Reviews The Music of LittleBigPlanet 2: Toy Story Mark Morton, Soundtracks Examiner Dive into Andy’s toy box and have some fun with Winifred Phillips... Phillips adds Disney/Pixar touch to PlayStation 3 game... I was amazed by how genuine the music sounds... effortless. Jeremy Hill, Gamertell The music accompanying LittleBigPlanet 2’s Toy Story DLC sure is swell. A sort of fusion between the stylings of LittleBigPlanet and Toy Story... Even without LBP 2 backing it up, these songs can stand on their own... you’re going to enjoy the music. Steven A. Kennedy, Film Score Monthly Fascinating... The contrasting styles here make for stellar examples of Phillips' thematic approach. Patrick Gann, Original Sound Version New work from one of my favorite composers, Ms. Winifred Phillips... booming, loud and fun... Winifred Phillips is blazing a trail as one of the few female game composers in the (wild) West. Juanjo Ramos, Criticas De Cine Musical pieces that add an extra layer of pure fun. Rating: 4 / 5. Simon Smith, Higher Plain Music Fantastically varied themes...Utterly charming and disarming it’ll have you beaming in no time. Marcos Gaspar, Rhythmroo.com It's most definitely a treat for the ears... an excellent production of work from Winifred Phillips. The Music of LittleBigPlanet 2 Kirk Hamilton, Paste Magazine LittleBigPlanet 2 has a musical soul. Outstanding original score. Adam Dolge, PlayStation Universe The soundtrack is simply wonderful. Genji Sato-Fraser, The Sydney Morning Herald A fantastic soundtrack adds to the appeal of the game. Greg Miller, IGN The soundtrack is packed with catchy beats. 9.0 out of 10. Jim Cordeira, Gaming Age The music once again features an incredible mix of diverse tunes from around the world and the audio in every level is a joy to listen to. The Music of Legend of the Guardians Mark Morton, The Examiner I have not experienced a video game soundtrack this atmospherically elegant since the MYST series. Five stars out of five. Oscar Flores, Filmmusicsite.com Enjoyable, original, and full of well developed and orchestrated musical motifs, Phillips music easily surpasses the film’s own score in terms of its mystical and emotional closeness to the storyline, resulting in one of this year’s best scores for a video game. Jeff Hall, ScreenSounds Winifred is of course responsible for some of the most entertaining and inventive game music of recent times. Phillips has achieved quite an epic cinematic sound with her music for Legend of the Guardians. I was very much entertained and swept along by the sheer scope of the score. Steven Kennedy, Film Score Monthly Phillips drives her music forward in grand orchestral fashion. There’s a rhythmic complexity in much of the percussion that makes for some stellar action cues. This is another fine effort from Phillips. Tom Hoover, ScoreNotes Epic and intimate at the same time, Winifred's music for Legend of the Guardians soars to claim high marks. Offers emotion, originality, and a compelling choral aspect that will be sure to immerse you in this world. Tyler Schmahl, GameTunes A thoroughly engaging musical journey. Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole: The Soundtrack is a stellar score from an industry veteran and deserves to be in every game music collection. Paul Stevelmans, Score Filmmuziek Magazine A wonderful theme that returns several times. Strong action, quiet moments and a touch of tension. Phillips wraps things in an attractive package. Those who are interested in the music of The Lord of The Rings and Narnia will enjoy this score. Oliver Ittensohn, GSoundtracks The score to Legend of the Guardians is an orchestrally rich, melodically powerful and rhythmically sound composition. It’s a rewarding listen. Kyle Ackerman, Frictionless Insight Heavy on percussion and expansive choral declarations, this music secretes fantasy-themed battles from every pore. I recommend it as a purchase for anyone in need of tracks steeped in entrails resulting from combat between fantastic creatures. Four out of five stars. Patrick Gann, Original Sound Version A rich, textured orchestral score. The recording quality and orchestral performance are top-notch. Winifred Phillips proves she can do both long-form melodies and short, punch-like orchestral cues. Impressive. Mark R. Hasan, KQEK Cohesive work that follows a steady narrative. A thematic line that rises and descends like one of Ennio Morricone’s moody harmonic clouds. Sharp orchestrations ensure every nuance is clearly heard. Review Rating: Excellent. Marcos Gaspar, Rhythmroo Imaginative and magnificent style. A whirlwind of emotions and adventure. A vigorous powerhouse of sound. A soundtrack of