Saturday, April 10, 2021

Soundtrack Saturday: Risk of Rain 2

 

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 Risk of Rain 2 by Hopoo Games.



THE STATS

Name: Risk of Rain 2
Developer: Hopoo Games
Publisher: Gearbox Publishing
Release Date: August 11, 2020
Genres: Rogue-like, third person shooter
Composer: Chris Christodoulou



MY FAVORITE TRACKS

(The full list of tracks are linked below... and I highly recommend some good headphones to best enjoy all of the subtle elements of the music!)

Risk of Rain 2
(Length: 5:22) For a title track, this nails it on the head and represents the game very well. It's a well-rounded track and makes you interested in what's going on.

Terra Pluviam
(Length: 7:41) A little warped, but it has this noir mystery vibe to it and fantastic modulation!

Antarctic Oscillation
(Length: 6:27) They had me at electric guitar. The track could be more cohesive melody-wise for me, but it's still an amazing composition -- elements of electronic dissonance, hard rock, and percussion to tie it all together.

The Rain Formerly Known as Purple
(Length: 7:54) I could listen to this track on repeat for hours. It has this great, mellow beat and melody, and then it graduates into a syth-infused rock ballad with an 80's vibe. Yes, please.

The Raindrop that Fell to the Sky
(Length: 11:38) I love longer tracks like this that get to pull you through a progression and musical story. Trust me and just listen to this one. 

...con lentitud poderosa
(Length: 4:49) "With powerful slowness." This is a beautiful track to listen to, and some of the elements make me think of The Eagles? Must be the synth + guitar combo. The title is actually the very end of a quote by Jorge Luis Borges, "Llovió, con lentitud poderosa," meaning "It rained, with powerful slowness." Whatever you do, don't stop listening before the halfway point -- you won't be disappointed if you make it to the end.



You can listen to the entire soundtrack here, courtesy of a bandcamp widget, or you can click this link to go visit the bandcamp page directly, or if you prefer you can acquire it over here on Steam. 





WHY DO I RECOMMEND IT?

This soundtrack is mostly electronic, but adds layers of other genres and sounds to it. There were only one or two tracks I just flat out didn't like from the start, but the rest are musically sound and balanced. I haven't played the game, but listening to the soundtrack makes me feel like I've been on the journey already. This is good stuff to have on in the background while you do creative things. 


THE COMPOSER: CHRIS CHRISTODOULOU

That last name you're afraid to pronounce is Greek. But it's okay, he covers it in his website's FAQ:


That's the kind of humor I wish more people had. That said, our dude has 15 releases on Bandcamp for you to check out. If the quality of this soundtrack is anything to go by, the rest are probably just as well-composed.

I'm not familiar with the other works, but I plan to sit down and give them a listen when I'm able to. As for Risk of Rain 2 -- good job, Chris. I like it. I'll be telling others about it often! And please don't ever lose that beautiful sense of humor.



If you enjoy my Soundtrack selections, consider joining me on Patreon for as little as $2! Now through April 15th, pledging at any tier earns you a sticker in the mail! 

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