E.O.V; Following last year's A Mighty Power, E.O.V is a worthy successor. Unlike some other games this year, the vocal part feels well-written, well-integrated, and properly used. The inclusion of vocals isn't just to sound epic, but it's a core part of the music that the piece wouldn't be the same without it; something I can't really say about a lot of other games that featured chorus vocals this year. It's not just a piece of music that features vocals, but is a good vocal piece. The chorus and solo singing is is really great, and used meaningfully, and the way the timbre drops to let the soloists lead into the climax of the piece is good, nuanced writing by someone who understands the flexibility of voice writing.
Inner Twilight; Absolutely lush harmonic writing at the beginning. I was completely enamored by just how colorful the writing was in this one. Another great use of the Heimdallr theme.
Phantom Glimmer; Absolutely captures the mood of this place. Since similarly built locations were in previous Trails games (i'm being purposefully vague here), the instrumentation being similar to those locations in other games make sense. The lush timbre, wet sound mixing, and ethereal majesty of the music really made me understand just what kind of place I was in during this part of the game. Totally beautiful track(that opening figure is something I think about daily), and I love the percussion in this one (sleigh bells and hand percussion with the reverb are great).
Reverie Corridor; Most of the same as Phantom Glimmer, except the more determined sound conveys a good sense of exploration and motion. Totally beautiful part-writing.
To A Glimmering Tomorrow/Season of Departure; These two tracks totally wrecked me. A really great, albeit unexpected, final battle theme. It's a very sweet track that carries the emotional connections between the main cast in a convincing manner. Compared to the rest of the tracks that play during battle, this one is totally different, but it's super effective.
Senkou no Yukue; Like all Trails OPs, this is good. I love their main theme songs.
I'm only a recent convert to Falcom due to the fact that I only really discovered their existence over the past couple of years, but I don't think I've fallen in love with the output of a company as fast as I've fallen for them. The music was something I didn't know just how much i'd love, but i'm always consistently in awe by just how good the music they put out is. Since Cold Steel 2 includes much of Cold Steel 1's music, the sheer depth and variety of music in this game is insane. Cold Steel 2 is a two disc release and has a ton of music variety that is cohesive and in many ways elevates the first game's music. Cold Steel 2's soundtrack is my favorite of the year because of how well-made it is. The battle themes live up to the incredibly high standards set by the series. The field music captures the sense of exploration and mood of the scenario very well. The dungeon and event music elevate their scenarios and points/places where they're used. Overall, the music is just such an integral part of the game, that I feel like it really helped create a ton of perfect moments that elevated the rest of the game with it. This amazing soundtrack is definitely a key component to establishing the tone of the game, and is so consistently of a high quality that it's hard to find any major faults with it. At first I didn't think i'd like the music of these games, but it's so ridiculously well-made and well thought out that I feel like everyone can appreciate the craftsmanship on display here. I certainly became a huge fan for life.
At the end of the day, please give this game's music a listen, and please give this game's series a try. The soundtracks for these games are something I listen to daily, and the games themselves are something I think about daily too, and will carry them with me always. I hope you'll fall in love with them as much as I did.
2. World of Final Fantasy
Absolutely amazing soundtrack as expected from the master, Masashi Hamauzu. It's harder to describe in simpler words, but basically his works always exhibit a lot of thoughtfulness, cohesion, and an absolute refinement of his material from the orchestration to the notes on the pages. His stuff is so high-quality that it's really hard not to recognize the amount of refinement he puts into his works. He always has clear ideas and executes the flawlessly in the best ways possible.
World of Final Fantasy is another game to join his legacy of great game soundtracks.
While I won't write as much here as I did for the above mentioned title, later I want to talk a little about how this soundtrack really is the culmination of a lot of ideas and works he's put out since leaving Square Enix after Final Fantasy XIII. Works of note include Legend of Legacy, Binbougami ga, Final Symphony (Final Fantasy X Piano Concerto), two albums with IMERUAT (Hamauza/Mina group that did the albums Black Ocean and Propelled Life as well as concerts), Sony World Clock website music, Paulette's Chair, and Typhoon Noruda.
