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The Legend of Zelda franchise consistently delivers great, distinct music. More often than not, key themes are instantly recognizable and easily recalled after just a few notes. This is one of the best qualities brought by each of the composers throughout the franchise’s history and has inspired many fan artists to cover and arrange the… Read More »

After some re:birth and re:tune, it seems Square Enix Music has decided to “rebrand” their band-style arrangements with a whole new series of SaGa band arrangement albums in the form of DESTINY 8. Much like The Black Mages and The Primals, DESTINY 8 is a rock band with its sights set on a specific franchise.… Read More »

After a long run of hodge-podge arrange albums with the “SQ” moniker, Square Enix Music took some time away to regroup, rethinking their ideas for arrange albums. Over time, we have seen music released by genre, titled in a very generic and plain-stated way. Whether it’s for a specific game, a series, or the entire… Read More »

It is always exciting to see a solid piano arrangement come from Square Enix. We fans have come to expect a Piano Collections album for every main (numbered) entry in the Final Fantasy series, and we have also been surprised with piano arrange albums for Kingdom Hearts, NieR, and other franchises. Outside the numbered series,… Read More »

I waited twenty years for this day, and all I got was this strange, subversive, and fantastic album! Many times in many reviews and commentaries, I have lamented Square Enix’s general lack of support for Chrono Cross, specifically the incredible soundtrack by Yasunori Mitsuda. While fan arrangements have been released over the years with relatively… Read More »

Pixpil’s charming new RPG Eastward is like being wrapped in a warm blanket as it reflects memories of the genre’s greatest moments while following its own modern guideposts. Its soundtrack (penned by accomplished composer Joel Corelitz) masterfully straddles the line between the past and present, honoring established stylistic tropes while seamlessly shifting into contemporary influences.… Read More »

If you’re observant and as fascinated as I was that 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim had several strangely formatted track titles on its soundtrack, then you might have taken a trip back to your old high school chemistry classes. Many of the game’s battle tracks, such as “(VALINE)-,” “-(ISOLEUCINE)-,” and “-(METHIONINE)-” are named after amino acids, essentially the building… Read More »

A large portion of the plot in Grandia revolves around the lost Angelou civilization. The militaristic Garlyle Forces want to utilize its long-lost technology and find the Spirit Stone for their own gain. Young adventurer Justin is all about the journey and seeks these same ruins to discover the secret of an artifact his father… Read More »

Square Enix Music, rather appropriately in my opinion, built up a powerful musical edifice for the NieR franchise, especially since the 2017 breakout hit NieR: Automata arrived. Alongside dozens of live concert performances—at least four of which have retail Blu-ray concert recordings—there have been about 20 other official NieR music publications released by Square Enix.… Read More »

Persona 5 Strikers reimagines the Persona 5 universe through an action lens while staying true to the original’s atmosphere and aesthetic, so it’s only fitting that its soundtrack oscillates between imaginative new approaches and classic, acclaimed cuts. The game’s opening theme, “You Are Stronger,” is an electrifying slice of rock with inspired vocals from Lyn… Read More »

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening has captivated fans of the franchise for years with its whimsical take on the champion of Hyrule’s continuing adventures. The beloved title has been remastered three times now since 1993, but the most recent version has seen a complete overhaul to the game’s presentation. When Nintendo teased the game in… Read More »

For me, games don’t get much more relaxing than Stardew Valley. The serene atmosphere, friendly villagers, and slow-paced farm life have made the game one of my main go-tos for years when I want something laid back to play. It’s exactly why I nominated it for our Great Games to Play While You’re Still at Home feature last… Read More »

Wayô Records has made it a mission to provide soundtrack releases for games that would not be widely accessible otherwise. They’ve recently tackled gems such as Skies of Arcadia and Grandia and now turn their attention to an older game and even more ambitious project: ActRaiser. ActRaiser is an early SNES-era game with genre-hopping flair.… Read More »

Ikenfell is a collage of elements seemingly calibrated to appeal to my inner child. It’s a turn-based JRPG with timed button presses during combat. Its setting is a seemingly idyllic magical school that hides dark secrets. Its simple but striking character designs would be perfectly at home in a modern Saturday morning cartoon. Ikenfell’s setting… Read More »

Some of the very best music lends itself to interpretation again and again. It evolves over time without ever really losing anything. Romantic era composers often took inspiration from older folk tunes in their work, and even if they did not adhere closely to the structure of the classical music that came before, their work… Read More »

“Transient” feels like a pretty perfect word to describe the music of NieR. This might sound strange, but I challenge you to listen to even one song from the game and tell me there’s not something ephemeral about the music. Every track on both the NieR and NieR: Automata soundtracks have this ethereal quality, where… Read More »

Dreamscaper is a dream-delving, monster-slaying, character-building, friend-making action RPG/rogue-lite, and it is a heck of a thing. The main story follows Cassidy, an enigmatic young woman who lives alone and seems to be dealing with some serious baggage. By night, she journeys into her subconscious to face monstrous manifestations of her own personal demons. By… Read More »

Over the past decade, it’s been great fun to see established visionaries in the Japanese video game industry try their hand at mobile RPGs. It’s fascinating to see industry creatives adapt their design sensibilities to a medium centered on shorter, more focused gameplay loops. In 2017, Wright Flyer Studios released Another Eden: The Cat Beyond… Read More »

Materia Collective’s description of Parallelus is that the album contains “vibrant, lush reimaginings of the music of Chrono Cross,” and for fans of Yasunori Mitsuda’s incredible work on Chrono Cross, that’s all you really need to know. There, the review’s over; go pick it up at your local digital storefront. Okay, you’re right, that isn’t… Read More »

One may think that after the release of 2016’s Chronicles of Time — a massive 81-track, 6-hour musical collaboration — there was no more room for a giant Chrono Trigger tribute album, because what more could we need? One would, of course, be wrong. Enter EPOCH: A Tribute to Chrono Trigger. Featuring 60 tracks, clocking in at over 3.5 hours,… Read More »

Over the past five years, Square Enix’s music division has added a new product line to their commercial items: live music concerts, recorded and released on Blu-ray. Other publishers have been doing this for decades, even on VHS cassette. Having a high-fidelity format to work with and facing increased interest, Square Enix first dipped its… Read More »

Understanding the lore of Kingdom Hearts can be overwhelming, depending on how deep a dive you want to take. Even with just a cursory look at the main entries in the trilogy, you can come away with many legitimate arguments about the central theme of the Sora and pals vs. Xehanort saga. But if there… Read More »

The always pleasant Square Enix Jazz series, overseen and (largely) performed by skilled jazz brass duo Eijiro Nakagawa and Ryu Kawamura, is back with a timely addition to the group. The first volume covered titles from the Final Fantasy series, Volume 2 branched out into the entire Square Enix catalogue with some surprising selections, and… Read More »

When Square Enix Music knows they have a good thing, they tend not to let up on it. Exhibit A: NieR. Exhibit B: Octopath Traveler. Within months of the first arrange album’s release, Square Enix decided to double down by releasing this follow-up album of additional arranged material, which would later be incorporated in a… Read More »

“When listening to this soundtrack, I suggest you imagine being with the characters and crew on a ship ready to set sail for an adventure to uncover what lies beyond the horizon.” -Rieko Kodama, producer, liner notes for Skies of Arcadia Eternal Soundtrack Vinyl Edition The sound team working on Skies of Arcadia clearly knew… Read More »