Borislav Slavov

Game Music

Divinity: Original Sin II Original Soundtrack Releases March 23rd

March 21, 2018 | Brenna Wilkes | Comments Off on Divinity: Original Sin II Original Soundtrack Releases March 23rd Share this

The soundtrack to the PC and console role-playing game Divinity: Original Sin II is finally seeing a full album release this month. Originally released as a part of the Divine Ascension Upgrade to the game itself, this full album includes additional tracks including bonuses and alternate song versions.

The game’s music, crafted by Bulgarian composer Borislav Slavov (Crysis 2, Ryse: Son of Rome) received two nominations for Best Music and Best Sound Design for an Indie Game at The Game Audio Network Guild Awards. The album features 42 tracks performed by the Hungarian Studio Orchestra, with musical tones that denote its fantasy roots.

Video by Bob Green

The digital version of the Divinity: Original Sin II Original Soundtrack will be released by Black Screen Records on March 23rd and is available for pre-order now on Amazon and Google Play.
Game Music

CRYSIS Averted Thanks to Hans Zimmer: Crysis 2 (OST REVIEW)

April 11, 2011 | Gideon Dabi | 1 Comment Share this

Released in late 2007, Electronic Arts’ Crysis – a PC exclusive – became notorious for the benchmark with which one could judge his own computer rig. Crysis‘ graphics were unparalleled at the time (and remain superb) and it was one of the few outings that made console gamers green with envy. Seizing an obvious opportunity with a sequel, Electronic Arts was not going to make make the same mistake making another PC-only game. Realizing that the shift to include consoles would make Crysis 2 a far bigger deal than its predecessor, the powers that be decided to make another important change: instead of staying with the prolific and abled composer of the original, Inon Zur, the big man himself, Hans Zimmer, leads the charge with a few themes and gives the soundtrack and series a very different feel.

In the last year, we have seen a plethora of “sequel scores” – that is to say, we have seen many scores to games’ sequels written by the same composer. Bioshock 2, Fallout: New Vegas, God of War III, Fable III, Dead Space 2, etc. all featured scores that capitulated masterfully on their predecessors. Pulling a page out of its Army of Two: The 40th Day playbook (in replacing the original composer), Electronic Arts hoped to score big. (more…)
Game Music, Reviews

What About The Third World?! Two Worlds II Soundtrack (Review)

February 9, 2011 | Patrick Gann | 1 Comment Share this

I could take up this entire article by talking rhetorically about this game’s title. Two Worlds II. Does that make for Four Worlds in total? Can I use “Worlds” as an abstract mathematical operator to work with the two twos? And how does this name compare to, say, Level-5’s upcoming Ni no Kuni: The Another World?

But I’m not here to talk about the game’s name. Nor am I here to talk about the game (which I have not yet played). We’re here to talk about the game’s music, composed by Borislav “Glorian” Slavov and Victor Stoyanov.

European, fantasy-based PC RPGs tend to come with a reputation for boiler plate “wannabe film score” music (yes, it also came out for 360 and PS3, but it is at its core a PC RPG). And though we’ve time and again found counter-examples here at OSV, the sneaking suspicion that any new soundtrack in this genre will reek of mediocrity will continue to creep in. Can Glorian and Stoyanov replace said stench with something fresh and enjoyable? Find out after the jump! (more…)
Game Music, Indie Music, Reviews

Get Your Indie On With Eschalon: Books I and II Music (Review)

December 29, 2010 | Patrick Gann | 1 Comment Share this

Indie developer Basilisk Games has had some success with its Eschalon RPG series. Like many Western indie RPGs, the game is a mostly medieval fantasy with some anachronistic elements, and it comes complete with the to-be-expected isometric viewpoint. The series is broken into “books.” Book I was released in 2007, and Book II was released in 2010.

Borislav Slavov and Victor Stoyanov were on-hand to create the music for these two games (and, with luck, will remain on tap for the planned Book III). Mr. Slavov, who goes by the name “Glorian,” has worked on better-known European titles since Eschalon, including Two Worlds. Stoyanov, himself a co-composer, is also primarily responsible for Eschalon‘s MIDI orchestration.

We got a ten-track set of music direct from the composers: six from Eschalon: Book II and four from Book I. Our critique of the music comes… after the jump. (more…)