Indie

Game Music

Death Squared OST is an Unexpected Surprise

March 15, 2017 | Shawn Sackenheim | Comments Off on Death Squared OST is an Unexpected Surprise Share this

The gameplay in Death Squared may incite hair-pulling tantrums while trying to solve co-op puzzles with up to three “friends”, but the music is surprisingly chill. Available now alongside the $20 game on Steam, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One is the 7-track, $7 album from Australian composer Brad Gentle.

From the looks of the sterile Test Chamber environments and the frequent exploding robots I was expecting more of the music featured in the game’s trailers: thumping EDM and raucous orchestral percussion. What the game actually sounds like has provided a welcomed surprise for me this week. There’s a slight tick-tock feel to many of the game’s electronic tracks, some of which meander for over eight minutes in length. But it isn’t a driving tick-tocking sound and the rest of the synthy soundscape wafts up and down around it.

<a href="http://bradgentle.bandcamp.com/album/death-squared-ost">Death Squared OST by Brad Gentle</a>

‘Pensive’ is the word I’d use to describe it, and even though I haven’t played the game I can feel the music encouraging me through dastardly elaborate puzzle solutions. Maybe that’s why it has worked so well as a backdrop for my day job this week. Whether you’re a fan of the game or just need a new soundscape to get lost in, Death Squared OST is worth a listen.
Game Music

Aaero’s Gameplay & Soundtrack expand on Rez’s Foundation

December 2, 2016 | Shawn Sackenheim | 1 Comment Share this

If Rez Infinite or Thumper left you looking to scratch a newfound action/rhythm itch then take a look at Aaero from Mad Fellows. Coming in February to Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC, the game melds its gorgeous low-poly art style with a thumping electronic soundtrack from Noisia, Flux Pavilion, Katy B, The Prototypes, Neosignal and more.

“We have been buzzing with excitement since we created the very first prototype of Aaero. Combining our favourite elements of rail-shooters and music gameplay has created something truly unique that we’re very proud of,” states Paul Norris, founder and Creative Director at Mad Fellows. “Aaero is based on a deep, fundamental synergy between music, gameplay and visuals. We’ve strived to create a unique and intuitive experience that exhilarates with bold visuals and an incredible soundtrack.”

Along with the Rez-inspired on-rails shooting Aaero adds segments of line-tracing, melody-matching action. It looks to make for a nice change of pace from the typical nonstop, lock-on firing mechanics. Check it out in action in the video below and look for more folks to start talking about Aaero after its appearance next week at the PlayStation Experience in California.
Game Music

Back-to-Back Kickstarters with Legendary Composers

February 20, 2015 | Brenna Wilkes | Comments Off on Back-to-Back Kickstarters with Legendary Composers Share this

It’s been a very intriguing month for Kickstarters involving some big names in the game music industry. Just a few days ago the adventure RPG platformer Unraveled hit Kickstarter seeking a modest funding, and with just a few days left the survival horror love letter NightCry is looking to secure it’s final funds. What’s more, both games are boasting some big names in the game music industry.

The nostalgic ’80s throwback platformer, Unraveled is a charming tale about childhood fantasy and dreams whilst dealing with powerful real-life messages. In production under RosePortal Games, the already beautiful-looking game will have it’s soundtrack under the control of industry veteran Hiroki Kikuta (Secret of Mana, Soul Calibur V) with assistance from Dale North (Silent Horror, Dragon Fantasy Book II) The project already looks akin to Secret of Mana with its visuals and gameplay style, so having Kikuta-san at the helm is a sure bet.

Another ongoing Kickstarter project with some big-name talent is NightCry, aka. Project Scissors; a survival horror spiritual successor to the Clock Tower games and with none other than Clock Tower creator Hifumi Koto helming the charge. This creepy project has a ton of incredible talent involved already, and that’s not counting the fact the audio director is Nobuko Toda (Metal Gear Solid series, Halo 4), but also sports Michiru Yamane (Castlevania series, Skullgirls) adding her amazing talent to the sum total of the game’s eerie tone.