In WoFF his style and adaptability really shines. From the fun/whimsical tracks, to emotional moments, to epic battles, and even atmospheric soundscapes, he covers it all with a really outstanding level of craftsmanship and attention to detail. In some pieces that I initially thought were cheesy or overly cute, I was extremely surprised to find such incredible compositions waiting underneath those cute exteriors. The simply titled Happy Melody was one such piece. In what sounds like a piano/bass/recorder/wood block/triangle piece, he manages to maintain his style while bringing with a level of harmonic complexity with such an odd assortment of instruments that is wholly his own sound. Without someone with good orchestration skills, it's easy to see how such a piece could've gone wrong in so many ways, but instead Hamauzu makes it feel like the most natural combination in the world.
Structurally, Happy Melody really is very straightforward, like most of his music. Extremely clean formal structures, well-spaced repetition and evolution of material, and clarity of presentation. Each instrument is treated with an equal amount of care, and each voice is always able to be heard because Hamauzu always has something interesting to say with each part. Instead of padding out the material and instrumentation, he uses only what's essential to deliver the material in the best fashion, and subsequently this affects the form by using repetition as a means to show how strong the material is that each part can stand as an individual. He never lets the material overstay its welcome either. It only lasts as long as it needs to, and as a result, he truly is the master of short-form, which is a huge majority of video game music. Honestly, this track is one of my favorites of the year because of just how perfect and concise it is. I've listened to it QUITE A LOT. Comical Melody is another very similar track with regards to approach and fun instrumentation/mood. The ostinato in that is simply amazing and colorful, and has some minor parts in it that are reminiscent of the piano part in the shop music from Legend of Legacy.
World of Grymoire is the title screen track. With Hamauzu, there's a certain amount of love that goes into these tracks, and I feel that his title screen pieces are among some of the best in the business. They always have such a sonorous warmth to them, and always manage to capture the feeling of the game in the best way possible. The first time I heard this track, I just closed my eyes and focused on the music, and by the end it ended up making me cry from just how beautiful it is, especially during the emotional climax of it (with the repeated 12-note pattern in the piano while the strings change their harmonies). There's something about the way his lush string writing and extended-tertian harmonic structures manage to hit me in the right spot every time, and this title track is no exception. One of my favorite tricks Hamauzu uses is the way he repeats material verbatim while repurposing the accompaniment, truly bringing a paradigm shift to the way you understand the melodic material. It's something he does extremely well.
World of Beauty is essentially the march prelude/overture for WoFF, like he's done with titles such as FF XIII, SaGa Frontier II, and Unlimited SaGa. I absolutely adore the repetition of multiple notes back-to back. Instead of using longer durations or just connecting the notes, the repeated notes give a nice shape to the sound because of the articulation of each pitch, repeated or not. It also allows for some cool minor rhythmic counterpoint. There are three instances of this in the main thematic phrase. In the C section, when the countermelody comes in with the flute/piano accompanied by the clarinet french horns/strings, it's an absolutely sublime contrast to the march section and has a really nice sense of motion to it despite the removal of percussion. Absolute refinement and clarity of ideas is on display here, and it's phenomenal. Moonlight Melody is a much reduced version of this material, and is absolutely sublime.
Lann's Melody is another piece I really love, though the section at 1:04 is totally amazing with how it develops, and the counterpoint on display. It's very much influenced from his IMERUAT work Leave Me Alone. Though it also seemingly has auditory ties to the track Hidden Forest from Legend of Legacy as well.
