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One Night Only's itch.io pageResults
| Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
| Creativity | #55 | 3.894 | 3.894 |
| Overall | #82 | 3.702 | 3.702 |
| Storytelling | #89 | 3.660 | 3.660 |
| Impression | #91 | 3.617 | 3.617 |
| Composition | #95 | 3.681 | 3.681 |
| Quality | #107 | 3.660 | 3.660 |
Ranked from 47 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.
Description
A short journey through an exclusive V.R. game through the eyes of a new player. Most of the songs are designed in a way that is representative of the story being played out. You can follow along with the story in each track's description and on the project page.
All tracks were created using Reaper. All synths were made using Serum, all guitars are Shreddage Jupiter via Kontakt. Drums are from Abbey Road Stadium Drummer, Battery, and Heavyocity. Mixing, mastering and other effects were done mainly with Ozone, H-Reverb and Reaper's default VST plugins.
Message from the artist
Please take a few moments to read along with the story as you listen to each track. It's short and sweet, I promise!
No AI was used to make any of the assets; only shamelessly stolen images from google, some shitty photoshop skills and this neat pixelizer I found on reddit: https://pixelartvillage.com/
DISCLAIMER: No Virtual Boys were harmed in the making of this soundtrack.
Theme
How does it fit the theme?
The game is about entering the virtual world "Summer Nights;" a game of endless summer nights, where dreams come true and you can be anything you want to be. The game is being opened to the public for one night only (you guessed it, it's in Summer!))
Link(s) of the submission on streaming services
https://soundcloud.com/albitrary/sets/one-night-only-ost-composing-jam-8
https://youtu.be/fLzk9OCR-ko
Number of tracks6
Genre
Soundtrack use permission
Any project
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Comments
Finally, a slightly more lighthearted submission! I know the theme "One Summer Night" evokes melancholy, but it's nice to see someone do something a bit more fun, it immediately makes it stand out. I'll leave notes on tracks that stood out to me:
I really like the guitars used in Wild Unknown, they're programmed very well and really bring out that far west mood, while the arcade-y synths reminds you that this place is all virtual. This song's definitely my favourite lol.
We're Not Playing Around Here is pretty swell, really got that all out, "anything's allowed" brawl feel to it. I like the piano near the start that shares the title theme's leitmotif. The switch up near the middle was pretty cool (I wish it was longer tho!) And the part after that was really well composed.
Resting Place's piano is probably the best played in the soundtrack, and I really like the organ playing there too. At first, it's not realistic but it feels just right for the alien feel of the place, before completely changing and sounding like a real church organ. These sacred grounds, while marvelous, should not be roamed for too long.
Big City Lights's just awesome, probably my second favourite. I love the flut-ish lead that plays near the middle, has that urban energy to it I can't describe. The piano really help in establishing that too.
The sudden high energy s witchup in Arcadia is a really great way to showcase the overwhelming feeling of the place, before ending on a (seemingly?) hopeful note.
Pretty cool how you decided to split up the tracks into different "Sections" so that they'd fit the story told more, it really helped in visualising scenes better.
I really like the short story told, it really fits the soundtrack like a glove. The world presented through the story is absurd and comedic yet the characters take everything happening there seriously, making for an endearing narrative. The implied visuals of the "Moving Building" are really cool, I'd love to see art of that. My favourite part was how it stopped right after RoseCrusher started talking, so what they look like and such is kept ambiguous. You have succeded in your quest of finding your love, what happens next is irrelevant to the story, no matter how good or bad the result was. I thought that was interesting. It's even showcased in Arcadia when the song sort of "powers down" at the very end.
Listening to this through the youtube video, I love how each track flows into one another as the "colour" of the video changes and effects are added.
The only part I didn't really like about the soundtrack was a specific part in "One Night Only" (I really like that one btw), at around 0:09 in the youtube video, the guitar is playing in a major scale while the background synths are playing in a minor scale, I think if you changed up the guitar's melody a little there (by making major notes play in minor, or something like that), it would've sounded less dissonant.
Overall a very fun time. Great job.
Funny mix of sounds here ! Towards the middle I was ready to expect any genre to melt together haha !
There are a lot of tiny off-stuff happening harmonically and it sounds really natural and it helps conveying your story. Super fun to catch these little details, it keeps the listener/player engaged without being distractful.
That last song was messy in such a cool way haha. Loved the odd mix of instruments here as well ! A.d it feels cohesive the narrative in that way ^^
The concept of your game is really cool, and it would have a very unique vibe with this soundtrack ! Well done ! :D
Love the Western vibes! I really dig the energy and beat switch up in "We're Not Playing Around Here". I also really enjoyed the retro instruments used in "Arcadia, Arcade of Light".
Cool soundtrack! The third track is my favorite with the hardcore electric guitar backing up the synth/piano lead. Great work!
Very nice soundtrack, the setting and the concept make this pretty original !
