A Strong Blend Of Rhythm & Action
One of the games that caught my attention when going through the emails for PAX interviews was Klang, a rhythm based, action platformer that is being published by Snow Cannon Games. Klang was developed by one man, Tom-Ivar Arntzen, fuses strong electronic EDM with fast paced combat and platforming and dance deities to create a rather unique experience. When I asked Tom-Ivar what inspired him to create Klang he said he wanted to make something never seen before that blends heavy electronic rhythm based music with God of War spectacle.
The composer for Klang goes by bLiNd and you may know him from his contributions to Overclocked Remix. I had heard his work before specifically in the Final Fantasy IV soundtrack remix that was featured back in 2009. His work on Overclocked Remix is also how the pair found each other as Tom-Ivar was a fan of his beats. Klang features 30 original tracks from bLiNd.
Gameplay for Klang is simple to play but hard to master. You are prompted with indicators in multiple directions around the player that fill up in tune with the beat. Once it reaches the tip of the cone, you can reflect incoming attacks to deal damage to enemies. Poor timed reflections will result in a loss of your combo meter and damage. Taking too much consecutive damage will result in death. These combat situations are combined with fast paced platforming that can time up with the music for best effect in avoiding obstacles. While the demo starts off somewhat tame, things ramp up quickly as the player combines platforming and combat into quick actions all in tune with the music playing. At first it can seem overwhelming but once you tune your play to the music itself, it all flows strangely well. The developer has tapped into a form of synesthesia, combining visuals with audio for a complete experience.
I am looking forward to the September 22nd release and seeing how much more intense Klang can get!
Klang Demo Recording:
Klang Trailer:
Also…
I did not get too much time to try it out but Snow Cannon Games was also showing The Frostrune, a point and click, Viking based game for PC, iOS and Android coming later this year. Check out the trailer below!