MIDI Week Singles: "In Case of Trouble" - Bastion (PC)

"In case of trouble" from Bastion (PC)

Bastion Original Soundtrack

Composer: Darren Korb

Game Developer: Supergiant games

Choosing a single can be tricky business.  For example, albums are often front-loaded with the catchiest songs coming first.  However, if you stop there, you may miss the best stuff on the album.  Still, that said, I'm going to go with track 2 from the Bastion soundtrack.  I'm just a sucker for jangly acoustic guitars,  and I like how this song isn't in a hurry, waiting a full minute before the larger arrangement kicks in.  As with much of the soundtrack, Darren Korb does a great job mixing melody and ambiance.  

I have been toying with the idea of doing a song from the Bastion soundtrack for some time.  But it was last weeks single from the 'Gun' soundtrack that tipped me over.  Bastion is heavily influenced by western sounds, but uses them in a different way from Gun, mixing in electronic sensibilities and what sounds like the 'arabic scale' at times.  Bastion is another score from one of those fantastic Humble Indie Bundles.

-D

First Impressions: The Stanley Parable

Wow.

The Stanley Parable is full of moments that make me say: 'This is the greatest game I have ever played.'

On the other hand, I've also had many moments where I've thought: 'Maybe this game isn't all its cracked up to be.' Fortunately, shortly after thinking that, I am usually rewarded with something clever and delightful.  

The best quote I ever heard about the Stanley Parable was "I'd describe the Stanley Parable to you, but that would be spoiling it."   This is true.  Please feel free read on, acknowledging that every detail may spoil the game a little bit for you.  Perhaps you should play it first.

I do think there is enough interesting content in the Stanley Parable that it would be tough to spoil completely. However, I've enjoyed playing so much that I would like to preserve the newness of experience for others.  Please come back after you have played the game.


The Original Stanley Parable
Here's a link to download the original Stanley Parable.  Turns out the version I've been playing is a 2013 update to the game.  I'll draw comparisons after playing through this one.  In the meantime, perhaps you'd like to play this, completely free to download version of the game?


Moving on, have you played it yet?  You really shouldn't be reading this if you haven't.  

The Stanley Parable is easily the most 'meta' game I have ever played. The narration is fantastic, isn't it?  You know, because you've played the game before, like I asked you to.

I love the way the narrator messes with the player, but even more, I love the way that sometimes I can mess with the narrator through the choices I make.  It's pretty great.  Love the broom closet!

Some obvious (to me) comparisons are Groundhog day for repetition, Portal for oppositional narrator and underbelly of gaming, Bastion for smart narrator and Thomas was Alone for British Narrator and inclusion of the name of the main character in the title.  I'm sure there are more comparisons I should make, but I just haven't got the time right now.  Onto the next paragraph.

I have found two approaches to playing this game so far, first: to save at every choice, and to avoid restarting the game.  second:  to restart the game frequently or to play through after any of the auto-restarts.

Essentially, the Stanley Parable is a choose your own adventure book, as a video game.  The design, writing, performance use of sound and visuals are all top knotch.  Fantastic game, Bravo!

-D

Year in Review: Game Soundtracks

When thinking over the last year, since we started this blog, there's a few video game soundtracks this year that have gotten, and sometimes held, my attention.  Some are new, some are old, here are the video game soundtracks I've been listening to:

PPPPPP  (VVVVVV)
Souleye

VVVVVV soundtrack is fantastic.  The music really plays well into this game, helping to enhance the sensation of different atmospheric regions in a game that is very minimal, graphically. Case in point being the first time you leave the ship and go into the more open regions. The song for that region is sort of big and adventure-y. I got a feeling of invitation to explore, like in a zelda or metroid game.

I enjoyed PPPPPP so much that it spent a couple months of regular play on my  mp3 player.  Thank you to the Humble Bundles for including soundtracks as a regular feature of purchase.  What a great business model!

I've checked out some of SoulEye's other work, and unfortunately I haven't enjoyed it as much as PPPPPP.  This may be due to the sounds not having that 'lo-fi' edge, or it may be that the songs don't have an association with a game-environment, which has made the songs of PPPPPP more personal.

Bastion Original Sountrack

Darren Korb


the Bastion soundtrack is a really cool atmospheric blend of acoustic guitar and electronic music. I recommend this one, and I've listened to it a number of times.  The atmospheric blend of acoustic and electronic music works really well when I've got my mp3 player on random.  I feel like the moody grooves of the Bastion soundtrack will have a wide-reaching and long-lasting appeal.

I didn't play much of Bastion because it doesn't run that well on my computer - lots of slowdown.

Proteus Worms Present:  Nodeland Dreams and Memories (Proteus)
David Kanaga

Proteus soundtrack is very involved with the gameplay.  I don't think of it as something I'd want to put on my mp3 player to listen to at work - except, that might actually work.  Ideally, I would want recordings of someone actually playing the game, rather than some sort of generic soundtrack-thing or remix, a-la bit.trip.runner.  I believe Jaconion will be bringing more on that game's soundtrack to you.

This album is just one, ten-minute track, and was free to download with the game purchase at humblebundle.com - I've only just downloaded it, so I can't review it as a stand-alone item until I've given it a few listens.  I enjoy gushing about all things Proteus, so I'll be sure to give due attention to this soundtrack.

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A couple classic soundtracks that have been bouncing around in my mp3 player:

Mega Man I
Manami Matsumae & Yoshihiro Sakaguchi
Mega Man II
Takashi Tateishi, Manami Matsuma & Yoshihiro Sakaguchi
Mega Man III
Yasuaki Fujita

These sountracks are, like the games themselves, classic action game soundtracks.  Mega Man II gets lots of love, and it is well deserved.  Megaman III is nearly as good, but seems to have learned everything it knows from II.  I also has some catchy tunes, particularly Iceman, imo, and is interesting because the mold had not been settled yet on what Mega Man was to be.  (It even had a score)

Many thanks to my esteemed colleague, Jaconian, for turning me on to these and many other 8-bit soundtracks.  Without his hard work and research and others like him, I would have no idea how available video game music can be.  

Secret of Mana
Hiroki Kikuta

I really love the secret of Mana sountrack.  This one returns to rotation again and again.  I can just look at the cover art and listen to the soundtrack and I am brought to a happy place.  What I wouldn't give for an online remake of this game.

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Honorable Mention:  I downloaded the Super Brothers - Sword and Sworcery EP - soundtrack, by Jim Guthrie,  but I haven't actually listened to it.  Just one of those things I haven't gotten around to doing.  This doesn't bode well for the soundtrack - which initially made a good impression on me.  If I do end up listening to, and enjoying these songs, I'll be sure to post about it here.