Capcom's Kota Suzuki Discusses Resident Evil Revelations 2 Original Soundtrack

Capcom’s Kota Suzuki offered insight into the sound design of Resident Evil Revelations 2, timed with the release of the game’s original soundtrack. The composer detailed the core philosophy behind the game’s audio, which emphasized atmosphere and unpredictability, and explained the decision to collaborate with an outside artist to achieve a unique sonic identity.

Duality of Sound

The central theme for the score was a “duality of sound,” a concept brought to life through the use of original, custom instruments. Suzuki described the team’s approach as a balancing act between two distinct genres of sound. “Aiming for the overall music to deliver a broad, airy feel, while at the same time introducing acoustic instruments to create gaps within the sound, the composition reduces how quickly players grow accustomed to the music,” he stated. This approach was chosen specifically to prevent audio fatigue and maintain a high level of tension throughout the game.

This method was deliberately designed to allow the sound effects to play a more prominent role in establishing the game’s unsettling environment. By creating these “gaps” and moments of near-silence, the score avoids becoming a constant, predictable presence that players might eventually tune out. Instead, it leaves room for sudden noises, distant cries, and subtle environmental cues to startle the player. This dynamic interplay between music and sound effects enhances the feeling of suspense that is critical to the survival horror experience.

Collaboration with Nima Fakhrara

To help realize this ambitious vision, Capcom collaborated with film composer Nima Fakhrara. His previous credits on films like Gatchaman, The Pyramid, and The Courier demonstrated a style that Suzuki felt was a perfect match for the project’s goals. “We always kept aiming to provide players with a new sense of suspense and surprise with this installation,” Suzuki said. “His productions possessed that particular element of darkness that worked perfectly with ours.” Fakhrara’s background in film scoring brought a different perspective to the interactive nature of a video game soundtrack.

The collaboration led to experimental and unconventional methods of sound creation. “After many brainstorming sessions we decided to use ‘iron’ and ‘water’ as our concepts in creating new instruments,” Suzuki explained. This abstract approach involved recording sounds derived from these raw elements and then digitally manipulating them. The resulting audio was edited and mixed with other traditional tracks to produce a distinctive and often jarring audio palette. Suzuki felt this process was essential to distinguishing the game’s sound. “His touch was exactly what we needed to give our sound the definitive edge,” he concluded.

Game and Soundtrack Release

The discussion of the soundtrack’s creation followed the game’s unique episodic launch schedule. Resident Evil Revelations 2 was initially distributed as four weekly digital episodes, with the first chapter arriving on February 24, 2015. The game was available for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC. Following the digital run, a complete physical disc version containing all episodes and bonus content was released on March 17, 2015. The original soundtrack became available for purchase around the same time, allowing fans to experience the game’s carefully crafted score as a standalone work.