Games are sort of like recipes, if you try and make one without one of the required ingredients things could go extremely wrong for you, so in addition to your synopsis, and your story, your graphics, gameplay, characters and everything else, you need music. Music can define a lot of factors, it can sway the player to feel a certain way during certain situations, it can emphasise something going on a lot more then simple silence, and good music is just another way for people to remember the game in their own way, hell, they might even be enough demand for a release of the soundtrack itself. The main feeling I get for this soundtrack is a sort of sombre one, just regarding the desolate surroundings, songs with almost dream-like qualities, droning and surreal music that have a somewhat calming effect despite being strange. A sort of upbeat soundtrack can work in places too, songs that aren't necessarily overly happy but are catchy enough for possibly some of the light-hearted scenes in the game, but also accounting for some of the more insane, zany moments that may pop up here and there, a full out bizarre sound selection would be good. The final main idea would be more serious, almost epic music for the boss fights, and especially the final boss too. Inspiration wise there are a lot of song choices that I would use as examples, so allow me to go over them, and be sure to click the images for actual links to the songs.
PEREGRINATION
(EXPLORATION)
Exploring music shouldn't be too demanding for the player when they listen, if anything it should just slowly fade into the scene around them and fade out once it's done, the player only realising that it's playing when the song kicks in as to not detract from anything going on around them. Exploring insinuates a player will be concentrating on the world that encompasses them, and doing that would be slightly hard if there was music blaring in their ears. Like I've mentioned above, droning sounds and soothing songs would work good as background noise. When I use the term dream-like I think that stems from a favourite game of mine that essentially involves exploring a lucid dream world, and the music is very... unique. Sometimes soothing, disturbing, or both. Same goes for the countless fan games it has produced. These would be more downer sort of songs though, not necessarily upbeat but rather calming and happier tones would also work in maybe a post-game environment when the world isn't as deadly anymore.
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Exploring music shouldn't be too demanding for the player when they listen, if anything it should just slowly fade into the scene around them and fade out once it's done, the player only realising that it's playing when the song kicks in as to not detract from anything going on around them. Exploring insinuates a player will be concentrating on the world that encompasses them, and doing that would be slightly hard if there was music blaring in their ears. Like I've mentioned above, droning sounds and soothing songs would work good as background noise. When I use the term dream-like I think that stems from a favourite game of mine that essentially involves exploring a lucid dream world, and the music is very... unique. Sometimes soothing, disturbing, or both. Same goes for the countless fan games it has produced. These would be more downer sort of songs though, not necessarily upbeat but rather calming and happier tones would also work in maybe a post-game environment when the world isn't as deadly anymore.
RAPTUROUS
(HAPPY)
As much as it pains me to say, there isn't a lot of happy scenes that I can foresee happening in this game, the entire thing is dipped in a vat of bitter sweetness and the only gratification I can find popping up anytime soon is the ending when at least one major threat has been defeated, but the world is still in ruins, people are still divided, and even though the roses are now purged from this realm it doesn't stop another adversary rising from the ashes to take it's place. I do intend to use bittersweet and borderline happy-sad music, so that's something, yet an entirely happy music track would be quite rare indeed. It can happen, though, because without it the player wouldn't feel satisfied at all whatsoever with what they're doing and it doesn't entirely give that much incentive to carry on playing should a player not feel rewarded for what they're doing.
As much as it pains me to say, there isn't a lot of happy scenes that I can foresee happening in this game, the entire thing is dipped in a vat of bitter sweetness and the only gratification I can find popping up anytime soon is the ending when at least one major threat has been defeated, but the world is still in ruins, people are still divided, and even though the roses are now purged from this realm it doesn't stop another adversary rising from the ashes to take it's place. I do intend to use bittersweet and borderline happy-sad music, so that's something, yet an entirely happy music track would be quite rare indeed. It can happen, though, because without it the player wouldn't feel satisfied at all whatsoever with what they're doing and it doesn't entirely give that much incentive to carry on playing should a player not feel rewarded for what they're doing.