exceptional and master-craft works. Marius Masalar, Tracksounds A very attractive piece of music with swirling harp arpeggios and soft strings beneath the haunting vocals. Uplifting harmonic progressions keep our chins up and hearts soaring. Gorgeous woodwind solos weaving in and out are a treat to listen to. Juan Ramos, Criticas De Cine Phillips has created one elaborate score, very classic in its conception, that perfectly recreates the magical, historical atmosphere with many passages of epic action and great spectacle. The effort of the composer is just remarkable. Four out of five stars. Simon Smith, Higher Plain Music Legend of the Guardians is full on cinematic treats for the ears from start to finish. The score feels like an epic journey in itself. A must have for any cinematic, orchestrated or dramatic music lover. Randall Larson, BuySoundtrax An effervescent atmosphere that suits the fantasy adventure. The solo singer is contrasted with the chanting roar of a full choir which aggressively represents the ancient evil. The music serves up a mythic conflict as right battles wrong. Michael Naumenko, Game-OST An exceedingly high quality work. Andy Hoover, Nintendojo The music is suitably epic while also surprisingly subdued in all the right places, making for a satisfyingly dynamic soundtrack. Brian Dumlao, Worthplaying.com The musical score is exactly what one would expect from a fantasy film. Fully orchestrated and sounding like something from The Lord of the Rings soundtrack, it perfectly captures the tone of the scenes. Conrado Xalabarder, MundoBSO Strong creation in which the composer recreates a magical, epic, but also mysterious atmosphere. The aspirations are fulfilled amply. A very solid work! Four out of five stars. The Music of Spore Hero Tony Capri, Cheat Code Central The music is incredibly nuanced and powerful. 4.5 out of 5 stars. Kyle Ackerman, Frictionless Insight It should accompany adventures on alien worlds. In the same category as the music from Warcraft III. Thoroughly enjoyable. Randall Larson, BuySoundtrax Sparkling musical colors and clever textures... managing to be as tongue in cheek as they are dramatically exciting. Mark Oakley, Den of Geek Reminded me of Thomas Newman’s work on the Road to Perdition. A supremely confident piece of work. Four out of five stars. Patrick Gann, Original Sound Version The musical prowess is just through the roof. It’s not often a game gets a score quite this good. Dan Pearson, Wonderwallweb The music suits the alien worlds well. Feels like a well written movie score. A great soundtrack. 9.0. David Dueck, Suite 101 An adept and dexterous musical romp... with a range of sounds not heard in most game scores (or TV & film scores, for that matter). Mark R. Hasan, KQEK The writing is first-rate, as are the sharp orchestrations. Reminiscent of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring. Review Rating: Excellent. Jason Van Horn, The Hachiko Like stepping through Alice’s window into a Wonderland of musical amazement. A definite must own. Four out of five stars. Jeremy Hill, GamerTell Drips of complexity and style. Sets a high bar that other videogame composers should aspire to reach. Rating: 95 out of 100. The Music of SimAnimals Kyle Ackerman, Frictionless Insight Brilliant game music. As a separate soundtrack, it leaves no question that it is the product of a brilliant musician. Jen Johan, Film Intuition A worthwhile and engaging listen that makes you appreciate the art of composing on a new level - Phillips' impressive work is quite eye-opening and feels fresh throughout. Highly recommended. Pasya, Game-OST Magical... sophisticated... A wonderful musical journey, that is full of delights. Mark Oakley, Den of Geek! Philips shows a side of her composing armoury that is at once disturbing and utterly thrilling... a very satisfying collection of evocative compositions. Marcos Gaspar, VGTO! Reviews A must listen… spectacular… Winifred Phillips has done amazing pieces in the past, and this soundtrack is another masterpiece to add to her excellent repertoire of music. An excellent addition to any collection. Orion MK3, VGM Rush Jazzy colors straight out of Gershwin. The sound is a delight... the pastoral jazz fusion that forms the majority of the music is involving and perfect for its setting. 