The OST for “Revive” (the subtitle, “Sosei,” is just the Japanese word for Revive) uses music that fits the setting of the game quite well. There are some happy, light-hearted songs, but for the most part, the soundtrack features mysterious, ambient, enigmatic sounds that I dare say are not melodic. And as much as I normally would criticize this as a flaw, well … for this soundtrack, it works.
Yes, the man who normally despises a soundtrack full of droning ambient sounds has found himself won over. What makes this soundtrack stand out over others like it? One is repetition. Take a look: there are a number of “paired” tracks. Some are the same, except they end with “n” or “s.” Then there’s “I Can” and “Watashi no Koto” (the same sentence, in different languages). Then there’s Lineage of Darkness and Lineage of Blackness … only a slight variation in name. These “paired” tracks are generally the same song, but with a change in tempo, dynamic, and/or pitch.
The other thing that makes the soundtrack so good is the synthesized sounds and other instruments used. Composer “SIN” (a brash pseudonym if ever there was one) did a fantastic job picking the sounds that would present the music written for this game. This is a great nap- or bed-time album for me. I don’t remember any one song that well, but I can fade away into sleep with it nicely. I much prefer it over a CD of rain forest noises.
I’m also, surprisingly, glad that the opening and ending themes weren’t put on this OST. They are beautiful vocal tracks, but they don’t mesh with the OST overall. For the first time ever, I’m glad to have seen separate releases.
And here’s the final amazing fact: the Revive OST is still available! Somehow, Cocoebiz (VGMWorld) was able to obtain a whole box of new/sealed copies of the soundtrack (likely because it didn’t sell too well). If you’re interested in this album, or have a dire need to pick up albums for obscure games (how many love adventures did “Data East” make anyway?), be comforted in the fact that it is still available in limited quantities. If you like what you hear, go for it.
