By using this increased variety, Coker was able to weave together music that nudged the player into a better understanding of the story. Will of the Wisps has more characters, from the unnerving spider Mora to the wise frog Kwolok, so it, therefore, needed more themes. This process repeated for Ori and the Will of the Wisps, though it was more involved at every level since it was a larger game. Every area has its own melody that’s designed to be an “ambient bed,” a theme that’s always there, even if it’s subdued. He was able to experiment and make sure the music came to the forefront when needed while avoiding “Mickey Mousing” - that is, imitating everything the player is doing. While in many games the music often has to take a backseat due to the dialogue, Ori’s wordless narrative allowed Coker to be far less restricted than on other work. “I would really be able to get inside the player’s head and what I thought would be the best emotion or feeling for the player to experience in that moment.” “Understanding Ori’s motivations, understanding how Ori moved through the environment, understanding what Ori is doing in each environment, allowed me to write better music for the game,” Coker says.
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In order to understand exactly how to compose for the different characters and setpiece moments, he had to live with the game. Ori and the Blind Forest is an emotional experience, but it’s made all the more challenging by how there’s no spoken dialogue, save for a handful of moments with subtitles. Take, for example, Coker’s first experience working on a game with an extensive narrative. The interview contains light spoilers for Halo Infinite, Ori and the Blind Forest, and Ori and the Will of the Wisps. “I personally believe that moving into the future of game development, if you really want to have successful music in your game, especially on these narrative games, you’re going to need to have a composer that really is willing to spend a lot of time with the game,” he says. I think the best composers for film and games, they have an understanding of all the other aspects that go into making a film, or making a game.” “If you ask the top composers for film, they’d also consider themselves filmmakers. “I’m a composer and a game developer,” he says matter-of-factly. What he found works best is making sure the composer has time with the game and is included heavily in the development process. He’s also worked on multiple other games, including being one of three composers that contributed to Halo Infinite.Īs somebody who’s composed music for some big titles - both independently and as part of a larger sound team - he has a lot of experience making sure everything sounds just right.
One composer who understands the role of music in a story is Gareth Coker, best known as the composer behind Ori and the Blind Forest and its sequel, Ori and the Will of the Wisps. An equally-crucial component of a strong story is the music, which helps set the tone, create the right atmosphere, and punctuate emotional moments. It requires a script, narrative design, and more in order to come together properly. Ĭreating stories for video games is a combined effort.
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We’re celebrating video game music this week at Windows Central and iMore, from the tracks to the composers that created them.
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