Author: Ellis Nguyen
Photo creds: Y/CJ/Y Games
In movies, TV, and games, the soundtrack is an important part of the experience. A good soundtrack is iconic. It draws in the audience and sets the mood. Think of Star Wars’ dramatic ensemble or Jaws’ intense, swelling theme and how they influence your emotions. But while these scores are recognizable and emotional, they still feel like a “soundtrack,” playing at the beginning, during dramatic scenes, and at the end of the story. When pieces of media stray away from this formula and start seamlessly incorporating music as part of their atmosphere, they start to feel more connected to the environment. While this sort of soundtrack is uncommon, it’s regularly used in more atmospheric forms of media. My favorite example of this is the game Keep Driving, which manages to combine fitting music with an integrated soundtrack.
Keep Driving is a 2D, pixel-art, atmospheric management RPG developed by the independent studio Y/CJ/Y Games. The game revolves around a spontaneous road trip where you pick up hitchhikers, take on busywork, and reflect on difficult emotions. While its gameplay was fun and its story was intriguing, I often found myself coming back for the music instead. The soundtrack wasn’t just good—somehow it always matched the vibe. This is because the game uniquely integrates its music as a mechanic, forcing you to interact with it. The game does this by granting you a buff that makes encounters easier whenever a song is playing. As a result, you’re inclined to pick out and buy CDs in shops and build up your collection. From the 59 songs across 25 CDs, you can choose any six to play, with the option to swap them at any point in your journey. Because of this, it feels like you’re building your own mixtape. I greatly enjoyed this feature because it let me match my songs to my mood—just like in real life.
It’s unfortunate that such an awesome feature is rare in other games. My only other recollection of something similar is in the Tony Hawk Pro Skater series, where you can enable or disable certain songs. However, even though this feature is functionally similar, it feels different because the songs in Tony Hawk don’t blend into the atmosphere in the same way. In contrast, Keep Driving’s soundtrack features a variety of songs from Swedish indie bands that feel quirky, personal, and connected to the game’s environment. The score covers genres ranging from post-punk to indie pop. Among my favorites are “Swirl” by Westkust and “Ballad” by Holy Now.
“Swirl” is the main theme of the game, being one of the few songs you start with and the track that plays when you disembark for the first time. Its instrumentation captures the fuzz-filled grit and energetic elements of 2000s noise-pop and indie rock, pulling you back in time. Its lyrics are full of emotion, emphasizing the painful melancholy and desire for change that the main character expresses. While this song is one of the strongest tracks in the score, it can also be found on Westkust’s album Last Forever, which is included in the game.
While “Swirl” is energetic, “Ballad” by Holy Now is the complete opposite. The song is a tonal shift from the energetic and exciting tracks that dominate the soundtrack. “Ballad” is slow and somber. Its lone, swelling piano and the faint clack of keys echo throughout the piece as the vocals shimmer dreamily, creating a melancholic yet tranquil atmosphere. Its lyrics are more introspective, reflecting on regret and how to move forward. In this way, “Ballad” is a vulnerable song that mirrors the main character and his emotions as he processes them in Keep Driving.
While these songs only scratch the surface of the score, I can assure you that all of the tracks are great. Rather than being just background noise, Keep Driving integrates its soundtrack into the experience, matching the uplifting yet wistfully nostalgic atmosphere of the game. It makes you feel like you’re sitting alongside the main character on their journey. While the music isn’t the primary selling point of the game, it’s certainly one of its strongest elements. If you have the means, you should definitely try it out on Steam, although it can be a bit expensive at full price.
Ellis Nguyen | Music Reporter