Reynn's Melody is more regal in presentation at the beginning (much like a processional), using stately downbeat strings with the melody that flows over the top. In the first two main sections, the main material and harmonic structure is repeated verbatim, but the change instrumentation transforms that material into a much more nuanced piece of perfection. Where the first melody was in the trumpet and oboe with a stately string accompaniment, the second time around the melody is in a cello at a high register except the piano fills the orchestra's spot, before being joined near the end of the phrase by the trumpet and oboe from the first phrase. The flip in orchestration is done very well because it clears up the sound so that the opposites can bring out the best in each other. A cello solo with an orchestra would be much less clear than piano and cello. When the strings start to move more underneath all three solo voices (at about 0:55), the way they move is reminiscent of People of the Far North/Servants of the Mountain. When the rest of the piece cools off, it reminds me a lot of the piano writing for Vanille's Theme in Final Fantasy XIII. The English horn solo after the quasi-reprise, followed by a doubling in the flute is a really great way to reintroduce the material in this sort of ternary form, but with a darker sound color than the intro.
World of Nine Woods Hills is so IMERUAT. Besides using vocals from Mina, the pop style fused with his own is basically the signature sound of that group. The intro is great, the buildup with the cello countermelody is great, the actual chorus is fantastic with simple vocals that really bring out a unique color thanks to the more breathy timbre of Mina's voice, and the subsequent instrumental version of that material with the piano and cello between entries of the chorus is absolutely lush. Very fun piece.
I love the battle themes. While I won't drone on them too much since i've already written a ton, I just want to say I really love them all. World of Battle is just so much fun and the way the instruments work with the more upbeat, rock-tempo is a ton of fun. The blending of styles is so much fun. Mega World of Battle is very reminiscent of IMERUAT's Giant in all the right ways and is a really fun piece.
My absolute favorite battle track is Another World of Battle. The chord structure, ostinato, electronic samples used, and the melody are all just so perfect. The melody is a great example of Hamauzu using his trademark cantabile style of melodic writing. The way the main melody handles repetition of phrasing (a a' a a' a a'') (each 4 bars long) is just so good, especially when the accompaniment repurposes itself consistently to keep the texture always interesting. You can tell that he was very confident about the material that it warranted such repetition, and I honestly love it a whole lot! The cello solo in the B section is such a good contrast to the material before it. Then the cooldown happens, and there's a nice little erhu solo to lead back into the section that ties into the loop as the tempo and texture pick back up. The excellent sense of phrasing, contrasting material, repetition, harmonic structure, and melodic figures just make it such an enjoyable track to listen to, and I always find myself humming the main melody when filling up a bottle of water or walking to my car at work. Very catchy and always great.
World of the Cathedral is a track that totally floored me the first time I heard it. Absolute sublime treatment of the material and impeccable orchestration. The way the cadential phrase period has step-wise chant connotations really lends itself to mimicry of voice part-writing. It's written in F phrygian! What's cool is only the pentatonic notes are used till the scordatura in m.7, which give it this amazing mood and intense change of mood from the rest of the phrase that really draws the listener in. The way it repeats the melody over and over while repurposing all elements of the accompaniment is amazing. When the percussion is layered in with the bass voice the music is elevated beyond the mortal realm into god-like territory for me. It's such a fun melody to sing, since it's in my vocal range, and it's a great example of Hamauzu repurposing accompaniment to suit an unchanging melody. The melody is just so solid that it's easy to understand why he built the whole piece around it, without it changing. I absolutely love this track with every fiber of my being and it's completely perfect in every way.
Anxious Melody reminds me a ton of Luxerion from Lightning Returns, particularly this section.
World of Addy is a really great take on the material from Besaid Island.
World of Sunshine is a great arangement of the main theme.
World of Sand is a really nice atmospheric piece that is very reminiscent of IMERUAT's Black Ocean, but with a middle section that elaborates on the fundamental parts scattered in the ethereal soundscape in a concise manner that is extremely alluring.
Hauyn's Melody is just good ol' Hamauzu piano writing. Sounds in line with a lot of his World Clock works. Just a simple idea elaborated and explored before it overstays its welcome.
Last World of Battle is a fantastic track that illustrates his mastery of orchestration, and is reminiscent of a few XIII tracks.
World of Hope is a a really lush soundscape with tons of repetition. Almost minimalist in a way with how it handles the repetition and layering in the first section. The melody even present is sparse, and when its used it's a lot of longer notes and longer phrases instead something more intricately written. The warmth that the color of this sound gives off is something I very much like.
