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OCJ5-S's itch.io pageResults
| Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
| Quality | #19 | 4.131 | 4.267 |
| Creativity | #63 | 3.421 | 3.533 |
| Composition | #63 | 3.292 | 3.400 |
| Impression | #66 | 3.292 | 3.400 |
| Overall | #71 | 3.382 | 3.493 |
| Correlation to theme | #103 | 2.776 | 2.867 |
Ranked from 15 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.
Description
For this jam I wanted to create a soundtrack for a Dark Fantasy game. I wanted to experiment using instruments I haven't had the chance to use before and focus on creating music that sets a certain tone and can be used in situations other than (boss) battles, which was what I mainly used to do. The purpose of the first track is to set the tone for the soundtrack and the game. It would be played during an introductory sequence. The second track conveys a dark and mysterious environment in the game. The third track ends the soundtrack with a change in tone and character, representing the dawn after a long night. The DAW I used is Cakewalk.
Theme:
How does it fit the theme?
The soundtrack is inspired (liberally) by the theme 'Wish Upon A Star'. Taking the stars and the night as a basis for the setting of the hypothetical game, I tried to create a soundtrack used in scenes and environments in a land ruled by a cold and mighty demi-god: Ni, the Lord of Stars. The lands the player would traverse are cold and hopeless, yet the player perseveres, thus the link to the theme "Wish Upon A Star"
Link(s) of the submission on streaming services
https://soundcloud.com/eise-booij/sets/ost-composing-jam-05
Soundtrack use permission
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Comments
Really nice atmospheres you've managed to create! I wasn't expecting the shamisen in your 2nd track but it adds so much! Really strong dark and grand vibe you depicted in your OST. Nice entry!
The Unveiling: First of all, I think it’s super cool that you are trying out something new here. These events are perfect for trying something new because there are so many people available to give feedback and it’s a relatively low stakes setting. I immediately thought of Lord of the Rings at the beginning of this track with the cinematic cello solo over the low drone and the distant gong sound. Dark fantasy is conveyed very well in this first track! The build-up is very nice to add motion to the song even though there is quite a bit of repetition. The voices sounded so good, I wanted them to keep going!
Starlit Rocks: The voices with lots of reverb and the exotic instrumentation give this track an unfamiliar and almost otherworldly sound. I really like the ambience this creates! You’ve also taught me a new setting that an erhu can sound perfect in when you add reverb to it - thank you!
Dawn: The rise in harmony paints the sunrise really well - great musical imagery. The end feels almost hopeful, but still dark which I think is a great choice that fits the rest of your soundtrack. It would have been awesome to have a much bigger ending given that the build-up felt like that’s where it was going, but the melancholy climax is also a nice stylistic choice that maybe makes perfect sense in-game. Good work and thank you for sharing!
The sound design is done perfectly! But the music itself hardly fits the dark fantasy, it is not cold and does not frighten at all with a certain "hopelessness", "helplessness" in front of a certain demigod. This music is more reminiscent that the character has found a certain tomb, which he eventually explores.
This was really great! The sounds in this are very clear and mesh with each other really well, and the overall vibe is quite unique compared to a lot of the other submissions. good work!
I love the lore you came up with and the way your music fits the dark fantasy genre so well. The atmosphere and mood you created is splendid and I enjoy the way each track builds. Wonderful job!
The Unveiling - That string drone with the choir. goosebumps!
Starlit rocks - what a creepy atmosphere here, too.
Dawn - very neat orchestral work in this one, I like the horns in the background and once again that choir.
This is excellent work. I wish you will find some time to develop this soundtrack some more. What are the libraries you use for the orchestra and choir? I am looking to buy some quality ones and these definitely sound great!
Thank you so much! I appreciate your comment! :)
I recently found out about the EastWest ComposerCloud+ Library and it's mainly what I've used for these pieces. It's a subscription-based collection of insanely good libraries with the most variety I've seen so far. Especially for students, the price is well worth it ($10/month with a student subscription). Most of the libraries take up a looot of disk space tho so keep that in mind.
Other libraries I've used in the past are Spitfire's BBC Orchestra (there is also a very decent free version) and LABS, which is completely free.
epic
I really like how it does not feel like a lot of the submissions here. It feels deep, slow, and not shiny like it's trying to paint the stars, but the deep and silent dark sky.
It made me see some sort of ancient gods or viking like entities were ruling the space you describe musically.
It was a pleasant trip! Thank you for making this :)
This is nice. Short, but sweet. Very effective at portraying the mood of a desolate night. Good job! :D