#by the end of the soundtrack and if its in game. the sound loops as long as youre in the area so maybe my heart just got confused

[aria0fgold]

Okay, I think I got some thoughts in my brain to say stuff I wanna say about Aria's Story which includes some spoilers. It is nice :D I think my absolute favourite thing bout it is the fact that the stages are separated by "books." First chapter was in a comedy book (where I somehow died the most at). Second chapter was in a fairy tales book (my favourite section, go lesbians go!). Third chapter was in a romance book (second favourite solely because the soundtrack in it was so soothing to listen to). Fourth chapter was in a horror book (which is somehow not really that scary).

It's kinda funny how in a way, the comedy section was more like the "horror" section cuz while playing the game, the scares went from so much to only a lil bit. And ngl the horror chapter gives me vibes of a haunted house attraction in an amusement park which is actually pretty good on its own way.

I absolutely adore the story, it has such a unique charm to it despite how "average" it is at first glance. It has the common formula of 4 friends, 1 that's cold, 1 that's annoying, 1 that's calm, and 1 that's cheerful. Its story is also common in a way where (spoilers) one of em is dead and the other one in the group is trying to revive them. But despite that, it's like, even with such a simple formula, it was written in a way that makes it unique on its own and I really love it for that!

For the endings, I really prefer and like the True Ending more than the Good Ending. In the True Ending, "Aria" accepted her own death (putting it in quotes cuz the real Aria is dead, and the one in the game is just a "copy" of her. Copy as in a fictional character created for the sake of "reviving" aka replacing, the dead Aria).

So then "Aria" took the quill (magical quill that can create and erase anything written with it but can't really revive a dead person), and bid everyone farewell as she used it to erase her own existence. As painful as Aria's death was and despite Clyde using the quill to try and get her back, the friends chose to move on in the end anyway. (I really love the art accompanied by it showing the friends together and a ghost Aria floating behind em).

Now the Good Ending... It's such a close second simply because I love OMORI and I'm always a sucker for characters that was meant to be a copy of someone but became their own person (Sunny and Omori sibling/bestie aus will always be my favourite).

In the Good Ending, "Aria" wanted to keep living but as her own person and not as a replacement for Aria. So Lewin gave her a different name (Wendy) and they all agreed to try to get her to their own world (which is reality basically and not within a fictional world created by the quill) as her own person with an appearance of her own. In which they succeeded 3 years later! Wendy got sent to reality as an adult with a different look to Aria (but still similar in a way that they look like siblings... it so cute...) and no memories, cuz Wendy's last request to them before they left, was to get rid of Aria's memories so Wendy can make her own, even if it means she'll have amnesia. And I adore that ending on its own way too! The friends get to still move on but now they have a new friend! (Wanna draw Wendy and Aria together so badly... drawing em with Sunny and Omori... the besties ever with their clones turned siblings).

#aria rants #deep down am wishing that the game is a lil longer but its current length rn is also enough for it as well #i just think some length will be nice to expand more on the story and characters #also this game has such nice soundtracks i rlly love it #gotta say tho that in the romance section. theres a part where the sound is the beating of a heart and when playing the game #was ironically bad for my heart cuz i cant calm down. like theres smth bout hearing a heart beating in the background #that makes my own heartbeat confused in a weird way. like its tryna copy it but also not which just makes it beat faster than normal #like am listenin to it now again and it aint even that quick. it just sounds like a normal heartbeat. but also it went a biiit faster #by the end of the soundtrack and if its in game. the sound loops as long as youre in the area so maybe my heart just got confused #by how it would speed up a bit as the sound ended and yet it loops to being normal heartrate again #but also gotta say. the sound itself is actually soothing on its own way had it not been for my heart trying to mimic it

[halluciniwaynia]

one thing that kind of bugs me whenever ppl talk about hylics 2 “perfecting” jrpg combat and arguing that viewpoint from a purely mechanical perspective (hp, the meat system, the lack of weaknesses, etc) is that most ppl don’t give credit to the system for being as insanely streamlined as it is. simplicity in rpgs goes a long way to immersion when the rpg mechanics aren’t so removed from the characters and the overall pacing of the story. the biggest complaint many people have with old school jrpgs is not actually focusing on how “grindy” they are but rather how the bells and whistles of their core systems bog down down the actual experience and take away from the idea that your characters are growing in an organic and natural way. that is what breaks immersion and what pivots away from the core gameplay loop interacting with the game in a meaningful way.

Because, at the end of the day, people have always been roleplaying in games to some degree. DnD is perhaps the most famous example but LARPing and other forms of role-based play have been around for millennia with humanity in some shape and have always served as a method of telling a story and immersion in its most basal form. The many micro-managing elements of many jRPGSs have always served as a stop-gap between a rock and a hard place for more strategy based games and games that simply use units to tell some kind of cohesive narrative, and when said micro-managing elements become detrimental to the immersion of a player and the ease at which they can engage with the world, that’s when you start getting problems.

Simply put, hylics 2’s simple JRPG elements have never “redefined” combat. The game is simply not asking the player to engage with the combat as a means to its own end. In Hylics 2, every battle is a kind of spectacle, some kind of obstacle yes, but the limited enemy encounters streamline the pace of the game’s functions and how the player is interacting with the world around them. In its most basal form, Hylics 2 is using turn based combat to take players from setpiece to setpiece, contextualizing much of the game’s world within its mechanics as the terms “role” and “play” can be split apart and discussed in their most prescriptivist senses.

I think a good way to put this analysis into a bit more perspective is to compare Hylics 2 to Ultrakill, but placing them both on different ends of the same scale. While both are heavily stylized indie games with a unique artstyle and musical soundtracks, Ultrakill takes the maximalist approach with its gameplay loop and sense of immersive entanglement with its world, barraging the player with noisy and overwhelming stimulus to simulate the same kind of terror being experienced by the creatures within the game, while Hylics 2 does the opposite. It’s minimalist approach to sensory white noise comes from the abstraction of symbols, the lack of crystal clear visual cues and symbols often associated with games of its ilk, or even just the world in general. The game is meticulously designed such that (just like ultrakill is) it evokes the same kind of immersion in a slower, more deliberate way. Getting into the world of Hylics 2 is done via a drip feeding of barely legible (at first) information until the bigger picture finally arrives at the end and the lights, sounds, artwork and world finally come together in something that is halfway understood just as the characters in game experience it.

tldr I like the combat in hylics 2 it feels like real life. if I punch and kill a guy there is no respawning

#hylics #hylics 2 #ultrakill #analysis post #hope this makes sense to at least one person KSBSKSBKSHSJSBSKSHSH #Personal post

[relicsongmel]

Okay so I read your pinned post and omg having pitch-colour synesthesia sounds so interesting! I'm curious if you also see those colours/visions(?) when you yourself are singing? Also, did you notice anything interesting with game OSTs like Ace Attorney? (I don't know much about synesthesia so if any of this was weird, feel free not to answer haha)

Not weird at all friend! I love answering synesthesia questions and this one has made my day <3

Generally since much of my singing is done in either a performance or rehearsal/practice setting (and the latter is in preparation for a performance so they’re not that different to me functionally—and even when I’m singing for fun I still end up treating it like a performance a lot of the time), my synesthetic visions usually take a backseat to the more technical aspects of my performance such as proper breath management, good intonation, strong diction, and important elements of musicality like dynamics and emotional expression among other things. That said they are still very much there in the back of my mind and sometimes even influence my performance a little—for instance keys with darker colors tend to make me want to sing with a darker, fuller tone (this one in particular is a double-edged sword because it can be to my detriment if the piece in particular doesn’t really call for that kind of sound).

I have MANY little scattered observations about the Ace Attorney soundtrack—I’m not sure if you’re asking for synesthesia thoughts or general thoughts so I guess I’ll do a bit of both.

A few synesthetic observations:

The Turnabout Sisters theme is in A flat major which in my head is the same shade of purple as Maya’s haori! I always love when a composer’s key choices match up with my synesthetic interpretations like that <3

Objection! 2001 and Objection! 2002 are in G minor and F minor respectively which are blue ENOUGH harmony-wise to match with Phoenix, but Objection! 2004 is in D minor which is closer to a sea-green so I end up associating it more with Godot. Which is odd but it is what it is

A few general observations:

Distant Traces of Beauty actually shares melodic material with The Fragrance of Dark Coffee! In the former you can hear it in an arpeggiated melody at the end of the loop which is the exact same as the first five notes of the latter, which serves as really awesome musical foreshadowing for Godot’s relation to Dahlia!

