RPGFan Music

RPGFan Music of the Year 2024 Editors’ Favorites: Paul Skevington

Music of the Year 2024 Header

2024 was a colossal year for RPGs, with so much goodness crammed onto my plate, I was in danger of popping, probably accompanied by an explosion of numbers above my head. Consequently, the volume and quality of soundtracks to choose from was bountiful. Although I haven’t managed to get through every significant score, these are a few of my favourites from the year.

Ys X: Nordics OST

The much-vaunted Falcom Sound Team jdk deliver yet again, with another soundtrack destined to end up on constant rotation in my house. I haven’t played the game yet, as I’m working my way through the series, but I always make sure to listen to a new jdk release. In Ys X: Nordics, we find a score immersed in the game’s nautical themes, as tracks flow with the sounds of the sea, immediately taking me on a piratical adventure of the mind. There is also great musical variety on display. The mysterious, echoing, sound of “Sway the Scenery” sounds like water droplets falling into your ears. Contrast this with “Destined to Keep Running,” which has the familiar bombastic Ys sound, here with explosive percussion over soaring strings. I especially love “Like a Lightning” for its guitar-fueled aggression, coupled with wonderful callbacks to earlier Ys compositions.

Highlighted Track: “Like a Lightning”


Persona 3 Reload OST

You’ll soon sense a bit of a theme here. I never played the original Persona 3, but I dove straight into Persona 3 Reload, drawn to it by my undying love for Persona 5 Royal. This was not a mistake, as there just isn’t anything like the soundtracks to the modern Persona games. I was a little saddened by the replacement of original vocalist Yumi Kawamura by newcomer Azumi Takahashi, but in truth, this move gifted us multiple versions of wonderful songs to explore. “Full Moon Full Life” is an incredible introductory piece, with the lightness of Takahashi’s voice countered by the punchy brutality of Lotus Juice’s hip-hop delivery, before Takahashi launches into a yearning, frantic counterpoint that is like an aural portrait of what you soon experience in the game itself. It only gets better from there.

Highlighted Track: “Full Moon Full Life”


Slay the Princess: The Pristine Cut Original Game Soundtrack

As with Persona 3, I never played the original release of Slay the Princess, but as you can tell from my review, it soon won me over. This was in no small part due to Brandon Boone’s astounding achievement with the soundtrack (see Pat’s review of both the original soundtrack and Pristine Cut soundtrack!). Boone gradually lowers you into the surreal environment of the game with the opening track, “The Princess,” which features simple yet elegant repeating piano themes, embodying the narrative’s sense of foreboding repetition. Once there, he drops the floor from underneath you, with tracks like “I Don’t Like Small Talk (The Prisoner II),” which turn the eeriness up several notches, sinking piano key claws into you, shredding your nerves. Then Boone brings the desolation, with a track like “The Cage,” another skillful variation of the main musical conceit. Unmissable.

Highlighted Track: “The Cage”


The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

Unfairly overlooked on many best of year lists, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom has also been overlooked in terms of its magnificent score. Containing many enchanting pieces that reference earlier works, it also features beautiful new compositions, such as “Tri Appears,” which captures the soul of the loveable little spark in its short runtime. There is an orchestral majesty contained within each track, pulling you into Zelda’s shoes as she struggles on an epic quest much grander in scale than we might have thought, and accompanied by an equally epic soundtrack. Stick on “Gerudo Town” and you are instantly traipsing through the deserts of Hyrule. Give this one a go.

Highlighted Track: “Tri Appears”


Paul Skevington

Paul first started gaming at the dawn of time on the ZX Spectrum, playing text adventures such as Zork and The Hulk. He would be introduced to the world of JRPGS in his teens, with the likes of Mystic Quest and Secret of Mana. Like so many people, Final Fantasy VII cemented his love for the genre. For now, he's on a quest to play all the major titles that he missed in the past, but is also looking forward to the wonderful titles that lie ahead!