The developers at Ready at Dawn are working to give their upcoming PS4 exclusive The Order: 1886 a unique atmosphere. Not only are they trying to accomplish this through the setting, but with the help of game composers Jason Graves and Austin Wintory, they're trying to do the same thing with the game's music.
Call Of Duty: Advanced Warfare's Zombie Game Mode Will Be Ready Next Year
The Order's soundtrack complements the game's existing atmosphere in many ways. The game's atmosphere is all about using the Victorian Era as a starting point then infusing elements that aren't historically accurate but still fit well within the setting, like giving a 19th-century man access to an early prototype of a flamethrower. Likewise, the game's composers tried to base the soundtrack on 19th-century music while adding in effects that would not have been common at the time.
The game's dark and brooding aesthetic also influenced the path of the soundtrack. To better support the dim, foreboding feel of the game's setting, the soundtrack was recorded using low instruments almost exclusively. The Order's music contains no brass, so no trumpets to lift the melody up. There are no high woodwinds like flutes, but there are plenty of low ones like bassoons and bass clarinets. Even the soundtrack's choir is composed only of low-voiced men. Not even tenors, higher male voices, can be found in the game's choir. Everything is kept in a brooding, low tone.
Smite's Upcoming Black Friday Event Is Just Throwing Gems At You
Both Graves and Wintory are accomplished game composers. You may have heard Graves' work before in the Dead Space series or the recent Tomb Raider reboot. He'll also be featured in the soundtrack of next year's Evolve. Wintory is perhaps best known for his musical contributions to Journey, the PlayStation game that actually scored a Grammy nomination.
The Order: 1886 will hit the PS4 on February 20.