Arrangements these are not only by Hamauzu, but also Shingo Kataoka, Hayata Takeda, and Takashi Honda. All of these composers did such a great job not only making good arrangements, but good arrangements that can stand on their own and mesh with the aural style of the game in a fun way. Prismelody: Lightning Returns is such a fun take on the original, and when the hand percussion comes in (good clapping and skin percussion!), the texture of the piece is so lively and fun. Prismelody: Snow -F- is super reminiscent of of Cirotto from IMERUAT's Black Ocean and a great arrangement of Snow's Theme. There were also good arrangements of tracks from Sigma Harmonics and Dirge of Cerberus as well.
For the more non-Hamauzu arranged stuff (using the credits as sourcing), I really enjoyed Prismelody: Eternal Wind, the three Clash on the Big Bridge arrangements, Prismelody: The Fierce Battle, Prismelody: Decisive Battle, Prismelody: Those Who Fight, Prismelody: Those Who Fight Further, Prismelody: Balamb Garden, Prismelody: Festival of the Hunt, Prismelody: A Fleeting Dream (a great arrangement surprisingly not handled by Hamauzu according to the liner notes), Prismelody: The Sending, Prismelody: Blitz Off! / Zanarkand, Prismelody: Chocobo / Wishes, Prismelody: Blinded by Light (duuuude I love this), and a few others too! The arrangements are great.
Overall I really love this soundtrack. It's about half and half new stuff /old stuff, with the old stuff being arrangements that are absolutely on point. I love how the culmination of Hamauzu's style over the past few years and influences from his other recent works can so easily be heard in the OST. It's such a solidly made soundtrack, and when you factor in the arrangements it's really is apparent that it's a large work of love that's consistent throughout. The way the aesthetic is kept consistent throughout the game is also really impressive when you consider the sheer number of original tracks and arrangements. I find that it worked its way into my daily listening while at work, and it never fails to absorb me. I love that despite being a fantastic game soundtrack, it's also just phenomenal music on its own. Even when I was in grad school, I was bringing piano reductions of a lot of his works to my composition and piano lessons. Heck, I even dedicated part of my graduate thesis to presenting analysis of his works since they hold up very well in even the academic space. Easily the best soundtrack for a game with Final Fantasy in the title this year by light-years. Can't wait to see what Hamauzu does next! He's always such an interesting composer that expands to the coolest projects.
Inner Twilight; Absolutely lush harmonic writing at the beginning. I was completely enamored by just how colorful the writing was in this one. Another great use of the Heimdallr theme.
Phantom Glimmer; Absolutely captures the mood of this place. Since similarly built locations were in previous Trails games (i'm being purposefully vague here), the instrumentation being similar to those locations in other games make sense. The lush timbre, wet sound mixing, and ethereal majesty of the music really made me understand just what kind of place I was in during this part of the game. Totally beautiful track(that opening figure is something I think about daily), and I love the percussion in this one (sleigh bells and hand percussion with the reverb are great).
Reverie Corridor; Most of the same as Phantom Glimmer, except the more determined sound conveys a good sense of exploration and motion. Totally beautiful part-writing.
To A Glimmering Tomorrow/Season of Departure; These two tracks totally wrecked me. A really great, albeit unexpected, final battle theme. It's a very sweet track that carries the emotional connections between the main cast in a convincing manner. Compared to the rest of the tracks that play during battle, this one is totally different, but it's super effective.
Senkou no Yukue; Like all Trails OPs, this is good. I love their main theme songs.
I'm only a recent convert to Falcom due to the fact that I only really discovered their existence over the past couple of years, but I don't think I've fallen in love with the output of a company as fast as I've fallen for them. The music was something I didn't know just how much i'd love, but i'm always consistently in awe by just how good the music they put out is. Since Cold Steel 2 includes much of Cold Steel 1's music, the sheer depth and variety of music in this game is insane. Cold Steel 2 is a two disc release and has a ton of music variety that is cohesive and in many ways elevates the first game's music. Cold Steel 2's soundtrack is my favorite of the year because of how well-made it is. The battle themes live up to the incredibly high standards set by the series. The field music captures the sense of exploration and mood of the scenario very well. The dungeon and event music elevate their scenarios and points/places where they're used. Overall, the music is just such an integral part of the game, that I feel like it really helped create a ton of perfect moments that elevated the rest of the game with it. This amazing soundtrack is definitely a key component to establishing the tone of the game, and is so consistently of a high quality that it's hard to find any major faults with it. At first I didn't think i'd like the music of these games, but it's so ridiculously well-made and well thought out that I feel like everyone can appreciate the craftsmanship on display here. I certainly became a huge fan for life.