First-Class Reasoning (Sebastian’s theme) modulates (changes keys) several times over the course of the loop—it starts in C major, then moves to F major and then G major then goes back to C major when the loop replays. It also uses a lot of decorative accidentals (notes outside the key, so for C major which has no sharps or flats an F# would be considered an accidental for example) in its melody—both of these elements are meant to symbolize Sebastian’s winding and sometimes nonsensical logic <3

#ask #muffin-mikaela #music nerd shit #musical analysis #about me #maya fey #phoenix wright #godot #dahlia hawthorne #sebastian debeste #aa #this was very fun to write thank you <3

[peridot-tears]

TOP 5 “EZIO’S FAMILY” VERSIONS + TOP 5 TRACKS

Reviving this list from @thatcrazycrowgirl because AC OSTs need love.

Ezio’s Family - Favorite Versions:

Main Theme (AC Rogue) I'm a sucker for traditional Irish instrumentals, and you can feel the adventure of the North Atlantic through it. It doesn't just convey Shay's sense of freedom, but his will to fight against great odds and tragedy (and the cold). The way it builds up, then when the beat drops, it explodes into the Irish whistle, backed up by a drumbeat that sounds like both a heartbeat and the beating of your oars against the waves -- and then, as it ends, the music disperses into what sounds like a migratory flock of birds flying overhead.

2. Ezio's Family (Origins Version) (AC Origins)

It's a really tired but determined version of this song. You can feel how the chasm between Aya and Bayek is only as deep as their love. The things that bring them together are the same things that separate them: Their love for Khemu, the common folk, and Egypt. AC Origins is so perfect because it conveys the thing we love about the franchise the most: The ability to feel the will of the people reaching out from thousands of years away. This is the sound of hope. I am constantly mentally reliving the scene when the chorus plays for the first time in the game (notice how on the title screen, they always fade out the tune before the chorus actually drops, so they tease you with the signature beginning of Ezio's Family, but only the beginning):

"Good Bayek of Siwa. What are you of now?" "A new creed. Ours is finished."

3. The Flight (AC Odyssey)

Just like Legend of the Eagle Bearer, you can feel the literal odyssey in it. You feel the tides under your ship. Also, those vocals? Fucking fantastic. I thought I was done with Ezio's Family remakes when Odyssey came out, but then I actually listened to it. Oof. Amazing.

4. Main Theme (AC Chronicles: India)

I'm a sucker for strings. Like, this is why I love Shao Jun's version, but I've spent my whole life listening to pipa and gu zheng strings, ykyk, so I love it a lot, but AC India gives me just the right amount of familiarity in terms of string instrumentals while giving me the sense of a completely different world. It's the novelty for me. It's also just super chill and puts me in a good headspace, while still ending on an exciting, high note. There's also a tempo at the beginning where I feel like I'm listening to a clock tick.

(Oof, there's no gif for him. Sadge.)

5. Earth (AC 2)

Yo, when I tell you that the first time I played AC 2 and Ezio put on his father's Assassin's robes, and this played, I lost my goddamned MIND. I used to listen to this song, Ezio's Family, and Venice Rooftops one after the other like they were all one really long song, on loop, to get myself to fall asleep. I feel like I'm leaping from rooftop to rooftop, until I've achieved full flight. Ugh. Just. Perfection.

Honorable Mention: Somewhere between AC Unity and AC Syndicate versions, because hot DAMN, you really feel the beat of their cities in them.

Additional Favorite Tracks (in no particular order):

I Walk on Your Water (AC Origins) Bro, the first time I heard this when AC Origins came out and I was playing the soundtrack while I cooked, hearing this song was like a religious experience. And when the scene where Layla first experiences Aya's memories and says the line herself -- breathless, exalted -- was like the Second Coming.

2. Fight Club (AC III)

RATOHNHAKÉ:TON MY BELOVED. Yo, when I tell you I was in love with this game and its music and main character YEARS before I even touched ACIII, I am not fucking kidding. I listened to this shit on repeat. It pumps me up like nothing else. It motivates me at work, when I'm writing, and when I'm training. This song is the shit. AND FUCK YEAH I LINKED YOU TO THE EXTENDED VERSION WHAT OF IT. It's high-energy and determined and FUN. It's like a really nice round of sparring where you beat the shit out of your opponent but you're both happy about it.

3. Committee of One (AC Unity)

Yo, when I started stalking the King of Thieves and this beat dropped, I knew this was gonna be a good fucking game. I felt the thrill and danger, but I also felt unstoppable. I was fully immersed in Arno strolling into the den of the rats, not to mention how the Unity version of Ezio's Family starts playing once you've killed the King and escape. I ran into Templar thugs on the street on purpose just to hear this while they chased me. That abyssal heartbeat (AC Unity soundtrack has a living, breathing pulse) that falls into the familiar strains of that violin, followed by that harpsichord? Chef's fucking kiss.

4. Legend of the Eagle Bearer (AC Odyssey)

You can feel the waves under your oars! You can hear the sun rise over the horizon as the water changes colors! You can hear the relentless drive of your rowers as dawn breaks and the early-morning silence slowly dwindles down. And when you break into a full flight, it feels like you've gone wild, on the chase.

5. City of Rome (AC Brotherhood)

Oldie but goodie. It's so calm and inviting, but promises you adventure. You really feel like you've stepped into a city that's already ancient, but has so much to offer.

Honorable Mention: Master Assassin from AC Brotherhood and Parting Glass, Anne Bonny in Black Flag version.

I am tagging @sprawca @especiallyhaytham @teecupangel @canonless5 @starpineninja but no pressure to do it! If I didn't tag you but you're also a trash Assassin's Creed aficionado, feel free to join in!

#note that i haven't played ac black flag in years and kind of just blasted through the game because i wasn't in the right headspace for it #same for freedom cry but i didn't even finish that one #i'll be revisiting freedom cry soon so i might fall in love with some more songs on that track #i am excite #god ubisoft is trash but there is so much to love about the soundtracks and imagery they use to set the scene #i'll die mad about it #assassin's creed #ac unity #ac iii #ac brotherhood #ac 2 #ac 3 #ac chronicles #ac rogue #ac odyssey #ac origins #shay #aya #bayek #ezio #connor #arno #kassandra

[qjackmanifold]

hi allow me to be autistic about a particular music choice quackity keeps making . its very tinfoil hat but hear me out

Quackity keeps using the same Silent Hill 2 soundtrack in his QSMP streams -- it's called "Noone Love You" and he uses it a lot. Now as a preface I know that the likely explaination is that its a good track that Q likes and therefore uses on his streams a lot. however:

In two of the three instances I've seen it pop up (because I. watch less quackity streams than i'd like to admit), it's looped constantly. Once in the stream where he went to the dice room - after starting the stream off with one song, he stopped it, and some point changed to Noone Love You, playing it until the stream ended. The second was in his stream yesterday inflitrating the Federation presentation as Fred. This one sticks out more because prior, because beforehand he was playing a whole playlist of other songs, but he deliberately switches to play Noone Love You, which then loops for half an hour.

It just feels like there's a pattern?

The earliest instance of it was right at the beginning during a Mr. ▮▮▮▮▮▮ cutscene, when he was warning them to not destroy the wall (or telling them off for doing so?).

The only other use of Silent Hill's sountrack on the server was in the invite server -- if you look at Phil's VOD, for example, you can hear "Never Forgive Me, Never Forget Me" from Silent Hill 3 looping in the background. Though, this is... a little less significant, I feel? NFM² is a very popular soundtrack which gets used in memes a lot as well as just about. I heard it in a Cellbit clip before. Though to be fair it is likely that Cellbit is at least partially aware of Silent Hill because he's a Horrors kinda guy, and that circle thing with Paranormal Order(??) he has going on does remind me of the Halo of the Sun sooooooooo like idk

In reference to the track itself -- while it is, of course, totally likely that Quackity just really likes it, Noone Love You has traits that other, similar tracks from the OST don't have.

