I met these guys at Games Expo 14 and was overwhelmed by their gaming philosophy of liberte, egalite, fraternite (sorry, there is no word for cliche in French). They talked about immersing themselves in the gaming environment and were excited about the score that had just been written to evoke the mood of their 'dark' world. With video games music now regularly part of the classical charts alongside film music it is only natural to provide a soundtrack for RPGs. I've been waiting a year for a chance to hear it in its entirety and I'm not disappointed. This could add to the atmosphere of any fantasy RPG or even reading a book in the genre. Although there is a certain darkness it is gentle in many places and a pleasure to have on in the background. Esteren is a beautifully created world and this soundscape does it justice. Hopefully, it will have RPG designers regularly commissioning musicians alongside artists and writers when they develop new games and gamers will look back and say 'Oh, yes, it started with Esteren.'
So buy this and immerse yourself one degree further in your favourite fantasy style world. When you want a change try the Final Fantasy series music (or even commission your own - I'm told the musicians hang out at peopleperhour.com (I have no financial affiliation to this site so mention it as a pointer to others). And, of course, when you're feeling light-hearted try playing Munchkin to The Liberty Bell or the Imperial March depending on your point of view...
Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!] |