At the end of the day, please give this game's music a listen, and please give this game's series a try. The soundtracks for these games are something I listen to daily, and the games themselves are something I think about daily too, and will carry them with me always. I hope you'll fall in love with them as much as I did.
2. World of Final Fantasy
Absolutely amazing soundtrack as expected from the master, Masashi Hamauzu. It's harder to describe in simpler words, but basically his works always exhibit a lot of thoughtfulness, cohesion, and an absolute refinement of his material from the orchestration to the notes on the pages. His stuff is so high-quality that it's really hard not to recognize the amount of refinement he puts into his works. He always has clear ideas and executes the flawlessly in the best ways possible.
World of Final Fantasy is another game to join his legacy of great game soundtracks.
While I won't write as much here as I did for the above mentioned title, later I want to talk a little about how this soundtrack really is the culmination of a lot of ideas and works he's put out since leaving Square Enix after Final Fantasy XIII. Works of note include Legend of Legacy, Binbougami ga, Final Symphony (Final Fantasy X Piano Concerto), two albums with IMERUAT (Hamauza/Mina group that did the albums Black Ocean and Propelled Life as well as concerts), Sony World Clock website music, Paulette's Chair, and Typhoon Noruda.
In WoFF his style and adaptability really shines. From the fun/whimsical tracks, to emotional moments, to epic battles, and even atmospheric soundscapes, he covers it all with a really outstanding level of craftsmanship and attention to detail. In some pieces that I initially thought were cheesy or overly cute, I was extremely surprised to find such incredible compositions waiting underneath those cute exteriors. The simply titled Happy Melody was one such piece. In what sounds like a piano/bass/recorder/wood block/triangle piece, he manages to maintain his style while bringing with a level of harmonic complexity with such an odd assortment of instruments that is wholly his own sound. Without someone with good orchestration skills, it's easy to see how such a piece could've gone wrong in so many ways, but instead Hamauzu makes it feel like the most natural combination in the world.
Structurally, Happy Melody really is very straightforward, like most of his music. Extremely clean formal structures, well-spaced repetition and evolution of material, and clarity of presentation. Each instrument is treated with an equal amount of care, and each voice is always able to be heard because Hamauzu always has something interesting to say with each part. Instead of padding out the material and instrumentation, he uses only what's essential to deliver the material in the best fashion, and subsequently this affects the form by using repetition as a means to show how strong the material is that each part can stand as an individual. He never lets the material overstay its welcome either. It only lasts as long as it needs to, and as a result, he truly is the master of short-form, which is a huge majority of video game music. Honestly, this track is one of my favorites of the year because of just how perfect and concise it is. I've listened to it QUITE A LOT. Comical Melody is another very similar track with regards to approach and fun instrumentation/mood. The ostinato in that is simply amazing and colorful, and has some minor parts in it that are reminiscent of the piano part in the shop music from Legend of Legacy.
World of Grymoire is the title screen track. With Hamauzu, there's a certain amount of love that goes into these tracks, and I feel that his title screen pieces are among some of the best in the business. They always have such a sonorous warmth to them, and always manage to capture the feeling of the game in the best way possible. The first time I heard this track, I just closed my eyes and focused on the music, and by the end it ended up making me cry from just how beautiful it is, especially during the emotional climax of it (with the repeated 12-note pattern in the piano while the strings change their harmonies). There's something about the way his lush string writing and extended-tertian harmonic structures manage to hit me in the right spot every time, and this title track is no exception. One of my favorite tricks Hamauzu uses is the way he repeats material verbatim while repurposing the accompaniment, truly bringing a paradigm shift to the way you understand the melodic material. It's something he does extremely well.
