Soundtrack: Extended Update
Hello Riftbreakers!
When we released The Riftbreaker in 2021, we also published the Original Soundtrack album alongside the main release. The album featured select music pieces from The Riftbreaker, remastered and adapted from their in-game form to something more suitable for standalone listening. Not all songs from the game made the cut, but we promised that we would release them in due time. That time is now - we have just published a free update to the Soundtrack DLC, featuring all the missing songs from the original game soundtrack. In this article, we will tell you why it took such a long time, what the differences are, and what you can expect from us in the future.
Creating a good game soundtrack is an uphill battle. On one hand, it has to be unique and captivating. You want people to instantly associate the music they hear with the game they are playing. You want the soundtrack to emphasize what is currently happening on the screen. On the other hand, the last thing you want the music to do is distract players. It has to fit just right. The pace and dynamics of the music have to be relatively steady, with as few high and low points as possible. This also limits the range of instruments you can use. Some sounds might stand out too much and sound out of place in the context of the soundscape you want to create. Due to these constraints, the composer often has to limit their creativity, considering the good of the game as a whole rather than the song itself.
Our music composer, Marcin Pukaluk, encountered precisely these issues. He’s a super creative person and a brilliant artist. Although he was happy with the soundtrack of The Riftbreaker, he also thought he could do better. He suggested remastering the tracks from the game and giving them a more song-like structure. This meant adding intros and outros, changing the arrangement of some parts, and emphasizing different instruments within the mix. Take a listen to these two tracks. The first one is ripped straight out of the game files, and you’ve probably heard it a thousand times now. The other one is the remastered version.
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Here's the original version of one of the tracks that accomapny you during the intense battles on Galatea 37.
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
And here's the remastered one. Which one do you like better?
We chose this piece because the differences are audible right away. The in-game track lacks the ‘marching’ intro from the remastered version. Additionally, the drums and brass instruments are brought much more forward in the mix. The atmosphere of the second version is much more heroic, which wouldn’t necessarily sit well with the chaos of the battle on screen.
Naturally, reworking the entire soundtrack into this new, standalone formula takes some time, which we did not have. The new World Expansions required brand-new music to fit the theme of the biomes we introduced, so Marcin was too busy writing new pieces and couldn’t work on the old ones. After the release of World Expansion III, however, we could finally start the Multiplayer Co-Op Closed Beta test, and we won’t be producing any new expansion content for a while. That gave Marcin a window of opportunity to remaster the remaining tracks.
In today’s update, The Riftbreaker Soundtrack expands by ten additional tracks from the main game. The OST is extended from the original 44 minutes, to 70 minutes. This update is free for everyone who purchased the soundtrack separately or got the Complete Pack edition of the game. All tracks from all playlists are now available for your listening pleasure (except for the ‘Anticipation’ playlist, also known in the community as the ‘no drop music.’ Listening to that stuff for too long could be unpleasant, so we skipped those songs). For those of you who don’t want to get the soundtrack - we got you! Here’s a YouTube video with the entire album.
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
The full extended soundtrack for your listening pleasure.
In the foreseeable future, Marcin will continue working on remastering the music from the World Expansions. We will also add them to the Soundtrack DLC as a free update, so be on the lookout for that! Meanwhile, we’re returning to work on the Co-Op Closed Beta Test. We have distributed over 100 access keys this week alone. Keep an eye on your Discord inbox so as not to miss your keys! And if you have not signed up for the test yet - do it! Join us, play The Riftbreaker in multiplayer before everyone else, and help us shape the game into something great!
See you next time!
EXOR Studios.
We have come a long way since the days of 25% movement speed and creatures getting stuck in limbo, but there still a long way to go!