Karmaflow was initiated by composer Ivo van Dijk in 2012, and started out as a graduation project for him and 12 fellow students of the School of Arts Utrecht. The team strives to bring a new and unique way of telling interactive stories through the medium of videogames, and is taking it one step further by bringing the music of Karmaflow to the stage.
Karmaflow: The Rock Opera Videogame is a full-blown interactive rock opera, and features singers from bands such as Dragonforce, Cradle of Filth, Epica, Sonata Arctica, Arch Enemy and more. The symphonic sound of the score is brought by the Dutch Metropole Orkest.
The game – a so called 'puzzle platformer' or 'adventure game' – is the most important element, but music plays an extremely important role. That is because the story is brought in the form of a rock opera. An all-star cast steps into the shoes of the game's characters and brings the story singing. This cast for instance includes:
Simone Simons (Epica)
Dani Filth (Cradle of Filth)
Marc Hudson (Dragonforce)
Tony Kakko (Sonata Arctica)
Alissa White-Gluz (Arch Enemy)
The musical accompaniment is provided by the Metropole Orkest (the world's biggest professional pop and jazz orchestra) and band members of Epica, Textures and Within Temptation.
Karmaflow in Concert is a specially formed band that will perform the music of Karmaflow on stage from October 2014 on. Strengthened by a string-quartet and an alternating cast of guest-singers (from the original cast which can be found in the game) the band will be performing on club-stages.
On the 18th and 19th of January, Karmaflow in Concert: The Rock Opera will hit the stage in a theater. "Theater aan de Parade", 's-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands, will be the backdrop for the world's first interactive Rock Opera performed live with The Metropole Orkest and a cast of 14 singers, also celebrating the coinciding release of Karmaflow: The Rock Opera Videogame.
Karmaflow tells the story of the Karmakeeper, and his journey through several worlds. Each world is protected by a Guardian. These Guardians are burdened by a heavy conflict, which rages in each world. The Karmakeeper learns what happened in each world by hearing each Guardian out, but also listening to their counterparts. In the end, he decides what happens to the world and its inhabitants.
Play as the Karmakeeper and actively decide the way the rock opera and its story progresses in Karmaflow: The Rock Opera Videogame. Puzzle and explore your way through five different worlds. Change the environment, change the music...