World of Beauty is essentially the march prelude/overture for WoFF, like he's done with titles such as FF XIII, SaGa Frontier II, and Unlimited SaGa. I absolutely adore the repetition of multiple notes back-to back. Instead of using longer durations or just connecting the notes, the repeated notes give a nice shape to the sound because of the articulation of each pitch, repeated or not. It also allows for some cool minor rhythmic counterpoint. There are three instances of this in the main thematic phrase. In the C section, when the countermelody comes in with the flute/piano accompanied by the clarinet french horns/strings, it's an absolutely sublime contrast to the march section and has a really nice sense of motion to it despite the removal of percussion. Absolute refinement and clarity of ideas is on display here, and it's phenomenal. Moonlight Melody is a much reduced version of this material, and is absolutely sublime.
Lann's Melody is another piece I really love, though the section at 1:04 is totally amazing with how it develops, and the counterpoint on display. It's very much influenced from his IMERUAT work Leave Me Alone. Though it also seemingly has auditory ties to the track Hidden Forest from Legend of Legacy as well.
Reynn's Melody is more regal in presentation at the beginning (much like a processional), using stately downbeat strings with the melody that flows over the top. In the first two main sections, the main material and harmonic structure is repeated verbatim, but the change instrumentation transforms that material into a much more nuanced piece of perfection. Where the first melody was in the trumpet and oboe with a stately string accompaniment, the second time around the melody is in a cello at a high register except the piano fills the orchestra's spot, before being joined near the end of the phrase by the trumpet and oboe from the first phrase. The flip in orchestration is done very well because it clears up the sound so that the opposites can bring out the best in each other. A cello solo with an orchestra would be much less clear than piano and cello. When the strings start to move more underneath all three solo voices (at about 0:55), the way they move is reminiscent of People of the Far North/Servants of the Mountain. When the rest of the piece cools off, it reminds me a lot of the piano writing for Vanille's Theme in Final Fantasy XIII. The English horn solo after the quasi-reprise, followed by a doubling in the flute is a really great way to reintroduce the material in this sort of ternary form, but with a darker sound color than the intro.
World of Nine Woods Hills is so IMERUAT. Besides using vocals from Mina, the pop style fused with his own is basically the signature sound of that group. The intro is great, the buildup with the cello countermelody is great, the actual chorus is fantastic with simple vocals that really bring out a unique color thanks to the more breathy timbre of Mina's voice, and the subsequent instrumental version of that material with the piano and cello between entries of the chorus is absolutely lush. Very fun piece.
I love the battle themes. While I won't drone on them too much since i've already written a ton, I just want to say I really love them all. World of Battle is just so much fun and the way the instruments work with the more upbeat, rock-tempo is a ton of fun. The blending of styles is so much fun. Mega World of Battle is very reminiscent of IMERUAT's Giant in all the right ways and is a really fun piece.
My absolute favorite battle track is Another World of Battle. The chord structure, ostinato, electronic samples used, and the melody are all just so perfect. The melody is a great example of Hamauzu using his trademark cantabile style of melodic writing. The way the main melody handles repetition of phrasing (a a' a a' a a'') (each 4 bars long) is just so good, especially when the accompaniment repurposes itself consistently to keep the texture always interesting. You can tell that he was very confident about the material that it warranted such repetition, and I honestly love it a whole lot! The cello solo in the B section is such a good contrast to the material before it. Then the cooldown happens, and there's a nice little erhu solo to lead back into the section that ties into the loop as the tempo and texture pick back up. The excellent sense of phrasing, contrasting material, repetition, harmonic structure, and melodic figures just make it such an enjoyable track to listen to, and I always find myself humming the main melody when filling up a bottle of water or walking to my car at work. Very catchy and always great.
