When the score approaches such musical territory again, for example in “Hinter den Feuerfällen von Algormosch”, this fantasy sound is twisted into something much darker and foreboding, with the heavy brass providing an air of gravitas and tragedy. This, however, is one of the few occasions on which the brass is used to play the heroic melodies and harmonies typical of the fantasy soundtrack genre. It starts out quietly, with a female solo voice presenting the graciously flowing main theme against harp flourishes and tambourine, before the composition segues into a more full-blown section, led by the brass playing a variation of the main theme and creating that well-known, epic fantasy sound. Interestingly enough, the soundtrack’s introductory track, “Overtüre”, is one of the score’s lightest tracks and only to a degree representative of the rest of the album. ![]() One may speculate in how far this focus on solo instruments was dictated to a degree by the game’s development budget (samples were used for the brass and string sections), but even if that’s the case, the resulting artistic approach yields beautiful results. Despite some cracks in the soundtrack’s armour, all of these traits make for a refreshing and occasionally fascinating listen. And while the composers managed to skillfully integrate such medieval sounding influences into the score, what is even more striking are its generally dark tone, its absence of epic-style histrionics, and its focus on woodwind solo instruments. In an interview, lead composer Tilman Sillescu described the composing team’s approach as one that aimed at a more “European” sound, avoiding to generate another Hollywood-like score and instead incorporating folkloristic elements, such as flute, acoustic guitar and tambourine. Instead of deploying that often slightly anaemic large-scale orchestral sound that so many fantasy titles rely on (and which plagued Dynamedion’s own BattleForge soundtrack to a certain degree), Drakensang puts the focus on smaller instrumental ensembles and an earthier, grittier overall tone. While several reviews of The Dark Eye: Drakensang did not fail to point out how much the game relies on fantasy clichés and stock characters, its soundtrack manages to set itself apart from other entries in this crowded genre. However, coinciding with the release of the game’s sequel ( The Dark Eye: Drakensang – The River of Time) in February 2009, the score was released as a digital download in all major digital music stores, both as a standalone release simply titled Drakensang Soundtrack and coupled with the sequel’s soundtrack as part of the Drakensang Deluxe Soundtrack Edition album. The game’s score, handled by ubiquitous German game sound production team Dynamedion, was initially only available to owners of the game’s Collectors Edition. The Dark Eye: Drakensang, a single player RPG, met with critical acclaim in Germany and garnered several awards, including one for “Best Soundtrack”, and the game’s success in its home country was likely a factor that contributed to The Dark Eye: Drakensang being given a United States release in early 2009. By far the most successful German pen & paper RPG, The Dark Eye was first released in 1984 and, just like its American counterpart has gone through several incarnations, creating a franchise that encompasses books, computer games, and even a newspaper that updates players on the current political situation in Aventuria, the game’s location.Īfter three The Dark Eye computer games were released in 1992, 19 respectively, it took game developers until 2008 to publish another game based on the The Dark Eye universe. For the uninitiated (most likely pretty much everybody outside of Germany), The Dark Eye - or Das Schwarze Auge in its native territory - can be most easily summed up as the German version of Dungeons & Dragons. The Dark Eye: Drakensang is the fourth computer game spawned by The Dark Eye franchise. Promotional (CD Edition) iTunes (Digital Edition)
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