MELANCHOLY
(SAD)
I have no doubt that there will be some sad scenes within the game, though sad songs come in all sorts of varying forms, honestly. You can have sombre songs, or bittersweet ones, absolutely depressing ones or some that are just bordering on the line between being absolutely fine and neutral with an undertone that something isn't quite right. Sad songs are really hard to define but I would lean more towards a bunch of happy-sad songs throughout most of the game to further perpetuate the lost cause these people feel in this destroyed and dying world, though somehow they find the will to carry on, and then when something truly horrible happens it would make the more whole-heartedly downer tracks more effective if they played instead of what the player may be used to. Sad songs have to evoke emotion, otherwise they wouldn't be labelled as sad, so they have to fit the theme of what's going on, less they risk losing a reaction from the player otherwise.
I have no doubt that there will be some sad scenes within the game, though sad songs come in all sorts of varying forms, honestly. You can have sombre songs, or bittersweet ones, absolutely depressing ones or some that are just bordering on the line between being absolutely fine and neutral with an undertone that something isn't quite right. Sad songs are really hard to define but I would lean more towards a bunch of happy-sad songs throughout most of the game to further perpetuate the lost cause these people feel in this destroyed and dying world, though somehow they find the will to carry on, and then when something truly horrible happens it would make the more whole-heartedly downer tracks more effective if they played instead of what the player may be used to. Sad songs have to evoke emotion, otherwise they wouldn't be labelled as sad, so they have to fit the theme of what's going on, less they risk losing a reaction from the player otherwise.
INCONGRUOUS
(STRANGE)
There's no doubt that there will be some rather bizarre scenes in the game considering the nature of it, with people and monsters with strange designs all roaming around, and some of the locations may possibly be weird too. Strange music in game is rather hard to try and fit in to a definite slot because so many games utilise wacky music differently. In some games the entire music for just one level is zany because the level is designed with that in mind, strange music can also lean towards being creepy and dark, and likewise it can also be jazzy and quick, too. Creepy and strange would possibly be the best music choice here to fit into my game, but the more lighter ones could also work regarding some of the more lighter scenes of the game, or perhaps one track in particular could play when a certain character appears.
TREPIDATION
(FEAR)
Fear is a very powerful emotions and yet it so blatantly abused with games now that it has lost all credibility. I'm not talking about cheap jump scares and the ability to churn out a clone of an already successful horror game because that's the easiest option, I'm talking about the deep rooted horror, the type that messes with your mind and warps your surroundings. I'm talking about the kind of horror that makes you sleep with the lights on, that makes you flee up the stairs, that plagues your mind after you've experienced it. Music can sincerely do that, and what makes it even better is that with music, you usually have no visuals to go along with it. Your mind fills in the blanks with your worst nightmares and the music steadily influences that throughout. Horror isn't a massive theme within my game and yet some parts will be considered disturbing by nature. Fear is another highly subjective thing and not everyone will be scared by the same thing, but I usually find distorted sounds aren't appealing to most people, and foreboding music has the possibility to make people tense and panic.
There's no doubt that there will be some rather bizarre scenes in the game considering the nature of it, with people and monsters with strange designs all roaming around, and some of the locations may possibly be weird too. Strange music in game is rather hard to try and fit in to a definite slot because so many games utilise wacky music differently. In some games the entire music for just one level is zany because the level is designed with that in mind, strange music can also lean towards being creepy and dark, and likewise it can also be jazzy and quick, too. Creepy and strange would possibly be the best music choice here to fit into my game, but the more lighter ones could also work regarding some of the more lighter scenes of the game, or perhaps one track in particular could play when a certain character appears.
TREPIDATION
(FEAR)
Fear is a very powerful emotions and yet it so blatantly abused with games now that it has lost all credibility. I'm not talking about cheap jump scares and the ability to churn out a clone of an already successful horror game because that's the easiest option, I'm talking about the deep rooted horror, the type that messes with your mind and warps your surroundings. I'm talking about the kind of horror that makes you sleep with the lights on, that makes you flee up the stairs, that plagues your mind after you've experienced it. Music can sincerely do that, and what makes it even better is that with music, you usually have no visuals to go along with it. Your mind fills in the blanks with your worst nightmares and the music steadily influences that throughout. Horror isn't a massive theme within my game and yet some parts will be considered disturbing by nature. Fear is another highly subjective thing and not everyone will be scared by the same thing, but I usually find distorted sounds aren't appealing to most people, and foreboding music has the possibility to make people tense and panic.
