Rock & Rails – A Brazilian Rock 'N' Roll VR Game!

Rock 'n' Roll and games go hand in hand. Is there anything better than firing up a racing game, cranking the volume to the max, and feeling like a mix of Tobey Marshall and Dio as you speed toward victory?

Many games use Rock 'n' Roll in their soundtracks with great effectiveness, but the number of games that embody the "DNA of rock" is low. Examples include *Guitar Hero*, *Rock Band*, the classic racing game *Rock N' Roll Racing*, and Jack Black’s *Brutal Legend*, which turn the musical style into not just a sonic backdrop but a central element of the game.

Soon, another title will join this select list of rock-themed games: *Rock & Rails*. This upcoming shooter game, developed by Brazilian creators at Black River Studios for Gear VR, combines the essence of Rock 'n' Roll with virtual reality. Yes, you read that right – it's not only a game focused on Rock 'n' Roll but also a VR game on the Gear VR platform, and it’s a national production!

In the game's story, the world is becoming increasingly silent due to the actions of various evil creatures. It falls to the player to take on the role of a bassist or guitarist and defeat these Beasts of Silence by playing Rock 'n' Roll as loudly as possible (which, let's face it, is how Rock should be experienced). Players literally dive into this virtual reality world, controlling one of the characters as they slide along "rails," hitting enemies with sonic blasts.

The "sound" aspect of the game is crucial, with *Rock & Rails* benefiting from the expertise of Antonio Teoli, a musician who has worked with many of the world's top game developers on the music. To assist him, Antonio enlisted Júlio Federici, the frontman of the São Paulo metal band "King of Bones," who may not be well-known among gamers but is regarded as a "Tupiniquim Dio" for his powerful vocal range.

The sound design of the game is somewhat reminiscent of *A Lenda do Herói*, where gameplay is narrated through song. However, *Rock & Rails* focuses more broadly on the overall context rather than detailing each action of the character. "We chose to follow this broader approach because we want players to enjoy the soundtrack individually as well as within the game," Teoli explained.

As for Júlio’s part, he made some tweaks and refinements in the studio with American producer Brendan Duffey to better fit the vocals into the music. "We made a few minor changes to the lyrics and more. Antonio explained each level and character to us, which helped inspire our performances," Júlio said about the recording process.

Júlio also found his involvement in the development of the game incredible, stating, "Knowing that through rock and my voice I could contribute in some way to the gameplay of such an important game makes me very proud. It was a lot of fun recording and imagining people playing *Rock & Rails*!" He genuinely believes that this combination is perfect, noting that "the majority of gamers are into rock! Or have it in their blood in some way! The metal and rock audience is intellectual, already leaning towards our side... but it's the truth! So it fits perfectly."

Júlio is not only speaking as a musician but also as a gamer who has been playing for years. He started with games like *R-Type* and *Jogos de Verão* (California Games) on the Master System with friends and siblings, moved on to SEGA's *Mega Drive* with games like *NBA - Lakers & Celtics*, and sports games, and currently owns a PS4. "My favorite games are FIFA and Mortal Kombat - Komplete Edition. In FIFA, I play with Milan and in the women's teams always Brazil, because I’m a fan of Marta. In *Mortal Kombat*, I only play with Classic Scorpion to do the spear move and love his fatality."

He also mentioned he would love for his band’s song "We Are The Law" (from the album of the same name) to be included in GTA, specifically as a theme for the character Trevor. Júlio commented, "I moved out on my own at a very young age, and I identify with this character who lives in an abandoned trailer in the desert!" Rockstar, how about a patch to include this track in the game?

It seems Júlio’s choice to record the vocals for *Rock & Rails* was spot-on. When asked what type of game he would create if he could, he described something very similar to Black River’s final product: "Since I love racing and sports games, why not mix the two? I know there are many games with this style, but few with Heavy Metal or Rock 'n' Roll soundtracks. It could be a car racing game in cities with Rock 'n' Roll playing! What do you think? But I’ll leave that to the game professionals to create, so I can make the music and then have fun playing it, of course! I appreciate the opportunity for this interview and send a big hug to all gamers!"

Ultimately, we can see that the studio paid a lot of attention to the sound aspect of the game, not only because it is built around Rock 'n' Roll but also because it’s designed for a platform that demands high-quality audio to enhance the VR experience. Teoli shared that, regardless of the platform, games should always be about the story, but revealed that "in VR, given the greater immersion in the gaming universe, audio needs to play an even bigger role to ensure that the player remains captivated in that environment and doesn’t feel the need to unplug. In a traditional electronic game, audio is 50% of the immersion, but in a VR game, I’d say it reaches 65%."

This game, developed by Brazilians for fans of games and rock from both Brazil and around the world, shows an impressive commitment to making the sound complement both the gameplay and visuals, especially in a platform that’s increasingly becoming a bet for the future. Stay tuned, as *Rock & Rails* will soon be released for Gear VR, allowing us to see, hear, and most importantly, play the final result of Teoli, Júlio, and the rest of Black River's hard work!