Energies
Each Game Gods’ song is part of one of the 5 “Energies”. The Energies are defined following this criteria:
- Psychology. The energies represents the five psychological principles we are moved to play videogames. Each one seeks a different kind of emotion, and each player usually have a bigger tendency to one over the others.
- Moral orientation. Energies follow a gradual path from light to darkness. Or to darkness to light. As you wish.
- Style. The metal genres go from light to darkness too, and some of them fits better in a particular energy.
- Extra factors, like the voice effects (or no voice at all), the songs structures, lyrics, etc.
This categorization is strongly influenced by the trading-card-game Magic: The Gathering, and by the schools of magic in the videogame Master of Magic.
Game Gods’ energies are the following:
Death Energy
Principle: Destruction.
Description: The thanatos, or energy of destruction of every living creature.
Features:
- Vocal songs. Only Evil voice.
- Dark lyrics.
- Styles: Thrash, Doom, Death, Black Metal.
War Energy
Principle: Fight.
Description: The energy leading us to conflict, confrontation, feeling part of a side fighting against the other for victory and being claimed as the best.
Features:
- Vocal songs. Good and Evil voices.
- Lyrics about battle in course and the war it is part of.
- Styles: Heavy, Dark Gothic, Industrial, Power Metal
Mental Energy
Principle: Challenge.
Description:It’s the energy which makes us play, live with intensity, to feel emotions, to look for in games what we miss in real world.
Features:
- Instrumentally speedy technically virtuous songs (as virtuous as this sentence!)
- Styles: Progressive, Speed Metal.
Adventure Energy
Principle: Exploration.
Description: The energy leading us to experiment, getting us to know the world and learn new skills, also to imagine fantasies satisfying this longing.
Features:
- Instrumental and vocal songs. Mainly “good” voice.
- Mythological and video game lyrics.
- Styles: Power, Traditional Metal.
Transcendent Energy
Principle: Beauty
Description: It’s the energy which drives us to balance, to search for perfection, to see videogames as an art form and use them to develop our human potential.
Features:
- Instrumental and vocal songs. Only voice of heroes.
- Philosophical lyrics.
- Styles: Gothic, Neo-Classical, Symphonic Power Metal. Ballads.
Finally, there is a psychological principle that every energy shares. Of course, is fun, the ultimate energy that drives us to play, and to Game Gods to exist.