“Doing every Assassin’s Creed every year would consume you.”
Whether he’s involved more deeply in the upcoming feudal Japan-set Shadows is a closely-guarded secret, it seems.
“I have,” he nods, smiling.
“It’s a great rendition, it sounds great and it really fits.
It always surprises me to hear that theme and how many ways it can be presented.
And how it always just reminds you of Assassin’s Creed.”
And even then, Kyd notes, it’s barely in it at all.
Because the theme is not used while you’re actually playing the game," he recalls.
“I really tried to innovate in my music style.
That all took a while to figure out.
“And then for Brotherhood, I had a year.
I wasn’t asked to do that much music, it’s not that long of a score.
“And then Revelations [was released] like a year later.
“And like any other composer I like to do lots of different things.
For me, it all worked out great and it was such a joy to come back with Valhalla.
But it’s always such a joy to work on.”
A good soundtrack can really do that, if it’s carefully constructed.”
“[The Animus] was such a huge part of what Assassin’s Creed was in the beginning.
And I think that is something we now all understand as part of the story.
But to set up Assassin’s Creed, the Animus was very important.
So of course, sci-fi was important.
“And we had all these different states the escape music could be - low, medium and high.
That’s when the sci-fi came out and why it’s scored that way.
“In Valhalla, the sci-fi is done in a different way.
It gave it a different sound.
It’s not a super-authentic Viking sound, that was never the idea.
And until then, his theme will continue defining the series' sound, wherever it goes.
It must be a source of pride, I ask, that this theme continues.
“Yeah, absolutely,” he concludes.
“It is.”
