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Favorite Final Fantasy Soundtracks

Posted: 27th February 2015 16:14

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How's it going in the Caves? smile.gif Ahaha I was lurking on another forum when i came across a topic almost the same as to this one I'm about to start because i searched it up here and couldn't find a similar topic. Well anyways, what are some of your favorite songs from the Final Fantasy series? I thought it would be a good idea to share your favorite songs mostly because the series has some of the best soundtracks in any video games out and also because I'm a weirdo and put tracks from the games onto my Ipod and just jam out. (I can't be the only one right?) Haha well here are a couple of my favorite tracks to start it off:

Final Fantasy IX - Freya's Theme
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssbspcdnZMM

Final Fantasy IX is my favorite game in the series hands down. This track though is definitely one of my favorites because when you first get to Burmecia the scene is all dark and rainy and if you're playing for the first time you're probably wondering what the hell is going on? It sounds pretty depressing for a bit and then it becomes somewhat more brighter sounding if that makes sense? As if it will stop raining or something. I have so many favorite tracks from this game and this is one of them for sure.

Final Fantasy VIII - Force Your Way
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FU5c7-5xG-o

I've recently played through FF VIII after downloading it off PSN(i know most people here hate on it) and for some reason this track is one of my favorites already, I can't really explain why other than the fact that if you fight enough bosses in the game this song will eventually get stuck in your head at least it did for me, it's pretty mellow sounding for a boss fight though if you know what I mean compared to VI or VII, IX had the best in my opinion though.

Final Fantasy IX - Kuja's Theme + The Dark Messenger/Trance Kuja
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2spjqRmQGRA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Awblyu-rJ_E

You shouldn't be surprised about these two because like i said, FF IX is my favorite tongue.gif These themes though are also dark and sketchy sounding which is sick especially in the later parts of the game obviously for those that have played. The two themes are pretty similar as to why I put them together although I always found the second to be somewhat of a conclusion to the first. The Dark Messenger theme is honestly just too good! Kuja is also my favorite Villain in the series so maybe that's why.

Final Fantasy VI - The Returners
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7W8ueywPys

This theme probably isn't anyone's favorite although it is one of mine because it reminds me of the first time I ever played the game and you realize that it's just the beginning of what's to happen. Won't say much else other than the fact that you know sh*t is about to go down after the returners meeting!!

Anyways these are just a few examples of some of my favorite theme's I can list about a thousand more except I doubt anyone would be that interested aha, so everybody what are some of your favorite themes/battle music/etc from the Final Fantasy universe? smile.gif





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Posted: 27th February 2015 23:20

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Final Fantasy VI most definitely holds the title for best soundtrack in my opinion. Though, the victory fanfare is always a good one to have.

Brental Floss decided to give it lyrics:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8NsnLfIAcs

Anyway, we'll just go with some FFVI soundtracks. Since Bakedsabbath did the Returner's theme, I'm going to go with the next ones in line:

nothing says Samurai Cabillero like Cyan's theme.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bi_Zex0qILc

Intense and slow at first, reflective and sad in nature, then slowly turns into the hopeful adventurer. The background music contrasts with the flute in the foreground. Beautifully done.

Next we delve into another different type of warrior. Mistaken for a cold-hearted killer, her warmth shines through and the soul of a bard suddenly appears under her rough warrior-princess exterior.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoBn04lcNmo

A sense of longing seems to come from this theme. Whether it's for Locke, or maybe a break in the darkness she sees.

Reminiscent of an old Pink Floyd song about greed, this march reflects fascination and horror at this huge, mechanical complex. I can never speedrun FFVI because I have to linger at the factory extra long just to take in the beautiful background music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7DvsG5U25A

An eternal struggle of machines.

How about the theme of madness? A whirling song that starts out with a little bit of whimsy then gathers intensity until it quiets down as if to say "shhh", then explodes back into its maniacal self.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcMDlgdnZPI

Dance and sway like a puppet! Dance and sway!

I could go on forever.

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Posted: 28th February 2015 12:40

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VI is the magnum opus of the series, but VII is much longer and more involved.

IDK, it's a toss up between the two.

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Posted: 2nd March 2015 21:54

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I don't have lot of time right now, but I'll see what favorites I can recall.

Let's see, the first thing I can think of is the boss battle music in FFMQ. Nostalgia is a factor, but I usually played mute when I was a kid. The music just good; definitely one of my favorites.

After that, I've got the boss theme for FF6 in my head. That really needs to be a heavy metal song. Every time I hear it all I can think about is electric guitars -- well, and the magic I'm throwing around. (looked it up, and Erock did it. "The Decisive battle starts at 0:50.) I'm listening to it right now and I can't get over how epic it is. It's exciting, but not stressful; and it blends well with the sound effects.

