A Summer in Music Games
In 2008, for the first time ever, global videogame sales were on par with that of the movie industry. Video games are beginning to branch out from an adolescent passion into a global pastime. As famous composers Michael Giacchino and Tommy Tallarico would attest; music in games, just like in any other medium can make or break the experience. So with that said, it’s time to take a look at some examples of great music from indie games that are not just bleeps and bloops.
flOw
Released in 2006 by thatgamecompany, flOw is the stylized equivalent of a microorganism’s evolution. Extremely simplistic in premise the game is defined by the music that accompanies it. You simply cannot mute the sound and put on AC/DC and expect to get the same experience. The game was released originally on the PC for free (in browser) and has been a guilty pleasure of mine to play during off hours at work.
thatgamecompany – flOw Title Screen
Braid
Jonathan Blow created Braid as a solo project in 2007. He licensed out music from Magnatune artists Jami Sieber, Shira Kammen, and Cheryl Ann Fullton. The music played a heavy role in influencing the game’s artwork and complexity. Blow selected songs that he thought were “organic and complex” in order to set the appropriate atmosphere and “to present something that isn’t necessarily clear-cut“.
PixelJunk Eden
The life of a “grimp” is a long a tedious one collecting spectra and pollen all day. Luckily PIxelJunk Eden’s soundtrack really expresses the speed and fluidity of this with a speedy techno tracklist. Japanese multimedia artist “Baiyon” sets forth a strong eclectic list of mixed house, techno, and dance music that any true fan could enjoy. The soundtrack became available for purchase several months after the games release in September 2008 and can be found here.
Castle Crashers
Castle Crashers’ comedic style of gameplay and refreshing art style is matched only by its somewhat satirical music. It takes the familiar sounds of heroism and adds a noticeably techno riff to them. The game features many parodies and tributes from the Newgrounds community. The soundtrack was released free for download under the Creative Commons license late last year and can still be found available at Newgrounds.
flOwer
Following their first release, thatgamecompany returned once again in 2009 with another artistic example in flOwer. Critics and fans alike argued whether it was even a game at all or just an experience. Much like its predecessor the game is made or broken by the music. Without the acoustic guitar or piano, playing the role of a flower petal just wouldn’t feel the same.
thatgamecompany – flOwer Title Screen
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