We're incredibly honoured to reveal that two-time BAFTA award-winning composer Jason Graves will be lending his musical talents to the score of Still Wakes the Deep. The composer's involvement is detailed in a brand-new documentary, that you can watch below, focusing on the sounds and score of the game, unveiled as part of the PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted event.
The Chinese Room is known for its magnificent, award-winning music, so it was important for us to work with a composer who could deliver a world-class score to match the quality expected from our games. Jason Graves has been composing video game soundtracks for over 20 years, scoring the music for series such as Tomb Raider, Far Cry, and Moss. His outstanding horror credentials include the Dead Space franchise, Until Dawn, and The Dark Pictures Anthology.
To help match the feel and tone of Still Wakes the Deep, Graves commissioned a unique instrument just for the game's score. Known affectionately as "The Rig", this metal sound structure takes the shape of an oil rig and is used to create the unearthly, metallic sounds that permeate the game's score. To fill out the body of this sound, Graves also used a Moog Model D synthesiser, which adds another layer of eeriness when combined with The Rig.
Elsewhere in the documentary, fans will meet the quartet of musicians providing string and woodwinds for the more human elements of the soundtrack. Graves and studio's audio team also discuss how they collaborated to bring the world of Still Wakes the Deep to life, and how a truly unexpected instrument made its way into the score.
"When I got the email from Daan [Hendriks, audio director] the first time, I was literally like, (gasps)," says Graves in the mini documentary. "The Chinese Room's right at the top of the list for me. All their games have always been so unique and so much fun to play."
Still Wakes the Deep will launch in 2024 on PC, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Games Pass, PC Games Pass, and PlayStation®5 (PS5™).
Tomorrow - another Dev Diary from us with even more cool info about the project. Thanks so much for all of your support thus far!
