Dissonance

Team: Load Bearing Head Crab
Theme: Metal vs. Techno
Genre: Musical Real-Time Strategy
Engine: Half-Life 2
Cohort: Cohort 09, Dec '08

Dissonance is a Half Life 2: Episode 2 modification that combines the frenetic action of a rhythm game with the strategic choices of a strategy game. The player takes the reins of either the Metal genre and its medieval barbarians or the Techno genre and its futuristic force of robots in an effort to raise an army, dominate the airwaves, and conquer the other, lesser form of music. In addition, both factions in Dissonance have a unique soundtrack that dynamically reflects the strength of that faction and its actions during the game. During combat, these two musical styles meld into a single harmonious battle that players can hear as well as see.

The gameplay consists of the player taking control of one of the faction’s avatars and using the power of its music to capture the hearts and ears of the planet. Massive speaker towers positioned on the battlefield generate beats for whichever faction manages to capture them. By playing musical sets using these accumulated beats, the player can summon a massive army or capture a stage to hold a killer concert, defeating the enemy through brute force or by dominating the airwaves.

In developing Dissonance, Load Bearing Headcrab met its goal of creating a fun and innovative experience that the player is unlikely to encounter elsewhere.

Dissonance is: Erik Sunderland, Matt Higgins, Paul Lockett, Sven Knutson, Charles Butler, Matthew Auen, Chris Schmelzle, Sarai Smallwood, Grace Liu, Jason Hise, Alexander Karlsson, Jesse Mercer, Tyler Robertson, Thomas Hoeg, Erin Spencer