Going into this review, I ought to say that I have never really gotten into the Shining games. I knew people growing up who loved them, and I did give Shining Force III a whirl on the Saturn. But this is new territory for me; usually I write reviews for soundtracks I know very well, like Ys or Shin Megami Tensei. So do forgive me if I overlook some subtleties or traditions in the music.
That said, I don’t know quite where to start. “Another Story” is quite an interesting little album. The sound quality is unlike anything I’ve heard before in that it mixes live instruments with synth. That’s nothing new, but the way it does so is. Take the strings for example: you have a pretty typical MIDI sound playing along, but layered on top of that is a real violin performance. Same with the horns. It makes for a nice, full sound, but sometimes the instruments just don’t blend right and it sounds odd and a little cheesy.
As for individual songs, the opening track is lively and spirited march after a calm introduction. The bar song was corny but thankfully short. ‘Cypress’ sounded like a great ‘take-off’ of a mighty army; it’s very good.
I suppose the entire sound of the soundtrack is very much like an anime or film OST, like the Princess Bride. It might have been more interesting in its day, but now it shows its age. Then again, even back then things like Ys and Dragon Warrior were already around, with very advanced musical performances and arrangements.
Regardless, “Another Story” is a piece of VGM history. It’s cheesy, but definitely not without its charming moments.
