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In most games, the music, no matter how large and impressive, is typically restrained to thematic passages before, in between, or after missions, and stock, looped material is inserted into the game play underscore situations. The challenge for Giacchino in the case of "Secret Weapons Over Normandy" was to write music that followed the basic needs of the game play scenarios. In other words, if you were near victory in a mission, the music would be switched by the game to convey that excitement. On the other hand, if you are blown to smithereens and die an unceremonious death, the game inserts at that very instant the sounds of a tragic cue of failure. This idea isn't specifically novel in this game, but it is utilized to such a great degree that Giacchino ended up doing what the likes of Bernard Herrmann did for CBS shows of the 1950's: writing stock cues for different emotions that the game would choose to insert at any time during the mission. That said, all of the music for "Secret Weapons Over Normandy," no matter its purpose, is consistent with the grand scale of orchestral bombast that Giacchino had provided time and time again for these games. His themes are saturated with American spirit, and the heavy, fast-paced brass usage will continue to remind of John Williams' works. If you've heard his previous, similar scores on album, then the refreshing moments will be those of unique character in this score, such as the choral usage in "Operation Sea Lion," "Stalingrad," and "East Prussian Factory Run." The best of these orchestral and choral combinations is "Fjords of Norway," an elegant piece that restrains the pace of the battle behind the majesty of the music's own scope. The central sections of the album for this game, dealing mainly with the Japanese front, include drum performances by the Seattle Kokon Taiko Ensemble, and the thought could enter the mind that this is exactly the kind of material that players would have heard had Giacchino continued with the "Medal of Honor" series to score the "Rising Sun" game. The album for "Secret Weapons Over Normandy" includes one full CD of the best suites, although the second CD of 14 minutes has some of the more notable cues of short duration and a collection of multimedia material that reveals considerable insight into the scoring and recording process for the game. Overall, for your money, this music is still a good deal, but there was merit to the lingering interest that many fans had in hearing Giacchino finally branch off into other genres for his talents to tackle.  ****   @Amazon.com: CD or Download

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For Michael Giacchino reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.48 (in 35 reviews) and the average viewer rating is 3.24 (in 17,701 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.

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