Entry 028 - Axiom Verge

 

 

Axiom Verge came out a peculiar time. There was a dearth of metroidvania games at the time, and it filled a void that had gone unattended for several years prior.

The game is a slow burn, the first half is riddled with cryptic messages with nearly no explanation as to what is going on. As the game opens up the story begins to take shape a bit more and things become clearer. The music follows this same path.

I really have to commend the team that put the track list together for this release. The flow of the tracks exemplify the feeling of the game exceptionally well. The first side has an air of mystery to it, whereas the second side is much clearer and seems to have more of a sense of direction.

Side A is not really ambient in its approach but it does take a lot form that genre. The music is dominated by uncompressed chip tunes with powerful beats laced underneath. The beats act almost like a pulse, a heartbeat, driving the player and music forward.

Sdie B is much more defined, the melodies are driven - almost synthwave like in quality - and the beats are faster. This is absolutely the same album, however there has been a shift in the execution when the record is flipped.

The best soundtracks give you flashbacks to playing the game and reliving the memories burned in your mind. Axiom Verge's music does this in spades.