One of the few elements outside of gameplay that can make or break a crawl through a dungeon is the music. Often, good music goes unnoticed while bad music has you twice as frustrated making you susceptible to simple errors and liable to call it quits early on. It’s amazing how something in the background can be so pervasive and crucial to a game experience.
Unsurprisingly, inXile Entertainment decided to get the best for HUNTED: The Demon’s Forge.
May 23, 2011 (Los Angeles, CA) – Award-winning genre music composer Kevin Riepl (Gears of War, Clemency, Huxley) has created the original score for Hunted: The Demon’s ForgeTM, a third-person co-op fantasy action game developed by inXile Entertainment for Xbox 360®, PlayStation®3 and Games for Windows. Hunted is scheduled to be released in North America on May 31st by Bethesda Softworks.
A renowned music composer and recording artist (aka Damage Vault) for multiple entertainment genres, Kevin Riepl’s engaging and atmospheric scores have enhanced numerous indie horror films such as “Clemency,” “New Hope Manor” and “Broken Moment.” In video games, he previously created the rousing signature scores for several blockbuster franchises including Gears of War and Huxley.
To enhance the visual intensity and energetic gameplay of Hunted, and immerse players in the dark fantasy action adventure, Kevin Riepl has crafted an emotive, rhythmic score blending orchestral bombast with modern percussion; electric and bass guitars; ethnic instrumentation; and evocative vocals.
“Kevin Riepl was a blast to work with during the production of Hunted. He is totally committed to delivering music that fits the scenes perfectly,” said Chris Keenan, Design Director, inXile Entertainment. “His early compositions even helped to inspire our internal team with some of the level design. The dark and haunting style of Kevin’s music made our world that much more intense.”
“Collaborating with inXile has been an immensely creative and rewarding experience. Their creativity, passion and attentive involvement throughout the process made my ‘job’ a real pleasure,” said composer Kevin Riepl. “From the very early stages of development, when I received the first concept art, it was clear that Hunted required a sonic signature. The detail in the illustrations played a major role in inspiring the creation of customized sounds and instruments to enhance the dark unrelenting environments and eerie atmosphere of the game.”
Set in a dark fantasy world, Hunted is an epic cooperative action game, pitting you and your partner against waves of vicious enemies. Taking control of either E’lara, a ranged weapon expert, or Caddoc, a master swordsman, you must use a variety of weapons, powerful spells, and cover tactics to battle your way through menacing dungeons, overgrown ruins, and downtrodden towns. Discover secrets and complete co-op-based puzzles whilst exploring the sinister world to discover answers to the game’s deep, dark mysteries.
For more information visit: www.huntedthegame.com.
For more information on composer Kevin Riepl visitwww.kevinrieplmusic.com.
Source: Press Release (May 23, 2011)
