Sunset Overdrive has been getting a lot of attention and good reviews since it was first released. The game provides a unique perspective on a post-apocalyptic world that screams fun.
One aspect of Sunset Overdrive, however, that has not been getting the attention it deserves is the music in the game, which was produced by music supervisor and producer Greg Gordon of Pyramind Studios.
The music in Sunset Overdrive is a little different than your average game music. While many games license pre-recorded music, Sunset Overdrive uses mostly original music. Not only that, but because the music was created specifically for the game, the people over at Insomniac were able to implement it in a way that it changes in intensity based on what the player of the game is doing.
"The music was very specific in its intent to create a raw and engaging feeling that had, at least on the garage rock tracks, a lyrical component that helped tell the story of the game and the scenes and scenarios that it was being used in," said Gordon, in a phone interview. "...Because we were able to do this as original content for the game, I was able to deliver stems to the developers at Insomniac, and they were able to then take those stems and then put them into the middleware engine that allowed them to be interactive with the gameplay as well." Stems are essentially the separate audio tracks, unmixed. Delivering them separately to developer Insomniac Games allows Insomniac to change the mix based on the gameplay.
While this all seems cool, some might be wondering what the point of it all is. How much of an effect can the music really have on the gameplay? Well, the answer is a lot. Not only does game music help create the scene of the game, but it can also act as a motivator to the gamer.
"Especially if you're into the music, you want to engage and kill more mutants and get more active in the game so that you can actually hear more of the track and get to a place where you can actually hear the lyrics. The lyrics, we don't just give them away. You have to really rev up the game engine and get your style meter up so you hear the full track," continued Gordon.
Is this the way of the future for gaming? As technology improves, not only do things like graphics and environments get bigger and better, but the music behind the game is likely to also improve. Think back to the original Super Mario Bros. game and the music behind it. While great, there's no doubt that game music has come a long way.
"All of a sudden the music becomes a dynamic component in the game and it's not just a sound bed that's giving you maybe more intensity. It's kind of like leaking the track out as you get better and better in the game," said Gordon.
It's important to note that the music isn't just a cool idea, but it's also getting a lot of recognition. Only a day before we spoke on the phone, it was announced that Gordon along with Laura Katz had been nominated by the Guild of Music Supervisors for the creation of the music for Sunset. The Guild of Music Supervisors recognizes music for how it supports the story, elevates messaging and adds value to all forms of media. The Jan. 21 awards ceremony is the group's fifth year of recognizing outstanding music supervisors, this year in 14 categories representing motion pictures, television, games, trailers and advertising.
So what's next for Gordon? While unable to share specific details, Gordon assured me that he was working on some exciting projects, to be announced at the beginning of 2015.
