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Delve Within's itch.io pageResults
| Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
| Composition | #39 | 4.175 | 4.175 |
| Impression | #40 | 4.075 | 4.075 |
| Overall | #62 | 3.970 | 3.970 |
| Correlation to theme | #72 | 4.000 | 4.000 |
| Quality | #98 | 3.975 | 3.975 |
| Creativity | #230 | 3.625 | 3.625 |
Ranked from 40 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.
Description
Game Genre
The game is a 3D Zelda like game with an emphasis on exploration of set pieces.
"Inside My World" artwork by @kawaakar._
A story of an orphaned young girl who deals with the loss of her mother through visiting the imaginary places the two of them would bond over. (Mother's Memory represents a lullaby or a song they used to sing together)
After receiving a vision from a newly corrupted spirit, she finds out that her mother's soul, is still held in the two imaginary lands they would escape to. Her mother is not the only victim, as many others from her village are mysteriously disappearing and reappearing as beasts. Her new mission is to free the pieces of her mother's soul from these two locations before she succumbs to the same corruption.
Overview Of Soundtrack
The music increases in complexity and tension as the main character dives deeper into these worlds, starting with the Sea, and crossing the brine into an underground Mountain where the mother's spirit is revealed to be trapped. The earth motif is inspired by the chalk-like drawings in the prompt picture.
Musical leitmotifs representing the mother and child are peppered throughout the two main level tracks, "Child and Sea" and "The Mountain Below". You'll hear ascending 4ths in the main melody instruments (erhu, oud, shakuhachi). These are the main character motifs.
Instrumentation is a hybrid between electronic, ambient, and orchestral elements. The progression of the music is designed to be dynamic, moving through the sections as the player character moves through the level, going deeper and deeper until finding the corrupted mother (The Mountain Below 3:49).
Process
Most tracks came about through improvising melody lines and chord progressions until something stuck. The first track was Child and Sea. The main motif first came about while creating this track. The Mountain Below came after. If Child and Sea were to invoke underwater murkiness with a semblance of hope and wonder, The Mountain Below was to invoke the opposite. Awe, confusion, fear, and triumph as the character dives deeper to find her mother.
For the other two tracks, I drew from existing ideas and stripped them back to sound nostalgic but somewhat pained. The Missing Piece feels empty as a solo piano piece based on some motifs from The Mountain Below. Mother's Memory uses the main leitmotifs to invoke comfort in memory of a loved one. I wanted to feel like a lullaby.
Inspirations
Music is heavily inspired by Nier, Zelda, Hyper Light Drifter, Bloodborne, and The Pathless
Message from the artist
This project came about despite illness, software nightmares, and hearing issues. I hope you enjoy it!
Theme
How does it fit the theme?
The story and music plays with the ideas of imagination turned real. The sea and earth are represented, as well as the girl and the mother figure in the story description above.
Link(s) of the submission on streaming services
https://soundcloud.com/planeshifterprod/sets/delve-within
Number of tracks4
Genre
Soundtrack use permission
For game jams only
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Comments
I love this! It is so unique and beautiful. What a good job. I do hope you get better from your illness and that it does not much effect you, especially your hearing. I love the story and game design along with your music. It all fits together very well!
Such a unique soundtrack! Each song is composed beautifully, and is a treat to my ears as a delicious chocolate donut is to my mouth! Each song feels distinct enough so that they don’t all blend together, while also connected enough to belong in the same game, a balance which is definitely something you want in a soundtrack. Overall, great OST, amazing work!
Love love love your sense of musical identity! It’s almost timeless, but oh so refreshing. The mix is nice and wide, everything feels together. This is awesome!!!! idk i’m lost for words on what else to say this is so good.
The mix of orchestral and electronic aspects in this is absolutely breathtaking, the use of erhu in was also something I absolutely adored but im just a sucker for that instrument lol, ya got me. The Mountain Below is a standout for me, its super strong all the way through and is a very exciting listen!!!! Probably one of my favourite orchestral submissions so far (this is after me reviewing over 100 entries so far)
gorgeous atmospheres in this, and the ethnic instruments inject so much flavor into the compositions - it would not be the same if they were replaced with typical western orchestra pieces. i tend to prefer melodically/motivically-driven music in games, but stuff like this is really compelling for its sense of scale and lived-in-ness.
