plays in the area where Miles link up with the second platoon, with the sharp chord playing when the Mombasa Tether implodes.
On the Prowl
On the Prowl (2:10) begins with a cymbal, followed closely by the bass and percussion playing a heavy beat. The low strings melody from Unleashed continues, carrying more weight with the accompanying bass and percussion. The low strings repeat until they slowly fade out. High strings take over for an ending climax, where the percussion stops. Instead, the piece transitions into ambiance with digital chimes akin to the ones in Lost and Unfound (from More Than His Share). The piece plays when Miles charges uphill to the old landing zone of Solemn Penance and the exit of the park after crossing the large bridge. The piece is remixed with electric guitar and additional brass instruments in Air Traffic Control (from Skyline).
Production notes
- The name of the soundtrack alludes to Uplift Nature Reserve, the setting of the campaign level, as a menagerie is a place in which a variety of usually exotic animals are kept.
- The name Oscar Mike means "On the Move" in phonetic alphabet, and is a direct quote from Miles in the level, after the unidentified colonel ordered him to link up with the second platoon.
- On the Prowl also plays in the Halo Reach campaign level New Alexandria during the portion of the level where SPARTAN-B312 escorts Gunnery Sergeant Edward Buck, making it one of the few soundtracks to be featured in multiple games.
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