The Hauntology of Story, Gameplay, Images, and Music

Developed by Ovosonico, directed by Massimo Guarini, and published by 505 Games, the video game Last Day of June (2017) is based upon Hajo Müller&s;s short story, “The Story of Charles and Lucy” (2001), Steven Wilson&s;s song, “Drive Home” (2013), and its music video by Jess Cope. Throughout his substantial body of work as a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, composer, and producer, Steven Wilson has prioritized storytelling and storyworld creation. Based on the underlying narrative of the story and video for the track “Drive Home,” the music of the song is notably absent from Last Day of June &s;s soundtrack, which derives from a long list of other Steven Wilson songs, including tracks from his ambient project, Bass Communion. The music of Last Day of June offers sophisticated intertextual connections to Wilson&s;s music, creating a specter of Wilson himself as a creator in the game&s;s emergent narrative. We explore what is being expressed through the intersections of the game&s;s multimodal materials (story, images, music, and gameplay). Examining the soundtrack for its compositional content and form, we identify the thematic, symbolic, and aesthetic attributes that emerge from the intertextual connections to the original recordings. A hauntological throughline emerges that connects the game&s;s content and expressive elements. Ultimately, we understand the coherent workings of a multimodal game that possesses visual, musical, and narrative integrity, grounded in transmedia and intertextual meanings.