With the retro-typed soundfonts, the bluescreen on the projet page along with the pixelated images on the project page, it reminded me of a webpage that I could have seen playing Hypnospace Outlaw (which isn't that far off from your game concept, so it works pretty greatly).
The type of retro instrumentations also works pretty nicely for suggesting that you are playing a videogame inside a videogame (like in the episode Reality 2.0 of Sam & Max : Save The World), so it works nicely with your ingame setting too.
Concerning the tracks themselves I quite enjoyed the variety of them (it helps building distinct setpieces mentally along with the page's description) and they all flow pretty nicely into each other. I think my favourites were Big City Lights (it has a great mood to it) and Arcadia, Arcade Of Light (really enjoyed the energy on that one).
To conclude, very nice soundtrack and game concept (that might come to life now that Nintendo announced Virtual Boy games on the Switch Online !), well done !
Thanks for taking the time to listen! "Big City Lights" was definitely not my normal cup of tea, but I was really pleased with how it turned out. I find it repeatedly popping back up in my head when I least expect it hehe.
Virtual Boy games on switch? One might argue that some pieces of history are better left untold... 😬
"We're Not Playing Here", love those riffs, and that jazzy break, like wtf !? Awesome boss music.
More broadly, I like the mix between "traditional instruments" like the electric guitar and more chiptuny sounds. It really brings out a Super Nintendo feel. More broadly I'm impressed by the variety on display here and the prog rock sound will always get to me.
Well done !
I'm glad you liked my silly little breakdown, I'm really proud of it ahaha
It was actually a callback to the Title Theme, which I was going to call-back again in sort of an end-credits resolution type song. I ended up cutting it for time to focus on making the six tracks that were already there sparkle. Either way, it still worked out for the song as a whole, I think!
One Night Only: This is pretty awesome how listening to your soundtrack aligned with your description as I was reading it! There are elements of excitement and anxiety which seems to be the sentiment of this highly dangerous and highly anticipated VR game!
Wild Unknown: This style very aptly conveys the feeling of a lawless location with some shady things happening. I got to the end of the description right at 1:39 when the energy kicks up a notch and once again that was a really cool moment aligning the music with your story!
We’re Not Playing Around Here: The metal genre influences work really well here to show the toughness exuding from the gang around you. I like that it sounds like combative, but is also fun to listen to which foreshadows the easy victory of the main character.
Resting Place: I really like the narrative style composition of this track - how it moves from one section to another like a linear storyline to convey several different emotions in succession. I think this is my favorite track out of the entire soundtrack!
Big City Lights: The bounciness of this track and the heavy use of toms do well to paint the picture of a bustling night city.
Arcadia, Arcade of Light: The mixture of rock and classic arcade sounds is an interesting and intriguing blend that you execute well here. I really like the sort of fade out ending which maybe gives the sense that the person you were here to meet is not exactly what you were expecting.
Overall: This was a fun and creative adventure that is certainly unique. You captured summery night vibes well in each track and wrote a fun and captivating story to accompany it. Nice work and thank you for sharing!
Thanks for the detailed review and for taking the time to listen! I'm glad I was able to convey everything that I was trying to - last year's jam submission was a bit overextended in scope and I feel like I lost a lot of people with the length of it. So this year I tried to keep it to a tight 6-7 tracks and keep the story simple and sweet (which for me is still a 3-page essay, but better than the 7 or 8 it was last time lmao)
And I'm glad you enjoyed Resting Place - I definitely went to some places musically that I don't normally go with that track, and I ended up being really happy with the result!
Thanks for the detailed review and for taking the time to listen! I'm glad I was able to convey everything that I was trying to - last year's jam submission was a bit overextended in scope and I feel like I lost a lot of people with the length of it. So this year I tried to keep it to a tight 6-7 tracks and keep the story simple and sweet (which for me is still a 3-page essay, but better than the 7 or 8 it was last time lmao)
And I'm glad you enjoyed Resting Place - I definitely went to some places musically that I don't normally go with that track, and I ended up being really happy with the result!
What a crazy journey, I really enjoyed the story and how much the OST feels like a spaghetti western in a VR set. That's such a great take on the theme! Consistently through all the tracks the guitars especially were so satisfying, like in We're Not Playing Around Here the rhythm of the drums and that metal guitar feels exactly like the kind of anger you feel towards a gang who happens to underestimate your combat abilities. Personal fav has got to be Arcadia, Arcade of Light with how funky it is and how well it connects the almost industrial drums with the fun and tense energy of the more metal elements from throughout the tracks.
Thanks for listening, glad you enjoyed it! I realized I had accidently created a western-styled sound while I was writing Wild Unknown, so I had to look up how to dial it in lol (the answer is apparently Spring Reverb)
One Night Only: I like that ostinato over the changing bass, it allows for some interesting implied harmony.
