From year to year the female part of society is more and more often choosing video games as their entertainment. So, for instance, as early as several years ago it was hard to believe that someday there’d be such web-sites and social network sites as Girl Gamer or Women Gamers. But they have appeared and pretty quickly I should say. One more interesting fact is that the number of women working in the game industry is also on the rise (nowadays there’re lots of female programmers, artists, even composers) and the competition between men and women is really cut-throating. An American music composer for video games and radio Winifred Phillips is just a one of a number of women who are contributing to game development. She’s good at writing epic orchestral music for God of War and driving, dance floor moving electronic tracks for Speed Racer as well as magical positive melodies just like her soundtrack for SimAnimals, a unique game made exclusively for the Nintendo Wii and DS in which you can venture into the wild world of animals like never before, that shares the tender warmth.

But for God of War in which Winifred’s compositions can be found together with tracks by some other composers (including works with another female composer Winnie Waldron, who is Winifred’s music producer as well), SimAnimals is her first independent work not relating to games based on movies. In fact SimAnimals is also a first commercial release of Winifred’s music. It’s a pretty important moment cause due to the special policy of motion picture companies, which own the rights for movie games, her soundtracks for the video games Shrek the Third, The Da Vinci Code, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Speed Racer were never released separately. It’s great that Electronic Arts really cares about music from its games and releases it immediately using its own digital distribution channel.

The album’s 19 tracks aren’t too long but these compositions are pretty much sophisticated. In SimAnimals the whole journey through the forest is comprised of many small musical moments that combine as the soundtrack. You can venture into the wild world of animals, where friendly deer, squirrels, and rabbits live together with badgers, bears, crows and other peace-breakers. This contrast is also reflected in the soundtrack: when the individual animals experience moments of pure happiness the music is tender, upbeat, joyful and light but when some trouble is happening the score becomes disturbing and dramatic.

Such a wide scale of emotions is emphasized through the great number of delicately played solo instruments, i.e. violins, small bells, strings and wind instruments of all kinds. What this ends up as for the listener is a wonderful musical journey, that is full of delights, as if you found yourself in Disney cartoons, Winifred’s music isn’t just a simple music score but it also acts like sound engineering work cause it imitates a life in the forest with the help of live nature sounds mixed in with compositions such as cheerful chatter of birds in a track entitled Trailhead. The gameplay in SimAnimals is casual and facile – it lets you explore a vast forest of wild animals and make it your own. The player can easily unlock new forest areas and music will follow him: when walking into the castle ruins you'll be listening to a downbeat Celtic piece entitled Castle Ridge, in the river valley – an easy melody called Grassy Glen.

The main theme of the game deserves special attention. It comprises all the best moments of the score and the composition Forest Song that closes the soundtrack. In fact “Forest Song” is not a song because it lacks any vocal at all, but it has such a rich arrangement that you understand – one can’t help calling it a song.




Pasya

Overview

The latest in a long and storied series of Sim games, SimAnimals places players in control of a forest rather than a city, but with all the requisite tools and gameplay mechanics still in place. Along for the expedition is composer Winifred Phillips, best known for her contributions to God of War and fresh off a remarkably creative take on Speed Racer.

Body

Phillips conjures up a unique soundscape for the forest, mixing the pastoral sound one would expect with jazzy colors straight out of Gershwin. As in the opening "Sim Animals Theme," this style suggests a bustling ecosystem while lending a contemporary flair and upbeat tempo to the proceedings. Explored throughout the album in tracks like "Free Pla" and the end credits suite, and anchored by strong rhythmic pianos and mallets, the sound is a delight.

As in Speed Racer, many of the tracks utilize sound effects as instruments, though in a much more ambient sense. Birdsong and running water run throughout tracks like "Trailhead," anchoring the sometimes urban music firmly in the forest. One could make the argument that the music would be stronger without these effects, but they're generally subtle enough to be enjoyed or ignored as the listener prefers.

The music only falters when it departs from the strong style Phillips has defined for the title. Darker tracks such as "Danger Woods" and the first part of "Dry Gulch" take a more menacing tone — appropriate in the context of the game, but less effective as stand alone listens surrounded by lighter material. Luckily, these songs are a tiny minority of the music.

Summary

SimAnimals is by and large an intricate, delightful score. While the sound effects and darker passages may be off-putting to some, the pastoral jazz fusion that forms the majority of the music is involving and perfect for its setting. Phillips has shown a talent for creating interesting sounds and developing them in surprising ways; hopefully the future will bring more such efforts.

Alex Watson