World of the Cathedral is a track that totally floored me the first time I heard it. Absolute sublime treatment of the material and impeccable orchestration. The way the cadential phrase period has step-wise chant connotations really lends itself to mimicry of voice part-writing. It's written in F phrygian! What's cool is only the pentatonic notes are used till the scordatura in m.7, which give it this amazing mood and intense change of mood from the rest of the phrase that really draws the listener in. The way it repeats the melody over and over while repurposing all elements of the accompaniment is amazing. When the percussion is layered in with the bass voice the music is elevated beyond the mortal realm into god-like territory for me. It's such a fun melody to sing, since it's in my vocal range, and it's a great example of Hamauzu repurposing accompaniment to suit an unchanging melody. The melody is just so solid that it's easy to understand why he built the whole piece around it, without it changing. I absolutely love this track with every fiber of my being and it's completely perfect in every way.
Anxious Melody reminds me a ton of Luxerion from Lightning Returns, particularly this section.
World of Addy is a really great take on the material from Besaid Island.
World of Sunshine is a great arangement of the main theme.
World of Sand is a really nice atmospheric piece that is very reminiscent of IMERUAT's Black Ocean, but with a middle section that elaborates on the fundamental parts scattered in the ethereal soundscape in a concise manner that is extremely alluring.
Hauyn's Melody is just good ol' Hamauzu piano writing. Sounds in line with a lot of his World Clock works. Just a simple idea elaborated and explored before it overstays its welcome.
Last World of Battle is a fantastic track that illustrates his mastery of orchestration, and is reminiscent of a few XIII tracks.
World of Hope is a a really lush soundscape with tons of repetition. Almost minimalist in a way with how it handles the repetition and layering in the first section. The melody even present is sparse, and when its used it's a lot of longer notes and longer phrases instead something more intricately written. The warmth that the color of this sound gives off is something I very much like.
Arrangements these are not only by Hamauzu, but also Shingo Kataoka, Hayata Takeda, and Takashi Honda. All of these composers did such a great job not only making good arrangements, but good arrangements that can stand on their own and mesh with the aural style of the game in a fun way. Prismelody: Lightning Returns is such a fun take on the original, and when the hand percussion comes in (good clapping and skin percussion!), the texture of the piece is so lively and fun. Prismelody: Snow -F- is super reminiscent of of Cirotto from IMERUAT's Black Ocean and a great arrangement of Snow's Theme. There were also good arrangements of tracks from Sigma Harmonics and Dirge of Cerberus as well.
For the more non-Hamauzu arranged stuff (using the credits as sourcing), I really enjoyed Prismelody: Eternal Wind, the three Clash on the Big Bridge arrangements, Prismelody: The Fierce Battle, Prismelody: Decisive Battle, Prismelody: Those Who Fight, Prismelody: Those Who Fight Further, Prismelody: Balamb Garden, Prismelody: Festival of the Hunt, Prismelody: A Fleeting Dream (a great arrangement surprisingly not handled by Hamauzu according to the liner notes), Prismelody: The Sending, Prismelody: Blitz Off! / Zanarkand, Prismelody: Chocobo / Wishes, Prismelody: Blinded by Light (duuuude I love this), and a few others too! The arrangements are great.
Overall I really love this soundtrack. It's about half and half new stuff /old stuff, with the old stuff being arrangements that are absolutely on point. I love how the culmination of Hamauzu's style over the past few years and influences from his other recent works can so easily be heard in the OST. It's such a solidly made soundtrack, and when you factor in the arrangements it's really is apparent that it's a large work of love that's consistent throughout. The way the aesthetic is kept consistent throughout the game is also really impressive when you consider the sheer number of original tracks and arrangements. I find that it worked its way into my daily listening while at work, and it never fails to absorb me. I love that despite being a fantastic game soundtrack, it's also just phenomenal music on its own. Even when I was in grad school, I was bringing piano reductions of a lot of his works to my composition and piano lessons. Heck, I even dedicated part of my graduate thesis to presenting analysis of his works since they hold up very well in even the academic space. Easily the best soundtrack for a game with Final Fantasy in the title this year by light-years. Can't wait to see what Hamauzu does next! He's always such an interesting composer that expands to the coolest projects.