First, Noone Love You is the only officially released Silent Hill 2 track that does not play in the game or its only DLC.

A distinctly different variation of it does play in the DLC, however, but it never got an official release. A third distinct version of it also plays in Silent Hill 3's save screen, which also never got an official release.

And like, outside of favouritism, it seems odd that he'd continually choose this one given that there's so many others in the same soundtrack list that sound similar. Like, Noone Love You is 1:32 long. Looping that 30 times per stream for the Vibes is so odd to me.

IDK pattern seeking brain + Silent Hill autism. I'm reaching lmao

#qsmp #quackity #posts nobody cares about

[styrmwb]

Favorite Final Fantasy Music (FFXIII)

Some people hate XIII (a lot of people hate XIII). I am not one of those people (I'm also a Hope and Snow enjoyer so maybe I'm just wrong). I was never quite good at the gameplay, but I really liked the world, and I really liked the music. It's like... the least Final Fantasy out of all the soundtracks? But also in a way that makes it the most Final Fantasy cause of how different it is. The game uses a lot of these 2 motifs (which is cool cause there's like 2 main worlds), and uses a lot of cool vocals and futuristic noises. My man Masashi Hamauzu is back from FFX, and he kills it.

5. The Archylte Steppe Hey! It's everyone's favorite part of the game! This is my favorite version of the "The Promise" motif; the slower tempo befitting the vast field you're running around in. Other than the fact that I love this melody, I'm a big fan of the heavy drums, and that little part where they hold back to let the melody shine through (which is also the part where the notes do that thing where they pull on my heart aaaaa). Perfect song for accidentally getting stepped on by an adamantoise to.

4. Desperate Struggle By all means, considering the context of this song, I should hate it. The amount of times I got doomed or launched into the air and smacked around, is ridiculous. But this song is so fun (especially in theatrhythm). I love the really heavy part where the rhythm gets real bouncy with the triplets, and also the part with the heavy dissonant chords, and the melody they create (buuuuuuuh buuhbuuhbuuhbuuuh buh buuuuuuuuh) it sounds so cool!!!

3. The Hanging Edge After the intro to the game, you're immediately thrown into a fuckin war, and this is what plays. That intro piano is such a unique opening, giving you that feeling of stress very unfitting of the start of most FF games, and then the rest of the song starts to build it up. The strings adding more stress and rising the song further, throwing in the percussion to add that heaviness to the song and the synth to show the vast and futuristic nature of the area, not to mention using the sound of a train stopping as an instrument (wording this as a joke but in context it's fitting)??? This song starts out so cool. But my absolute favorite part is when the fiddle (I think) comes in, and just goes absolutely bonkers with the sickest solo you've ever heard. You can say what you will about this game but goddamn the atmosphere of the opening is amazing.

2. Eidolons Similar to Desperate Struggle, I should hate this song for the very same reasons, but it slaps way too much for me to hate it for any reason. The entire song feels like constant buildup, never truly having a full melody or release, but I think that works perfectly for the stressful and timed nature of the fights it primarily plays on. I love the constant rhythm in the back, the heavy drums and the looping synth; and the guitar is fuckin rocking out the entire time. This whole song is a headbanger, also bringing in the orchestra to keep the same XIII vibe. The echoey nature of the end of the song, the guitar sounding like it's shredding in the distance, is my favorite part.

1. Blinded by Light This is THE XIII song. This is the trailer song, this is the second of the two main motifs, this is the battle song, this returns in the next two games constantly, and all of this for good reason! This song fucking bangs!!! The start is a perfect classic FF battle buildup while having its own unique nature, the drum set and guitar combined with the orchestra perfectly shows you the nature of this entire game's soundtrack, and not to mention. The melody. That violin. That violin is absolutely legendary. I don't really know how to word it, but the way it's composed is like crack for my ears. The high notes it hits, that main BUUUUUUH NUUUUUUUUUH BUHNUHHH NUUUUUUUUUH section is musical gold, and every single time I hear it in any other song that plays in this entire trilogy, I feel nothing buy joy and pure positive emotion.

Honorable mentions go to: The Promise, Defiers of Fate, Saber's Edge, The Sunleth Waterscape, Test of the L'Cie, The Yaschas Massif, Taejin's Tower (boing), and Eden Under Siege.

#final fantasy #final fantasy xiii #textpost #jared's final fantasy music opinions

[redd956]

3 Games that double-down on video games as works of art

Not every time do you play a video game purely for the entertainment we expect. Video games themselves are also works of art; they radiate with creativity and human touch, their soundtracks alone attest to that. 

However not every game is designed with the intent to bring back money, become an infamous popular classic, or gain the archetype of being a esports play. Many games are designed with only the objective of an experience at hand, and these five games nail it!

Iron Lung

Iron Lung is a short horror video game located on Steam, developed by David Szymanski. He purposefully developed the game to last about an hour of gameplay, however that doesn’t budge on its insanely well designed atmosphere in the first place.

It is beyond grim, and spawns tons of questions that will likely never be answered. It is a single player experience, in which you play a convict trapped within an outdated submarine, sent to explore an ominous blood ocean on a moon.

The sound design is eerie and perfect. The game aims for a sense of isolation, dread, and hopelessness. The exposition is delightfully spooky, followed by gradual built up to singular moment in the game. The atmosphere is retro but exceeds in its dreariness, and truly gives players the feeling of being locked into a submarine blind underneath the depths of a blood ocean on the moon.

Each objective within the game reached not only lures the player to continue on, but adds to the anxiety of the game built-in atmosphere. The submarine itself also begins deteriorating, perhaps even reflecting how the player character himself is falling apart at the seams and losing all hope. It built an experience for sure.

SUPERHOT

SUPERHOT is a first-person action game, where you are simulating a man with inhuman abilities going on a deadly rampage as the world seemingly throws armies of opponents against you. The game spans onto several platforms, with many different ways to play, and also a handful of variations of the game.

This is another game heavy on building on experience. It starts much more innocent feeling, which is accompanied by its addictive smooth gameplay, where it appears as an everyday looping action game. However quickly everything seems to be going much more wrong, and the story being told rapidly increases in darkness.

The maps being to warp. The red enemies sometimes mimic innocent civilians, desperate forces attempting to stop you, and eventually they too morph and change. In SUPERHOT: Mind Control Delete levels are available to play, with snippets of our player character’s sanity being shown.

In an attempt to finish or continuing playing such smooth and fun gameplay, the players end up mimicking the character’s endless aggressive addiction and spiraling sanity. As dialogue is discovered it feels both aimed at the player and the character, and the your actions are become done methodically with sadness. Now both you and the character are searching for answers, whilst continuing a maddening cycle.

Papers Please

Papers Please was created by Lucas Pope. As a work of art it not only serves an experience that stays with you, but makes statements against many post-WW2 world problems. Heavily inspired by the border control during the Cold War, especially from Yugoslavic nations and the Soviet Union, Papers Please challenges both your attention to detail, patience, and empathy.

In Papers Please you play a border control agent in the fictional nation of Arstotzka. Similar to SUPERHOT and Iron Lung, as soon as the game is opened, the tone is thrown in the face of players. This time a slavic inspired dreary militaristic anthem booms, as the title and logo is revealed.

The complexity of the border transactions, along with the sudden interruptions to the gameplay’s monotony, makes the game engaging and fresh. However the struggle of the player character is also quickly put on the table after the end of the first day. The game grows more and more complex as the days pass on, and eventually your character will face a time limit on their life.

Each character plays a role in adding to the atmosphere. Even the fictional nations, pixel art visuals, and sound design are built with the purpose of drawing out the depressing atmosphere the border, and Arstotzka offer. The ups are memorable, great, and heartstring tugging. While the downs are just the same, while also reminding the players of their character’s reality.

Authors Notes

I have played the final two of these games, and I have played a lot of them. I suggest go and play them, or maybe even relive them if you already have them.

