Gamers logo

The Great Symphony of Indie Games

By: Riley Fonger

By Riley FongerPublished 3 years ago 4 min read
Like
Journey Fan Art by - BeastScrollGames on Reddit

Not all games seek the approval of the mainstream media and rather than attaining to please a mass audience they set out to accomplish a more personal goal. These games aren’t AAA titles. they are independently developed by a single author or a small group of people without the help of funding from a publisher. They are known in the industry as Indie games, and they stand to push the limits of creativity by visiting unexplored boundaries. Indie games come in many forms and differing variety but the ones we will be exploring all have had a creative influence on how music intertwines with video games. Each of these games has set out to change what we know about music and video games

Hotline Miami Cover

Our first look is at Hotline Miami which is a 2Dtop arcade-style, come in guns a blazing shooter. I will admit the game itself is a lot of fun, and I highly recommend it to any gamer who hasn’t had the chance. What makes the game more exciting than the levels itself, is it’s upbeat, techno, arcade-style music that comes with it. The soundtrack really makes the player feel as if they are in an arcade in the 1980s, desperately attempting to surpass each level. The music give’s the player an immediate sense of urgency, which causes you to hastily make your way through the levels only to be downtrodden by an enemy. The upbeat music will start again and instantly put’s the player back in the same position, giving them the same feeling they left off with. Throughout the game, the music picks up as you advance through the levels causing you to only make more frantic decisions and ensure more chaos. This was the first game I ever played that left me with an interest to collect all the songs from the soundtrack for my own, which speaks for itself.

Bit. Trip Runner Cover

Another Indie game called Bit. Trip Runner, set out in 2010 to push the musical standard in video games. It is a 2D, side scroller, arcade game that puts emphasis on the player’s rhythm, tempo, and performance. The music in Bit. Trip Runner only carries out as long as the player is avoiding the obstacles and hitting its targets. Every jump, slide, and advancement in the level is met with a new melody and tune, that add to the beautifully orchestrated music. The music is literally meant to ascend, just as the player ascends through the level. The game builds up the anticipation and excitement through the music as the player is surpassing the level. Careful though, if you slip up you’ll be dragged back to the start, only to attempt at finishing the level, and song once again. The excellence in this game is at its sole purpose. When the player messes up it’s not only challenging, but your fighting to get back to the moment in the song that you were invested in; the music is the accomplishment. That’s the magic, you’re not playing to pass the level, your playing to finish the song, and nothing’s worse when you don’t get to hear your favourite chorus or part of a song threw. It’s agitating and draws the player to finish the level for the satisfaction of finishing the song. Bit. Trip Runner is one of the only games to successfully executed this concept.

Journey Cover

The last one on this list which is easily my favourite is Journey. This is an indie game that has you playing as a mysterious character who travels across an array of vast landscapes, allowing the player to explore as they please. The game matches this open-world exploration with a motionless fluidity of the character, that effortlessly lets you drift and sway around the map. All of these mechanics however are engineered so that they combine and combat the music that comes with it. The music is the real journey for the player, with every succeeding moment the chorus will spring into action, either giving a sense of excitement or composing the player to hone in on his surroundings. You can’t help but feel small in the encompassing world around you, that is not only visually stunning but matched with its outstanding musical composition. This is a game that is emotionally captivating and I would go as far as to call it a poetic masterpiece. For anyone that wants to be emotionally moved, or mentally at ease, give Journey a try.

These are just three of my personal favourites, however, there are countless Indie games that could fall into this category. Other honourable mentions that I highly recommend checking out include, Stardew Valley, Undertale, Hollow Knight, Ori & the Blind Forest, and Enter the Gungeon. Indie games will continue to push the societal norm of video games, explore new boundaries, and capture new experiences for the player.

art
Like

About the Creator

Riley Fonger

I am currently a student at MRU studying Communications with a Major in Journalism. I also do freelance writing full-time and enjoy doing some creative writing. If I do find time for creative writing, it's on Vocal.

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.