14 DAY TRIAL // The deity Pan is enticing my character to work with him, promising that he will make it clear what my powers can do and how they can be best used to my advantage. He might be a supernatural being with a lovely singing voice but he fails to impress her best friend Freddie, who is also vocalizing her feelings.
As the musical number develops, I can make choices for Grace, the character I am controlling, and there’s a clear temptation to abandon earthly connections and side with the god. But Freddie’s interjections make some good points. Who can I trust and what is this power over music that seems to flow through me?
I decide to stick with old friends and steer the song towards my connection with Freddie and her ability to understand what’s happening. Pan gloomily suggests that there are bigger dangers out there that we, as mortals, might be unable to deal with. Then he departs.
Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical is developed by Summerfall Studios, with publishing in the hands of Humble Games. I played a preview version on the PC via Steam. As the name makes clear, this is a full-blown musical that also uses role-playing ideas.
The protagonist of the story is Grace, band lead singer and college dropout. She gains the power of the last muse, Calliope, and is accused of murdering her. In seven days, she needs to solve the mystery, interacting with characters both mortal and supernatural. Gamers can choose their preferred approach and will get visual indicators of how they influence the world.
Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical centers its mechanics around player choice. As Grace, they will be able to decide who’s worthy of trust, who is acting selfish, and what kind of romantic partner to target. The studio claims there are thousands of variations to experience.
The portrayal of Pan that I experienced was different and well-integrated with the idea of musical theater. I really want to see how the other members of the Greek pantheon are presented and the kinds of songs they get to perform.
To succeed, the game needs to deliver on its promises of important choices while delivering great singing moments. The demo is promising in both areas. But I suspect most gamers aren’t terribly interested in musicals, so this part of the experience needs to be impressive to attract and keep an audience engaged.
Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical uses a comic book-influenced presentation, with striking designs for the gods and plenty of details for the mortals. Grace and Freddie, who get the most screen time in the preview, clearly communicate their emotions through facial expressions, and the musical sequences are well-designed.
The amount of talent featured when it comes to voice acting and singing is impressive. The cast includes Laura Bailey, Troy Baker, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, Janina Gavankar, Felicia Day, Khary Payton, and Abubakar Salim. Ashley Johnson, Anthony Rapp, and more. The musical elements are created by Austin Wintory, Tripod, consisting of Scott Edgar, Steven Gates, and Simon Hall, and Australia’s Eurovision performer, Jess Cerro.
Conclusion
I liked the two musical numbers I saw in this preview and the way a muse and a god are integrated into the game’s universe. Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical will be launched later in the year and I really want to experience its unique mix of ideas when it arrives.
A preview key was provided by the publisher