#reminder to myself to edit this for typos #video games #art #works of art #video games are art #papers please #arstotzka #superhot #super hot #superhot mind control delete #iron lun #horror game #game design #game journalism #experience

[deepseacityunderground]

PCB ESSAY (gone sexual) (gone shitty) (gone trance music) (500 words not enough space to talk about things in detail)

Videogames are becoming increasingly relevant in fine art echelons. Whilst historically dismissed as “lacking in imagination” and “passive”, (Gavinor, 2009) videogames, like films, have the potential to encompass artistic expression, attaining “specialness bracketed off from ordinary life, made seperate” (Dutton, 2006). As videogame graphics and sound design improves, their aesthetic qualities become harder to dismiss. However, just as a photorealistic painting is not more meaningful than an Impressionist painting, a pixelated, old videogame does not hold more art than a photorealistic, 3d rendered videogame like the ones made today.

Take Touhou Youyoumu – Perfect Cherry Blossom, as an example (hereafter referred to as PCB). Released in 2003, the game has a charmingly ametuerism aesthetic to it, from the badly drawn characters to the pixelated displays. It’s the seventh game in the well-known doujinshi bullet hell game series Touhou Project, entirely developed and produced by a single person – Jun’ya “ZUN” Ota. It’s a series well known for its music – Ota intially started making games to showcase his music composition skills (Davison, 2013) and the music in Touhou Project is so iconic that it’s spawned its own satellite community of remixers who thrive entirely off the music written by Ota.

Bullet hell games require a very high level of concentration from the player. One may even call it a “trance state characterized by intense focus” cumulating in the “loss of a strong sense of self – providing access to types of knowledge inaccesabile in non-trance states” (Becker, 1994). The player has no time to think – just react, and the “dexterious manipulation of the fictive prop... becomes muscle memory” (Gavinor, 2009). The electronic musical compositions of Ota help put players into this mindset, “responsible for onset trance” in the player. The music of stage 4 of PCB, as well as the music tracks used for the game;s penultimate boss both share similarities with other genres of music capable of inducing trance states – notably “abrupt changes of rhythm”, “acceleration of tempo” (Rouget, 1980), and “looping collages” (Teles and Boyle, 2015). Stage 4 is unique in that the movements the player must make to avoid bullets mimic the tune of the backing tracks, as it looks as if the player character is dancing. Ota describes the track as “a stratospheric intrusion... violent yet sorrowful” (Ota, 2003). Alternatively, the final boss battle at the end of stage 6 offers a distinctly trancelike musical progression, with two tracks utilized to provide a drastic increase in tempo and mood representing the “rebirth” of the characters in game.

The intention of video game soundtracks is to act as a “territorial zone of protection” (Deleuze and Guatarri, 2004). Ota’s compositions seek to induce a trancelike “altered mental state” (Phillips, 2014) via use of strong, multilayered electronic music. Even the sound affects in such games add to the overall composition, so much so that “paying a game generates a musical product” (Whalen, 2007) Likewise, the playing of PCB is a piece of performance art – like the work of many classic composers, the art is in a state of “becoming” in collaboration with the player, a “living being” as opposed to the “static, preformed object” of a more traditional piece of art (Demers, 2010).

#its not very good but! i think it will be funny #i need to record myself playing stage 4 for it #yeahhh the word limit was 500 words ;-;

[sasha-on-the-side]

Tag Meme

Thank you for the tag, @banachtarskiparadox! I don't do these memes often bc a lot of them make me go "and why do you want to know this about me?" but I'm always up for screaming about some of my favourite pieces of media!

A scent you love:

Grapefruit. My current signature is Zara Vetiver Pamplemousse layered with Kerosene Summer of '84.

Something you're looking forward to this week:

Been watching Arcane with some of my besties who haven't seen it, and we need to go through the last three episodes.

A book you are currently reading:

I've been AWFUL at reading books as an adult ;_; I've had This Is How You Lose the Time War, Gideon the Ninth, and TAZ graphic novel (The 11th Hour, my favourite arc) sitting on my bedside table since summer and I've barely made a dent in the former. I need to get to them sometime soon.

A game you're currently playing:

I've been on a bit of a gaming tear lately and got through some really good indie titles!

Outer Wilds - the game I beat and then made everyone I know play it too because I needed someone to talk to about it. This is one of those games that everyone reccs as "don't look up anything about it just play it blind trust me" and I find it to be a bit unfair to people who are not into certain types of gameplay, so I'm gonna recommend it to you in a way that's equally honest and non-spoilery:

It's a space exploration game in which you are a budding astronaut setting off on your first journey in your small solar system. It's entirely non-linear and you are welcome to craft your own path in visiting several distinct planets and other celestial bodies, while trying to uncover the mysteries of a civilisation that inhabited the system before you, through collecting pieces of written lore. You have to fly a ship to get to places, and while it takes some getting used to, it is very intuitive. And, if you like time loops, this game has one. If any of what I said sounds attractive to you, I implore you to play it, it is quite genuinely life- and/or game-changing.

American Arcadia - it's The Truman Show meets Severance meets Defunctland: the game. A 2.5D runner/puzzle game with a neat 70s aesthetic and a story that takes a pleasantly unique direction.

Chants of Sennaar - a game about being an interpreter in what is essentially the tower of Babel. It's a really novel but well-executed concept that doesn't get old during the course of the game and makes up for a (imo) rather basic storyline. It's the kind of game that has you take notes as you go, except the note-taking mechanic is already build into it.

Cocoon - a very neat puzzle game with a lovely art style and inception-like mechanics that may leave you stumped for a minute or to but then make you feel like a genius when you finally solve the puzzle.

Night in the Woods - a story-heavy game about coming of age with light puzzle, platformer, and rhythm game elements, fantastic dialogue and the most charming art style and animation.

All of the above titles also have great soundtracks, OW and NitW especially.

The most recent movie you watched:

Oh man, I don't watch that many movies. It has to be The Killer, which was remarkable in its mediocrity. It's fun as you get through it, and then it ends and makes you go "wait that's it?"

A show you've been watching or listening to:

Now here I can recc you some good ones! I got really into Taskmaster this past year and have been watching the New Zealand version, after being a bit reluctant to get into it. Fortunately it's just as funny as the UK version, it its own "man, they get wild on kiwi tv" way.

Another show I really liked lately was Culprits! Heist is my favourite genre of media, and this show delivered on the "someone in the crew is a traitor" storyline and then some. It also has a diverse cast, with a queer black lead, and a lovely wrap to the fist season that won't leave you without answers should it suffer...you know, that thing that happens to all shows these days.

I will also take an opportunity to plug Dungeons and Daddies*, a rowdy, horny, violent podcast for grown-ups, and my favourite audio show for the fourth year and counting. It's a real play podcast that's light on the rules and heavy on "yes and", and in its first season tackles issues of toxic masculinity, generational trauma, and what it means to be a father. If you liked TAZ Balance, give it a try.

*Not a BDSM podcast. Occasionally a BDSM podcast.

Your favourite season:

Early summer. The night air in my hometown has a scent I wish I could bottle up and put as the first answer instead.

Something you've learned recently:

Whatever it is I did, I have forgotten it by now.

Have you had any water recently?

Just now, to wash down my meds (this is your reminder to take yours.)

Tagging @canonicallyshort @orangeykay @joybones and YOU!

#personal

[shabby-alonso]

part 2 of this

A Scattered Moment

OG2, K2

The end of Y2 finds us high over the city, in the snow, facing down for one final time none other than our first rival dragon - Goda Ryuji. Rather than the energetic and grinding guitars heard throughout the rest of the soundtrack, we are met with a solo piano. Rhythmically, A Scattered Moment fits in well with the rest of the game's soundtrack with clusters of chords in syncopation, but otherwise it stands out completely. 45s in, we hear dragon calls and the occasional percussion followed by sustained strings at 1m30s. To explain the musical dragon call, it’s expressed as a sustained high note rising in pitch before broadening as if in a roar. I’ve seen people describe this motif as a siren, or half a siren, but it reads quite clearly to me as a representation of the dragon call. This motif is heard throughout various tracks in all the games, but it is most notable for the first time at this point between Kiryu and Ryuji. Ryuji isn't just the loud, brash persona here; much like with Nishikiyama, he's stripped down and the fight is personal.

