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i like the psychedelic approach, it reminds me a bit of some tracks from the soundtrack of Hylics 2 if you've heard of it, although this is more explicitly melancholy. definitely stands out among orchestra-focused submissions. keep it up!

yeah the chord - i might've been thinking of the pad sound in The Day of Night (from Silent Hill 2). thanks for the info though!

thanks for the kind words! i get what you mean about having a proper 'B' section - it's something i considered but ultimately didn't have the time to execute on to my satisfaction. really appreciate what you said about my melody though, this composition wouldn't work at all if that didn't land!

among tracks replete with anvil-hitting sounds (to which mine is no exception!) i appreciate the subtly of a piece that seeks to evoke, rather than literally depict, the forging of a legendary weapon. while i'm not usually a fan of specific stories being written to accompany compositions, this track absolutely tells the story it purports to, juxtaposing worn-down piano sounds with the glory days of admittedly stock-sounding brass and drum MIDIs. if i heard this played by a live orchestra, i'd tell you it probably came from a cult classic fantasy epic that somehow only made 20k at the box office. this might also be my favourite title for a piece in the jam. a short and solid composition!

this might be the most 'on theme' track out of all the submissions to me personally. it's got a very pretty melody and develops it carefully and smartly, and while a lot of other compositions also used anvil-hitting sounds (which i'm also guilty of) i feel like this one uses them like an integrated 'instrument' rather than an sfx splash, although i do think they risk overwhelming the melody as the piece continues. i'll also say that the strings could've used some more naturalistic contouring, although i appreciate that's not an easy task. overall a very solid submission

this is a very strong, confident composition with a real sense of development - i feel like it successfully captures the transition from legend (with the orchestra) to present action (with more 'modern' synths). i do kinda wish that the brass had continued to hold the melody from 2:24 on, since the short stabs leave a lot of empty space during what feels like the climax of the piece. but that's just a way of saying that i like this track and wish it had gone even harder. overall, good work!

when judging jam submissions, i'm usually wary about tracks that seem like they're just 'what the person would've made no matter what the theme was'. but this track didn't strike me that way, because i kinda love how it approaches the theme almost sideways, reframing a legendary weapon - something usually depicted as heroic or triumphant - as this sad burden, inextricable with self-harm, that brings pain to the wielder in exchange for something abstract and intangible as a beautiful thought. something about that really resonates, i feel.

others have already pointed out the vocals being tough to pick out in the mix, but i respect you putting them in when you could've just let the more confident guitar line carry the melody instead. were the mixing cleaned up, i'd love to hear a track like this as part of a concept album!

love this take on a theme for a legendary weapon - i agree with others who've observed that the melody's de-emphasised, and i imagine it'd be rated much higher overall if that weren't a part of the judging criteria. on its own merits, though, this is an ethereal yet dynamic track that deftly balances contrasting patterns and textures. it reminds me of some cuts from the Lunacid soundtrack, but maybe that's because the game also features a dream-themed blade. anyway, big thumbs up basically. 

also for the life of me please tell me what the sound/sample you use at 0:48 is, i've been wracking my brains trying to figure out where i've heard it before!

wow, that's very high praise! the electronic element was inspired by Lorien Testard's work on the soundtrack of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, although i'm definitely not as experienced in that style of production. there's actually a synth bass and a couple patches that play along with the kick, but i don't think i mixed them in to be quite as noticeable as i'd like. either way, many thanks for the feedback!

thank you! a part of me considered leaning into the more synthetic tone to avoid that issue, but if i did i think the composition would lose a lot of that folk feeling you mentioned. i'm grateful this jam isn't rated on production value lol

seems like the treachery of stock 'realistic'-sounding vst instruments, you're always in a losing battle with reality. i'm trying to improve on contouring in my orchestral work, so i'm glad it wasn't too jarring to you overall!

thanks! i'm glad you like the strings, they're from different sample sets so i did my best to glue them together. i used Native Instruments Massive for the kick, and the snare is a 'hammer hitting metal' foley with some formant shifting, overdrive, and delay!

thank you :) i'm glad the guitar came across well since it's a vst (and i'm not a guitarist)

I think it might just be you! The artwork is Siegfried and Mime by Hans Thoma (if this image doesn't load you could probably find it by looking up the title): 

thank you!! toby fox's work was definitely an inspiration for this track :)

very fair - it's diminishing returns in the end, just fiddling with stuff forever. i definitely think you made the right choice out of the two, the contrast of textures is what makes that section interesting!

this is a very effective composition that's also really well-produced, and considering this is your first time with synth/chiptune, i think this came out really well! i say this as someone who's also pretty new to working with 8-bit-style instruments - i think the couplets starting at 0:52 come off a little harsh compared to the surrounding textures? i wonder if altering the attack a bit might have let the synth lead soar even more.

i see the parallels with Battle Against a True Hero, but i don't think that the inspiration is totally obvious since this track has a completely different feel. that said, there's no need to put yourself down before people have even heard the piece - take pride in your work!

i really like what this composition does with its time signature changes, they add a lot of energy without feeling out of place. having said that, i think the 2nd half of the piece could have had even more energy! you've got this great rhythmic pattern in the strings and voice, but it's a little hard to pick out at the lower registers since the lead and percussion are so present in the highs. just a bit more attack/presence in the lows with the highs sitting back could really drive it forwards, i think.

thank you :)

i'm just so happy at least one person named their track 'decisive battle'. can't go wrong with the classics

i think this is a solid composition - i'd love to hear it on a live piano or a more complex MIDI instrument! obviously those things aren't free, but i really believe a higher-quality sound would make your work really shine

thank you :) i sampled it from Chrono Trigger

this composition feels confident, modern, and fresh, especially when bossa nova is so often pigeonholed into 'beach level music' in video game soundtracks. my only note would be that the lead piano is so present, it sometimes obscures the lovely work you put into the rest of the mix!

i love how you used the lute and vielle to actually illustrate two people coming apart - that's very smart instrumentation! 

ayyyy nice use of the risk of rain motif, i'd gladly die on monsoon to this

i really like this composition as a boss fight theme, it feels very fresh!

i love how this is clearly drawing from ULTRAKILL's sound without feeling directly derivative of it - nicely done!

great stuff - reminds me of Chris Christodoulou's work on Risk of Rain 2, i wonder if that was an inspiration?

this is like something straight up out of elden ring, nicely done

thank you so much! those are very kind words and they're very appreciated :)

thanks :) appreciate the feedback

thanks for listening, glad you enjoyed it :) i was definitely guessing a lot with the vocals, so getting feedback on them has been very useful!

it's not easy making a bop in 5/4, nice job

thanks :) appreciate it

good stuff