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Persona 4 Arena probably wasn’t the Persona 4 spinoff that fans necessarily wanted or expected back in 2012, released a few months before Persona 4 Golden for Vita. It’s a solid fighting game with a story mode that plays like a visual novel peppered with poorly explained one-on-one fights. But more relevant to our RPG… Read More »

I’m sure many of us remember marveling at Final Fantasy VII in our youth. The cinematic graphics made our eyes widen and our jaws drop. The majestic soundtrack was a symphony compared to the 16-bit soundtracks we were used to. And the storyline was deeper and more epic in scope than most anything we had… Read More »

Chrono Trigger music is no stranger to jazz. After 1995’s acid jazz The Brink of Time arranged album, I’m not surprised that Sean Schafianski‘s Chrono Trigger: Jazz Arrange Version struck me as sounding very natural. Aside from having impeccable execution, it really succeeded at punching my face with the Nostalgia Knuckles. I went in hoping… Read More »

Fairy Fencer F represents a shift in attitude in the Compile Heart mentality. It’s like a kid in high school: growing up into adulthood in some ways, but still very much a kid in others. Part of maturity is realizing that you don’t have it all figured out and accepting valuable input from others who’ve… Read More »

When I heard there was a jazz album of Nier’s OST, I knew I needed to grab it. The original material is amazing, and it’s great to see how Keiichi Okabe’s work inspires others to reimagine tracks. I had some high expectations for Sean Schafianski’s arrangements, some of which were exceeded while others fell a… Read More »

When Bravely Default’s composer, Revo, isn’t working on game music, he and his rock-orchestra Sound Horizon create concept albums and rock operas, and over the years, they have built a large following. That pedigree is extremely evident in Luxendarc Daikikou, an album of Bravely Default music expanded and reinterpreted in Sound Horizon’s extravagant style. Most… Read More »

When Bravely Default’s composer, Revo, isn’t working on game music, he and his rock-orchestra Sound Horizon create concept albums and rock operas, and over the years, they have built a large following. That pedigree is extremely evident in Luxendarc Daikikou, an album of Bravely Default music expanded and reinterpreted in Sound Horizon’s extravagant style. Most… Read More »

Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire has a remarkable soundtrack. It was the first Pokémon game on the GameBoy Advance, which allowed it to use better quality instruments than its predecessors, but its greatness is not just technical. It is also a result of the innovative use of those instruments within the cherished Pokémon musical style. Composers Go Ichinose,… Read More »

With their recent spate of remasters, Square Enix has taken to tossing in more than just a spitshine and some trophies — most of them also involve some degree of tinkering with the original music. Messing with the subject of many folks’ keen sense of nostalgia is never an easy thing, though. Some folks are… Read More »

This one offers exactly what it says on the tin. Featuring a lovely box that houses the individual packages for both the Kingdom Hearts 1.5 and 2.5 soundtracks, the box set is the perfect item if you’re already in the market for both soundtracks. The design of the box is consistent with that of the… Read More »

The PlayStation 2 release of Kingdom Hearts II was something of a landmark event for me; I’ve written a zillion words about it elsewhere on the site, and gabbed about it endlessly on our podcasts. Setting aside the game itself, I have two vivid, unforgettable early memories of my experience with it. The first occurred… Read More »

There was a lot of promise in Project Destati: Awakening, a relatively brief but supremely exciting five tracks of arranged Kingdom Hearts music. It gave listeners evidence that its creators were deeply ensconced in the world and music of my favorite perpetually spun-off Square Enix endeavor. It showcased careful arrangements and excellent performances, foreshadowing the… Read More »

Kingdom Hearts as a series is no stranger to musical reinterpretations. Countless arrangers, remixers, and composers have paid homage to the house that Shimomura built — something that I believe comes across as a clear testament to the strength of both the music itself and the nostalgia it inspires in huge numbers of people. Project… Read More »

Broken Age has received a lot of attention—for its pedigree, its well-documented history, and its delightful art style, among other good reasons. Another area where it’s equally deserving of praise, though, is its music. Veteran composer Peter McConnell is no stranger to the world of point-and-click adventure games, but there’s a life and bubbliness to… Read More »

Orchestral rearrangements are by far my favorite reinterpretation of video game music. They render a depth in melodic variation that enhances the tunes by leaps and bounds. Naturally, I had high hopes for Sean Schafianski’s remastering of Final Fantasy VI. One more soundtrack to the ever growing list of Final Fantasy music remakes, but do… Read More »

Final Fantasy XIV‘s storied history is well-known now: The original release of the game in 2010 was met with harsh (and deserved) criticism. Despite years in development, FFXIV 1.0 was so flawed that even Square Enix had to admit as much and essentially start over with a different team. Part of the staff change involved… Read More »

It can be a little concerning when a series brings in new composers. Expectations are set, and the new guys are given the task of maintaining musical identity while leaving their own mark. That being the case, I’m glad I was able to spend some time with this OST thinking, “That’s so Persona.” Persona has… Read More »

What do you do for the tenth anniversary of a game that looks like an anime version of The Nightmare Before Christmas, except starring pre-teen demons, pop idols, and Power Rangers? Nippon Ichi’s answer to that query was to make a new Disgaea strategy RPG, Disgaea Dimension 2. Disgaea D2 is a direct sequel to… Read More »

Mugen Souls Z is a game filled with contradictions. It’s whimsical and deep, fun and complex, delightful and sadistic. These contradictions fall in line with various archetypes protagonist Syrma can morph into (e.g. ditzy, tsundere, hyper). Of course, dealing with a bundle of contradictions can be both fun at times and also an absolute chore.… Read More »

When Square Enix published Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster for PS3, they reissued their respective soundtracks. FFX, which had a full aural upgrade, was released as the FFX HD Remaster OST, on a single Blu-Ray disc. The reissued FFX-2 soundtrack did not get any upgrades, but it did undergo some significant changes from its original… Read More »

I’ll preface this review by stating that Chrono Cross is THE soundtrack that brought me into the world of video game music. My head was filled with the tracks long after I put my PS1 controller away. The reason: Yasunori Mitsuda‘s compositions express not only how magical music can be when tied to a gaming… Read More »

I thought my relationship with Dark Souls II ended when I beat the game. I thank RPGFan Music’s headmaster for the recurring nightmare. Hearing the soundtrack to the nightmare, however, wasn’t as painful as it had been for the original Dark Souls. The music isn’t as evocative or memorable. While playing the game, I never… Read More »

When people recall their favorite Uematsu-composed soundtracks, the debate typically centers around classics like Final Fantasy VI and Final Fantasy VII. Although no one can refute that the FF series has been blessed by Uematsu’s touch, most don’t place FFX in their top 3. I stray from the pack in this regard, and not just… Read More »

Who is TPR, and why is he so amazing? I can’t tell you. All I know is that TPR has yet to disappoint me. TPR released a series of these “Melancholy Tribute” albums many years ago, but did so without proper licensing, making them fully “fan/doujin” arrangements. More recently, TPR re-released his work for FFVII,… Read More »

Note: This review is for the English release. No official soundtrack release exist for the original Japanese version of the game. Bless the soul(s) who decided to bring in Jordan Steven (AKA Jordan “bLiNd” Aguirre) to recompose the soundtrack to The Lost Angelic Chronicles of Frane: Dragons’ Odyssey. Not only was the tracklist more than… Read More »