9/10. Michael Pascua, The Celebrity Cafe Each track immediately immerses the listener into a magical world where everything is possible.... Movies like Bambi and A Bug's Life come to mind when listening. Reviewer's Rating: 9.5. Steven A. Kennedy, Cinemusical Beautiful thematic writing and a gentle sound all gorgeously orchestrated. Fans of (Elmer) Bernstein and Rachel Portman’s child-like scores will find much to admire in this music... quite sophisticated in its style and variety. Jorne Tillnes, Soundtrack Geek Perfectly put together in a rare mix that will put a smile on your face... I highly recommend the SimAnimals video game score to soundtrack fans and video game fans alike. Geek Score: 8.5. David Abraham Dueck, Suite101.com Utterly delightful score to the latest game in the Sim franchise, SimAnimals...The prospect of playing any game while listening to this album is a pleasant one indeed. Recommended. Jud Hudson, SimPrograms.com One of the most beautiful soundtracks I’ve listened to yet. I wasn’t familiar with Ms. Phillips' work, but now I’ll be on the lookout for any future work from her. Adam Corn, Soundtrack Central A varied, consistently enjoyable instrumental album that radiates colors most game soundtracks don't even include in their spectrum. Connor, SIMplifyReviews The SimAnimals soundtrack is certainly a fantastic addition...I get a picture of Disney's Narnia films in my head... 4.5 stars. Tom Hoover, ScoreNotes.com A warm, atmospheric score... This is very much a score that pays attention to detail... There is a uniqueness about this soundtrack that should be sought out and appreciated. Zach Freeman, Blogger News Network This is a truly beautiful score. In fact, the score for SimAnimals is easily on par with any animated feature film score, establishing strong themes and creating moments of surprising emotional depth. Jayson Napolitano, Original Sound Version I didn’t realize that Phillips was such a diverse artist… Great music… most impressive! Thomas Glorieux, MainTitles.net Refreshing and inspiring... You can even hear some Jerry Goldsmith (Legend) in the strings and wondrous flutes... Diverse and playful... (with) Phillip Glass wonder... dream like quality Thomas Newman... Charming and effective. Mark R. Hasan, KQEK An amiable adventure. Most of the cues transform into different moods... an aspect that gives the album a strong dramatic drive within the parameters of a fanciful adventure. Review rating: Excellent. Randall Larson, BuySoundtrax A lush and vibrant musical experience, vividly acoustic and enchanting. Phillips' score encompasses a Disneyesque world of delightful, bubbly festive sound. Simon Smith, Higher Plains Music Charm by the bucket load and some really interesting uses of world instruments and tuned percussion. Really something special. Simon Smith, Higher Plains Music Lush orchestral soundscapes... Winifred Phillips has created a soundtrack that keeps the essence of Sims music intact with its magical melodrama and lush production but she's also moved it into a world that gives it maturity. Jeremy Hill, GamerTell This is a wonderful soundtrack worthy of critical acclaim. Two Thumbs Up, 90/100, Four stars out of five. The Music of The Maw Erik Brudvig, IGN The soundtrack is excellent and fits the feel of the game perfectly. A wonderful soundtrack! 9.0. J. Betkey, Videogame2Play With its very exquisite score I found myself attacking objects to the beat of the music with great amusement! Josh Miller-Watt, VGGEN.com Brilliant. The game has widely-varied tracks ranging from a tribal rhythm with a sort of funk bass to a classic doo-wop track with a sci-fi theremin... Excellent music. Cajun Chicken, News for Gamers The soundtrack is excellent... quite a funny soundtrack... fits the game perfectly with its wacky vein of comedy. Andy Jackson, Monstervine Impressive... The jaunty, upbeat tunes complement the cheery visual presentation with great accuracy and precision as well as invoking a sense of joyfulness rarely found outside of the general field of narcotics and kittens. Rebecca Wigandt, GrrlGamer A varied soundtrack inspired by the 1940s and 50s sci-fi kitch sound... there's an originality and concise understanding of theme that shows (Winifred Phillips is) really hitting her stride. Frag Monger, 360 Rant Rave Sound in The Maw is equally impressive - especially the original music. It's whimsical and well varied, and lends just the right feel to each level of the game. Leigh Bain, Game Focus Music was a surprising treat. Each level has its own soundtrack that is quirky, fun and entertaining to listen to. Fantastic, quirky soundtrack! 