Video Game Harmony

Oakwood
Released: Dec 4, 2018
Developer: Breaking Dimensions
Composer: Not sure, I couldn’t find it

It’s time to continue spooky season. I played an indie game recently called Oakwood, which is where you plays as a character who visits an old camp that also turns out to be infested with dinosaurs. I’m a Jurassic Park fan, so I thought “a horror version of Jurassic Park, this could be fun”. The game is really tense at the beginning when you’re being stalked by velociraptors. However, as the game went on it became easier and not as fun, but I think these developers have potential to make something really great. Also I wish you had the ability to jump, but that’s beyond the point. I’m here to talk about the score.

I liked it alright when it was setting up the tension. I definitely get the feeling that something’s following me, but when we actually are being chased by the dinosaurs it kind of loses me. The chase music sounds cheap and like some poor attempt of making me feel like I need to run as fast as I can. It was really repetitive and the cheap (and probably synthetic) instruments sounded a bit annoying.

That’s what most of the game sounded like, but what I found even more annoying was the end credits. It simply consisted of these annoying, repetitive, and shrill horns (which again I think may just be fake horn sounds). At this point I want this game to be over with as soon as possible. If you can actually sit through these credits I’m impressed.

I do give the developers credit as this was their first game, and I’m interested to know what they release next. It had potential at the beginning, but the second half fell a bit short. The score wasn’t so bad when it was setting up the tension, but when it got loud, it also got annoying. This was so annoying to listen to that I wouldn’t want to listen to it outside of the game, and I didn’t like hearing it in the game either. Because of that I’ll have to give the soundtrack 2 out of 5 stars.

★★

There will be plenty more spooky games coming throughout the month, so stay tuned, and until next time, please support your local dinosaur shelter.