Unraveled is looking for a rather frugal sum of $15,000 to fund the basic game’s creation, while NightCry is in it’s final 65 hours of looking for the much more typical game development funding of $300,000 to fund its huge team. Something to keep note of for anyone interested in some great soundtracks to some interesting-looking games.

Unraveled – Kickstarter | Facebook

NightCry – Kickstarter | Facebook
Game Music, Indie Music, Reviews

Rogue Legacy OST (Review)

April 7, 2014 | Richard McDonald | 1 Comment Share this Rogue Legacy OST (Review)

I think it needs to be said that I have not completed Rogue Legacy. Like Minecraft, it’s the type of game that I can easily dip into every now and then. I’ve only actually killed 2 bosses and it has been a while since I last played the game. So this review will be partly informed by my knowledge of the game and partly in the dark as to where the music was used.

Unlike the Super Mario 3D World OST, some thought has gone into the placement of each track on this album. This is made obvious by the fact the end credits music is the first track, and I think this works well. Like I said, I have not completed the game so I never got to the end credits, which is a shame, because the music is lovely. It starts out with a nice harp ostinato and an almost Japanese style riff on the guitar that repeats throughout the whole track, which is not a bad thing. I found myself humming along quite happily. At 00:34 the very distinctive marching percussion that A Shell in the Pit, the artist name of composer Gordon McGladdery, uses throughout the game comes in with rousing effect. (more…)
Game Music, Indie Music, Reviews

Rodina OST (Review)

March 24, 2014 | Michael Hoffmann | Comments Off on Rodina OST (Review) Share this Rodina OST (Review)

An indie game that seeks to capture the joy and excitement of exploring deep space? Okay, consider me interested. Rodina is an indie project created by Brendan Anthony, the founder and sole member of indie developer Elliptic. This science fiction game takes place in a procedurally generated world that allows you to seamlessly travel from one planet to the next. Players can travel through space, engage in space battles, discover planets, land on the planets, and explore them outside of the ship. While the game is still in a sort of early access or alpha state, it has the core concepts and gameplay well presented. Think of it as a project similar to Minecraft. Starting off small, but continuing to be built and improved with the support of a dedicated player base. That at least seems to be the hope of the developer.

While Brendan Anthony is programing and adding to this game as a solo gig, there is one other contributor to this game. This would be composer John Robert Matz, who has written an original score for Rodina. Matz has had previous experience on game soundtracks. You may recognize him for his collaborative work on the Gunpoint OST, an album which we recently reviewed here on OSV. He certainly has his work cut out for him in this ambitious game title. Does he manage to pull it off? Read on to find out. (more…)
Game Music, Reviews

Before I Forget! A.R.E.S Extinction Agenda OST (Review)

August 9, 2012 | Patrick Gann | 3 Comments Share this

I have been meaning to tell you folks for the better part of a year about a personal favorite from 2011 that I somehow failed to get pushed into our “Best of 2011” OSVOSTOTY awards.

This is an album from Chris Geehan and the others at HyperDuck. It was their feature release for 2011, and while the game isn’t exactly the strongest platformer I’ve ever played (five stages, sorta Metroid meets Mega Man), the soundtrack is the sort of thing that will make you sit up and pay attention.

After the jump, my review of the OST for A.R.E.S Extinction Agenda. (more…)
Game Music, Reviews

Exhausting Dance Formula(e): Break Blocks Original Mixtape (Review)

August 7, 2012 | Patrick Gann | 2 Comments Share this

NOTE: We are giving away four codes to download this full album for free on bandcamp. To enter the running, all you have to do is a) leave a comment on this article OR b) retweet @OSVgamemusic’s link of this article. We’ll announce the winners ~~in 72 hours~~ on Monday!

Stephen White just released a mammoth-sized “mixtape” (OST + arrange) on bandcamp for the new indie game Break Blocks (from the studio Greater Good Games). This strange new rhythm-based block-breaking game was apparently in need of A LOT of music. And Mr. White delivered.

Can you keep up with this album’s pace? Is it all that good? What about those arranged tracks? These questions and more will be addressed after the jump. (more…)