I Miss Listening to Video Game Soundtracks...

Once upon a time, I used to be an avid gamer -- and I was a pretty good one, at that 😉 I have a lot of dexterity, I enjoy an array of games, but my most recent gaming system was a Nintendo Switch so I was stuck playing a lot of E-rated games lol 😅

One of those games that stick out is Hollow Knight, not only for the gameplay, but for the soundtrack as well. In fact, one of the songs was solely responsible for my interest in the game, it was what made me play it in the first place.

I first heard this song, Gardens, which is a remix of the song Reflection. One of those rare instances where I prefer the remix over the original.

The lower pitch was an excellent choice! The strings of the violins and harp compliment each other beautifully; a contrast between deep, sorrowful violin, and light, airy harp. The incorporation of an urban, hip-hop beat does wonders to the song -- I tell ya, melancholic hip-hop is becoming a favorite genre of mine. It is so weird to hear such a sad melody, yet you can still bust a move to it wtf!?

The additional snare beat at 0:50 adds another layer to the song as we are pulled back and forth between a faded, then upfront melody. Until at 1:09 we are greeted with that pleasant little twinkle -- my all-time favorite part of the song, ugggh 🤤....

Another great game tune, although I dunno how much it constitutes the soundtrack, as opposed to being an all-out banger on its own! 🤘Face My Fears... I've been with Kingdom Hearts since the beginning, and I've loved Hikaru Utada since I first heard Simple and Clean.

(Source: https://kingdomhearts.fandom.com/wiki/Kingdom_Hearts_III )

When I heard the words Kingdom Hearts and Skrillex in the same sentence, I was absolutely blown away -- completely astonished! Final Fantasy and Disney and SKRILLEX?! What universe am I living in?! 🤩🤩🤩

And of course I was not disappointed. Hikaru's vocals and the piano, mixed with Skrillex's sick synths, equals a match made in heaven~ 😍 Needless to say, the chorus is the best part; when that beat drops, my heart stops...

There's also something very prophetic about the words as well, "Let me face my fears." They are not being forced to face them, they are not asking -- they want to do it. It is an extremely courageous feat.

I believe it is also an homage to Sora's character development. No longer a boy who is uncertain about himself or the world, he has become a young man who is ready to fight for the ones that he loves... no matter the cost.

Thanks for checking out my post 🙂 Hope you're all enjoying the week