World of Sunshine / World of Final Fantasy This.... this is awesome. This speaks to my heart. A song that can take me back to my childhood, when the game it's from is new and I haven't even played it yet! Impressive. Flute-driven, bouncy, and in a joyous key. This is what I come to RPG music for. Really really liked this.
Soul of Cinder / Dark Souls IIIAs the host said, this is completely different from the preceding track. :P
Not my usual taste, but this is certainly well-done for the style. Sort of LotR-lite, which is a huge compliment from me. These kinds of compositions tend to be overdone, but this one feels fresh; sufficiently epic without trying too hard.
Wow, though, the way it breaks down into a softer, but ultra-somber, violin piece (with, of course, the ringing bells, which I always love) makes this more than good! Excellent selection from a series I don't care for with music I usually don't like much!
*Totally agree with the host's comments about "too much bombast".
*Yep, second half sold me on this, too,
@Lian_Kazairl ARDYN II / Final Fantasy XVThis is gonna sound weird, but did this feel like a really good Tales of track to anyone else? I kinda got that vibe, a bit. Either way, it was pretty good. I love a lot of the XV soundtrack, but this isn't one that I have really heard/noticed before. It's a bit of a slow burn, and I think I need to hear it a couple more times.
Interminable Dilemma / Zero Time DilemmaMmmm, this is exceptional. A lot of games from this genre tend to have soundtracks that excel at ambience, but this is good even among them. I really like the synth voice, and those clear ringing notes that drive the main melody (before it gets a bit dirty on the breakdown).
*"Haunting and beautiful", yes, well said.
Wintry Arrival / The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IILoving this. This track meets kind of a high standard set by the rich world of JRPG music that came before it. It's not Mitsuda, but it is still sufficiently evocative and sets an unmistakable tone. It doesn't get too "wall of sound"-ish, a la Tales, which is always welcome.
Battlefield — Activation (FM Ver.) / Etrian Odyssey VWhat on earth!? This is catchy and fun, but not what I was expecting from EO5, at all! This sounds like something right out of a Mega Man title. My only experience with EO, though, is Untold, and the music in that was, I thought, amazing, but nothing like this at all. It was all higher-fidelity tunes with a modern feel and not a lot of ultrasynth like what's happening here. What's the difference between this "FM Version" and another version of this same track?
Listener PicksAhhh!! I can't believe you guys chose my selections from Stardew Valley for this segment! I really couldn't be more thrilled to have contributed to my favorite podcast. Thanks again, guys.
Typing up commentary on these would seem oddly self serving, though, so I'll forego it this time. ;)