Game Music Bundle

Game Music, Reviews

A Momentum Like This: inMomentum Soundtrack (Review)

June 6, 2012 | Patrick Gann | 1 Comment Share this

Some people wait a lifetime for a soundtrack like this. Others wait until it’s included in a sweet bundle.

The soundtrack for inMomentum has been weaved together by the illustrious Gareth Coker. This guy clearly had a sense of what the game was about and wrote the music in a way that really fits the game’s style. The digital booklet, featuring awesome concept art from the game, serves as a reminder as to the consistency of vision and style between the game and its score.

More after the jump. Apologies to Kelly Clarkson for the riff on her classic hit (except, not really; I never want to do piano accompaniment to that song for a wedding ever again). (more…)
Game Music, Reviews

2 Epic 4 U: GunGirl 2 OST (Review)

June 5, 2012 | Patrick Gann | Comments Off on 2 Epic 4 U: GunGirl 2 OST (Review) Share this 2 Epic 4 U: GunGirl 2 OST (Review)

I’ve never played GunGirl 2. In fact, I don’t even know where to go to play it, or its predecessor. I only know of it because the soundtrack is by Josh Whelchel. In fact, around the time this soundtrack came out, we did a lengthy interview with Josh about this soundtrack.

This, sadly, seems to be the fate of many soundtracks worked on by wunderkind/prodigy Josh Whelchel (though that likely won’t be the case for his upcoming project with Another Soundscape, Mojang’s Scrolls). Josh, a key member of the team who created the Indie Game Music Bundle, decided to toss this album in as a bonus. I’ve owned the CD version for years, but the digital version comes with even more tracks, as it’s not limited by the 80 minute max time allotted to redbook CD audio.

After the jump, why this ridiculously epic music is probably good enough to be used as a custom soundtrack for all manner of games (that’s a thing on the Xbox 360, I’m told). (more…)
Featured, Game Music, Reviews

Fresh Sunlight: Plants vs. Zombies OST (Review)

June 4, 2012 | Brad Dyck | Comments Off on Fresh Sunlight: Plants vs. Zombies OST (Review) Share this

As you may have heard, the Plants vs. Zombies soundtrack by Laura Shigihara is one of the 5 albums available now in the “pay what you want” offer from the Indie Music Bundle 3.

If you are like myself, once Plants vs. Zombies was first loaded up, it was a point of obsessive fixation for several weeks afterwards. Accompanying myself on this journey was a soundtrack that seemed to match the theme and visuals so effortlessly that at first, it felt quite strange listening to the music on its own. It does what any great game music should do — it doesn’t call attention to itself but acts subliminally to enhance the overall immersion into the game experience. (more…)
Chip Music, Reviews

A Most Welcome BSOD: PROTODOME’S BLUESCREEN (Review)

June 3, 2012 | Patrick Gann | Comments Off on A Most Welcome BSOD: PROTODOME’S BLUESCREEN (Review) Share this

When Ubiktune published PROTODOME’s album BLUESCREEN (a follow-up to BLUENOISE) on Christmas Day 2011, I nearly peed my pants. Not because I knew or understood the pedigree of the composer, but because it had ridiculously cool artwork and the first few tracks hooked me on first listen.

In fact, I think I intended to write about it around the time of its release. But then, holiday break, family events, and then MAGFest… and hey, after MAGFest, any organization or structure left in your life must fall apart. It’s a law. MAGFest law.

But now, BLUESCREEN is one of the albums released in the Indie Game Music Bundle 3, so that’s all the more reason to talk about it. Without further ado, here we go (post-jump). (more…)
Featured, Game Music, Reviews

Humanize Us With the ilomilo OST (Review)

June 3, 2012 | Stephen Meyerink | Comments Off on Humanize Us With the ilomilo OST (Review) Share this

Editor’s Note: Stephen Meyerink is an editor at RPGFan, and he is head of the Soundtrack Reviews dept there as well. He was gracious enough to submit this review of the ilomilo original soundtrack for OSV. Thank you, Stephen!

There’s a lot of game music out there that lacks character. The kind of music that, for whatever reason, just can’t seem to stay stuck in your head. Sometimes it sounds phoned-in. At other times, it just seems uninspired or overly manufactured. At other times, you have a selection of music that just doesn’t seem to be consistent with the rest of the game it accompanies.

ilomilo‘s music is definitely none of those things.

However, I suspect you’d rather have me define the music by what it is, rather than what it’s not. If you want more, follow along after the jump. (more…)
Game Music, Reviews

Old Is New Again: Cardinal Quest OST (Review)

June 2, 2012 | Kevin Leung | 4 Comments Share this

Editor’s Note: OSV is pleased to welcome Kevin Leung as a contributing editor. Kevin is a game industry veteran with a passion for good game music. We’re happy to have him on the team!

Picture this: the year is 1988, Ninja Turtle fever is at an all time high, and you’re nearly finished loading the arcade smash Gauntlet onto your home computer. Before you actually get to play, the game challenges you with, shall we call it, the DRM of gaming yesteryear: enter the seventh word of the third sentence of the first paragraph on the fifth page of the instruction manual. Please.

As you flip through pages, the computer tugs at your ear with a looping MIDI track, casting you in the role of some powerful magician who combs his dusty tome.

If this sounds like the kind of music you grew up to and something you typically pipe through your MP3 player on your way to work, you might appreciate this blast from the future past in the form of the Cardinal Quest Original Soundtrack, part of this month’s look at Indie Game Music Bundle 3.

More after the jump. (more…)
Featured, Game Music, Reviews

Crafting Audible Excellence: Terraria Soundtrack (Review)

June 1, 2012 | Brenna Wilkes | 2 Comments Share this

It’s no surprise that Terraria should end up on the Indie Game Music Bundle 3, given its underground popularity and addictive gameplay style. Re-logic’s sidescrolling adventure RPG did well for itself against Steam’s mainstream hits like Portal 2 and The Witcher 2 and gained a following for its “Minecraft meets Castlevania” type of impressive 2D gameplay mechanics.

Re-Logic also managed to grab an equally impressive composer to craft the melodic background of the game with Scott Lloyd Shelly providing the score, who does a fantastic job as such. With indie games being what they are, it takes a unique type of talent to really make a soundtrack shine and pop out to the audience, and Lloyd gives it a go and steps up to the challenge.

So lets dive into the construction of the musical awesome that is Terraria! (more…)