9.0. Eddie R. Inzauto, Game Crush A score that sounds as close to semi-humanoid alien pop music as I could possibly imagine… perfectly matched with the gameplay. Dan Adams, The Gamer's Hub The sound of the game has a quirky soundtrack to it and could be compared to the likes of scores of Danny Elfman. The Music of Speed Racer Chris Matel, Gamershell Exceptional! An aurally enthralling soundtrack! Benjamin Ortiz, Dreamstation (The music) does a wonderful job of matching the fast paced racing action of the game and might even make you break out your glow sticks and dance. GameMusicNow The overall style of the Speed Racer video game soundtrack can be described as a techno mash hit by an orchestra of sound and energy. Jayson Napolitano, Destructoid I immediately took notice of the catchy, futuristic electro-Hollywood soundscape that dominates the game. The score combines rock, electronic and orchestral elements into something that is futuristic and hip. Christopher Coleman, Tracksounds Music at the Sound of Speed - a mindblowing, hair-raising, psychoaural, musical hallucinogen... The player's envelopment into Speed Racer: The Videogame is made absolutely complete by the vibrant score. Sam Bishop, IGN Driving, aggressive sounding electronica... nice stuff!" Randall Larson, BuySoundtrax A high-octane, fast-moving, rollercoaster of a score that keeps the adrenaline pumping and the accelerator charging. Evan Campbell, Nintendojo.com The soundtrack explores a variety of genres to generate futuristic-like offerings. The beats fit well with the racing and add to the speed and intensity of each race, with thumps that bang to your heartbeat. Eldude, MyDS.com.au Very inspiring super hero type music! Liam Pritchard, AceGamez The soundtrack serves up a fine collection of dance style beats that fit the onscreen action to a tee." The Music of Shrek the Third Trevor, Game-Boyz The soundtrack adds to the intensity and excitement of the game. It blends in very nicely with the on-screen action and some of the tunes are very memorable as I found myself humming some of them well after extended time playing. Mark Smith, Game Chronicles The soundtrack for Shrek the Third is perfect, full of fantasy and magical charm! Ron Burke, Gaming Trend The soundtrack for the game does a fantastic job of recreating the moving score from the movies, giving the cutscenes and gameplay a bit more movie tie-in authenticity. Ricky Tucker, Game Vortex I really enjoyed the soundtrack. It has a jazzy, upbeat feel that matches the mood of the movie and each level. Dakota Grabowski, GameZone Superb – it ties in with the movie perfectly. The music creates a new level of authenticity for the game. Jeremy Peeples, Video Game Pub The whimsical music is rich, fits the brightly-colored storybook land, and is exciting to listen to! Alexandru Stanescu, Softpedia Game Reviews The soundtrack is brilliant! Anthony Chambers, The Game Feed The music of the game is very charming which gives the game great ambiance. Joshua Hyles, Console Gameworld The soundtrack is poppy and adds to the festive feel of it all. Sara Earl, Game Vortex The music and sounds are fun in Shrek the Third. The levels all have different music depending on where you're at, and the music just sounds like it belongs in that area. The Music of The Da Vinci Code Juan Castro, IGN It's the right kind of music... moody, atmospheric and decidedly creepy. Frank Ling, GamerNode The game's score is haunting, ever-present. Love the soundtrack. Memories of Tomb Raider. Will Stanley, Deeko The music is a fantastic, orchestral score that really complements the subject and content of the game. Movie quality soundtrack! Andrew Macarthy, Ferrago The accompanying musical score does a brilliant job in capturing the eerie and mysterious mood. It twinkles away quietly, before breaking out into a suspenseful chorus... the atmosphere and tension that it brings is definitely affecting. Frank N., Da Game Boyz I found that the game really excelled in its accompanying musical score and does a brilliant job in capturing the eerie and mysterious mood of the unfolding story. It has flair worthy of a great blockbuster movie. PC GameZone The orchestral, often frightening score helps set the atmosphere, which I've always said is imperative to any movie-based game. The epic soundtrack is in all honesty top-notch. Superb music. Jonathan Fildes, BBC News The accompanying music lends a suitably ethereal atmosphere to proceedings. Sound: 9 out of 10. Jeff Hall, ScreenSounds A fine piece of contemporary action scoring. That's not to say that Phillips doesn't provide beautiful moments of liturgical scoring. Much of the music is indeed propulsive, with some pretty menacing choir-driven moments. Angelina Sandoval, PS2 GameZone The game's score is wonderfully appropriate to the theme and feel of the book and movie and it's wonderfully cinematic at all the right moments... sets the mood perfectly. Gordin Alpin, Quandary The music is excellent, suitably dark and soaring where appropriate and subtle yet menacing at other times. Tony Porter, Music4Games Any time you hear choirs you