I also like Awakening. It's a perfect theme for Terra. It starts out with a really comforting feel, like a warm home; then it becomes sort of contemplative, like you have to leave soon. I'm not really an expert in music and the emotions it invokes, but that's the effect the song has on me. That's probably partly because I associate this song with Mobliz.

Yeah, that's all I can think of right now, I have to do school. smile.gif
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Posted: 3rd March 2015 04:23

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I gave this some thought the other day, and I think my tops would have to be
VI
XIII
IX
VIII

Nothing can top my undying affection for the FFVI soundtrack, but I think as far as pure listenability goes, XIII is probably the best score, as well as being one of the most consistent. It took me until the later portion of the game, but I realized just how many outstanding tracks there are in there, and surprisingly hardly any flat ones.
VIII I actually think is more consistent overall than IX, but the highs don't reach the same height.

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Posted: 4th March 2015 14:40

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This thread made me look back at this forum, which for some reason we still have visible so many years down the line. I wish we could do another one of those! Anyway, the point in linking that is to show that anecdotally at that point in time, Final Fantasy VI generally stomped the other games in the series. It's worth noting that our voting, there, happened just around the time of Final Fantasy XIII, and well before the reboot of XIV or the Western release of III.

Anyway, like I say, that's just anecdota. For my own opinion, I'm still going to have to echo that bracket as well as most other posters here and go with Final Fantasy VI. It's the best in terms of both breadth and depth for me. While much shorter, I also love Final Fantasy IV, particularly in the case of the Celtic Moon arrangements, which I talked about quite a bit in our Final Fantasy IV podcast episode.

However, that said, I think if you take all of the games in the XIII series together, since they share so many common themes or variations thereof, it's probably my second favorite now. It's true kind of for the same reason that Sherick mentioned above. I also quite like Final Fantasy Tactics' soundtrack, but it isn't exactly as listenable as it, rightly so, is far more militaristic and has less variation among the tracks.

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Posted: 8th March 2015 18:54

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Okay, so, I've been absent here for a long time. And one of the main reasons is that there are many of the main series FFs that I either haven't played or I need to refresh them in my memory. Your post makes me curious how I'm going to feel about FFXIII's soundtrack. After I finish my thesis and graduate this summer, I'm planning on going through all of the FFs properly, and after all these years be a true member of CON!

The difficulty for me would be picking my second favorite. FFVI has been my favorite soundtrack for a long time. Recently, I've actually been going back and forth between FFVI, and of all games, Sonic 1, as my all-time favorite. I didn't like playing the game very much, and it's much shorter than FFVI's, but every song in it is perfect.

But the music in FFVI still gets the edge for me. We can all still argue about one's favorite FF for story, gameplay, etc. Obviously for me, I consider it the best game ever made, but I admit that there can be arguments made. But it's hard to make an argument against the soundtrack in favor of another. FFVI's sophistication is hard for me to explain, so look here.

Recently, my friend on YouTube, BlueAuraEX, isolated the main theme from FFVI's ending theme, and I think it is a perfect example that shows how Uematsu went the extra step in the soundtrack to experiment with different movement, keys, melodies, and motifs all within a single piece of music. I always appreciated that with FFVI's soundtrack.

One thing that may be controversial about the soundtrack are the synthesized voices in a few of the opera scene songs. I was wondering how you all feel about those.

Aria di Mezzo Carattere

Some people seem to not like them, feeling that they ruin the songs. Personally, I like the synthesized voices. It reminded me of studying operas. Often, operas were sung in foreign languages, so opera houses would hand out lyrics in a language you can understand.

As I listen I tend to imagine that they are speaking in a foreign language, or they are chanting, using their voices like instruments (like a jazz singer might). But what do you guys think?

I would probably have to choose IX as my second favorite in the series. I think that, if I were picking a game in the series purely for aesthetic value (meaning everything from graphics and art design, to FMV work, and to music), it would be IX at the top. This song was the one that really jumped out to me. I remember thinking, "don't go into another battle, I just want to hear that song again," and I'm not someone who minds random battles either. This song, mixed with the ruins you're going through, in the rain, made for a powerful experience.

Burmecian Kingdom

After that, I would have to pick FFVII, or FFVII and FFIX may be tied.

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Posted: 12th March 2015 17:17

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Quote (Rangers51 @ 4th March 2015 09:40)
I also quite like Final Fantasy Tactics' soundtrack, but it isn't exactly as listenable as it, rightly so, is far more militaristic and has less variation among the tracks.

