Composer Jack Wall has opened up about his absence from the soundtrack of Mass Effect 3 after crafting the beloved scores for the first two games in the series. Wall collaborated with developer BioWare to produce the 80s sci-fi inspired music for Mass Effect, which debuted in 2007, and its sequel, Mass Effect 2, released in 2010. Mass Effect 2 is frequently hailed as one of the finest action RPGs ever developed, with Wall's score, featuring the iconic 'Suicide Mission,' often regarded as a pinnacle moment in the series by fans.
However, fans were taken aback when Wall did not return for Mass Effect 3 in 2012. In a recent interview with The Guardian, Wall shed light on his departure, citing a disagreement with Casey Hudson, who was the head of Mass Effect development at the time. "Casey was not particularly happy with me at the end," Wall confessed. "But I’m so proud of that score. It got nominated for a Bafta, and it did really well … [even if] it didn’t go as well as Casey wanted."
The Guardian hinted at a "creative tension" between Wall and Hudson, but Wall kept his comments on the matter brief. "Fallouts like that happen, it’s just part of the deal," he remarked. "It’s one of the few times in my career that’s happened, and it was a tough time, but it is what it is."
Wall provided more insight into the challenges he and BioWare encountered while completing Mass Effect 2, particularly with the 'Suicide Mission' track. This may shed light on the dynamics between Wall and Hudson as the project neared its end. "It was the biggest mind-f***ing thing I’ve ever done in my entire life," Wall shared. "And there was no one available to walk me through it, because they were all freaking out trying to finish the game. I handed it in, and they had to do a lot of massaging on their end in order to get it to work, but they did it... and the result is still one of the best ending sequences to a game that I’ve ever played. It was worth all that effort."
Following his work on Mass Effect 2, Wall transitioned to composing for the Call of Duty series, with his most recent contribution being the soundtrack for Black Ops 6. Meanwhile, BioWare is currently developing the next installment in the Mass Effect franchise after the release of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, though the composer for the upcoming game has yet to be announced.
The Best BioWare RPGs
Pick a winner
New duel
1ST
2ND
3RDSee your ResultsFinish playing for your personal results or see the community’s!Continue playingSee results