Really incredible work here. The Mountain Below was definitely a highlight of mine. I loved the story and the emotions portrayed as the song progresses.
Wow the soundscapes you've got in here are incredible! I love the mix of ambience and traditional instruments, and everything is wonderfully composed and your instrument choices are on point. Child and Sea was the highlight for me!
Nice work!
Such a nice sense of atmosphere created. The instrumental colours are really well utilised and there’s a great sense of pacing in each work. This an excellent soundtrack and some really impressive writing!
Missing Piece: Chord options are so cool, some of them remind me of Majora's Mask in particular.
Child And Sea: Erhu is my weakness. Great composition. What's the time signature here? Can't tell if its just the cool rhythm that's deceiving me.
The Mountain Below: Great percussion, more erhu.
Mother's Memory: Very pretty guitar and vox.
Great work!
Beautiful soundscapes and atmosphere! Nice orchestration and instruments choices, great work overall!
Amazing job! I really like The Mountain Below it sounds very professional. Overall great job!
The Mountain Below is absolutely phenomenal, the fact that you made this song despite all the hardships is amazing. the drums and rising orchestral feel throughout the song makes its seem like it belongs in a climatic high stakes scene of a high budget movie. the build up and the pay-off in the drop is peak.
The ambience of the soundtrack and the story along with the cover art feels like Subnautica but with a more orchestral flair added into it, amazing track.
Thanks so much! The high budget movie compliment is such kind praise. I’m blushing over here. Much appreciated!
...can I say this again? I LOVE LONG SOUNDTRACKS
Missing Piece [Title Screen] - You made a very beautiful piano part! Atmospheric!
The rising dynamics (AND PERCUSSION OAOAOAOAO!!!1!) in Child And Sea pleasantly surprised me and gave me goosebumps
The Mountain Below - Can I be honest? I listened to this song twice (and turned it on while I was preparing myself a snack and almost cut myself with a knife. Heh). I love the dynamics
Mother's Memory - Is this a real guitar? Sounds atmospheric)
Definitely a great orchestral composition! Thank you!
Thanks for sharing so much detail in your thoughts. I can say that anyone getting goosebumps from something I’ve written is a first for me. Thank you!
And yes that’s a real guitar. My Yamaha acoustic parlor through little condenser mic.
Wow Child and Sea was intense after that calm opening, great punchy orchestration with those drums! My only complaint is that is was maybe a bit too "full" all along.
I really liked the evolution of The Mountain Below. It has more space and drifferent sections than the previous track and it helps outlighting its strenghts.
That final lullaby was beautiful :)
Thanks so much! Yeah SoundCloud does some weird things with dynamics when you uploaded so it’s totally understandable that some parts may feel like a bit much. Thank you for taking the time out to listen and rate!
I love the climax of Mountain Below. Nice build up.
Good utilisation of ethnic instruments in orchestration. I imagine the epic that the child lives through your music
good job !
Thanks for checking it out! I hope to get to your level one day and the fact that such a pro checked out my work means a lot.
Oh man the cinematic drums on this are good! something I struggle with always in my own music!
I’m all about percussion. I’m slowly starting to figure it out myself but it makes sense once you find instruments you really like. Thanks for listening!
Loved the submission, good orchestration and the spatialization is lovely, GJ !
Thanks for taking the time to listen!
Wow wow wow Chill and Sea is so good. What an amazing orchestration and those drums are pure fire
Thanks so much! I’m so glad you connected with it!
Very cinematic and epic! The third track especially with its huge buildup.
The third track is my favorite too. Thanks for listening!
Really loved your instrumentation selection! Think you laid out the arrangement very eloquently with the ethnic elements. Always loved to hear when you introduced mid/higher clarity percussion into the mix, completely changed the dynamic. Also really loved how Chlild and Sea developed and bloomed into full intensity. Really great OST submission, nice work!