Untitled Solo Project

First-Person Adventure Game
Sole Developer
Aug 2024 - Dec 2024

Overview

This was a single-level Unreal Engine 5 project I made in order to hone my level design, sound design, and composition skills. It consists of 2 gameplay areas, an abandoned monastery and a strange spaceship. The player explores the monastery while finding key items and solving small environmental puzzles while an ominous droning soundtrack plays. The player eventually activates a teleporter and is transported to the spaceship interior. A new synth-based track begins to play as the level ends.

Monastery

This is the base track of the monastery. It begins immediately upon player spawn. It features two hardpanned baritone electric guitars recorded and processed by me. The first half consists of droning B notes while the second half features both guitars proceeding through a slow, somber chord progression. I think this track captures the brooding sanctity of the empty monastery.

One thing I would change about this track is the presence of peaky attack frequencies around 10KHz and harsh upper mids in the 2.5KHz to 4KHz range. This was due to a combination of poor amplifier EQ, poor microphone choice and placement, and insufficient software EQ in the post-production process.

Ship

This track plays once the player exits the teleporter into the spaceship. It begins with a sustained chord being held by a synth. Chiming reverberant plucks begin to fade in. I opted for a very aggressive synth bass sound to suddenly burst in after this. The bass rocks between octaves as a mysterious chord progression emerges and is played atop the alternating bassline.

Despite being near the beginning of my experience with composing music for games, this track holds a special place in my heart due to its sense of mystery and celestial tranquility.