think of the spiritual. Yet (the Da Vinci Code game music)’s underlying brooding nature made me feel there was more going on. The music was so ominous that it started appearing in my dreams. Jack Allin, Adventure Gamers The music is excellent, with choirs and orchestras setting just the right atmosphere for the game. Great music! Chris Freiberg, IDSNews The pieces on the soundtrack are classical, almost monastic church music, which is especially fitting to the mood. Becky Young, Global Gaming League Right out of the box, the music in the "Da Vinci Code" stole the show! The music brings you directly into the well known story of "The Da Vinci Code" and adds an element of mystery. The Music of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Juan Castro, IGN A really good soundtrack. Music sounds moody and atmospheric where it should. Same goes for the oddball tunes within the factory. The music sounds very Danny Elfman-like. Matt Litten, Bonus Stage I absolutely loved the soundtrack with its almost theme park-esque tones and suitably dramatic scores at just the proper moments... I found the game to be a joy to listen to. Superb score. Natalie Romano, Xbox GameZone It's the game's original score that wins big points here. It certainly is as good as the Danny Elfman score from the film and it certainly fits the game's style excellently... beautifully cinematic original score. Joanne Tang, USA Today Light and fun. The musical score is done well. Leyla, Thumb Bandits Fabulous soundtrack... quirky and entertaining and at times quite spooky and dark. Nate Ahearn, TeamXbox Musical compositions by Winifred Phillips are excellent and deliver the type of moody and atmospheric style aural offerings where appropriate and fun and uplifting where it suits the game. The soundtrack is very nicely crafted. Demetris Christodoulides, Score Magacine Winifred Phillips is the latest jewel arisen from the field of music for videogames. Her work in the game "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" shows us a composer of enormous talent. Louis Bedigian, PS2 GameZone (Winifred Phillips is) a musical genius. Her delightful, orchestral soundtrack turned "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" into a world of musical amazement. Chris Wilson, Next Level Gaming The soundtrack couldn't fit the game any better if they tried. It provides the perfect atmosphere, and the music really stands out. The game definitely provides one of the better audio experiences in a video game on the market today. Cyndy Threadgill, Console Gameworld The music orchestration sounds straight out of the movie and fits with Tim Burton's terrifically twisted vision. Aaron Dunlap, Gaming Horizon The music is as inspired as it is in the movie. A great score. The Music of God of War Spence D., IGN In the case of Phillips, God of War marks her first foray into the realm of video game composition. Phillips expertly manipulated her voice to create the illusion of a full vocal chorus. Eurogamer A beautifully understated and dramatic score that ebbs and flows like the best movies. Don Lee, Digital Pro Sound While this was Phillips' video game debut, she handled the pressure and created a captivating soundtrack that works to enhance the game's action as well as the overall theme of the environment. Redeema, DreamStation As far as the music in God of War is concerned, it sounds like it came from a big budget Hollywood movie. The score is fantastic, and is a huge contribution to the feel of the game. Jeff Haynes, GameOver A beautifully scored soundtrack that should be in a movie. Here you have music that perfectly matches the tone and the in-game action. Peter Skerritt, Game Plasma Perhaps the most impressive aspect of God of War is the music. The soundtrack captures the feel of what you might expect from a game involving Greek mythology, adding lots of choral elements and varying moods. Randall Larson, Cinescape Magazine (Phillips is a) goddess of music! David Doel, CV Games Music is so well composed that it could have been placed in a major motion picture and be nominated for an Oscar. Mike Griffin, Play Magazine Winifred Phillips busts into gaming in grand fashion, blessing one of the year’s finest titles, God of War, with scintillating orchestral tracks, incorporating her ethereal music and vocals. Daniel Phillips, Inside Gamer Online The scoring is wonderful, and deserving of a Hollywood epic... nothing short of breathtaking. Alex Navarro, Game Spot The orchestral score is simply one of the best ever put onto a console game... it's just phenomenal stuff! Raymond M. Padilla, Gamespy The music is brilliant – certainly among the best orchestral scores in gaming.