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Historically speaking, it seems like MMORPG soundtracks have not received nearly as much discussion and recognition as their offline counterparts, and that’s a darned shame, because there is so much MMORPG music out there and so much of it is really good! Perhaps it’s a demographic thing—apparently most players turn the music off—or perhaps we… Read More »

In 2014, Square Enix released the first “dual” album for Final Fantasy XIV, From Astral to Umbral, which took an interesting approach to the arrangement album concept. This album — named for in-game terms representing historical times of peace and war, respectively — offered a selection of songs in two styles, marrying peaceful piano productions… Read More »

Sometimes the simplest songs leave the largest impressions. The strengths of the No One But You soundtrack are lead composer Lemmonias’s piano pieces and AnnEXE’s guitar pieces. The rest of the soundtrack feels as if it’s stumbling in its attempt to be original. One of the ways in which Lemmonias pursues originality is through unique… Read More »

WildStar was an ambitious newcomer to the MMORPG market back in 2014. Its main selling points were a unique sci-fi universe full of lore, dynamic movement and combat, and a charmingly cartoonish aesthetic. I think it’s one of the more distinctive and interesting MMORPGs out there right now, and it’s a shame it hasn’t managed… Read More »

Music has always been a crucial part of my gaming experience. I’ve played great games whose awesomeness is enhanced by their soundtracks, and I’ve also played mediocre games that managed to find a place in my heart because I enjoyed their scores. Horizon Zero Dawn is, for the most part, the former: a truly singular… Read More »

Goomin “Nauts” Nam is a name I hope I see more often in the game music realm, as I greatly enjoyed his work with Monarch: Heroes of a New Age Original Soundtrack. Bar Oasis 2 Lingering Taste is no exception to my adoration of Nauts’ ability to compose beautiful music. Of course, he isn’t alone,… Read More »

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II has some tall shoes to fill: both the game itself, which picks up after a truly brutal cliffhanger at the end of the first game, and the soundtrack, which has to continue the strong showing of its predecessor. The game itself most certainly meets, and even… Read More »

Completion, completion, completion. Sadly, it seems we just can’t get it in one package. The least complete version of the Langrisser Re:Incarnation soundtrack is the one-disc, pack-in bonus with the North American edition of the game, reviewed here. That version is a nice best-of selection. Next, there is a pack-in bonus of the soundtrack that… Read More »

It was over 15 years ago that I got my hands on the CD Theater albums for Dragon Quest I and Dragon Quest II. I knew precious little about drama CDs back then, so I don’t think I totally understood that what I had in my hands was special. Not only did these “CD Theater”… Read More »

It was over 15 years ago that I got my hands on the CD Theater albums for Dragon Quest I and Dragon Quest II. I knew precious little about drama CDs back then, so I don’t think I totally understood that what I had in my hands was special. Not only did these “CD Theater”… Read More »

It’s been a year and a half since Undertale was released, and I still can’t get it out of my head. Theories keep popping up, new easter eggs are still being found, and the fan community continues to make artistic contributions to this universe. Despite the fact that I only did one playthrough — I… Read More »

It was over 15 years ago that I got my hands on the CD Theater albums for Dragon Quest I and Dragon Quest II. I knew precious little about drama CDs back then, so I don’t think I totally understood that what I had in my hands was special. Not only did these “CD Theater”… Read More »

It was over 15 years ago that I got my hands on the CD Theater albums for Dragon Quest I and Dragon Quest II. I knew precious little about drama CDs back then, so I don’t think I totally understood that what I had in my hands was special. Not only did these “CD Theater”… Read More »

It was over 15 years ago that I got my hands on the CD Theater albums for Dragon Quest I and Dragon Quest II. I knew precious little about drama CDs back then, so I don’t think I totally understood that what I had in my hands was special. Not only did these “CD Theater”… Read More »

It was over 15 years ago that I got my hands on the CD Theater albums for Dragon Quest I and Dragon Quest II. I knew precious little about drama CDs back then, so I don’t think I totally understood that what I had in my hands was special. Not only did these “CD Theater”… Read More »

It was over 15 years ago that I got my hands on the CD Theater albums for Dragon Quest I and Dragon Quest II. I knew precious little about drama CDs back then, so I don’t think I totally understood that what I had in my hands was special. Not only did these “CD Theater”… Read More »

It was over 15 years ago that I got my hands on the CD Theater albums for Dragon Quest I and Dragon Quest II. I knew precious little about drama CDs back then, so I don’t think I totally understood that what I had in my hands was special. Not only did these “CD Theater”… Read More »

It was over 15 years ago that I got my hands on the CD Theater albums for Dragon Quest I and Dragon Quest II. I knew precious little about drama CDs back then, so I don’t think I totally understood that what I had in my hands was special. Not only did these “CD Theater”… Read More »

It was over 15 years ago that I got my hands on the CD theater albums for Dragon Quest I and Dragon Quest II. I knew precious little about drama CDs back then, so I don’t think I totally understood that what I had in my hands was special. Not only did these “CD theater”… Read More »

For those of you that are unfamiliar with Falcom’s series conventions, The Legend of Heroes: Sora no Kiseki Second Chapter Evolution is a bit like a Russian doll. It is an enhanced remake of the second chapter of the Trails in the Sky trilogy, which is the first chapter in the Trails series, which is… Read More »

I get scared very easily, so I stayed away from Oxenfree for a while. Then my friend showed me the song “Beacon Beach” from the Oxenfree OST, and I knew I had to buck up and play this game. Yes, Oxenfree is creepy. Yes, I was scared. But the phenomenal soundtrack kept me going. Every… Read More »

Yasunori Mitsuda is one of the giants of game music composition. From early on in his 20-plus-year career, he has consistently demonstrated his penchant for small and large scale ensembles in both contemporary and traditional styles. He has coached stellar performances out of world-class and in-house orchestras and garnered the imagination of countless musicians and… Read More »

Among the indie darling games out there, perhaps none have gone from “who?” to “YOU KNOW WHO!” as quickly and as radically as Undertale. The game’s chief development (story, programming, most art assets, and music) was performed by one-man wonder Toby Fox. Fox has been very generous with his fanbase, happily interacting with them and… Read More »

This lovely collection of chiptune music was made available, in physical (CD) format, as a first press/preorder bonus that came alongside the NieR: Automata OST. I am not sure how many copies of this album exist, but we do know that day-one sales of the physical OST were at nearly 20,000, so an educated guess… Read More »

How do I start a review for such a great soundtrack? It is a difficult task, but certainly not as difficult as attempting to surpass the quality of NieR: Automata‘s predecessor. Which, somehow, Keiichi Okabe and the rest of MONACA managed to do. Maybe that’s not quite right. When I go back and listen to… Read More »