Summary
South of Midnighthas gone gold, and its original soundtrack has launched on streaming services ahead of the game’s release date. The unique soundtrack plays a big role inSouth of Midnight, so this will be one of the first opportunities expectant gamers have to experience it for themselves.
Music has always played a major role in games, whether considering the early tinny chiptune sounds made by classic game consoles or fully orchestrated, sweeping soundtracks that make boss fights all the more intense.South of Midnightis no different in the sense that its soundtrack is a highlight of the game, but it takes things further than the average game, with music playing a reactive role in explaining thefolklore thatSouth of Midnightis steeped in.
South of Midnight’s soundtrack is credited to Olivier Deriviere, who previouslycomposed the music forA Plague Tale, and has officially launched on most streaming platforms, including Apple Music, Amazon Music, Bandcamp, and Spotify. The game itself will launch on April 8, though players have the opportunity to get their hands on the full title on April 3 if they choose the Premium Edition of the game. The soundtrack is also being made available in a physical format, with open pre-orders with publisher Cook and Becker for The Art and Music ofSouth of Midnight, which includes an art book, comic book, and the soundtrack on two vinyl LPs.
The Role of Music in South of Midnight
In a conversation with Xbox Wire, Olivier Deriviere described the game’s music as “singing with the player.” Music evolves as the gameplay progresses, with recurring melodies, harmonies, and snippets of lyrics present throughout. However, as players approach the most important parts of the game, these music themes “explode into life as a fully performed track.” TheSouthern Gothic-inspired gameuses technology that adjusts the soundtrack reactively, and “knows” when players are doing certain things, like taking the time to explore or heading towards a fight. Interestingly, the vocals inSouth of Midnight’s music are performed by a children’s choir up until the end of the level, when a “top-talent singer” will take over the role. In all, over 50 people - plus a full orchestra - worked on creating the music for the soundtrack.
WithCompulsion Gamesannouncing thatSouth of Midnighthas gone gold, all that’s left now is for players to wait to experience it for themselves. Given that the music changes and shifts depending on a player’s actions, listening to a static soundtrack will likely produce a different experience than listening to the music while actually playing the game. Still, it should provide expectant fans something to get even more excited over.
