Kevin Riepl talk to us about his latest score, and gave us his view on the Alien franchise.
GamerHub.TV: The Alien movie franchise is known for creating tension. Is it harder to create tension inside of a video game since players are interacting with that world? What role does music play in that?
Kevin Riepl: There are a couple of approaches a composer could take to create tension. For this game, I took the minimal approach, staying out of the way of sound design and dialogue during tense moments usually with little to no music at all. Relying heavily on how to relieve those tense moments with music was the key to increasing the tension.
GamerHub.TV: How did you compose for gameplay sequences? Do you focus on quicktime events then build up the atmosphere using ambient sounds?
Kevin Riepl: Sometimes Gearbox provided me with video of gameplay footage to help me understand the dynamics of any given level and how the level or scene unfolded. For certain scenarios there was a formula to follow. Sections of the environment would need an exploration cue, intense cue, and an action cue. How each of those cues was written depended on where the scene took place. For example, if players are walking in or near the Derelict or Hadley’s Hope, Horner’s and Goldsmith’s motifs would sneak in and out paying homage to those environments in the previous films.
GamerHub.TV: What type of instruments did you use in Aliens: Colonial Marines? Do you ever stick with a favorite or do you work with what the scene needed?
Kevin Riepl: For this score I used a traditional orchestra as was used in the first two films. I accompanied that with synths and sounds that are reminiscent of the non-orchestral elements present in the previous scores.
GamerHub.TV: What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome?
Kevin Riepl: I think it was agreeing on a balance of how much of the score would be original and completely new sounding and how much of it would be familiar and pay homage to the previous films. Once that was settled on, it was pretty much an enjoyable writing experience without any further challenges presenting themselves.
GamerHub.TV: Was there any sort of pressure on you stepping into the Aliens franchise when composers like Jerry Goldsmith and James Horner have helmed this position before?
Kevin Riepl: Yes. But I feel I put that pressure on myself. Following in the footsteps of two legendary composers is a big responsibility in and of itself but at the same time being a fan of the franchise raised the bar. I wanted to make sure the new music lived up to what I would expect from an Aliens game that follows in line after ALIENS. Of course, there is also a huge fanbase and following for this franchise, so I wanted to make sure that my love and respect for the franchise comes across and pleases the fans as well, along with working within the game.
GamerHub.TV: How would you summarize your work in Aliens: Colonial Marines in one word?
Kevin Riepl: Exhilarating!
