Archives

FF XIII-2 was a pretty big deal for Square Enix. In many ways, it fixed the problems of XIII and made the game a whole lot more fun. This may have come as a surprise for some people. But, for me, the biggest surprise was its soundtrack: less serious than XIII, but still an amazing… Read More »

There’s been a lot of interest in LIVE A LIVE, at least among Square Enix’s current music (and music marketing) team. Almost all of the “SQ” arrange albums feature a track off of LIVE A LIVE, and there are two tracks from the game featured on the fantastic Shimomura orchestra album drammatica. One cannot help… Read More »

I guess Falcom didn’t feel right continuing their Vocal Collections that they published in the ’90s with King Records. That four-volume set is lovely in its own right. But instead of naming his album “Falcom Vocal Collection 5,” they just restarted and simplified the album title to simply “VOCAL.” And guess what? It’s awesome. As… Read More »

The last game in the Arland trilogy, and the 13th main title in the series, Atelier Meruru packs in more music than any previous Atelier game. Proof positive: the soundtrack is three discs. The total time for the three discs combined is 3 hours and 30 minutes. That’s a lot of music. The soundtrack is… Read More »

Perfectly condensed. The full import OST for Atelier Meruru consisted of three discs. The first disc was the first five tracks of this disc (all the vocals), and then various karaoke/instrumental versions of each. Disc two had most of the “standard” OST. Disc three had some special tracks, including arrangements of themes from previous Atelier… Read More »

This is it, the Atelier that changed it all. At least, musically. Up to this point, Tsuchiya-san (who eventually went on to become a senior producer with Gust) was the lead composer. And he had not one, but two Kobayashis as his musical henchmen. It was with Atelier Viorate that both Ken Nakagawa and Daisuke… Read More »

Just a quick revisit here. I listened to the Atelier Totori soundtrack before the game had even come to the US. Yeah, I’m just that hip. Importers unite, yada yada, etc etc. In that review, I expressed my extreme pleasure with Kazuki Yanagawa, who was learning not only to fit the paradigm laid by Ken… Read More »

This Atelier Meruru bonus soundtrack just makes me angry. Why not include this on the full OST? I mean, I get it. Bonus item for the people who bought the limited edition. Spiffy artbook, bonus music CD. But why is the bonus music entirely a full grade better than the rest of the soundtrack? I’m… Read More »

For some, it may be an unholy marriage, but in my mind, this game (and its soundtrack) come from a match made in heaven among developers. Atelier Elkrone is one of many side-story spin-off games in the Atelier series, but this one is different in that it’s a visual novel. Not only that, it’s an… Read More »

I don’t envy Russell Brower or any of the team that worked on the soundtrack for Diablo III. Following up on Matt Uelmen‘s legendary work on the first two titles in the series, in particular the iconic Tristram theme, can’t have been an easy task. Fortunately, Brower and co. have managed to craft a follow-up… Read More »

The soundtrack to Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance is one of the biggest surprises I’ve had so far this year. Not because it’s good — I expected that much. What surprises me most about this album is instead how fresh and different it sounds while still retaining the essence of the series. Yoko Shimomura, Tsuyoshi… Read More »

Mass Effect is a series near and dear to my heart, and a big part of that comes from the fantastic music that a large number of exceptionally talented composers have created for it. Memorable character themes collide with Blade Runner-esque sci-fi soundscapes, and what emerges has been some of the best space RPG music… Read More »

It’s so good, it makes me angry. No, not the jealous kind of anger. Though there is some jealousy in there too. This is the kind of anger that comes from being wrong—from when you thought there wasn’t much room for improvement, but clearly there was. Piano Opera Final Fantasy I/II/III was a much-needed addition… Read More »

At this point, Square-Enix has practically squeezed every possible note out of the rock that is the Final Fantasy series. With several piano, orchestral, remix, and vocal soundtracks vying for elbow room on collectors’ shelves, Square has found itself relying on the ridiculous for fresh ideas. Sporting two thirteen minute tracks, SQ Lovers ranges from… Read More »

What is a vocal-heavy soundtrack without the voice? What is a talking book without the talk? Grimoire Rubrum is the book featured on the front cover of this new piano arranged album. Unlike Noir and Weiss, Rubrum (“red”) is unable to talk. Fitting that she be given the nod on this fully instrumental album. Somehow,… Read More »

When it comes to RPG music, I think the most important pieces are battle themes. After all, RPG players spend more of their game time locked in combat than anywhere else. Boss music is especially important because a great piece of music makes a major battle that much more memorable. This brings me to Tales… Read More »

Nobuo Uematsu ought to have a catalog of tribute albums at this point. The man is a legend, and even if he hasn’t lately eclipsed his older work, he still deserves recognition and attention. It’s a shame then that Symphonic Odysseys, a tribute to the grand master of RPG music, isn’t infused with the same… Read More »

Mami Horie holds a special place in my heart. She was one of the first vocalists to work on the Atelier series. And while she hadn’t done much work on the series in some time, it’s not like she forgot, or that Gust forgot her. This whole album is a collection of vocal tracks from… Read More »

The Nier Gestalt and Replicant OST is probably one of the most well crafted soundtracks ever composed. The transcendent pieces worked throughout the album lift listeners out of an ordinary life and into an audio fantasia, a world built on sweet promises uttered by gentle voices and dark secrets layered in bass vocals. Nier Echo… Read More »

Skyward Sword marked The Legend of Zelda’s first foray into fully orchestrated music. The result was impressive, and the 25th Anniversary Special Orchestra CD will make you wish full orchestration had been implemented earlier. The eight tracks on the album make the most of classic Zelda themes, old and new, by translating them into symphonic… Read More »

It’s about time! The original trilogy of Final Fantasy titles are getting piano arrangements thanks to Piano Opera Final Fantasy I/II/III! When Square started their Final Fantasy Piano Collections series, they started at IV and generally moved forward sequentially (VII got skipped, but was then recorded prior to the Advent Children film, and we’re still… Read More »

Ever17 is a game close to my heart. If you’ve been lucky enough to play through this deeply thought-provoking, emotional, and beautifully written visual novel, then I’m sure you feel the same way. When the game was rereleased on Xbox 360, the Ever17 Original Sound Tracks album was included with the game in Japan. Unfortunately,… Read More »

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked (or “Over Clock” in Japan) turns our expectations around on us and makes us question why we accept repetition. Unlike its JRPG brethren, Devil Survivor opts for serious decision making, non-linearity, and purposeful battles. However, the quality of its story and mechanics aren’t the only way in which it… Read More »

Black Rock Shooter is an interesting phenomenon. It started off as a piece of art that inspired a song that begat an anime, manga, and now a video game. This action RPG features a stylish soundtrack by Manabu Namiki that complements the look and feel of this cyberpunk girls-with-guns adventure. Electronica is the order of… Read More »

SQ Chips VV was distributed as a bonus CD for customers who bought the (excellent) SQ Chips album from Japanese bookstore Village Vanguard. Unfortunately, this side dish does not live up to the high standards set by its main course. Its six tracks are largely uninspired, feeling like a halfhearted release of songs that were… Read More »