Do you know Soukaigi? You don’t, do you? Perhaps you have seen that name in an import review section, only to erase it from your in-mind database immediately after reading the devastating reviews. Indeed, many reviewers have not treated the game very kindly. Although it was released solely in Japan, even there few people purchased Yuke’s Square-published action RPG. Yet, I always liked the game, mostly due to the great soundtrack, of course.
Sure, it comes on one 17-track long CD, but the music still manages to impress. Unlike many of Square’s other high-profile composers, namely Nobuo Uematsu and Yasunori Mitsuda, Hiroki Kikuta’s music has more of a Japanese feel and sound to it, which is accentuated by the two great Japanese vocal themes, “Quake” and “Lovely Strains.” The music’s style as a whole is extremely lively and more upbeat than the predominantly orchestrated compositions of traditional RPGs such as Final Fantasy: most likely due to the more action-oriented gameplay.
I would recommend this soundtrack to any true lover of videogame music. It’s an absolute must buy, up there with Xenogears, Final Fantasy VI, VII, and IX, Chrono Cross, and Parasite Eve. Soukaigi should be a nice aural change for your ears, and will make a great addition to your game music library.
