The Builder's Paradox... & DDE's Playlist
Nope, not a high-concept science fiction about an all powerful race of beings who have crafted every millimetre of our existence and now find themselves in turmoil as a result of our decisions. Although if anyone is creative and fancies spinning that into a film or novel they are more than welcome to - I'll happily attend the premiere/book launch!
Actually, it's about why I got into building PCs all those years ago, and how, despite loving gaming, I don't actually get much time for it any more!
I feel that people get into building PCs for a few reasons:
They enjoy the technical aspect of it
They enjoy gaming and see it as a way of making a career from a hobby
They enjoy figuring out issues, trouble-shooting, and making things work harmoniously
All of the above
I'm a bit of option 4 to be honest, and have always enjoyed digging into the detail to understand how something works - much to my father's chagrin when as a young man I would regularly pull things apart in the house for 'a nosy'. I wasn't always flavour of the month.
The problem being, that I now spend less time gaming and more time thinking about building - so elements 1 + 3 are now my primary motivating factors. So, when I say that in February I completed 6 builds in less than 2 weeks, you can see why gaming might take a back seat.
So I indulge my passion for gaming in other ways - such as listening to soundtracks from my favourite games while driving to and from work for example, or while building PCs. And DDE's playlist takes on a different element of gaming in this update...
Ori & The Blind Forest/Ori & The Will of the Wisps from Moon Studios, composed by Gareth Coker
WHY WE DID WE TUNE IN THIS WEEK?
It's a beautiful, haunting, emotional game with a soundtrack to match.
TELL ME MORE!
The 'Ori' series comprises of a pair of beautiful 2D side-scrolling Metroid-vania platform and exploration games which are singularly stunning and emotionally captivating. Starting off as Xbox and PC exclusives, they are now also available on Switch and deserve all of the accolades heaped upon them, and definitely deserve a place in your playlist!
WORTH A LISTEN?
100%. And then some. The music makes the hairs stand up on my arms at times, and it is expertly constructed. If you haven't played the games, you can enjoy the music. If you have played the games (and I recommend wholeheartedly that you do) the memories, feelings and joy the game elicits make the music really come to life. The way Gareth Coker uses trademark elements of the theme in inventive and delightful ways is constantly surprising and immensely skillful. If you have an Xbox Game Pass subscription make sure you take advantage and play these incredible games for - effectively - free.
GOOD TO KNOW:
Gareth Coker is also composing the soundtrack for the next installment of the Halo series, Halo: Infinite. Regardless of how you feel about the series (I love them personally) the music will doubtless be excellent!
Mass Effect Trilogy from Bioware Studios, various composers.
WHY WE DID WE TUNE IN THIS WEEK?
As one of my favourite RPG series (barring that controversial ending), I do very much enjoy revisiting both the game and the soundtrack.
TELL ME MORE!
Mass Effect launched to a great amount of fanfare on consoles in 2007, boasting incredible visuals, an exciting story, excellent music and generally solid gameplay. The series really hit its stride with the launch of Mass Effect 2 in 2010, taking the best bits of its predecessor and adding a deep, companion-based story, improved combat and a cast of big-name talent. It remains one of my all-time favourite games, and I'm extremely excited about the Legendary Edition coming this year. Mass Effect 3 lost some of the intimate magic of ME:2. but made up for this with bombast, and a particularly harrowing introductory sequence which boasts an excellent accompanying score.
WORTH A LISTEN?
Oh yes. The first game leans heavily on 80s electro and synth, with the sequels using a wider, more varied palette, with strings, piano, and powerful brass elements that drive home how far the series had come in scope, and budget. If you've played the games, there are several great moments made even better by the music used.
We'll be back soon - thanks for reading!