Great Little War Game
Sound Design
Dialog Writer
Voice Talent
Music Composition
It was a real blast working on this title for Rubicon. I had been eyeballing this game for a while in forums and finally they posted that they were in need of some VO. Hot dog! Grabbed my mic and sent them over some samples and a bid. I guess the two meshed and we were on to produce a full set of VO for one character with more to follow sometime later. Maybe a month or so later I'm contacted by Rubicon and they are ready for some new audio.
Great Little Explosions!
SFX was to be realistic but approachable. It's hard to make the sounds of war seem light without being too canned or stock sounding. And while there is some library manipulation, most were handcrafted and tweaked not only for the genre but the handheld medium of iPhones and iPads.
Great Little Characters!
Voice Over is really fun and was probably my favorite part of the project. The game features the ability to choose what voice set you and your enemy are using. You start with the basic "Marine" style with Death lines like "You're gonna miss me!" and "Happy now? I'm dead." You can then purchase from within the app 4 more voice packs I created featuring "Redneck" - "Where's my shoes?!?", "Germans" - "Touch it for power!", "French" - "Auh-hauh!" and "Mexican" - "Wha' Sappening?". I don't think the intent was to offend though we didn't really shy away. They are stereotypes but I was careful to show some restraint. I did say "Chile Frijoles" when the Mexican gets hit, but I am one and my mom used to say it all the time so I feel it's accurate. :)
Great Little Themes!
And the score... Needed a catchy theme to start. Listened to a lot of classic military themes from old war films old and new. Needed a strong march and snare drum presence. Came up with a few great ones in Battery and started hanging some brass on it. For me it's always a challenge to keep things light and I think I did for the most part. I do know the theme gets stuck in my head easily so I'm hoping it'll do the same for the players, maybe find themselves whistling the main theme from time to time... I'd dig that. At any rate, I've included a small montage of a few of the cues I wrote below. Starting with the main theme, moving to the beginning passage of the gameplay track, to a sounding resolve. Again, I tried to keep it light, cartoony without sacrificing complexity, intensity, or intent.
Review Snippets
"The music is suitably pompous and stirring and everything is done with tongue firmly in cheek." -gizmodo.co.uk
"The sound compliments this very well indeed. The soundtrack is a pomp militarised anthem... The music is supplemented by the kind of ridiculously gung-ho one-liners you get with games like Worms. There are explosions, grunts, splashes and plenty of dramatic last words, all creating a rich and thoroughly enjoyable gameplay environment." -http://android.appstorm.net
"During play, your dumpy soldiers emit all kinds of shouts and comments, and this lends the game a lighthearted feel, despite the on-screen carnage." -pocketgamer.co.uk
"The voiceovers, done with a Southern drawl, really add to the charm of this game. " -theapplebay.com
"Yes, there are plenty of laughs to go with your war. The app has a unique styling that includes amusing graphics, antics and sound effects. There may be times when you’re hoping to get shot, just to see and hear what happens." -infinipixelgamereviews.blogspot.com"
"Well scored army music, rewarding gun/cannon shots, and amusing script make for a good job in the sound department. 9/10" - infinipixelgamereviews.blogspot.com
"The voice over work is also well done, and each kill from a well-placed sniper is greeted with a wonderful selection of sarcastic dying words from your enemy..." - macenstein.com
"The audio is also great, especially all the voices and sounds, and the music is pretty entertaining." -slidegamer.com
"The sound compliments this very well indeed. The soundtrack is a pomp militarised anthem... The music is supplemented by the kind of ridiculously gung-ho one-liners you get with games like Worms. There are explosions, grunts, splashes and plenty of dramatic last words, all creating a rich and thoroughly enjoyable gameplay environment." -http://android.appstorm.net
"During play, your dumpy soldiers emit all kinds of shouts and comments, and this lends the game a lighthearted feel, despite the on-screen carnage." -pocketgamer.co.uk
"The voiceovers, done with a Southern drawl, really add to the charm of this game. " -theapplebay.com
"Yes, there are plenty of laughs to go with your war. The app has a unique styling that includes amusing graphics, antics and sound effects. There may be times when you’re hoping to get shot, just to see and hear what happens." -infinipixelgamereviews.blogspot.com"
"Well scored army music, rewarding gun/cannon shots, and amusing script make for a good job in the sound department. 9/10" - infinipixelgamereviews.blogspot.com
"The voice over work is also well done, and each kill from a well-placed sniper is greeted with a wonderful selection of sarcastic dying words from your enemy..." - macenstein.com
"The audio is also great, especially all the voices and sounds, and the music is pretty entertaining." -slidegamer.com
So, by all means if you have an iOS device go check it out, there's a demo, an SD and HD version. I'm sure if it does well enough there will be more down the road. I'd love to revisit the themes and craft new characters to play with.
www.rubicon.com
www.greatlittlewargame.com
www.rubicon.com
www.greatlittlewargame.com