While there always seems to be much love for steampunk among geeks and gamers, the setting never seems to be the catalyst to instant success for MMOs. As such, 2009’s Neo Steam should probably feel in good company with other forgotten titles like City of Steam. Maybe some day in the future a studio will crack the code to make the Victorian industrial age MMO we’ve craved, but it’s not going to be soon.
At least the soundtrack won’t go overlooked today! Neo Steam’s score is occasionally charming and overall decent, if not that impressive. Let’s give it a listen today to see what gears and crankshafts we can pull out of the past, yes?
“Bashitunka”
From the very first notes, this track sounds like a call to the highlands and war. There’s power and emotion here, as well as not a small amount of synth. I think this might be the most lovely of all of Neo Steam’s offerings, to be honest.
“Nasdaim”
This is a really bubbly and fun track, making me think of the kind of music that one would hear around futuristic theme park attractions. It’s also got a touch of alien sounds as the composer puts the Casio through all of the settings. I dig it.
“Cerity Praha”
The female vocals in this track would be right at home in practically any fantasy MMO, although the remainder of the piece has a more modern sound that is indicative to contemporary eastern MMOs. It certainly makes for interesting listening.
“Rogwell Character Selection”
There are a few character select tracks that I found, but I picked this one because it has a decidedly steampunk sound to it. Maybe high-tech steampunk, if that’s a thing. It’s funky.
“Venetian Eclipse”
And speaking of funky, Venetian Eclipse takes us to the 1970s for some reason with a rather bizarre track that kicks off with some girl saying, “I like that!” If you’re missing the electric piano and accordion in your life, well, that’s sad. But here you go.
“Gretycos”
Our final track for today’s tour is this synthy anthem. It has a catchy enough melody, but like a lot of this soundtrack, might feel more at home in a mall’s food court than in an MMORPG.
MMOs are meant to be heard as well as seen, and chances are that music ties your memories to these games more than you might realize. Every two weeks Jukebox Heroes listens through a game soundtrack and picks out the highlights to share and discuss. And if you like this column, then don’t miss the author’s MMO music podcast, Battle Bards!
