conscious of repetition. “The main
thing you want to avoid with game
music is creating something that
will annoy the player upon repeat-
ed listenings. The most important
thing in writing for film and games
is to understand how and where the
viewer or player will be experienc-
ing the music, and creating some-
thing that will enhance that experi-
ence without getting in the way.”
“With a game like Revelation,
a lot of the music was treated as
standalone themes that would rep-
resent each zone,” explains Acree.
“A zone is an area within the game
world where people experience cer-
tain parts of the story or just wan-
der around. Each one would often
feature a specific instrument. Some
of the music was atmospheric or
designed to accompany action, but
a lot of it was fully developed. It’s
somewhat rare to get to write stuff
like that, that gets a chance to make
a full statement and has room to
breathe.”
Acree reveals, “I always try to
start with a concept for the piece that
might help define it in non-musical
terms. Should the sound of the piece
P
ho
to
s
co
u
r
tes
y
of
Ne
t
Eas
e
Ga
mes
Composer Neal Acree
Strings of lanterns illuminate the city streets
Fantastical creatures soar through the sky