Explore a World of Interactive Musical Landscapes With ‘Panoramical’
Imagine an open world of pure musical exploration: abstract shapes, sounds and visuals bouncing through your brain in wild patterns, but all controlled by the touch of your fingers. That’s Panoramical, a beautiful and immersive music visualizer game that puts you in control of psychedelic landscapes that would make Timothy Leary crack a smile.
“I try not to get stuck on definitions and just create things that I and other people can enjoy.”
It was created by the talented mind of Fernando Ramallo with an ambient soundtrack by David Kanaga, who also made the music for the equally immersive exploration game Proteus. This game is just what the doctor ordered for anyone looking to dream while they’re awake, or anyone looking to decompress from a rough workday. Just sit down and meditate over this game, and strip away the day with a sea of fantastic otherworldly environments.
Panoramical offers a Pro edition for DJs that brings the game to a whole new level and would make any stage show blow up. And if you thought this game’s connection to the scene ended there, you can play the game with a MIDI controller (too bad their custom 18-knob one is sold out). On top of all that, the game features 15 environments to mess with—some of them created by indie developers, DJs and artists.
With all of that good stuff under its hood, we had to sit down with Fernando to talk about his crazy game, how he teamed up with the maker of Proteus, and the game’s unique place in the world of art and gaming.
Considering how abstract this game is, how would you describe it to somebody who has never heard of it?
I’d describe it as an album of interactive musical landscapes. You explore several abstract landscapes, and with 18 different controls, you change the way their shapes, colors and sounds feel. It’s about exploring all the different combinations and finding beauty in these mesmerizing, dreamlike spaces you’re creating.
Have you made anything like this before?
I’ve worked on experimental video games and sketches that had a lot of emphasis on mood, immersion and music as an integral part of their design. So in a way, Panoramical is the combination of all these ideas I’ve been exploring ever since I started making interactive stuff.
How did you and the guy who made the music for Proteus get together to collaborate on this game?
David Kanaga—who made the music for Ed Key’s Proteus—and I met at a games festival in L.A. a few years back and stayed in touch ever since. I was surprised to hear David had played a very tiny game I made for an experimental contest, and we had similar ideas on the type of work we wanted to do. We made a few prototypes together, and things carried on from there.
Are there any other games like this that influenced your decision to make this game?
Proteus was definitely a big influence. The fact that Ed Key and David could create a game that’s not really a game—about mood and feel and music and exploration—and release it as a commercial product, gave me the confidence to pursue Panoramical all the way through without the need to add any sort of game mechanics.
There was also a special controller built for the game, right? How does that change the way players are able to interact with the worlds you created?
There is one, and we call it the Panoramical Pod. It’s a series of 50 custom-built controllers that Brendan Byrne in Brooklyn designed and assembled from scratch, specifically for our game. It’s this beautiful wooden controller with 18 knobs that feel really, really good to mess with and play the game with. He made a controller for us in the middle of the project, and we were really excited by this physical connection you get with the experience, so we had him make some for sale with the game. Only thing is, they sold out in just a matter of days. You can play Panoramical with a keyboard and mouse or a games controller and have a great experience, though!
Do you think the line between games and interactive art is shrinking?
There’s always been a blurry line between what some people think of with the term “art” and what people consider video games. There’s always been experimentation in video games, and a lot stuff coming from the art world could be called games and vice versa. I try not to get stuck on definitions, and just create things that I and other people can enjoy. Everyone enjoys different kinds of things, and everyone should have access to as broad as possible of a palette of works.
Describe the feeling you want to evoke in a player when they try Panoramical for the first time?
There’s no one feeling I’m trying to trigger, but I’m hoping the player can be open to being surprised, mesmerized, electrified and excited. It’s meant to be played in one sitting, with you losing yourself in its amazing environments. There are plenty of ways to go about playing it, and none of them is a wrong one.
Where can people get their hands on this awesome game?
It’s available now on PC and Mac through our website and on Steam. If you’re a VJ, DJ, producer, club owner, concert thrower or anything else, make sure to check out our special “Pro Edition” that adds cool features for using Panoramical at live shows or with your set.
Hope you enjoy it!
Check out more of Fernando’s work here and more music by David Kanaga here.