I quite like listening to it.

Then again, I typically don't listen to that as an album, but as a single track played on loop, to set atmosphere based on my mood at that time. But there are many such tracks that I've enjoyed listening to like that.

I tend to listen to a lot of videogame music like that -- I put it on loop and let it repeat, and set the atmosphere.

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Posted: 31st August 2017 20:13

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I meant to post in this thread last time it was bumped and never got around to it. Time to rectify that!

Once upon a time I would have said VIII was my favorite soundtrack. I still like it a heck of a lot, but I don't listen to it much anymore. That is partially because my CDs are refusing to play in my Xbox 360, which I use as my music machine. sad.gif Lately I've been listening to IX's soundtrack a lot. I really like it!

But I think if you forced me to choose a favorite game OST, it'd have to be XI. Which in a way shocks me, because it wasn't composed by Uematsu-san but rather Naoshi Mizuta. Maybe it's my favorite because I spent several years playing the game, and have (mostly) fond memories of it. I especially like the soundtracks to the Rise of the Zilart and Wings of the Goddess expansions.

Here's a list of some of my favorite tracks from each of the games I have played. I have other favorites, of course, but these were what immediately came to mind.

FF1 - Town, Matoya's Cave, Main Theme
FF2 - Rebel Army Theme
FF3 - The Forbidden Land Eureka
FF4 - Theme of Love, Edward's/Gilbert's Lute
FF5 - Clash on the Big Bridge, Dear Friends, Home Sweet Home
FF6 - Gogo's Theme, Terra's Theme, Maria & Draco, Dancing Mad
FF7 - Jenova, Opening Bombing Mission
FF8 - Breezy, Ami, Fragments of Memories
FF9 - Vamo Alla Flamenco, You're Not Alone, Dark City Treno
FF10 - Zanarkand, Run!, Fight With Seymour
FF11 - Distant Worlds, Jeuno
FF11 Chains of Promathia - Movapolas
FF11 Rise of the Zilart - the whole soundtrack. Seriously, I love it. But some favorites are The Sanctuary of Zitah, Kahzam, & Fighters of the Crystal
FF11 Treasures of Aht Urghan - Bustle of the Capital, Circuit De Chocobo
FF11 Wings of the Goddess - Roar of the Battle Drums, Run Maggot Run
FF11 Seekers of Adoulin - Mog Resort
FF12 - Rabanastre upper ground, The Phon Coast, Kiss Me Goodbye
FF13 - The Vile Peaks, Pulse de Chocobo
FF13-2 - Noel's Theme, Caius' theme, Plains of Eternity

I haven't played 14 or 15 yet, nor do I have their soundtracks, but I am sure I will love them when I do hear them.

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Posted: 31st August 2017 20:35

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Quote (AltheaValara @ 31st August 2017 14:13)
I meant to post in this thread last time it was bumped and never got around to it. Time to rectify that!

Once upon a time I would have said VIII was my favorite soundtrack. I still like it a heck of a lot, but I don't listen to it much anymore. That is partially because my CDs are refusing to play in my Xbox 360, which I use as my music machine. sad.gif Lately I've been listening to IX's soundtrack a lot. I really like it!

But I think if you forced me to choose a favorite game OST, it'd have to be XI. Which in a way shocks me, because it wasn't composed by Uematsu-san but rather Naoshi Mizuta. Maybe it's my favorite because I spent several years playing the game, and have (mostly) fond memories of it. I especially like the soundtracks to the Rise of the Zilart and Wings of the Goddess expansions.

Here's a list of some of my favorite tracks from each of the games I have played. I have other favorites, of course, but these were what immediately came to mind.

FF1 - Town, Matoya's Cave, Main Theme
FF2 - Rebel Army Theme
FF3 - The Forbidden Land Eureka
FF4 - Theme of Love, Edward's/Gilbert's Lute
FF5 - Clash on the Big Bridge, Dear Friends, Home Sweet Home
FF6 - Gogo's Theme, Terra's Theme, Maria & Draco, Dancing Mad
FF7 - Jenova, Opening Bombing Mission
FF8 - Breezy, Ami, Fragments of Memories
FF9 - Vamo Alla Flamenco, You're Not Alone, Dark City Treno
FF10 - Zanarkand, Run!, Fight With Seymour
FF11 - Distant Worlds, Jeuno
FF11 Chains of Promathia - Movapolas
FF11 Rise of the Zilart - the whole soundtrack. Seriously, I love it. But some favorites are The Sanctuary of Zitah, Kahzam, & Fighters of the Crystal
FF11 Treasures of Aht Urghan - Bustle of the Capital, Circuit De Chocobo
FF11 Wings of the Goddess - Roar of the Battle Drums, Run Maggot Run
FF11 Seekers of Adoulin - Mog Resort
FF12 - Rabanastre upper ground, The Phon Coast, Kiss Me Goodbye
FF13 - The Vile Peaks, Pulse de Chocobo
FF13-2 - Noel's Theme, Caius' theme, Plains of Eternity

I haven't played 14 or 15 yet, nor do I have their soundtracks, but I am sure I will love them when I do hear them.

