After exploring many pixelated worlds, accompanied by their unique soundtracks, it was time to discover Elden Ring‘s landscapes and musical tales live. Let’s rewind on the lovely 28th of April.
The link between video games and music is strong, and the dedicated gamer is often, increasingly so, a massive fan of classical music as well as jazz, electro, lo-fi, and rock. Sometimes without even realising it, but mostly with great anticipation. The soundtrack of a game is cherished. After all, most of the immersion depends on it. So, what could be more immersive than a projection of the game with a live philharmonic orchestra of over two hours?
In the splendid hall of the Royal Albert Hall, the stage seems small and filled with instruments. Above it hangs a massive screen that conceals the venue’s huge organ. Projected on what seems to be any self-respecting gamer’s fantasy (imagine playing Mario Kart on that screen? Absolutely!) is ELDEN RING: SYMPHONIC ADVENTURE. This isn’t the first time the projection and live concert of this game is happening. But it’s my first time experiencing such a thing.
The idea is to witness the best moments of Hidetaka Miyazaki’s game, which collected more than unanimous praise upon its release in winter 2022. A sequel, titled Shadow of the Erdtree, was recently announced and will be released on the 21st of June. It’s actually its trailer that starts our evening.
Elden Ring, a one-of-a-kind game, is an action RPG that demands many hours to complete thanks to its richness. In an open world, we progress and defeat fantastical creatures to fulfil a quest… the subtlety lies in how. And the player has many options at their disposal. All these elements make me curious: how to condense over 200 hours of gameplay into just around two, while also covering the entirety of the story?
The orchestra, led by Andrián Ronda Sampayo, accompanies a tailor-made a run of the game, captured by Guillaume Peronnin. Or rather, several runs. The characters change, almost every time. Rather than choosing optimization and comfort for each encountered boss, I see in that choice an extended hand to gamers. Each can see their class, their fighting technique, their armour… And even if all the possibilities aren’t all displayed, for technical and time reasons, it remains a beautiful tribute to all those who embarked on this long adventure.
Music as a narrator
Divided into two acts, this symphonic adventure is everything we’d expect from this epic dark medieval fantasy game. To me, the first act takes its time. A few lines of dialogue serve as a quick exposition to understand the main quest. Yet, even without it, the narration is understandable through music and movement. Provided we accept not to have all the details. From the start, the second act gripped me much more, with what felt like a stronger and emotionally charged sound. The decrease in dialogue also helped me to immerse myself more. The story is mainly built through and carried by the music here.
However, overall, many sequences did stand out to me. I think of Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon, Starscourge Radahn, Radagon of the Golden Order, Malenia, Blade of Miquella, Maliketh, The Back Blade, Mohg, Lord of Blood, and of course, the Elden Beast. The images impress with their quality; the fights might feel less fluid than in a normal game – some abrupt cuts can come as a surprise and break the image’s rhythm – but it’s all forgiven thanks to the elegance and synchronicity of the pieces played.
An experience for curious souls
For curious classical music fans as well as gamers with or without an Elden Ring experience, it’s a beautiful experience worth trying. It makes you want to start a new game, observe others’ or simply listen to this incredible soundtrack created by Yuka Kitamura, Shoi Miyazawa, Yoshimi Kudo, Tai Tomisawa, and Tsukasa Saito. The most positive aspect is that this exact unfolding of the story, these pieces in this order, are only visible like this. The music becomes a mighty narrator and urges audience members and Tarnished alike to become the next Elden Lord.
An experience worth repeating.
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