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Return of Them Musical motifs


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So, after watching the Return of Them update trailers, I've noticed a few small recurring motifs that play in almost all of them.

In the Turn of Tides launch trailer, the first thing we hear is the first major motif, which we hear from 0:00-0:04. Then, from 0:26-around 0:46, we hear our second, longer but more repetitive motif. Then from 0:23-0:26, we hear the first motif again, followed by the second one soon after that plays til the end, with the first one playing ever so slightly along with it, which you can hear if you listen really closely.

In the Salty Dog trailer, which is surprisingly serious by the way, we hear the second main motif right off the bat, and it goes til around 0:07. Followed right after is our first main motif, and then our second one again, this time sped up to fit the action. This theme basically continues on throughout the trailer, in different speeds and something else dropped in between a few times, and with various things accompanying that motif. and then at the very end, at 0:38, we hear the first motif again, and the second one following it, exactly like in the Turn of Tides trailer.

In Hook, Line and Inker, we don't hear our first motif at all, but we do hear our second one from 0:24-0:38, and then never again. At this point, I believe that our first motif is supposed to represent things relating to Them, while the second motif is more relating to the ocean itself. Obviously, there is no confirmation of such, but it is worth noting.

In the She Sells Sea Shells trailer, we hear that ocean motif right off the bat, with a more cheery/whimsical motif playing along with it, and then it stops and goes into something else. Then at around 0:15, when Wilson grabs the bottle, we hear a sea shanty version of Their motif, and then a tune that isn't the ocean motif but it sounds like it was made to at least accompany it or remind us of it. Then when the Crab King shows up, I thiiink I might have heard the ocean motif, but there was so much going on that I couldn't tell. Then at 0:51, we hear Their motif again. I think it plays whenever the name "Them" shows up at the end of each trailer. Then we hear a piano version of our ocean motif up to when the pinchin' winch grabs the celestial tribute, then we hear an orchestral version.

First thing we hear in Troubled waters is The motif for Them. (when I say "Their motif" I am referring to the motif for Them.) Then we hear some tunes that don't quite sound like our ocean motif, until at around 0:17 which I can confidently say is the ocean motif. Then at 0:30, we hear Their motif again, at the end. This was the shortest trailer so I think that is why there was only one notable occurrence of the ocean theme, apart from after Their motif when it was playing again, sounding much more formidable this time. The composers probably just didn't have a lot of time to place in the ocean motif, but if the trailer were longer I'm sure we'd have heard more of it.

Now for Forgotten Knowledge. First, we hear it right off the bat, then a very slowed down version of our ocean theme, likely only here due to the vitreoasis leaking oceanwater. Then at 0:36, it's subtle, but we hear Their theme again. There is a loud booming instrumental when the characters find the archive switch which is the first part of the theme, then we hear a very soft and quiet part of the rest of the motif. Then at 1:15 when Wilson is calling to Maxwell and Winona, we hear Their motif again. Then at the end when the "Return of Them" title card shows up, we hear Their theme played again. This trailer only had one occurrence of the ocean theme, with three occurrences of Their theme. Which pretty much confirms the "ocean theme Their theme" theory, because the ocean was barely in this and Their influence was very noticable.

Lastly, in the Reap what you Sow update trailer, we have a total of zero occurrences of Their theme and zero occurrences of the ocean theme. I don't really consider this one a RoT trailer and I'm not quite sure why they even labelled it as such. I'm not even gonna link it because you don't hear any of the themes.


So, what do you guys think will become of these motifs? Do you think they will have any ingame significance? Maybe for a boss fight? Leave your thoughts down below!

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yeah I also made a thread back in the day about the music at the trailers' end getting more intense every time. Then Forgotten Knowledge came. I really like its melody and hope it'll be used in "the" moon boss that'll most likely come inevitably

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