Grace has been at a loose end since leaving college, a fact that hasn’t escaped the notice of best friend Freddie, a drummer and lyricist who invites her to a band audition. When, hours later, an exasperated Grace sighs, “I wish I knew where I fit”, we know she’s not just talking about her role in the group. Once the others have left, she vocalises her feelings in song, her voice attracting a young woman who joins in, before introducing herself as Calliope. The title’s a clue that there’s a fantastical element to this world, and if you know your Greek mythology, you’ll be aware that this stranger is the last of the Muses. As the two harmonise, it seems she’s here to help Grace find her voice.
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1387349800/1686816559/articles/1bG37GxFL1686829277546/6680066181.jpg]
The concept of a ‘roleplaying musical’ shouldn’t be so surprising. After all, the songs in a musical often serve as expressions of internal conflict, which would fit the theme of a choice-driven RPG like a glove. (Not to mention it’s in keeping with modern games’ fondness for exterior monologues.) Stray Gods’ creative director David Gaider had floated the idea more than once while he was a writer at BioWare, which manifested in a musical segment in Dragon Age: Inquisition. The response to that encouraged him to go further. “I said, ‘Why don’t we do a DLC that’s a musical?’” The reaction from management was to laugh it off, but he wasn’t joking.
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1387349800/1686816559/articles/1bG37GxFL1686829277546/6787316180.jpg]
When Gaider left BioWare, the idea stayed with him. “With music, you can just reach the soul so much more quickly – it would take a comparatively long period of play, or a lot of dialogue, whereas you can have one short song and suddenly you’ve sold the player on the idea of falling in love or what have you. So I always wanted to experiment with that.” He met fellow narrative designer Liam Esler and, with Elie Young, founded Summerfall Studios. As the three discussed their first project, there was an agreement that they would try to make something different. Gaider pitched the idea of a musical, and this time got his wish.
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1387349800/1686816559/articles/1bG37GxFL1686829277546/8baDoE1ba1686829403370.jpg]
The result draws from many sources, from Neil Gaiman’s American Gods to Greek mythology, Hadestown, the rapid-patter songs of Into The Woods and the Buffy The Vampire Slayer musical episode Once More With Feeling. “The musical part is diegetic: everybody ...
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1387349800/1686816559/articles/1bG37GxFL1686829277546/6680066181.jpg]
The concept of a ‘roleplaying musical’ shouldn’t be so surprising. After all, the songs in a musical often serve as expressions of internal conflict, which would fit the theme of a choice-driven RPG like a glove. (Not to mention it’s in keeping with modern games’ fondness for exterior monologues.) Stray Gods’ creative director David Gaider had floated the idea more than once while he was a writer at BioWare, which manifested in a musical segment in Dragon Age: Inquisition. The response to that encouraged him to go further. “I said, ‘Why don’t we do a DLC that’s a musical?’” The reaction from management was to laugh it off, but he wasn’t joking.
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1387349800/1686816559/articles/1bG37GxFL1686829277546/6787316180.jpg]
When Gaider left BioWare, the idea stayed with him. “With music, you can just reach the soul so much more quickly – it would take a comparatively long period of play, or a lot of dialogue, whereas you can have one short song and suddenly you’ve sold the player on the idea of falling in love or what have you. So I always wanted to experiment with that.” He met fellow narrative designer Liam Esler and, with Elie Young, founded Summerfall Studios. As the three discussed their first project, there was an agreement that they would try to make something different. Gaider pitched the idea of a musical, and this time got his wish.
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1387349800/1686816559/articles/1bG37GxFL1686829277546/8baDoE1ba1686829403370.jpg]
The result draws from many sources, from Neil Gaiman’s American Gods to Greek mythology, Hadestown, the rapid-patter songs of Into The Woods and the Buffy The Vampire Slayer musical episode Once More With Feeling. “The musical part is diegetic: everybody ...
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Edge Uk (Digital) - 1 Issue, August 2023