{
  "id": 19348305,
  "title": "'The game instantly had a vibe' — Original Mass Effect composer says Vigil 'was a particularly important track' that BioWare made the menu music instead of Mass Effect Theme 'at the last moment before shipping'",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/10/the-game-instantly-had-a-vibe-original-mass-effect-composer-says",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-11-10T15:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "TechRadar",
    "slug": "techradar",
    "url": "https://www.techradar.com/gaming/the-game-instantly-had-a-vibe-original-mass-effect-composer-says-vigil-was-a-particularly-important-track-that-bioware-made-the-menu-music-instead-of-mass-effect-theme-at-the-last-moment-before-shipping"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Original Mass Effect composer Jack Wall discusses the influence of orchestral and synth music on the first two games. Wall reveals that BioWare made the track Vigil the main menu music right before shipping the game. In an interview with TechRadar Gaming, Wall explains that BioWare director Casey Hudson wanted to blend 80s synth with quasi-orchestra music, which set the tone for the series' distinctive vibe. Wall highlights that Mass Effect was more synthetic, while Mass Effect 2 incorporated more orchestra due to changes in game design. Each character in Mass Effect 2 had their own missions and levels, prompting Wall to assign distinct sounds to each level. Wall emphasizes that writing to gameplay helped him create a cohesive score. The composer talks about the process of crafting a score \"to a picture,\" using gameplay to inspire ideas. Mass Effect marked his first experience with video capture, allowing him to visualize the score better. When Wall first played the game, he was struck by the choice to use Vigil as the menu music, describing it as \"worth it.\" The track instantly set the tone for the game, providing a sense of wonder and intrigue as players descended into the Prothean vaults on Ilos.",
  "summary": "Original Mass Effect composer Jack Wall has revealed how orchestral and synth music influenced the series and how the iconic Vigil track changed the game.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}