Into the night I go: more cool harmonies. Love the switch to those synths.
Wild Unknown: Getting a subtle blues vibe here. Good vibes.
Should I be worried: Nice extension from the previous with some darker chords to change the tone.
We're Not Playing Around Here: We really aren't! I love how heavy this is. Love the chord progression later on.
Are we having fun yet?: I love this so much LOL
Back to (virtual) Reality: WOW it shifts back into the serious tone so well. Well executed.
Anxiety in the Air: love the contrast between the bass and the piano. This is my favorite section for sure.
Resting Place: A nice chromatic descent. Nice atmosphere.
All that came before me, and all that will come after: Wow love the drama here. Nice organ use.
Big City Lights: Vibes. I like that high synth melody a lot.
The last night I'll be alone: Love the feel when the drums cuts out. Really liked the synth and how-
Arcadia: Arcade of Lights: -and how it transitions into this track! Love the laser sounds and chiptune percussion for that genuine arcade feel.
Where are you!?: Wow the guitars are hype. Love the urgency.
The moment a dream comes true: Short and sweet close.
Loved the storytelling through the different named sections. Great work!
Thanks, I'm glad you liked it and that it came across correctly! I was worried it might be a bit too much ahahaha
“I probably should have asked these questions at some point,” you think aloud, sighing
You idiots dont event know Im a dark souls speed runner.
This was quite possibly the single greatest adventure I've ever been on. Thank you for all the work and very funny moments that went into the story for this.
The music itself was great! lots of different test going on here and you played around with some nice chords and patterns! It was well worth the listen and you should be proud of your work here!
i liked the variety, personally i would have liked to know what directions each track was taking you. But other than that excellent mixing and excellent guitar riffs!!
Some really cool guitar writing! Would love to hear a little bit more bass coming through the mix at times (had the thought during wild unknown) I think mixing guitar/piano to get out of the way of bass might help. Also, a good rule of thumb when writing bass lines is to have it start on the root when the chord changes (unless you have a specific bass melody/shape) It was mostly good, just a bit off in big city lights. I think a lot of the bass here needs to be an octave higher too. (Seems like you're going for a new York jazz style)
Really cool and varied soundtrack, fits what you were going for really well!
Oh MAN, this was a treat. Huge fan of the mood and comparisons between each track.
We're not playing around is one of the best tracks I've heard thus far, you really do know how to tune those guitars because i almost fell in the trap they were live recorded.
🔥 Submission, well done.
Oh those drums go hard, you definitely know your stuff damn. Love the variety of moods and styles, "we're not playing around anymore" is obviously a stand-out track but I think I vibed with "wild unknown" the most, moody and charming at once. Congrats!
Cool soundtrack! I like how nicely each track transitions to each other, it creates a nice cohesion to the entire soundtrack. The game idea is interesting as well, I appreciated the intricate write up as well. Some more velocity variation for the percussion would’ve made the tracks groove even more. Nice work!
OOH! This is sick! The transition into We're Not Playing Around Here is sick, definitely picking up your VST's listed. What a great submission!
The shift in We're Not Playing took me by surprise so hard I had chills up my spine lol
Composition-wise it's really freaking awesome! That was one hell of a ride thanks for the submission, very different from everything else I heard yet, and I definitely need that drum VST!
Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it!
The drums are actually a default one from Kontakt 6 I think? (Abbey Road Stadium Drummer) I just did a lot of processing to it to make it pop - each drum is routed to a different channel so that I can apply EQ, compression, reverb, , gnarly stuff, etc to each individual piece, and with far more control than the default kit gives you. If it's something you can do inside your DAW (I use Reaper but I'm sure Ableton/FL etc can do it too) , I'd definitely look up a tutorial on how to do multi-track routing on your drums - the difference in quality sound potential is huge!
Right now I'm trying to learn Dorico so I don't think I can really do that but I'll definitely check multi-track routing, that's something completely new to me (like most things to be honest xDDD
Thanks for all the pointers really appreciate it!
each track feels like a unique chapter in a dreamy vr summer night!! the sound design is creative and keeps the experience fresh from start to finish. it really pulled me into the game's story in such a fun way. what an awesome submission this is
Thank you so much, I'm glad you enjoyed it!
This was a fun listen, every track kept me guessing with its composition and had a unique vibe. Musical highlights for me are the double bass drums coming in at the end of Wild Unknown (reminds me of a Between the Buried and Me song), and the transition into the next track We're Not Playing Around Here
That transition was the first one I wrote, and I loved it so much I ended up trying to squeeze them in the rest of the sound track anywhere I could hehe. Glad you liked it!
That was one heck of an adventure, great job connecting all of these together into not only a coherent, but also fun journey! It was really enjoyable to listen to, and the excellent writing also elevated the experience a lot. Thanks so much for sharing! I hope the player character gets a happy ending.
Thanks for listening and reading along, I'm glad you enjoyed it!