Those of you who have played the Mass Effect series have, undoubtedly, become used to the musical essence of Jack Wall, who thus far has scored the entire series. For the third -- and final -- portion of the Shepard saga, BioWare and Jack Wall have parted ways, and composer Clint Mansell has come in as his replacement. If the name rings a bell, it's likely because he's scored such pieces as Black Swan, Requiem for a Dream, and The Wrestler.

Mansell dropped the unexpected news in an interview with The Quietus, who were interviewing him about his involvement in Black Swan. When asked if he did much work outside of film, he brought up his involvement with BioWare specifically, which is sure to excite many of his fans. Whilst there are some who are concerned about switching the lead composer for the final game in the series, it must be said that if anyone has the talent to keep the style of a the Mass Effect scores going, Clint Mansell is one of the front-runners.

Before continuing his interview, Clint did reveal his opinion on working with the game:

"...with something like Mass Effect you're more like a DJ, with all these elements. You've got the holding pattern, then the big explosion where you need the score to kick in. Then you need to take it off on a tangent. You've got all these different elements that change depending on what the player does. You have to figure out an overall symphony, but be able to break it down into component parts. You can bring the pain when required."

If you're still sitting on the fence about Mansell, or simply haven't heard anything from him, here's one of his compositions from The Fountain:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihF_aXi-Huk

Clint, 48, has been actively composing since 1996, and is considered one of the world's best film composers. The spotlight really turned on him after his track "Lux Aeterna" from Requiem for a Dream turned heads and become widely used in other films, commercials and advertisements, including a modified version used in the Lord of the Rings trailers.

In the literal universe of Mass Effect, the breathtaking scenes and truly epic scenarios will need an amazing soundtrack to match, and we wish Mansell the best of luck as we head in to fight off the Reaper threat.

What do you think about Mansell taking over the reign from Jack Wall? Do you think Mantell will do a good job as lead composer?

Source: The Quietus