Oh, man, do I have some good news for you. Come tomorrow.

There's only been one game in the non-MMO series since I last posted in this thread, and XV's soundtrack doesn't change anything I said in my last post. It's really good, with a couple standout tracks, but it's not the pinnacle of the series.

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Posted: 1st September 2017 19:41

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Quote (Rangers51 @ 31st August 2017 14:35)
Oh, man, do I have some good news for you. Come tomorrow.

There's only been one game in the non-MMO series since I last posted in this thread, and XV's soundtrack doesn't change anything I said in my last post. It's really good, with a couple standout tracks, but it's not the pinnacle of the series.

Bump because I can - if you're the type of person who usually ignores our news, but you like this thread... stop ignoring our news. https://www.cavesofnarshe.com/news/article/...ip-only-on-con/

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Posted: 8th September 2017 19:54

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I'm a sticker for the VI soundtrack every time. But I have to give XI an honorable mention. The track 'You are not alone' is gut wrenching in and of itself not to mention Burmecia as well.

While VII is not my favorite game in the series I must admit to owning a copy of the soundtrack and having an old tendency to play Aeris' theme when it starts to snow back home in Colorado. I'm also overly fond of Cloud's theme and Cosmo Canyon played almost constantly in my house when the game first came out and my brother acquired a copy.

Now for my controversial opinion... Don't shoot me please!

Between the two major 'voice' pieces in the relatively early series I do prefer Liberi Fatali from VIII over One Winged Angel from VII. While there really is no comparing the two, Liberi Fatali stuck me harder than Angel. Its notes get an almost gut reaction from me every time while Angel usually gets an eye roll and a skip on the play list if I can get away with it. But then, there's a personal reason for that dislike of the song.

That's not to say that Angel is a bad piece; it's just not my cup of tea.

Favorite video game soundtrack of all time is Chrono Trigger, though. I felt it deserved a mention.

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Posted: 8th September 2017 23:06

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Quote (St Khael @ 8th September 2017 13:54)

Between the two major 'voice' pieces in the relatively early series I do prefer Liberi Fatali from VIII over One Winged Angel from VII. While there really is no comparing the two, Liberi Fatali stuck me harder than Angel. Its notes get an almost gut reaction from me every time while Angel usually gets an eye roll and a skip on the play list if I can get away with it.

I am totally done with One-Winged Angel myself. While driving in the car I listen to the first Distant Worlds CD, and the last track is One-Winged Angel, and I rarely play it. I usually skip it and go back to the beginning of the CD. Like you I don't think it's a bad song; I'm just totally sick of it. I've heard it played at every Final Fantasy concert I've been to, and I've been to a LOT of concerts. They'll probably play it when I see them on the 16th, at which point I will groan.

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Posted: 9th September 2017 07:36

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Quote (AltheaValara @ 8th September 2017 18:06)
Quote (St Khael @ 8th September 2017 13:54)

Between the two major 'voice' pieces in the relatively early series I do prefer Liberi Fatali from VIII over One Winged Angel from VII. While there really is no comparing the two, Liberi Fatali stuck me harder than Angel. Its notes get an almost gut reaction from me every time while Angel usually gets an eye roll and a skip on the play list if I can get away with it.

I am totally done with One-Winged Angel myself. While driving in the car I listen to the first Distant Worlds CD, and the last track is One-Winged Angel, and I rarely play it. I usually skip it and go back to the beginning of the CD. Like you I don't think it's a bad song; I'm just totally sick of it. I've heard it played at every Final Fantasy concert I've been to, and I've been to a LOT of concerts. They'll probably play it when I see them on the 16th, at which point I will groan.

One Winged Angel, the Stairway To Heaven of Final Fantasy.

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Posted: 12th September 2017 17:55

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I'm going to have to be honest here...

While I think Final Fantasy VI is the best Final Fantasy game... and Final Fantasy VIII is my favorite... while at the same time, thinking Final Fantasy VII is vastly over-rated and hasn't aged well...

