Little Big Adventure 2 Soundtrack, Philippe Vachey, 1997

Little Big Adventure had won gamers’ hearts with its charming, open-ended fantasy world. Fans didn’t have to wait too long for a sequel to hit store shelves. In May 1997, Little Big Adventure 2 was released and even better received than the first game. Gamers hoping for a title that was bigger and better still than Little Big Adventure were duly rewarded. Little Big Adventure 2’s world was significantly larger than that of its predecessor and even included multiple planets.

Philippe Vachey’s score for Little Big Adventure had turned out to be a milestone of Western orchestral game music. If there were any complaints, it would have been that the soundtrack was rather short. The larger scope of Little Big Adventure 2’s world would suggest that a more extensive soundtrack was the logical result. However, the Little Big Adventure 2 score is even a smidgen shorter than its predecessor. Mind you, it’s not a substantial issue – Vachey’s writing is at least as strong as it was on Little Big Adventure.

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Little Big Adventure Soundtrack, Philippe Vachey, 1994

Little Big Adventure is probably one of the most fondly-remembered PC games of the 1990s. A resounding commercial success, Little Big Adventure maintains a steadfastly loyal fan base decades after its release. That has a lot to do with the sheer amount of charm and personality that developer Adeline Software managed to fill Little Big Adventure with. Other innovations like the game’s open-ended world and novel 3d perspective helped turn this action adventure into a genre classic.

Just as fondly remembered as the game is the Little Big Adventure soundtrack, and for good reason. In short, after Wing Commander and Ultima: Worlds of Adventure 2 – Martian Dreams, Little Big Adventure was the next big step forward for Western orchestral game music. It came from a somewhat unexpected source. Self-taught composer Philippe Vachey had only worked on a few French computer game scores before Little Big Adventure. His most notable score was Alone in the Dark, even if the music was less effective outside of the game.

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