I should preface my review by stating that I have not played Infinite Undiscovery, but the soundtrack makes me wish that I had. Yet more incentive to purchase an Xbox 360. Although many reviews of Infinite Undiscovery vary in their recommendation of the game, I can assure you that the soundtrack is sure to not disappoint. From the soft and somber mood of piano-centric “The Lonely Path” to the gradually epic sound of “The Endless Stream,” this soundtrack will satiate any listener’s tastes. All moods and instruments are represented here. Motoi Sakuraba’s hard work is demonstrated in the wealth of different styles and instruments used throughout this album.
Many say that Sakuraba has been branching out as of late, trying to cover or experiment with different styles of composition. Infinite Undiscovery’s soundtrack makes this attempt clear. Some tracks come across as traditionally Western, while others, like “The Crimson Emir” have a striking Asian sound to them. This success in variety should be applauded, as most of the changes in style come across as if he has always been composing this way.
Sakuraba’s expertise as a composer is made clear in tracks like “Endless Struggle,” where he takes what many would consider a complete sound for a high-tension battle sequence, and adds bells in just the right places. One could imagine the piece without bells, and it would be satisfactory, but with the bells, the piece truly feels complete and epic. In fact, Sakuraba uses bells affectionately throughout the soundtrack. An example of a piece with a more central focus on bells is “Wavering in the Darkness,” where listeners are welcomed with a soft compilation of piano and bells, followed by a creeping, brief organ segment (the darkness), and a slow return to the soft beginning as the organ stops chiming in.
However, for those of you who are fans of Sakuraba’s use of flutes, fear not. Sakuraba continues to use flutes in a charming, moving way as he has in several previous titles. “Abundant Harvest” uses flutes in an easy going, almost listless way, and then uses them more intensely in short spurts, until the two sounds become one in a grander sound, and then a return to peace. One might assume that such interweaving would be chaotic, breaking the sense of immersion, but Sakuraba truly composes a story in these short, three to four minute tracks.
In fact, this style of soft-hard-soft is used frequently throughout the soundtrack. Whether or not this is a trick to make the tracks fleshed out or not I cannot discern, but I will say that many folks will be tricked, if that’s the case. The sounds are not only full, rich, and appropriate for their individual stories, but truly do feel like brief journeys, as is often heard in several longer Western orchestra pieces.
Some of these journeys are forgettable, unfortunately. I cannot say every track dazzled me, but I will say that those that did not catch my attention were easy to listen to–perhaps too easy. Unlike Uematsu, who I would argue has very few forgettable tracks, Sakuraba can occasionally put in tracks that don’t have enough “wow” to them. This is forgivable, of course, and perhaps this is even appropriate, but I often forget that I’m listening to music and zone out. Tales of Symphonia and Star Ocean The Second Story come to mind when I think of other games guilty of this. To call this boredom would be unfair, but I did not feel engaged, either. “The Reaper Calls” falls into this category, because it doesn’t necessarily have anything extra to it. Generic and typical are the best words to describe this track. Maybe if there were more bells…
One last thing I would like to comment on is the appropriate title versus sound. Pick any title on the soundtrack, and you can almost guess exactly what the piece will sound like. I’m sure to those who have played the game, they already know this. However, this seems to be a particular strength of most Japanese composers. Some of the best fits I found on the album were “Procession of the Order” with its emphasis on snare drums and long, deep horns, and “Town in Despair,” which is particularly–and rightfully so–depressing.
I can only imagine that those of you reading this who have already played the game have nodded in agreement throughout the review. For those of you who are gaming music fans, or just fans of Sakuraba’s work, I recommend this album not only for its plentiful library of impressive pieces, but as an example of Sakuraba’s growth, even after twenty years of composition. Modest reviews or not, this soundtrack has taught me two things: 1) I should give Infinite Undiscovery a playthrough if I ever buy an Xbox 360, and 2) Life needs more bells.