The opening piano gives us setting and motive. You can almost hear the cold and feel the snow start to fall as the piano melody rises and falls. Two dragons locked in combat high up in the sky overlooking Kamurocho. The Hills itself representing not only a symbol of oncoming change, but of loneliness. Ryuji is, in a lot of ways, quite lonely. Surrounded by compatriots and hangers-on, but yearning for the family he lost. As the track comes to a close, the piano falters, falling out of rhythm like a heart palpitation and slowly crawling to a resolution. We can look at the ending two ways, either Ryuji falls and dies with the music, or he stutters towards a new beginning.

K2 takes a similar approach to K1 in terms of "updating" the soundtrack. The texture here is much thicker with strings present throughout and the piano nearly drowned out by the accompaniment. Strings and percussion begin the track before allowing a few moments of solo piano before bringing in the whole orchestra. Like K1, I believe this was done to give a more "cinematic" feel as well as a grander sort of look at what we can do now with a bigger budget and a bigger orchestra. Also much like K1, however, I think this is to the detriment of what the song originally represented.

It no longer feels lonely and cold, but grandiose and almost self-important. Perhaps it is a more dynamic and exciting sound, but in that it seems to imply that Ryuji really is only as he seems. The dragon calls have also been removed and the piano never stutters. Ryuji doesn't fall musically at all; it all simply resolves nicely and prettily.

Fly

Y3

Y3 presents us with our most complex final boss theme so far, and our first planned for dynamic intro. The dynamic intro has since become a staple of the series visually, something countless fans look forward to, compare, and even swap out the original tracks for other songs in some strange competition of who can make this each scene look “cooler.” The addition of the intro changes how the theme is presented in-game and more greatly differentiates it from its soundtrack equivalent.

In order to accommodate for the dynamic intro, a short string version of the one of the main motifs of the theme is used while the characters are talking that segues into the theme as it appears on the soundtrack with the next cut. So far, the discussed themes have been fairly simple in terms of construction with two main sections, A and B. Fly, on the other hand, clocks in at arguably 4. Although, we could argue a bit in either direction, as none of the sections in Fly repeat perfectly – only in variation. To spare too much of a play-by-play, the ostinato bass of the opening section creeps in and vamps until the freeze frame of the intro ends as Kiryu and Mine’s feet hit the ground with the entrance of the rest of the instrumentation. What follows next is the fight, with the theme looping as need be, until the end where it switches to a music box version as Mine falls into Kiryu and onto the ground.

In very short, Fly is a meltdown. Each section builds on the last, never repeating with only a few moments of comedown until it finally crashes, adrenaline spent.

Mine’s mental state is reflected more specifically in the music as well through the use of guitars and a modified dragon call motif. The guitar solo is the most clear example, coming in at about 2m40s breaking over the accompaniment with an urgency unlike the previous sections and a turmoil that never resolves – merely being cut off at its emotional height. The modified dragon call, kirin call if you will, comes up throughout the theme much more even than dragon calls in the earlier themes. Unlike the others, the sound is different; Kiryu is nowhere to be found here.

Where previous dragon calls seem to roar, ending on a high note, the kirin calls switch between manic and mournful. At around 56s we hear the first of the more manic variety, short and open, roaring much like the dragon calls but not as sustained. At around 1m25s the second even more manic variety sounds, nearly a laugh. The more mournful kind can be heard clearly around 2m40s, crying out plaintively (and the first such call in the series to move downwards in pitch). These motifs can be heard throughout the rest of the track, but those are a few notable examples to listen for. In fact, one mournful call sounds only a few seconds into the in-game introduction behind the strings and piano.

It’s clear even just audibly that Mine is at his limit emotionally, moved past coherent thought by the weight of his grief and his shaky attempts to convince himself he can take control of the situation and right himself. At times, two guitars in concert take over the melody, signalling a moment of internal unity before returning to the duel between his will to rationalize and the chaos of his emotional state as the two guitars diverge again. The ending music box variation signals not just the end of the outburst but, in narrowing everything we just heard over the course of the battle down to one instrument, a moment of unity – a mind resolved.

#part 2 let's goooo

[elendsessor]

probably one of my pettier gripes with desu2 incoming: i don’t like some of the sound design changes at least in combat

don’t get me wrong considering how much of an improvement 2’s battle and fusing systems are in comparison to 1’s (do kinda miss the magnetite bonus system instead of relying solely on add ons to overwrite moves tho and some of the skill nerfs are sad). it’s a lot more fun, the demon variety is much better, i like the evolving racial skills, and combat doesn’t feel nearly as dull + difficulty is much better balanced, too! definitely the better game in terms of how it plays.

but some of the effects during combat sound off??? i get its due to compression but the basic attack sound in 1 is a lot less stock. in 2, it sounds like the generic punching sound used in a lot of cartoons and games. the change to the extra turn/taken turn chime too stands out much less, which is weird considering the core mechanic in battle that sets devil survivor apart is the turn bonuses. not nearly as snappy and it kinda annoys me???? also whoever made it so nullifying a move has the same sound effect as if you were to deflect the move i hate that whyyyy

on another similar note: i do like desu2’s ost a lot more since it’s more varied and has less repetitive loops, but i don’t think it stands out nearly as much. while it needed some work, 1’s more heavy metal focused ost makes it a lot more unique. it fits a lot better and stands out against other soundtracks in megaten’s history. 2’s is a lot more electronic which is fitting for the septentrion themes and a couple other moments, but it would work much better if the rest of the ost kept 1’s metal focus. really makes them seem truly otherworldly. again great ost but most of it sounds like it comes from shit like persona as opposed to the game where the world around you goes to hell and you end up building a demon army in a race to prevent humanity’s destruction while also potentially rewriting the world’s way of functioning.

(i really don’t want this to seem like i don’t like desu2 because it’s really fun and i’m enjoying my time with it but i also have more gripes with it, mainly with the writing.)

#sound design is so important at least to me #and i think acknowledging what makes sound effects work is not just through use but the actual y’know sound #is critical with shit like battle systems since it’s what gives both weight and feedback #having sound effects be too similar or not stand out volume-wise hurts the feedback the player is given #which is partly why the audio design in 2 doesn’t work as well #shantien rambles #devil survivor

[flownwrong]

october music thingie

i'm doing dreamwidth blind so i decided to talk about music. let's do it. here's my october rotation.

i know nobody's clicking that link so you can read it here too:

Faves:

Halber Mensch by Einstürzende Neubauten: a beloved album that went out of my rotation for most of this year but made a perfect return once the late autumn stuff got going outside. Great for long commutes and short walks. The first time I really appreciated Yü-Gung on its own merit, too. When the bass hits on the last refrain of "fütter mein ego" it's physically enjoyable.

Gris Klein by Birds in Row: it came out roughly a year ago and immediately landed a spot on my all time faves list, but especially my late autumn fave list. Not only is it a solid hardcore/screamo record on its own, but this time they really outdid themselves. It's such a perfectly paced listening experience—by the time the closer hits you are vulnerable to it, and when it's done, you get that perfect hit of "wow, I don't even know what to put on after this". The instrumental game is on point, too—I have so many loops and riffs from it wedged between my braincells, so, sonically, it's a win. And of course the songwriting here is impressive af. "Noah" in particular is a straight up masterpiece. I've listened to it outside of this record so many times. Ten out of ten, would recommend.

[untitled] by mewithoutYou: I just kind of forgot about it, but thanks to shuffle, I went back to it. I'm a fan of their earlier releases so I didn't particularly remember this one. And it's really beautiful! I'd say it's more smooth and melodic than their usual fare, but the usual songwriting quirks are all there, signature melodic decisions and lyrics and all that. Loved it anew!

Terror's Horns by Natural Snow Buildings: For some reason, I only now, after a couple years with this record, noticed there's a track called "King in Yellow" on it, haha. I've re-read it very recently and entered another small loop of my horror reading spree—and I must say this record would actually be a good soundtrack. It's only subtly creepy, but it does feel rich and heavy and mysterious and has bursts of pure ecstatic beauty near the end there and one of the most devastating closers I know.

Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada by GY!BE: a classic; and, by extension, Górecki's third symphony, since the iconic "Moya" is a nod to that. I love many different recordings, but my all time fave is the one with Beth Gibbons of Portishead doing the vocals. Her unique voice and manner fill the already gorgeous parts with something fragile and sublime that is simply unparalleled. It's one of the best pieces of music I've ever heard.

