All just a game

I did something last week that I haven't done in ages; I bought a video game. The context around this action was very specific; I found a great website called Humble Bundle that packages together old games into a delicious little slice and sells them to individuals, giving a good deal of the funds to various charities.  This particular bundle contained some great indie games from a few years back that I had been meaning to check out.  I finally had a chance to play a few of the games over the weekend (Bastion is absolutely incredible) however, the surprising part was that so far, my favourite part of the bundle has been the soundtracks that were included.

Specifically, I have been listening with near obsession to the soundtrack from Superbrothers Sword and Sworcery. While incredibly impressed with the soundtrack, I soon learned why it was so good: they cheated.  Enlisting the help of the Juno-nominated Canadian songwriter Jim Guthrie, the game - already a unique, original take on adventure video gaming - is taken to a whole new level by Guthrie's clever use of the reimagined 8-bit genre. Delicate yet powerful, catchy while still being complex, this album sits as much more than a gorgeous ambient background to a fantastic game; it insists upon being a brilliant piece of work on its own.

My recommendation to you is this: check out the video below to hear a sample of Guthrie's work and see the incredible adventure put forth by Superbrothers, navigate to Humble Bundle, drop a bit of cash and get a few amazing soundtracks and games (the Bastion soundtrack is great fun too!).  Be sure to spend over $7.87 to get Basion too!  It's worth it.


-Despite myself... I look that way again