Before even touching on Breath of Fire IV‘s music, I’d like to talk about the production and packaging of this fine soundtrack. First of all, the publisher, “Suleputer,” might sound different to you. This company is actually Capcom’s new music division. Some interesting trivia, “Capcom” is short for “Capsule Computer”… So, the name “Suleputer” is the remaining part of “Capcom.”
The packaging is very similar to the book-case form in a glossy hardcover form seen in the first prints of earlier Squaresoft soundtracks (FFIV OSV, Hanjuku Hero, etc). However, because this soundtrack is two discs, The package is set up in a fold-out manner, and it is a completely new packaging design to me. Very clever. Also, there is very awesome watercolor artwork in the booklet, and the obi strip is this flimsy black plastic thing that goes along the bottom. This thing is actually very hard to work with when opening and closing the book: this is my only complaint in packaging.
On to the music!! Now, as some of you know, the Breath of Fire III OST featured music that I found to be pretty gosh-darn mediocre. It was filled with “filler” tracks, and they were jazzy in an annoying synth way. Gone are these days, as this soundtrack is a MAJOR improvement. The style is completely different, which is surprising seeing as the main composer (Yoshino Aoki) remains the lead composer. These tracks aren’t just filler, they express mood well and are very enjoyable. The best track, however, is the opening track. This track is AMAZING, it ranks up there with one of my all-time favorite tracks using light/fluttery piano, the last dungeon music from the Alundra OST. You cannot help but enjoy this track.
Another neat aspect about this soundtrack is the fact that it is, to date, the only video game or anime CD with a secret track at the end. After the awesome vocal track on disc 2 track 31, you can wait about 2 minutes, and then hear some guys (probably the composers and other staff), singing some tune and talking. It’s really funny, and I’m glad someone finally did this, especially on an RPG OST.
