I’m a fan of OFF, and this news brings me some dismay. Small wall of text incoming.
After Undertale and Deltarune, Toby Fox became like the patron saint of “quirky” indie RPGs. A single guest track from him is seen as a blessing of good fortune. But I don’t feel that bringing him in to rewrite the most substantial pieces in the OFF soundtrack was a very faithful move, and actually leaves the new soundtrack much room for failure in terms of recapturing the same mood that made OFF special.
I think Alias Conrad Coldwood’s original soundtrack for OFF is generally underrated and deserves much more recognition than it gets. Conversely, I’m a conflicted observer of Toby Fox’s music, and I think as a composer he’s a bit overrated — mainly because he’s very hit-or-miss for me, whereas others find him nigh infallible. For example, I liked the new trailer music quite a bit, but I’m not even getting a buzz from White Meat.
I understand that a gap is left after ACC ghosts on the soundtrack’s renewal, and Toby’s connections in the industry and to the game itself make him a shoo-in. It’s the former part that disappoints me, though. I still think the game would be “better OFF” with the original soundtrack intact, and judging by Toby’s offthegame interview, a part of him believes this too.
The cynical part of me complains: just as ACC’s original OST gets a chance to bask in fresh sunlight, the ball gets dropped and Toby swoops in to Fox-wash the best tracks, then absorbs the credits — as artists with “auteur-ish” reputations are prone to do. On the other hand, I still believe Toby is a competent composer who could no doubt craft a faithful soundtrack, yet could also be betrayed by his own diffidence in taking the office of OFF. It’s not the situation I was hoping for.
In short: I would be much less disappointed if Toby were simply remixing the OG OST, but I don’t feel nearly as excited to play OFF without Pepper Steak and Fake Orchestra (among others).
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Re: Undertale Creator Toby Fox Joins 'OFF' RPG Soundtrack
I’m a fan of OFF, and this news brings me some dismay. Small wall of text incoming.
After Undertale and Deltarune, Toby Fox became like the patron saint of “quirky” indie RPGs. A single guest track from him is seen as a blessing of good fortune. But I don’t feel that bringing him in to rewrite the most substantial pieces in the OFF soundtrack was a very faithful move, and actually leaves the new soundtrack much room for failure in terms of recapturing the same mood that made OFF special.
I think Alias Conrad Coldwood’s original soundtrack for OFF is generally underrated and deserves much more recognition than it gets. Conversely, I’m a conflicted observer of Toby Fox’s music, and I think as a composer he’s a bit overrated — mainly because he’s very hit-or-miss for me, whereas others find him nigh infallible. For example, I liked the new trailer music quite a bit, but I’m not even getting a buzz from White Meat.
I understand that a gap is left after ACC ghosts on the soundtrack’s renewal, and Toby’s connections in the industry and to the game itself make him a shoo-in. It’s the former part that disappoints me, though. I still think the game would be “better OFF” with the original soundtrack intact, and judging by Toby’s offthegame interview, a part of him believes this too.
The cynical part of me complains: just as ACC’s original OST gets a chance to bask in fresh sunlight, the ball gets dropped and Toby swoops in to Fox-wash the best tracks, then absorbs the credits — as artists with “auteur-ish” reputations are prone to do. On the other hand, I still believe Toby is a competent composer who could no doubt craft a faithful soundtrack, yet could also be betrayed by his own diffidence in taking the office of OFF. It’s not the situation I was hoping for.
In short: I would be much less disappointed if Toby were simply remixing the OG OST, but I don’t feel nearly as excited to play OFF without Pepper Steak and Fake Orchestra (among others).