Kubatko turned a side-scrolling hack-and-slash into a vibe. Reaper: Tale of a Pale Swordsman by Hexage gets this jazz-electronica hybrid soundtrack that has absolutely no business being this groovy for a game about a cloaked swordsman cutting through fantasy armies.
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"Beats of Prey" opens with a bassline that's more late-night lounge than action game, and "Torken Trials" layers in these skittering electronic textures over what feels like a trip-hop beat. Only five tracks, but every one of them lands.
"Dark Harvest" goes heavier with distorted synths that finally match the body count on screen. The whole thing feels like Hexage said "what if combat music was also cool?" If you need proof that mobile games can have real soundtracks, here.