Project Snowfield「雪の原」Dev-Log 1 [Background]

Project Snowfield is a Soundtrack composed for a game that doesn't exist.

Project Snowfield is an idea that has always dawned on me since forever, I love snow and snowy things in general. Back in 2017 when I got my hands on a Nintendo Switch my brother bought I Am Setsuna, though i never completed it I always look back at the time I spent playing the game as at the time I didn't realize how charming it actually is.

I Am Setsuna takes place in a snow-bound land. There was just something about the gloomy feel of snow constantly falling from the sky to the soothing piano playing in the background as well as battles.

I Am Setsuna Art Direction [Forest]

Another game that technically made me realize how genuinely good it's music is is Octopath Traveler. When it was first announced it was love at first sight, I love pixel art and seeing Octopath's HD-2D for the first time blew me away, before this I didn't like RPGs and turn-based battle systems as at the time i thought they were slow, boring, and monotonous (yes, exactly how I felt during my time with I Am Setsuna). However when I tried Octopath's debut demo for the first time I fell in love instantly, for some reason it just got me hooked from the way it looked to the break and boost system.

Octopath Traveler Olberic's first boss

Fast forward to it's release I bought it day 1, since this was my first RPG I really didn't know what to expect. At the very beginning of chapter 2 I started noticing how the battle theme had changed from chapter 1's area, from then on I started listen to everything that caught my hear with all my heart, from Battle 1 to 2 to The Riverlands' theme to the decisive battles, man that was the first time that ever happened.

At this time I've made a very small amount of song covers/arrangements and i had know very little about music. One day my mind kept coming back to a song that plays when I'm in the overworld, that being March of The Brave. The next day I thought to myself "huh, what if i make a song that also plays in the overworld in a snowy setting?" and so i tried composing my first area theme with March of The Brave as the inspiration.

Ever since then I've been composing music as a side thing as a pose to making covers and arrangement as something I do mainly. A lot of the music I put more time and focus to are my battle themes. Why? because I love battle themes, they're basically the highlight for the games I play. There's just something about a really engaging bossfight, from the music and gimmicks of the fight makes them very memorable. (and also i just love the adrenaline rush of an intense bossfight)

One major factor that helps these fights be so memorable is the music as they both directly and indirectly influence the intensity of a battle. Heck, sometimes they can directly influence the player themselves! Take a look at Hotline Miami and how it makes the player be more reckless with it's high tempo disco music.

Fast forward to 2022 I transfered to an art school as a second year and on my 2nd term i had to make a project with someone as a collaboration, I thought "huh I've been covering other people's music so why not i do something with my own", and thus the idea of project snowfield was born! Since a lot of the songs came from RPG battle music i thought to try and tell other people what it's like to play an RPG through music.