Discoveries:

Jeff Buckley: I have no idea why I have been putting off checking him out for so long (I have an oddly patchy impression of popular music, in that I know a lot of obscure stuff but most of well-known names missed me completely), but man, the beauty here is really on another level. I was tickled to remember that a semi-obscure progressive metal band I like did a cover of "Dream Brother" a decade ago and that's how I first heard of him. Which is hilarious, because before I remembered, I commented on "Grace" to my friend saying it sounds like that very band if they weren't progressive metal. Also, no one who can pull off Dido's Lament will escape my admiration. Grace is going on that fave list for sure.

The great Destroyer by Low: I've been a fan for some years, but I tend to be slow in catching up with big discographies, so I missed some records, this one included. It's everything Low is beloved for, their quintessential reserved harmonies and precise lyricism all on display. Plus, the opener has been covered by Robert Plant, which is pretty cool.

Wind's Poem/Ocean Roar by Mount Eerie: I adore the quiet and devastating spoken word pieces Phil Elverum is known for (among other things), but these two black metal inspired albums, with those same quiet vocals and tentative lyrics contrasted by gloriously noisy instrumentals, are new for me and I'm in awe.

New stuff:

Silence by Rorcal: I'm only sometimes in the mood for Rorcal, but when I am, this record is a good example of why. Fun blackened hardcore, and the record is pretty tight and runs for less than 40 minutes.

Everything is Alive by Slowdive: I love this one! More than I loved their first post-reunion record. I think it was released back in September but it was a perfect melancholy autumn sound for my October.

Sit Down for Dinner by Blonde Redhead: a new Blonde Redhead record! Can you believe it? I think it got quieter than 23 and I love it less, but it's still a good record.

Oscillating Forest by Tangled Thoughts of Leaving: another September release by my ultimate underrated faves that get tagged as post-rock but actually do something more free jazz-ey and noisy and chaotic but also yes, with crescendos and keys and all that fun. Another absolute banger. Check it out.

At Zeenath Parallel Heavens by Black to Comm: my scariest ambient fave. It's not his absolutely full of dread Seven Horses for Seven Kings, but it's still delightfully uneasy and beautiful.

in spoar by piiptsjilling: there's this obscure Dutch sound designer/electroacoustic/ambient/neoclassical guy Machinefabriek with a massive back catalogue, and piiptsjilling is one of his even more obscure side-projects. It's more melodic and has actual words and not just vocal textures! I love it.

Not yet released, but Neubauten finished a new record and I'm HELLA excited. Nothing they've ever done is boring. Let spring come soon.

#sound

[peemanne]

pee-man's yakuza ost review: the original

guess who's obsessing over shirtless guys fighting on rooftops again!!!!!!! so i've been working on a little personal project which naturally involves me typing up a bunch of yakuza related stuff and i usually listen to said soundtrack whenever i write about it because a) it reminds me of my experiences with the games themselves and b) buzz lightyear video game osts video so while i'm doing that i got the idea to do this little thing on the side: i'm gonna review each game's ost as i write about them, keeping things fresh in my mind and to give another shot to tracks i might've missed or forgotten about. when it's all over, i'll do the natural gamer thing and make a Tier List™️ because of course i will plus i haven't listened to most of the japanese only spinoff ost's so i finally get an excuse to fully listen to those too. yippee!!

Naturally we start with the first game: Yakuza for the PS2. (quality for certain tracks can get a little questionable towards their ends: i just listened to them via spotify myself)

The first two PS2 games have a very unique sound to them that the later entries don't really have. A lot of the current composers haven't really gotten on board yet, so Hidenori Shoji's directed and (I think) also composed most of the tracks by himself. What results is a more rough, edged feel to the sound. It's almost grunge-like rock, and I'm definitely a fan of what comes out of it.

My personal top 5 includes: 1) Turning Point, with its sirens and dream-like rhythms 2) Pray Me, with unintelligible English lyrics, unironically my favorite part of it 3) For Whose Sake, conveying so much sorrow 4) son of a gun, if you want reasoning just listen to 1:08-1:20 5) Funk Goes On, which kept me coming back for street fights just to hear it again

Some tracks I appreciated more this time include:

Blow To The City: This is a pretty damn solid panic theme! I love the unease that comes with those piano chords in the middle.

Singin' Bass: Fun little track for the hostess minigame. I dig how laid back it is, and I really like those little touches and whispers of sax.

Coming To My Life: The... uh... noises at the start threw me for a loop when this first came on, but aside from that, another cool laid back song. The vocals are very, how you say, "video game music" like? But yeah, whatever, cool track.

Poison Pill: I honestly didn't even know this track existed. But hey, it sounds awesome, and it's more music, so that's a win. I like the main riffs quite a bit, and of course, that signature PS2kuza siren. I love that siren so much.

You of course have your iconic first appearances of what would be legendary tracks with pretty strong first outings, with what is basically the game's main theme, Receive You, and our favorite one-eyed mad dog's first ever theme, Receive You the Prototype. And, yeah! They're pretty solid tracks, and it's no wonder they've been the basis for so many renditions later down the line. Receive You actually won 2nd place in a little OST bracket on Youtube awhile back: that should speak to it's legacy a lot. I love the other renditions a LOT, but the originals still stand strong as great tracks.

Overall, pretty strong soundtrack! Even in their first outing, RGG had their priorities straight and their music department on fire. While, spoiler alert, I still like Yakuza 2's OST more, there are some really good tracks here, and they do so much to enhance the moment's they're played in, as well as really helping in Yakuza 1's atmosphere, which I'd argue is one of the game's strongest elements. I'd STRONGLY recommend a listen to anyone who's only every heard the Kiwami renditions.

#ryu ga gotoku #rgg #yakuza #like a dragon #yakuza 1 #yakuza ost #VIDEO GAME OSTS #THAT'S WHAT BRINGS HEALING INTO MY SOUL. #YOU!! HAVE!! NO!! SWAG!! #i have swag by the way i promise i listen to stuff other than video game osts please i promise im cool and swag and awesome #ramblings of the pee-man

[dkniade]

Translating the Chinese Title of Caelestinum Finale Termini

Spoilers for Archon Quest Prologue: Act III, Venti’s identity, and Stormterror’s past.

One thing about me: I love symbolic names and titles.

I was thinking about the term “Celeste” and my mind went to Stormterror’s boss fight theme, “Caelestinum Finale Termini”. It’s epic and beautiful on its own (yet all the more intense during the fight), highlighting Dvalin’s emotional past, but being me, I couldn’t help but wonder about the title and how its name functions as both the boss fight soundtrack and Dvalin’s ultimate attack. (Time to loop the track I guess.)

Before I knew it, I was deep in the middle of looking up figurative definitions for Chinese terms and Latin definitions.

I will include some visual flowcharts for my thought process as a tl;dl version for my interpretations of the Chinese title and Latin title.

This post will be divided up into two sections: interpreting the original Chinese name, and interpreting the English version’s Latin name. 

I’ll be taking a look at the official Chinese title and its meaning. I’ll then attempt a straightforward English translation of the Chinese title and then interpret it as both a song title and to French as an ultimate attack name. I will then attempt to interpret the Latin title in the official English version into English, with Latin definitions from wordsense.com. Lastly, I will provide a darker alternative interpretation that follows what the English translation might’ve wanted.

Let’s see what Venti meant when he named Dvalin’s attack.

Original Chinese Name

终天的闭幕曲

Straightforward Translation

Finale of One’s Life

Story-Related Interpretation 

Finale of the Miserable Sky

Song Title and Attack Name Interpretation

Finale du Ciel Misérable (French for “Finale of the Miserable Sky”)

Official English Version

Caelestinum Finale Termini

Rough English Interpretation

Divine Finale Limit

Alternative Interpretation of Chinese Name

Countdown of Final Day

Long thought process and explanation under the cut.

This section will be divided as follows: straightforward translation, looking at the in-game context, and interpretations of the title’s meaning and name.

This section will be divided as follows: straightforward translation, looking at the in-game context, and interpretations of the title’s meaning and name.

Straightforward Translation 

The first part of the title 终天 (zhōngtiān) translates literally to “final day”. However, the term means “all day long” as an adverb and “all one’s life” as a literary noun. The character 天 by itself can also mean “sky” or “heaven”, so there’s the additional image of the sky.

