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Showing posts from April, 2022

Tacoma Review: Living to Work

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  A space contractor named Amy is sent to investigate the abandoned space station Tacoma in the year 2088. Her job is to recover data while investigating what led to the crew's departure. Amy is able to retrace the crew's conversations with help from some futuristic space technology, ranging anywhere from 3 days ago to 10 hours ago. Tacoma is a contained story told from multiple perspectives. Most of the information about the small crew of the Tacoma station and their relationships with each other are filled in gradually and indirectly. The player wanders around the station, listening to recordings or digging through personal belongings, trying to piece together what happened before they arrived at the station. At the same time the player must also piece together who Amy is and her true purpose at the station. The developers did a great job of making the station feel lived in, of making you want to explore every nook and cranny to find out as much info as you can because the st

Music to Level Up Your Day: Mass Effect 2

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I don't know much about musical theory, nor am I a musically inclined person. However, I do love to listen to video game soundtracks. Who doesn't? They can be a powerful listening experience in their own right, or be as evocative as the scores composed for film. Each of these posts will feature music tracks from a single game title, or series/franchise in some rare cases. Composer: Jack Wall, Sam Hulick, David Kates, Jimmy Hinson North American Release Date: January 2010 Set within the Milky Way galaxy in the year 2183, when civilization is threatened by an insectoid alien race known as the Collectors. Commander Shepard, an elite human soldier, must assemble and gain the loyalty of a diverse team to stop the Collectors in a suicide mission. Unlike with the original Mass Effect, the composers aimed for a darker and more mature sound to match the mood of the game. To complement each character, the composers gave them their own theme song to convey their personalities and backgr

Music to Level Up Your Day: Monster Hunter Generations

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I don't know much about musical theory, nor am I a musically inclined person. However, I do love to listen to video game soundtracks. Who doesn't? They can be a powerful listening experience in their own right, or be as evocative as the scores composed for film. Each of these posts will feature music tracks from a single game title, or series/franchise in some rare cases. Composer: Reo Uratani North American Release Date: July 2016 The Wycademy (a monster surveying group), conducts research and looks for unidentified species in the area surrounding an alpine meadow. A monster hunter recruit is hired by the Wycademy (and occasionally borrowed by the village) to secure the area and assist with research, supply gathering, and specimen capture. Holy Ridge in the Sky - Ruined Pinnacle | (Area Theme) Immovable Mountain God - Gammoth | (Monster Theme) Bewitching Dance - Mizutsune | (Monster Theme) Electric Rebel - Astalos | (Monster Theme) Silver Winged Scarlet Star -

Music to Level Up Your Day: Dark Arisen

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I don't know much about musical theory, nor am I a musically inclined person. However, I do love to listen to video game soundtracks. Who doesn't? They can be a powerful listening experience in their own right, or be as evocative as the scores composed for film. Each of these posts will feature music tracks from a single game title, or series/franchise in some rare cases. Composer: Tadayoshi Makino, Rei Kondoh, Masayoshi Ishi, Inon Zur Singer: Aubrey Ashburn, B'z North American Release Date: April 2013 The Arisen - an individual who has had their heart eaten by a dragon, is called to the mysterious Bitterblack Isle by an unseen force. They are accompanied on their journey into the labyrinthine cave system by Pawns, characters who provide combat support and advice. Maniko initially began planning the musical elements of the game in 2009, when the game world's design was still in a state of flux. The music was recorded in Bulgaria by the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra; t

Music to Level Up Your Day: Dragons Dogma

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I don't know much about musical theory, nor am I a musically inclined person. However, I do love to listen to video game soundtracks. Who doesn't? They can be a powerful listening experience in their own right, or be as evocative as the scores composed for film. Each of these posts will feature music tracks from a single game title, or series/franchise in some rare cases. Composer: Tadayoshi Makino, Rei Kondoh, Masayoshi Ishi, Inon Zur Singer: Aubrey Ashburn, B'z North American Release Date: May 2012 The Arisen - an individual who has had their heart eaten by a dragon, explores the land of Gransys completing quests and fighting monsters in the hope of reclaiming their heart. The Arisen is accompanied by Pawns, characters who provide combat support and advice. Maniko initially began planning the musical elements of the game in 2009, when the game world's design was still in a state of flux. The music was recorded in Bulgaria by the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra; the re