We’re suckers for any game that comes with musical vibes, with the likes of Rock Band, FUSER and Aaero always bringing the beats. This summer though a new title will emerge, one that lets us play melodies in order to unlock memories. The name? A Musical Story.
Coming to Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Nintendo Switch and iOS in the summer of ’21, A Musical Story has been created by those at Glee-Cheese Studios, with the indie publishing team at Digerati helping ensure it reaches the biggest audience possible.
Playing out as a music/narrative experience that is set in the 1970s, A Musical Story is one part rhythm game, one part interactive art, and will attempt to utilise the connection between music and memory as a central theme. You’ll find that when it releases in the summer there will be no form of text, nor any dialogue, as the entire story is told through the game’s original music – music that has been influenced by bands such as Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and Air – and a rather distinct animated art style. In it you’ll be found exploring the memories of Gabriel, a young man trying to come to terms with his situation through the connections to his musical memory. Each correctly played melody opens a new chapter into Gabriel’s past, bringing him closer to the truth.
If you want to know more make sure you take in the upcoming London Games Festival, where it has been selected as part of the Official Selection. Kicking off on March 19th, you’ll be able to get a sample of A Musical Story right here – https://games.london/
Further to that though, and from the same day a free demo that gives players the chance to go hands-on with A Musical Story’s first 10 chapters will be available from the game’s Steam page.
After having first come about via the French developer Glee-Cheese Studio in 2017, the team have experimented with many different prototypes, each one exploring various story concepts, and musical and visual styles, before settling on a final vision for A Musical Story they felt would set it apart from other music/rhythm games.
“We wanted to make something different, something that would stick in the minds of players, both for its gameplay and story. It took a huge amount of time to find the right formula, but this one was the most inspiring,” says Charles Bardin, the game’s designer and co-composer.
“In most musical games, there’s a visual timeline, showing exactly when to play the notes. We’ve focused instead on creating an experience that relies on the listening skills of the player, so they must feel the music, understand it, to progress and unveil the story.”
Key features include:
- Rekindle Gabriel’s memories with rhythmic button presses in time with the music
- Storytelling without words – discover Gabriel’s journey through music and visuals alone
- Gabriel’s story comes to life through a beautifully crafted art style created by Alexandre Rey
- A unique original soundtrack featuring 26 songs, composed and performed by Charles Bardin and Valentin Ducloux
- Play every song perfectly to unlock a hidden chapter
So, does A Musical Story hit all the right notes for you? We’re pretty excited to see it arrive on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Nintendo Switch and iOS this summer. As soon as a release date is known, we’ll bring you it. For now, hit up that Steam page, the London Games Festival page, or even the trailer below.
And let us know your thoughts.