In the second part of the title, the term 闭幕曲 (bìbùqǔ) is has two parts: 闭幕 and 曲. 

The characters 闭幕 refers to the idea of when the curtain falls. In other words it signifies the ending of a theatrical show (e.g. play, musical, performance, etc). 曲 refers to a musical piece in general (e.g. song, concert piece, etc). The character is used as a suffix in music-related terms. For example, 夜曲 is “nocturne”, 交响曲 is “symphony”, and 歌曲 is “a song with lyrics”. 闭幕曲 can then be taken to mean “the piece that plays when the curtain falls”, or in other words, a finale (“the last part of a piece of music, an entertainment, or a public event”).

Without in-game context, 终天的闭幕曲 can then be translated to “Finale of One’s Life”, but that sounds rather dark, doesn’t it?

In-game context: Dvalin’s History

终天的闭幕曲 is the battle theme and also the ultimate attack of “Stormterror” Dvalin. The attack name is coined on the spot during the Archon Quest by Venti. 

Now, Venti is a highly talented bard who, as shown in the manga, likes to use flowery words in his poetry and songs. He’s also Barbatos, the God of Songs, the current Anemo Archon, and a close friend of Dvalin for almost 2000 years. 

Dvalin, on the other hand, is a dragon and the original Dragon of the East, part of Mondstadt’s group the Four Winds. Originally worshipped by many of Mondstadt’s people, Dvalin was poisoned by the Abyssal poison in the dragon Durin’s blood during the cataclysm’s great battle. While withstanding the torment for 500 years, the people of Mondstadt forgot about him. When he awoke again, he believed that the Anemo Archon and Mondstadt abandoned him. The Abyss Order then corrupted his mind with the crystals on his back, causing him to attack Mondstadt.

In the Archon Quest, the battle is part of the quest where the Traveler enters the Domain “Storming Terror” to rid Dvalin of his crystals, which ultimately ends Dvalin’s pain from the poison blood and crystals. Additionally, the boss’s title in the fight is “Stormterror Dvalin: The Erstwhile King of the Skies”

Interpretation as Track Title and Attack Name

So what does all of this have to do with the attack and song's title? Knowing the background, it’s clear that the battle soundtrack is a piece of anger, sadness, vengeance, and pain, and imageries associated with Dvalin include the sky, storms, and winds.

And knowing that Venti’s words can be metaphorical and flowery, the given title 终天的闭幕曲 should be interpreted as such: 终天 is a literary noun meaning “all one’s life” with the additional sky/heaven imagery, and 闭幕曲 “finale” is a musical metaphor for the end of Dvalin’s pain. It’s the “finale” of a painful chapter of Dvalin’s life.

Thus, for the soundtrack and attack, 终天的闭幕曲, I offer a few possible interpretations in English.

Finale of an Eternal Suffering

Closing Symphony of a Life-Long Pain

Finale of Misery

Finale of the Sky’s Misery

Finale of the Miserable Sky

But I’m not done yet. While “Finale of the Miserable Sky” gets the meaning across, it doesn’t sound like a very fantasy attack name… Now, I don’t know enough Latin to come up with a Latin title, so I’ll try my hand at translating it to French instead. Venti, you’re a bard, so surely you know French, right? (The French sub version of the fight keeps the Latin title…)

Finale of the Miserable Sky

finale = finale / final (masculine noun)

sky/heaven = ciel (masculine noun)

miserable = misérable (adjective)

Finale of the Miserable Sky = Finale du Ciel Misérable

终天的闭幕曲 = Finale du Ciel Misérable

Does that sound like a fancy attack name and boss fight soundtrack? I think it works. (Poetic bonus: “finale” and “ciel” somewhat rhyme in French)

Venti: A-ha, this is Dvalin’s ace in the hole: Finale du Ciel Misérable!

Interpreting the English Version’s Latin Title

How does all this compare with the Latin title “Caelestinum Finale Termini” shown in the English version?

终天的闭幕曲 is translated incorrectly in the English version because of confusion in word order and grammar.

In 终天, the character 终 means “final” or “end, and the character 天 means “sky” or “heaven”. HOWEVER, translating character-by-character is a gamble because multi-character words or phrases at times can be interpreted directly, at times need context, and at times should not be translated directly. In this interpretation, 终天 is an actual word, and the literary definition of “for all one’s life” should be prioritized.

Even more importantly, Chinese sentence structure is more fluid than English, so the word order should be kept in mind when translating to English.

But it’s clear that Genshin Impact’s English translation team doesn’t know that. As mentioned previously, 闭幕曲 can be interpreted as “finale”, and now we’ve learned it’s easy to make the mistake of translating directly based on perceived word order. 

I believe the English translation team’s thought process was as follows.

终天的闭幕曲

misinterpreted as “final day’s finale” or “heaven’s final finale” (or something similar)

天 → Caelestinum; 终 → Finale, Termini; 闭幕曲 → Finale Termini

But I will say I don’t know Latin, so I can only rely on online definitions from wordsense.eu.

caelestinum (Latin origin)

celestial, of or in the heavens

(figuratively) divine, of the gods

finale (Latin origin), form Latin finis

end; boundary, limit

terminus (Latin origin)

boundary, limit

Thus a rough interpretation of “Caelestinum Finale Termini” might be “Divine Finale Limit”.

Compared to my translation of “Finale of the Miserable Sky” or even the more straightforward translation of “Finale of One’s Life”, it’s not the same.

Darker Alternative Interpretation of Chinese Title

终天

the character 终 means “final” or “end”

the character 天 can mean “day”.  

 终天 interpreted literally can mean “final day”

闭幕曲 

means “finale” or “closing piece”

Alternatively one could say “countdown”

Original Chinese: 终天的闭幕曲 

To English: Finale of Final Day

Dvalin-centric Interpretation: Countdown of Final Day

Symbolism Explanation: countdown → Dvalin’s life slowly succumbing to Durin’s poison blood and the Abyss Order’s mind-control; final day → if the Traveler doesn’t save Dvalin during the Archon Quest, Dvalin could die

Closing Thought

This was really fun to do!! Like I said, I love symbolic names and titles, and Genshin Impact’s Chinese titles are always so poetic with lots of flourish (if not too much sometimes). I’m no stranger to figurative language, so I can more or less understand Venti’s poetic name for the attack. Thank you for reading!

#dvalin #dusk analysis #english translation #chinese #game analysis #genshin impact meta #stormterror dvalin #stormterror #venti #barbatos #genshin impact #venti the bard #genshin translation #long post #genshin analysis #translation #linguistics

[shadowcrash10]

GAMES PLAYED IN 2022 - RANKED

11) Knack 2

Boring, standard gameplay, visual presentation, music and story. Not much here, but a kid may be into it, especially with the co op carrying a lot of the weight.

10) The King of Fighters XV

More King of Fighters, it's solid but lacks innovation and single player content, while also being very expensive as of now. The visual presentation is a stark improvement from XIV, and the roster is very strong.

9) Chibi-Robo!

Cute and unique, provides a lot of cool ideas coupled with genius sound design, a surprisingly cool story and memorable characters. Could have done with a more focused second act, but it never stops being fun.

8) Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3

The peak of the series to me, with amazing art direction and great combat led by a simplified control system that still gives all the depth you want. Mechanically engaging all around, with a great roster to boot. Online isn't so hot though.

7) Final Fantasy VII

The glowing reception paints an accurate picture of a touchstone of the medium, with one of my favorites storylines in an RPG, alongside a dynamic, customizable fighting system, great music and a fun world to indulge. Only criticism comes from the lack of a few quality of life implementations, omissions that were common at the time.

6) SoulCalibur II

A great showcase of a single player-focused fighter, with fun controls and mechanics, a cool roster and great music, with lots of content to explore. Weird and funny mission design is coupled with light RPG elements to provide some extended playtime, and it very much works.

5) No More Heroes

A very funny game, maybe the most funny I've played in a while. It has simple combat controls that shine through in the focused, challenging boss fights, pitting the protagonist against a great roster of characters. Everything is punctuated by banger music and stylish visual direction. The loop of doing part jobs in a hub world for money to enter in new levels might turn some off, but it helped me further connect with the story. The ending is also great, a complete left turn.

