This soundtrack was released for the DS remake of Hoshigami, which received an entirely new soundtrack from a different set of composers. So if you’re thinking this is a reprint of the “Special Soundtrack” for the PlayStation version released nearly a decade prior, you’d be wrong. A new bag of goodies are present here.
For those who don’t know the history of this game, it is a spiritual predecessor to Stella Deus. Both Hoshigami and Stella Deus were made by the same core development staff, and both games’ titles translate to mean the same thing: “Sun God.” Now, Hitoshi Sakimoto did the score for Stella Deus. Both versions of Hoshigami are scored by people other than Sakimoto, but the DS version has a Sakimoto-esque quality that cannot be denied.
For the VGM veterans reading, you know what I’m talking about. Harp glissando, lots of orchestra bells, sweeping orchestral runs (be it brass, strings, or woodwind): all synthesized, but with a lifelike quality to them. The consistency of the compositional quality varies from track to track. I definitely had “favorites” and “skippables” on this disc. One of my favorites is the battle theme “Relentless Invaders” (track 9). Indeed, Suemura’s battle themes are really what make this album so great.
Suemura has a long history of VGM under his belt, but from a variety of publishers, genres, and franchises. Suemura’s work on Hoshigami may perhaps lead to future works from him on RPGs. This soundtrack is a strong, solid addition to the DS library. While it doesn’t stand up as well as Stella Deus, it is much more enjoyable (in my opinion) than the original Hoshigami’s score.
