In this weekly feature, I recommend game soundtracks. I share a few of my favorite tracks, talk about why everyone should listen to the soundtrack, and a little bit about the composer. This week's choice is The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II by NeocoreGames.
THE STATS
Name: The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing IIDeveloper: NeocoreGames
Publisher: NeocoreGames
Release Date: May 22, 2014
Genres: Action role-playing
Composer(s): Gergely Buttinger
MY FAVORITE TRACKS
(The titles link to YouTube videos... and I highly recommend some good headphones to best enjoy all of the subtle elements of the music!)Resistance
This track always makes me think of the opening to a Tim Burton/Danny Elfman movie. It has that in medias res sound quality that couples well with opening action sequences that tease some credits but is ultimately just showing off the backdrop and scenario to set the pace for the overall piece. The beginning of the second game is, in fact, a resistance movement and battle... so it fits very well.
The Hero and the Ghost Lady
This is the main musical theme for Van Helsing and his ghost companion, Lady Katarina. It's repeated a lot, but it never gets old.
The Winter Forest
There are subtle elements that make this track sound like it's forlorn on a winter breeze, isolated from warmth or civilization.
Prisoner Seven
This track gets more interesting after the 1-minute mark, and again after the 2-minute mark. So, if you're patient about figuring out who Prisoner Seven is in the game, this song complements Seven's personality quite well. He's a shady fellow you don't necessarily trust, despite being helpful.
The Ink
This is the best track. It breaks away from the tone of the rest of the soundtrack slightly, having some 80's synth playing around in the background, and I think that helps signify that Van Helsing is not in the normal world at this point. In the game, The Ink is a method of traveling through an otherworldly type of realm, and is also where he goes hunting for enemies sometimes. So not only does this track get a slightly more exciting sound, but it also has constant movement and an epic orchestral composition. I never get tired of listening to it!
Christmas Special (Bonus)
The main theme with a Christmas sort-of sound. For crazy people like me who like everything Christmas. Worth at least one listen, I promise!
You can listen to the full soundtrack on YouTube:
WHY I RECOMMEND IT
First and foremost, I was a Legendary-tier backer of this game because I loved the first game so much. This was the first game I ever invested extra money in simply because I wanted to be supportive. As a result, I received a lot of extra goodies in addition to the game -- one of which was the soundtrack on a CD in a leather case. I have been following Gergely Buttinger on social media ever since.The trilogy of games follows the son of the infamous Van Helsing from Bram Stoker's Dracula (that is, the player plays as him), and has to fight all kinds of mythical monsters, crazy people and crazy devices, and more monsters. The music helps set the tone for monster-hunting across dark and scary landscapes full of danger, both in forbidden wildernesses and iron-laced urban jungles.
Forget, for a moment, that my name appears in the game credits. Give the soundtrack a listen. Enjoy it for its musical complexity, or queue it up for some great background music during your next tabletop game. You won't be disappointed.
P.S. The third game just (yesterday/today, depending on where you live) released on the PS4.
THE COMPOSER: GERGELY BUTTINGER
The guy posts pictures of food and pets on his social media in between posts nerding out about music. You can't help but like the guy. He's unafraid of trying new things and finding sounds he enjoys. Other projects in his repertoire include Warhammer 40K: Inquisitor, Deathtrap, King Arthur the Roleplaying Wargame, as well some animations and shorts. Give him a follow![Still recovering from the flu. Expect future entries to have a little more substance. -snarkqueen]
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