I'm going to say the best soundtracks are:

Final Fantasy IX: Incredible soundtrack. Whimsical, nostalgic and refined, this is without a doubt Nobuo Uematsu's magnum opus. I'm not blinded by anything and I've studied music in college. From a Western music perspective, it's a master-stroke.

Final Fantasy X: What now? Yes. This game has a phenomenal soundtrack. It's gorgeous. From the unexpected 'Otherworld' to the laid back sounds of the tropical world, I'd go as far as to say this is the most flawless, if slightly unoriginal soundtrack in the series.

Final Fantasy VII: Okay, here we are. Final Fantasy VII ushered the series into 32-bit, CD-quality sound and the score benefits from this, as it should have. From the sweeping, epic overworld music (leaving Midgar is easily a top-3 moment in the series and the soundtrack is what makes this moment stand out) to the epic finale, and everything in between. It's minimalist, quaint and very reminiscent of the 8-bit soundtracks.

Honorable mentions:

Despite Final Fantasy VIII being my personal favorite game in the series, I always thought the soundtrack was a little to 'quirky' for the themes in FFVIII. There's a lot of Jazz-influenced tracks, a lot of synthesizer/electronics layered throughout, and a lot of very minimalist tracks... But as I get older and my music tastes have changed, I've actually come to appreciate this soundtrack more. If Final Fantasy VIII is anything, it's the most unique game in the series. I used to really loathe the Overworld music, Deling City, Timber's music, Esthar's music... but they are now some of my favorite tracks in the series, as I become more interested in minimalism, counter-point and free-form music. It has the largest range of styles in the series, from the crashing percussion and orchestra of Dollet, to the sincere score of Fisherman's Horizon and through to some of the more electronic tracks like the aforementioned Esthar City, I'll admit, it's an acquired taste but one of the most refreshing and unique soundtracks in the series.

Final Fantasy III: I consider this to be the first true 'soundtrack' in the series. It has wonderful themes, a memorable Overworld score, fantastic boss music and whimsical, comforting music scattered throughout. I think this is where 8-bit sound became less of a burden and more of a medium for experimentation for Mr. Uematsu and it's a truly under-appreciated moment in his career.

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Posted: 12th September 2017 23:17

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Quote (Dynamic Threads @ 12th September 2017 11:55)
I'm going to have to be honest here...

I am genuinely looking forward to your Regalia picks. smile.gif

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Posted: 14th September 2017 13:49

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Third place in CoNCAA, 2019. Celebrated the CoN 20th Anniversary at the forums. Voted for all the fanart in the CoNvent Calendar 2015. Voted for all the fanart in the CoNvent Calendar 2014. 
User has rated 75 fanarts in the CoN galleries. Member of more than ten years. Contributed to the Final Fantasy VI section of CoN. User has rated 25 fanarts in the CoN galleries. 
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Quote (Rangers51 @ 12th September 2017 18:17)
I am genuinely looking forward to your Regalia picks. smile.gif

Dear R51,
Please don't make me fret over my picks again! Please! pinch.gif

Quote (St Khael)
  I'm a sticker for the VI soundtrack every time. But I have to give XI an honorable mention. The track 'You are not alone' is gut wrenching in and of itself not to mention Burmecia as well.

I think you mean IX.

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current games (2024-02-19):
Fairy Fencer F ADF
Pokémon Perfect Crystal

finished so far this year:
Gato Roboto
drowning, drowning
New Super Mario Bros.
TMNT 3: Radical Rescue

tabled: Lost Ruins
Post #213402
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Posted: 14th September 2017 18:24

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Magitek Soldier
Posts: 339

Joined: 25/1/2014

Awards:
Member of more than five years. Celebrated the CoN 20th Anniversary at the forums. 
I just finished listening to the XV soundtrack. I quite liked it, but then I expected I would since I loved Shimomura-san's work on the Kingdom Hearts franchise.

I admit I was a bit confused by the OST at first. I haven't played XV; all that I know about it comes from the trailers, which feature a modern, industrialized city. So I was surprised by the early tracks which have a folksy, bluegrass sound - not what I was expecting. But perhaps this fits the theme of bros on the road (and that is quite literally the title of one track). Take for instance the chocobo theme, entitled Blues de Chocobo as an example of what I'm talking about.

Later on, the OST had less of a folksy sound and more epicness, which was more on line with what I expected. I was thrilled that Omnus Lacrima made it into the OST, as I loved that song since I first heard it in an early trailer back when it was still called Versus.

I definitely need to listen to the OST again, but my first impression: good!

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Schedule:
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7:30pm - 10:30pm Central or thereabouts
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