4) Sonic Frontiers

Sonic's next 3D formula kicks off to a great start, with controls and level design that complement each other to create open stages that are just fun to move around. The combat is also surprisingly varied, carrying along some of my favorite boss fights in any game. An emotional, fascinating storyline and amazing score complete the package. There's a noticeable lack of polish, and the latter half of the game feels rushed, but the strong pacing and base gameplay manage to hold the game and carry it to the finish line, which - while controversial - absolutely satisfied me. Looking forward to what else they can do with this take on Sonic.

3) Resident Evil (2002)

Couldn't ask for a better introduction to survival horror. While the creepy atmosphere and jump scares are absolutely on point, the strength of the game is on its replay value, making sure it has a shelf life long after it stops being scary to the player. The puzzle design is smart and the story is fun to figure out. An absolute masterclass.

2) Doom (2016)

Provides old school design sensibilities with a modern touch, making a game with the best of the past and present. Everyone already knows about the soundtrack, but it's still worth noting what a classic on its own it became. The gameplay loop is extremely well calibrated, leading to an aggressive play style fitting of the story and main character. Everything in the presentation helps solidify the core feelings of the work, in what feels like a very focused, hand crafted piece. A joy from beginning to end.

1) Rayman Legends

Everything I could have asked for and more. My expectations were quite high and I came out as satisfied as I wanted to be. No bad levels, no lesser moments, a game that left no aspect of it without oozing polish and creativity. Absolutely recommend it.

[styrmwb]

Favorite Final Fantasy Music (FFXIV - A Realm Reborn)

something something critically acclaimed mmo something something IT'S THE SECOND FF MMO BABYYYYYYYYY!!!! This game is what really started my personal FF renaissance, as I really only played a couple games growing up and watched a lot of them being played, but this is what activated my brain. It was all downhill from the moment I logged into Limsa. If you're reading this, you're on the internet. You know people love this game, you know people won't shut up about this game, and it's for good reason! This game fucks! And you know what helps this game fuck? Its soundtrack fucks!!! XIV has the big dog himself Masayoshi Soken take over as the music director, and my man is god's gift to earth (as well as the rest of the XIV music team who's names are harder to find and credit but I know they're there and they're putting their whole fantussy into it). Like XI, I cannot do this game justice putting it into one list since it's basically multiple games in one, so I will be making lists per expansion again (and that still feels like it's doing it dirty this list was so hard). Let's get started with the definitely first part of this game (no there's no other part what huh) and have me share my favorite ARR songs :)

5. On Westerly Winds Ohhhhh my god. This was probably the first song that really caught my attention when I first started playing the game, which a first area should do! I love La Noscea and this song is half of the reason why. Something about that first melody and the sound of the strings; it's amazing. This song goes through multiple different phases. The intro feels grand, starting off your adventure, then it feels like you're running around the hills of Middle La Noscea; then it feels like a party in a tavern, people loudly cheering and having fun and toasting their barrel mugs of mead, finally calming down in a windy, spiraling, chaotic way to move to something befitting the night, with this amazing mystical finale turning into the sun rising and starting the song over. This song DEFINES La Noscea and the people's lives in it. Musically, I love the percussion, I love the strings, I love the bagpipes, I love the choir towards the end; this song was the first hook that this game put in my head.

4. Dawn of a New Era The only reason that this song is not higher, is that it's Too Goddamn Short. One minute long. But this one minute? Pure emotion. Pure joy. This is the song that plays at the end of the ARR cinematic trailer, but also at the end of the campaign. This song is both a finale, but also as it says, a dawn, a new beginning. The short, plucky start building you up, letting the dialogue occur or to put you back into place after some massive, world ending event. Then the horns come in blasting cheer at you, and one of the most fun bass tracks I've ever heard. The choir shouts at you with the main theme of the entire series, the orchestra plays the prelude, and the entire song plays off with the fucking victory theme. Every single sound in this entire song is amazing, and the way it's composed, the emotion behind the melodies in game, but also for the series as a whole, this is triumph and victory incarnate. When I heard them use this melody later on in Myths of the Realm? Dude I swear I teared up at every song. I still tear up at this song when I hear it. WHY CAN'T IT BE LONGER GODDAMMIT I PUT IT ON LOOP LIKE 7 TIMES BEFORE I'M SATISFIED

3. Through the Maelstrom LEVIATHAN, LEVIATHAN! LEVIATHAN, LEVIATHAN! My favorite summon. My favorite primal. This song is absolutely perfect for what it is, while keeping that rock that XIV is now known for. I can't really explain it, but the guitar riffs SOUND like a storm at sea. They sound like violent, crashing waves. The lyrics are coming straight from the Sahagin chanting and praying for their lord; "Endless! Send us! Breathless! Deathless! Restless! Test us! Tend us! Mend us!", this song sounds like everything is going against you, both the weather and the people all around you. As a song? IT FUCKING ROCKS. The rhythm of the whole thing is a headbanger, and my absolute favorite part is right after the second loop of the chorus, the SWELL, YE SEAS OF OLD section (this is so much easier to place specific parts with the lyrics), it sounds like a modernized surf rock jam, the lyrics are really fun to sing along to (once you understand them), and it's just an absolute joy. I wish this song played the entire time so it made farming all the Leviathan weapons less painful. (WHITE FUUUUURYYYYYYY, BLINDING INDIGOOOOOOOOO)

2. Under the Weight Can you tell I'm a Limsa Lominsa bitch? All of my favorite songs come from this area lmao. I feel like this spot really goes to every song in Titan's fight; On Westerly Winds was where the soundtrack hooked me, but Under the Weight is where I realized this soundtrack was Built Different. Heavy rock in my fantasy RPG? What the fuck??? The heavy drums throughout the entire song, the guitar rocking out, and the vocals screaming and chanting at you, this song is a headbanger through and through, but shows you the intensity of this fight. Kobolds all around you jumping and beating their fists, chanting for their god while Titan slams and knocks you around. This song sounds like an earthquake, and I mean, come on, rock for the rock monster? Absolutely yes. I feel like I'm bouncing for the whole song, with the way the drums beat, but also when the lyrics go solo, saying more than just the "BOWDOWNOVERDWELLER TITAN!", and those are definitely my favorite parts. I also love midway through, with the echoey fading out yelling to the really cool like, pipey sounding guitar. I feel like I'm just gonna keep repeating myself, but it's not hard to see why this song is so amazing. (INTO THE DARK OF AN ENDLESS NIGHT WHERE THE PULSE OF THE LAND OFFERS NO RESPITE)

1. Tempest I feel like everyone knows Under the Weight, it's mandatory content. We all know how good that song is. But you know what not as many people have done? The Binding Coils of Bahamut. This is the song of the final boss in the Second Coils, aka the fight against the main villain of the game leading up to Bahamut exploding everything. This song is also one of the few XIV songs that Uematsu did, and it feels like he took the soul of IX and brought it into the modern era. It has the rock, it has the synth, it even has the souls of the damned again! The intro is incredible, with the heavy hits and the guitar riffs alongside the SHHHHHEEEEEWWWWWWWW synth sounds. The piano/organ playing off right before the song hard stops, bringing in these haunting wails and the classic "Hear. Feel. Think" Hydaelyn chant; then it goes hard again. The drums slam. The guitars shred. The terror truly begins. The song builds up further and further with one of my favorite synth sounds EVER. This sounds like you're facing off against an absolutely demonic evil (which you are!), and the wailing coming back playing along side everything???? DUDE. HOLY FUCK. The build up in this whole song goes absolutely insane, but when it actually starts going is incredible too. I've pretty much already said my praises for every instrument used in this song, and the rest is just going to be me repeating it. I love all the melodies, I love the heavy off beats, and I just love the jamming from both the rock and techno ends. This is The Black Mages all over again.

Honorable mentions go to (there's gonna be so many in all these lists): Torn from the Heavens, Hard to Miss, Fallen Angel, Reflections, Ultima, Spiral, Fury, Rise of the White Raven, Thunder Rolls, Oblivion, and Primogenitor.

#final fantasy #final fantasy xiv #textpost #jared's final fantasy music opinions