From Hollywood Blockbusters to RPG Fantasies: Shengyuan Li on the Art of Interactive Music Scoring

Video game scoring is on the rise. Despite the growth of AI, skilled workers are still needed to score video games. The video game industry is slated to be worth $583.69 billion by 2030, according to a recent report. In this world where cinematic soundtracks meet interactive entertainment, composer Shengyuan Li has carved out a niche, fusing the grandeur of film scores with the intricate demands of video game music.

While he has contributed to blockbuster film scores under acclaimed award-winning Scottish composer Lorne Balfe, to crafting immersive soundscapes for beloved game titles like “Arknights” and “Love and Deepspace,” Li’s journey offers some insight into modern media scoring and interactive music design.

Li’s musical odyssey began at the tender age of 13, fueled by a passion for percussion. His dedication led him to become the principal percussionist for the Shanghai Youth Symphony Orchestra for nearly eight years, where he honed his skills on everything from snare drums to traditional Chinese percussion instruments. This immersive orchestral experience ignited his love for orchestration and the powerful art of storytelling through music.

By 15, his curiosity expanded into electronic music, pushing him into the realms of music production and synthesizer programming. These diverse foundations laid the groundwork for a composer uniquely equipped to navigate the varied soundscapes of contemporary media.

His formal education further refined his multifaceted approach. In 2020, Li embarked on undergraduate studies at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, majoring in Technology and Applied Composition (TAC), diving deep into media scoring, sound design, and interactive music systems. Building on this, his pursuit of excellence led him to the highly prestigious University of Southern California’s Screen Scoring program in 2024, where he collaborated extensively on film, animation, and video game projects, creating music that elevates visual narratives across diverse genres.

His talent has not gone unnoticed, securing him 1st Place in the 2023 Indie Film Music Contest, 4th Prize in the Lei Cine Scoring Competition in China, and a spot among the Top 10 finalists of the 2023 Berlin International Film Scoring Competition. Most recently, his work on the short film Sue’s Art earned recognition for artistic achievement at the Xunguang Microcosm Film Festival 2025.

Li’s professional immersion into large-scale media scoring began with a pivotal role within Lorne Balfe’s renowned music production team. Balfe, a Scottish composer known for his scores for blockbusters like “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” and “Black Widow,” provided an invaluable training ground.

“I am a composer specializing in film and gaming,” Li explains. “It all started when I was in Lorne Balfe’s music team. I had the opportunity to contribute to several large-scale film and media scoring projects. My role mainly focused on writing and supporting the composition and music production workflow within the team.”

He describes the high-pressure, collaborative environment:

“In a professional scoring environment like this, projects often move very quickly and involve close collaboration between composers, producers, and engineers to achieve a very high production standard,” said Li. “Being part of that process gave me valuable insight into how large-scale scores are developed, produced, and delivered in the professional film scoring industry. It was a great learning experience and helped me better understand the workflow behind major scoring projects.”

Working in such an environment, Li quickly identified crucial soft skills.

“Communication and organization are very important skills in a professional scoring workflow,” he said. “Large projects often involve multiple composers, producers, and engineers working together, so being able to manage sessions, follow the musical direction of the project, and respond quickly to feedback is essential.”

Transitioning from film, Li found a dynamic canvas in the burgeoning video game industry, composing music for multiple commercial and independent projects. His contributions to Arknights, a highly-rated RPG/tower defense fantasy mobile game, stand out. Developed by Hypergryph, Arknights thrusts players into the dystopian planet Terra, where a fatal disease, Oripathy, fuels both technological advancement and societal conflict. The story follows the “Doctor” leading Rhodes Island in search of a cure amidst battling a militant infected group.

“For Arknights, my contributions mainly focused on in-game music and several music-related projects connected to the game’s broader creative ecosystem,” Li notes.

For instance, he composed a “math rock battle track” for an in-game stage in the “Unrealized Realities” event, a critical chapter within the game’s expansive narrative.

Beyond direct gameplay, Li describes Arknights as a game deeply invested in its community and music culture.

“The developers regularly release music collaborations, EPs, and themed songs that expand the world of the game beyond gameplay itself,” he explains. “I had the opportunity to contribute to several of these music projects as well. For instance, I participated in the guitar recording for the ‘Secret Escape’ Winter EP, and I also worked on the arrangement for the Christmas EP track ‘Slowly Flow, Hearthlight Glow.’ Through these projects, I was able to explore different musical styles—from high-energy battle music within the game to more narrative and atmospheric pieces released as part of the game’s music productions.”

His success within the Arknights universe naturally extended to its highly anticipated sequel, Arknights: Endfield.

“My involvement with Arknights: Endfield came through my collaborations with teams working within the Arknights franchise,” Li states. “It was really exciting to contribute to the project, because it allowed me to explore new musical ideas while still respecting the sound and atmosphere that players already associate with the series.”

Li’s versatility is further showcased in his work on Love and Deepspace, a globally popular Chinese mobile game developed by Papergames. This romance-focused title, a spin-off of the Mr. Love series, captivates players with its cinematic and poetic storytelling. Released in early 2024, it has garnered significant commercial and critical success.

“Love and Deepspace has a very unique tone because it blends romance, science fiction, and cinematic storytelling,” Li explains. “The game places players in a futuristic world while also focusing heavily on emotional relationships between characters. When working on the music, the goal was to support that balance between intimacy and cinematic scale.”

To achieve this delicate balance, Li focused on creating a deeply emotive experience.

“I focused on using atmospheric textures, soft melodic lines, and cinematic orchestral elements to create a poetic and emotional atmosphere that fits the story-driven moments and character interactions,” he reveals. “At the same time, the game includes action and sci-fi elements, so the music also needs to feel immersive and modern. By blending cinematic orchestration with contemporary production techniques, the soundtrack helps reinforce the emotional tone of the scenes while also supporting the futuristic world of the game.”

These diverse projects highlight Li’s profound understanding of the distinctions and overlaps between cinematic and gameplay-driven scoring.

“Many modern games are becoming increasingly cinematic,” Li observes. “They often include a large number of cutscenes and story-driven moments, so in those situations the music works very similarly to film scoring. The composer needs to support the visuals and help shape the narrative, the characters, and the emotional tone of the scene.”

However, game music demands an additional layer of adaptability inherently absent in film.

“At the same time, game music also needs to respond to gameplay,” he explains. “Unlike film, the player controls the pacing of the experience, so the music often needs to adapt to different situations such as combat, exploration, or transitions between scenes.”

This requires sophisticated interactive music systems that can dynamically shift and evolve with player actions.

Today, Shengyuan Li stands as a distinct voice in media scoring, seamlessly integrating his rich background into a unique compositional philosophy.

“I stand out for blending cinematic scoring techniques with a strong understanding of interactive game music,” he proudly states. “My background in percussion and electronic production allows me to create rhythm-driven, hybrid orchestral scores that feel both emotionally cinematic and gameplay-focused.”

His approach extends beyond mere composition.

“I approach music not only as a composer but also as a producer, which helps me deliver polished, production-ready music that integrates smoothly into modern game pipelines,” he adds. “At the same time, my electronic music background brings a strong sense of experimentation and creativity, allowing me to explore fresh sounds and push beyond traditional scoring approaches.”

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