Inside is one of the most interesting video games released in 2016. It has a creepy atmosphere that might not sit well with everyone. The soundtrack is also on the creepy side, but who would have thought the developers used an actual human skull to create it?
The idea to use a human skull was all by Martin Stig Andersen. Apparently, he located an old human skull and decided to play the game's somber score through it. It's basically a filter from the old-school days, but more on the weird side.
Andersen said that the early results were terrible, but the composer did not give in to failure. He continued to seek the right score, and with a little bit of post-processing and other software tricks, the creepy Inside soundtrack was born.
"Every time I start on a new project I really want to find some kind of distinctive, original sound," Anderson told Gamasutra. "Not like a musical style, more like a sound quality that you can associate with that project. I think it helps to create a sort of holistic, whole experience."
Andersen believes the human skull has created a unique signature, something that would have been difficult to replicate using just music software alone. He says the teeth caused some unsettling vibrations, but strangely enough, should be familiar.
Could this be going a bit too far? Probably. However, Andersen strongly believes in taking such steps because it allows for the creation of something unique.
We listened to a snippet of the soundtrack before the human skull was added, and after. There's a clear difference, and to be honest, the track after post-processing sounds great. It should be noted that all the teeth from the skull fell out because of the constant vibrations.
Chances are, many music composers won't go this far, and we doubt they'd have to. There must be substitutes for a human skull for those who are not willing to venture this far north.
Folks who are itching to play Inside should read Tech Times' review of the game. Furthermore, there's a secret ending to the game, although, it's quite confusing, because it doesn't explain what it means.
Inside was first released for the Xbox One and PC, then in August for the PlayStation 4.
For those who are unaware, Inside is a game created by Playdead, the same developers behind the masterpiece, Limbo.
Photo: Paul Williams | Flickr
