The Cycle of Seasons
The Cycle of Seasons
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Overview
Overview
The Cycle of Seasons is a high-fantasy visual novel where players take on the role of a village healer caught in a world-shifting mystery. When Spring, one of the four immortal Season Lords, dies unexpectedly, the natural cycle is thrown into imbalance. Inheriting Spring’s magical artifact, the player is forced to embark on a journey across the realms governed by the remaining Season Lords, each embodying a season, region, and magical affinity.
The Wheel of Seasons, an ancient force that governs the passage of time, faces disruption. The player must undergo trials that test their alignment, resonance, and worthiness. Through exploration and choice, the story unravels themes of power, inheritance, and change in a world where magic is no longer freely bestowed, but bound by legacy and balance.
Thematic Composition
Thematic Composition
I was the music composer and arranger for The Cycle of Seasons. I challenged myself to craft a musical direction based on the seasonal structure of the world, using instrumentation and tone to reinforce the atmosphere reflected by player emotions. The music shifts dynamically with the passage of seasons. Summer is defined by bright yet emotionally detached melodies that draw energy from warmth, Autumn carries a homely, southern-inspired soundscape layered with a sense of nostalgia, and Winter contrasts sharply with a colder, austere palette to express emotional distance tempered by quiet pride.
As player choices strain relationships with a Season Lord, their corresponding seasonal theme subtly mutates. The piece is transposed diatonically down a third to create an uneasy, distorted version of the familiar melody, reinforcing narrative tension through sound. In the pivotal moment where the Wheel is shattered, digital music cuts in with Sion drumkit tones and dual saw synthesizers filtered through a low-pass effect. This abrupt stylistic shift creates a jarring contrast, reinforcing the sense that the natural order of the world itself has been irreversibly broken.
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