CONFLICT
(FIGHT)
Considering how much players will be wandering around the wilderness they'll often encounter things that aren't so friendly as to simply let them walk on by, and these things will attack, either that or warn the player off before they do should they not get the message loud and clear. Enemy themes do often get recycled as do the enemies themselves but it's pretty commonplace for the themes to change depending on the area or possibly the enemy too, so you aren't stuck hearing the same thing over and over again. Usually these songs are upbeat to herd the player towards taking them down quickly so they can carry on and not let the enemy hinder them, but again, depending on the game and style, that can change dramatically. Some enemies can't be defeated and must be avoided, and some enemies are often ones that chase, stalk, and do other such things that would ultimately change the mood of the song that plays when they decide to give the player some attention.
Considering how much players will be wandering around the wilderness they'll often encounter things that aren't so friendly as to simply let them walk on by, and these things will attack, either that or warn the player off before they do should they not get the message loud and clear. Enemy themes do often get recycled as do the enemies themselves but it's pretty commonplace for the themes to change depending on the area or possibly the enemy too, so you aren't stuck hearing the same thing over and over again. Usually these songs are upbeat to herd the player towards taking them down quickly so they can carry on and not let the enemy hinder them, but again, depending on the game and style, that can change dramatically. Some enemies can't be defeated and must be avoided, and some enemies are often ones that chase, stalk, and do other such things that would ultimately change the mood of the song that plays when they decide to give the player some attention.
OVERSEERS
(BOSSES)
Bosses are overwhelming things in games, set there in the players way to act as obstacles that the player must then use everything they've learnt up until that point to destroy and overcome before carrying on their merry way through the rest of the game. The bosses in this game are essentially puppets to an otherwise rather pretty looking parasite, but they're still huge, they're still deadly, and they will pose an extreme threat. Boss themes have to be different to normal battle themes to match the unique feeling most bosses give in games, where enemies will be recycled throughout the entire game, bosses are usually a one off, never to be fought or seen again. Depending on what sort of boss it is, however, can affect the theme that plays. Most boss themes do add a sense of urgency into the player knowing that the opposition can and will kill them, though some themes take a more sinister route, or sometimes even a more upbeat selection to entice the player to move it.
RESOLUTION
(FINALE)
The end. After the player has gone through all the turmoil and the ups and downs to get to this point, after the hours and hours that they spent, they need some sort of pay-off to end all of this once and for all. It has to be epic, booming, tense, exciting, all of these things thrown into a pot and then perfected in order to create a memorable final battle theme, that the player won't get sick of hearing after the tenth time they've died, that the player feels encouraged by, but also intimidated. Usually such themes are orchestrated but there are other good alternatives. Themes which are quite heavenly when you may be fighting something that seems otherwise I find tend to work well with that contrast, and quick, foreboding and otherwise rather unnerving themes also work, too. All in all I think the final battle theme is one of the most important song choices in the entire game, as everything during the end is anticipated, and it would not be wise to disappoint your players.
The end. After the player has gone through all the turmoil and the ups and downs to get to this point, after the hours and hours that they spent, they need some sort of pay-off to end all of this once and for all. It has to be epic, booming, tense, exciting, all of these things thrown into a pot and then perfected in order to create a memorable final battle theme, that the player won't get sick of hearing after the tenth time they've died, that the player feels encouraged by, but also intimidated. Usually such themes are orchestrated but there are other good alternatives. Themes which are quite heavenly when you may be fighting something that seems otherwise I find tend to work well with that contrast, and quick, foreboding and otherwise rather unnerving themes also work, too. All in all I think the final battle theme is one of the most important song choices in the entire game, as everything during the end is anticipated, and it would not be wise to disappoint your players.
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