It might not be the most popular 90s FPS, but Bungie's Marathon is getting quite an unexpected successor this month. The debut title from KaadNet and KaiserKlay, Silicon Scars, is a good old-fashioned boomer shooter with a unique twist: it's married to a visual novel. Well, figuratively speaking. Let's just say the lore is mostly digested by diving into the many text logs scattered along your path, between two assault rifle magazines.
The game's original soundtrack was handled by composer Kyle Misko, whom you might know for his Soul Reaver covers, or even more so for The Case of the Golden Idol OST. The musician takes a welcome side step here with an electronic-leaning score, where you'll immediately recognize his penchant for dissonance and unsettling soundscapes. Dynamic by design, the music in Silicon Scars ramps up right alongside the in-game action. This is reflected in the tracklist, where each piece comes in a different variation to match those shifts in gears. It’s heavy, percussive music—some tracks feel like they were pulled straight out of Jesper Kyd’s demo drawer.
Hailing from Ukraine, Kyle Misko shared his fascinating story with me in an interview published a few years ago. An inspiring journey that you can check out right here!
Find all listening links for Silicon Scars (Original Game Soundtrack) by Kyle Misko on its dedicated page:
→ https://nwpl.ing/silicon-scars
