It’s no secret that music is a powerful tool in game design. Soundtracks sell, and talented musicians make critically-acclaimed games. Soundfall takes that power to the next level, creating a vast dungeon-crawler adventure game out of music.
According to the game’s website, Soundfall is categorized as “an upbeat action/adventure game,” but it’s not like any action/adventure game you’ve seen before. The very ground around your player character moves in time with music. Enemy attacks are also timed, which means that if you have a great sense of rhythm, you’ll be very good at dodging. These nearly dance-like maneuvers take you through the entire world, from one checkpoint to the next.
There aren’t any demos of Soundfall yet, so it’s difficult to get a real taste for what the game is, but it looks incredibly promising. Here’s a description from the game’s first press release:
“From Symphonia’s lush environments to its outlandish creatures, music drives every aspect of this rhythmic dungeon crawler. Become immersed in a world shaped by sound while delving into forbidden dungeons, exploring fantastic landscapes, and uncovering the hidden power of song.”
“Soundfall’s levels, enemies, loot, and more are procedurally-generated by and dynamically react to a range of musical elements, changing not only from song to song but measure to measure as tunes build and die away. Battles synchronize to the beat, rewarding players who dash and slash in time to the beat with impressive dance-like combos.
“While harmonizing with Soundfall’s refrains, players search for gear and upgrades, like one-of-a-kind weapons and legendary artifacts with audio-driven powers. A diverse roster of playable characters, each with their own distinct playstyle and musical palettes, makes for compelling team-play in online and couch co-op for up to four friends. No matter how players choose to play, there are a wealth of ways to enjoy this action-packed musical experience.”
Soundfall is being produced by a team called “Drastic Games.” Their small company was created by two former developers at Epic Games, Nick Cooper and Julian Trutmann. Both seem to be committed to not just making games, but having fun with it, too. Everything on their website is written both to inform, and to charm. Cooper says he was “forged by the 8-bit crucible of the late 80’s, and raised on a diet of Megaman, Zelda, and heavy metal music.” Trutmann describes himself as “an economist turned game developer with a propensity for bright colors and watermelon flavored bubblegum.”
If this is the kind of humor and energy we can expect from such a dynamic game, Soundfall is sure to astound and thrill.
Soundfall will come to PC, Xbox One, PS4 and Nintendo Switch in 2019. To find out more, visit the game’s website, here.
