![]() ![]() There are reoccurring motifs throughout the album, and hearing a recognizable riff in a new track is a delight. One thing I enjoyed immensely about this soundtrack that I would like to point out is its use of theme. Then there are tracks like “Durkillesburg” and “Crimes” that completely eschew recognizable instruments in favor of flat out synthesized melodies - to great effect, I might add. But amidst the layering from accompanying synths - both melodic and percussive - the melody’s identity as a particular instrument kind of fades away, and you end up just admiring the energetic movement of the main theme. You can clearly hear a distorted electric keyboard throughout the piece, and in some places it’s more pronounced than others. Take the theme of Mae’s hometown, “Possum Springs,” for example. This is great, because it lets you focus on the melodies, which run the gamut from catchy town and store tunes to rock songs to jazzy interludes to psychedelic dream themes. While certain riffs are identifiable - a piano here, a sax there - you aren’t so much meant to hear them as distinct instruments as part of a blended soundscape. Alec Holowka, the game’s composer and one of its designers, has said he was influenced by the shoegazing group DIIV, and it definitely shows in the game’s soundtrack. There’s a delightfully retro style to every track that perfectly matches the game’s art design and overall aesthetic. ![]() This volume alone contains 62 tracks and has a runtime of just over three hours, and that’s just the first half of the game’s soundtrack! Most tracks are looped twice, which is a huge plus in my book, and just about every little melody you hear in the game is present, including vending machine ditties and the stingers that introduce the various hangouts with Gregg and Beatrice. Indeed, perhaps the biggest surprise for me with Night in the Woods was how much I enjoyed practically every piece of music I heard throughout the game.Īnd boy is there a lot of it. When I finally played it earlier this year, I fell in love with everything else about the game, from the smart dialogue to the endearing characters, and especially the music. I remember falling in love with the art style and the concept of the story, about college dropout Mae Borowski (who is an anthropomorphic cat) returning to her rural hometown that has seen better days and finding out that her friends have all moved on with their lives while she was away. I learned about it during E3 2016 thanks to a fellow RPGFan editor who shall not be named…okay, it was Robert Fenner (whose review of the game you should totally read). Night in the Woods was a completely unexpected and delightful surprise.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |