Arcane is a new strategy and action game that literally combines music with animation. In Arcane each level will be made to the beat of your favorite song. It’s like playing another instrument! With no money involved, you can play as long as you want without any in-app purchases just for making it more fun for everyone else to watch or listen too.
Arcane is a game that has been created by the independent company, The Game Kitchen. It’s perfect for those who want to enjoy music and animation together.
The Perfect Combination of Music and Animation in Arcane
Music
It’s no secret that combining music and cinema may result in controversial art. The strongest combo, in my opinion, is accomplished with animation. In the early twentieth century, Walt Disney, Max Fleischer, and Warner Bros. recognized this, and music has become inextricably linked to the medium. A layperson’s first thought when thinking about animation is likely to be cartoon musicals. This is an annoying oversimplification, but it isn’t incorrect. Music and animation are two of my favorite things in the world, and I believe there’s a reason they complement one other so well. To explain this, I’ll discuss Arcane and how it makes use of music to its benefit. Look for a complete look at cinema composers from myself, Blabbering Collector, and Tuggs in the near future.
*SPOILERS*
This essay was intended to be a look at animation in general, but all I could think of was Netflix’s Arcane, which has such a distinct, sonically variety soundtrack. Imagine Dragons, Sting of the Police, and rapper Denzel Curry all have something in common. Each of them sang a song for Arcane. Some of the artists on the CD also composed their own songs. The variety of musical styles explored and the way the music links into the tale make this soundtrack stand out. Each episode of Arcane is basically a music video, with language and story advancement falling to the wayside in favor of world-building and character development. Riot Games and the French animation company Fortiche Productions chose something recognizable for the show’s theme music. Imagine Dragons had previously worked with them on character music videos, and “Enemy” proved to be an excellent choice for the show’s theme. “Everybody wants to be my adversary,” lead vocalist Dan Reynolds sings, and he could be referring to practically any important character in the series: Vi, Jinx, or Silco. Even Jayce is likely to feel like the world is against him at first. Because of Jinx’s abandonment concerns and separation from reality, I believe the song is written from her viewpoint. I’m not the greatest fan of Imagine Dragons, but I do like some of their songs, and this is one of them. They remind me of Nickelback for this generation; they produce innocent, popular songs that people can’t tolerate.
Bea Arthur’s “Welcome to the Playground” is the perfect introduction to the Undercity. The mechanical undertones indicate that the people here work hard and struggle, while the lyrics tell us that Vi is intimately familiar with this place. It’s rough and stands in stark contrast to the glittering mansions of Piltover, but it’s home. I find the sound effects particularly satisfying; they evoke emotions that are difficult to describe. “Our Love” by Curtis Harding and Jazmine Sullivan is just beautiful. I love this song; It feels like a throwback in a show that is simultaneously futuristic and Victorian. I don’t know if this was the intention behind the piece, but it reminds me of classic R&B duets like “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. But it’s the way the song serves the narrative and characters that I find so satisfying, even more than the lovely vocals and dynamic music. Although the song is a man singing about his love for a woman, it serves as a backdrop for the love between Vander and his adopted children. We only get three episodes with the family together. That’s not a lot of time, so what is there has to be economical and continually establishing or developing relationships. This is actually a diegetic song that Powder plays on a record player. As the music starts, she’s visibly distraught over Vi’s decision to turn herself in for the bombing in Piltover. Vander quickly senses what’s going on and intervenes. Every character acts out of love, doing what they think is best for their little, broken family. Vi said she was willing to do anything for a better future for Powder, but once jail (or worse) is on the table, she’s resigned to what she thinks she must do. 
Vander, on the other hand, loves his children beyond all else. He has quite high expectations for Vi, but he also loves her. And she’s the one who looks the most like him, a stern leader with a soft spot in her heart. The breakup of this family is Arcane’s greatest sorrow. “Our Love” is the precursor to that, the swansong of Vander’s love for the children. As Powder makes a catastrophic error, Vi responds in rage, and Silco sees an opportunity to intervene, Ramsey’s song “Goodbye” plays in the background. Although some of the lines, such as “I can see a tear on my father’s face,” are a touch on the nose, I believe it works pretty well. The combination of the character’s face animation with the emotive soundtrack creates a beautiful experience.
Bones UK’s “Dirty Little Animals” is as filthy and sinister as the title indicates. This dirty number goes well with the decadence that abounds in the Undercity now that Silco is in command. Vander wasn’t always a good leader, establishing shaky alliances with Piltover Enforcers and allowing his people to dwell in misery. Silco’s Undercity, on the other hand, is a filthy nightmare rife with crime and drug addiction. Shimmer is affluent on the streets, transforming junkies into mindless zombies capable of immense damage. Imagine Dragons make a surprise appearance at one of the bars Vi and Caitlyn explore, performing “Enemy.”
“Guns For Hire” by Woodkid is beautiful and tragic, exploring Jinx’s tortured mind and abiding guilt as we’re shown the world as she sees it. Mylo and Claggor, the biggest signs of her irredeemability, are always on her back and holding her down. The visuals of her visions and the smoke bomb are just stunning, and the emotional impact can’t be overstated. This soundtrack has been a sampler plate of artists and genres well-known and obscure up to this point, but this is where it gets really weird. Episode 7, “The Boy Savior,” has two of these musical interludes. This episode is largely about Ekko and him reconnecting with Vi, and both of these songs are rap/R&B hybrids. The strangest part is they’re both incredible, and this is not at all my kind of music! They fit Ekko’s character and the setting of Zaun extremely well. It makes sense that kids living in subjugation, who never get to see the sun, would feel this way, and this genre of music fits perfectly. “Misfit Toys” by Pusha T and Mako is the episode’s opener, paired with graffiti and imagery of Ekko’s gang.
This song conjures up images of gang life and classism, which Arcane handles skillfully and tastefully without losing its immersive qualities. The violent, furious words, along with the spectacular graphics, provide a really unique experience. Denzel Curry, Gizzle, and Bren Joy’s “Dynasties and Dystopia” is fantastic. For one reason or another, I like every song on this soundtrack, but this one may be my favorite. It plays over the famous Jinx vs. Ekko battle, which is, in my opinion, the show’s most talked-about moment. It’s a visual feast wrapped around a rich cast of individuals and their connection. Jinx and Ekko were childhood buddies, and it’s awful to see them in such a precarious situation. But, regardless of how he feels about Powder, Ekko must face Jinx so that Vi and Caitlyn may return to Piltover. The action is punctuated with breathtaking memories that offer us a glimpse into the games these two must have played as youngsters. Jinx now engages in a whole new sort of game – one that is lethal.
This sight is a masterpiece in and of itself, unlike anything else I’ve ever seen. There was nothing like this in even Into the Spider-Verse. However, the song’s lyrics are littered with allusions to the filthy environment in which these two grew up, the environment that formed them. I like how the soundtrack, like the battle, is reasonably energetic and exciting. Arcane’s strength lies in its juxtaposition of emotions and motives. “Dynasties and Dystopia” is a provocative title in and of itself. Is this again another experiment in duality, this time including Piltover and the Undercity? The former is inhabited by renowned houses such as the Kiraminns; by contrast, Jayce’s house Tallis is a small one, a line of hammer makers. The proper phrase for the Undercity, a true nightmare on Earth, is “dystopia.” Or is the dystopia created by dynasties of unscrupulous leaders, such as Silco and the council? Is dystopia a metaphor for the city’s divided fate? Even the titles show a high level of attention to detail, which I applaud.
PVRIS and Miyavi’s song “Snakes” is really catchy, and the battle it leads to between Vi, Jayce, and Silco’s factory employees is one of my favorite sequences in the show. You’re taken aback by the fast-paced music and fist-pumping action, which gives you the impression that the heroes are winning. Silco is a shared adversary for both a girl of the Undercity and a boy of Piltover, and they have banded together to combat him. They’re also winning! Everything comes tumbling down, though, as their fallen adversary is revealed to be a youngster. Jayce is appalled to realize what he’s done since he has very conservative values and morals. Vi, on the other hand, is acclimated to war’s brutality and inequity. It was either the lad or her, in her opinion. Both viewpoints are acceptable, particularly when considering that, even as a scion of a lesser family, Jayce’s life has been enchanted in comparison to what Vi has faced. It’s still tough to understand why someone would willingly murder a kid, particularly one compelled to labor as a soldier and industrial worker. Fantastic Negrito’s “When Everything Went Wrong” is a lot of fun. This song is great for working since it’s short and catchy, and the conflict between Vi and Sevika (Silco’s right hand) is thrilling.
Sting and Ray Chen’s “What Could Have Been” is a masterpiece in and of itself. I’ve always loved Sting’s voice and was somewhat surprised to hear it in the final episode of Arcane season 1, “The Monster You Created.” Jinx confronts Vi for letting her down and leading her down the wrong road in the song, and she says those exact words. She absolves Silco because she feels all of her troubles stem from Vi’s failure to provide the parental figure she needed. Vi was a little kid who shouldn’t have been in that circumstance in the first place. Silco’s paternal love and care for Jinx seems genuine, but it doesn’t make him a good father. The kicker is that neither Jinx nor Vi are completely correct. There is no proper response at this moment since the matter is so intricate. Jinx was a little child when her family was split up and she was abducted by a criminal lord. She should, however, know better now. Her perspective has been warped beyond repair by layers of guilt, mental illness, denial of responsibility, and schadenfreude. Jinx, I believe, was beyond redemption long before this time, but she ultimately confirms it and puts an end to Zaun’s aspirations for peace and freedom. Ray Chen’s violin solo late in the composition is gorgeous, and “What Could Have Been” is exquisite musically and poetically. I really like how open the song is about Jinx’s thoughts towards Vi and their broken relationship.
The soundtrack of Arcane is a potpourri of genres, musicians, and concepts. What I like most about the music on the program is how it delves into important subjects and relationships. The music is thematic as well as aesthetic. This has to be one of the most unusual CDs I’ve ever heard, and the fact that it works so well in both the performance and as music is astounding.
“Arcane: The Perfect Pairing of Music and Animation” is a game that allows players to explore music with the help of animations. The game has been developed by two independent artists, who have used their own style to create a unique experience. Reference: arcane music artists.
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