Summary
While solid gameplay andgood visualsare very important in enhancing a gaming experience, another factor that is also arguably just as vital is the music. There have been plenty of absolutely incredible and memorable video game soundtracks over the years, but if there’s any developer who’s managed to consistently put out games with great music time and time again, it’s without a doubt one of the biggest names in the industry today -Square Enix.
While a lot of Square Enix’s games have amazing orchestral scores and even a handful of vocal tracks, they are also largely credited for innovating how music could be utilized within games, especially in the RPG space. Rather than just playing any old regular track to give the players something to listen to while they play, Square Enix popularized the idea of changing up the music to specifically fit the current situation, whether that be an intense battle or a relaxing stroll across an open world. All of Square Enix’s games have at least a few memorable tracks that linger in player’s minds long after they’ve been completed, but these titles listed below are particular standouts when it comes to music.
Although the core gameplay ofOctopath Traveleris heavily inspired by the pixel-art RPGs of old, the soundtrack is a lot more modern, featuring large and bombastic orchestral tracks that suitthe grand world of Orsterrawhere the game takes place. A prime example of this is the stellar battle theme, which immediately engages players in the fight with its quick and sudden tempo and lush violin strings that play in the background.
Another clever way that the music is used inOctopathis by giving each of the eight characters their signature theme that plays upon meeting them, and at certain points of their missions. These do a lot to describe the travelers without even needing to say anything, such as the calm and ambient melody of Ophilia’s theme, or the heavy drums that beat throughout Olberic’s song. Pair this with a fun and whimsical main theme that perfectly captures the feeling of setting out on a brand-new adventure, and it results in one of Square Enix’s best modern soundtracks to date.
In stark contrast to a lot of Square Enix’s music scores which tend to be a lot more traditional and classical in their compositions,The World Ends With Youinstead incorporates elements of hip-hop, jazz, and electronic into its soundtrack to better fit the fun and modernized aesthetic of the game. As a result, pretty much every song featured in the game ends up being incredibly catchy, especially when vocals are also thrown into the mix such as with “Twister” and “Underground,” which have become two fan-favorite tracks since the game released.
Considering thatthe protagonist Nekucan always be seen rocking a pair of headphones, it’s also heavily implied that the player is listening to whatever Neku is jamming at the time, which is a subtle touch that goes a long way in allowing players to resonate with the character. Needless to say, this amazing soundtrack does a great job at elevating the sleek and stylish presentation of the game’s world and characters, and although it might be very different from what Square Enix is usually known for, it ended up being a very worthwhile gamble in the end.
Due to itslackluster combatand puzzling story,Final Fantasy 13wasn’t exactly very well-received by longtime fans, but one area where it did receive a tremendous amount of praise was in its soundtrack. After years of Nobuo Uematsu composing music for theFinal Fantasygames ever since their inception, this tremendous duty was handed over to Masashi Hamauzu for the thirteenth game, and although it must have been a pretty scary situation trying to carry on Uematsu’s legacy, Hamauzu managed to thankfully knock it out of the park.
A striking difference between the two, which is notable in a lot ofFinal Fantasy 13’s music, is how much Hamauzu loves using strings to evoke emotion from the player. Whether it’s slow and somber tracks like “Lightning’s Theme,” jovial and upbeat tracks such as “A Brief Respite,” or even the main battle theme, they all incorporate heavy use of violins and pianos to make them stand out from previous games, adding a lot of emotional weight to the game as a result.
Considering thatallDragon Questgameshave pretty amazing soundtracks, choosing between them is no easy task, but if there’s one title that has stood the test of time in this department specifically, it would have to be the eighth game in the series.Dragon Quest 8feels like a grand collection of the series' best hits over the years, which have been expanded and improved upon to create some incredible music, such as the Majestic Castle track for example, which sounds just as high and mighty as one would come to expect, or even the classic Overworld theme which has been modified with a few extra drums to help it sound even more epic and adventurous.
There’s just such a staggering variety of music in this game that it adds to the whole idea of going on one big mysterious adventure, with each area feeling incredibly unique and different thanks to the compositions that accompany them. Truthfully, none of theDragon Questgames have a bad soundtrack, but the eighth game stands out for how it carries over many elements from previous titles, while also doing something entirely new.
From the moment thatFinal Fantasy 10kicks off, it immediately grabs the player’s attention with the game’s most iconic track, “Zanarkand,” which somehow sounds both hopeless and optimistic at the same time,perfectly suiting the main themes of the story. By this point in the series, Uematsu had become a master at knowing when and where to put specific music tracks, and this shows inFinal Fantasy 10, which features a perfect blend of music from all kinds of genres to accommodate the intended feelings of the audience.
It’s pretty astonishing just how perfectly the music ofFinal Fantasy 10encapsulates an area or a specific scenario. For example, when traveling up Mt. Gagazet which is the home of the fearsome Ronso tribe, there’s a militaristic style theme that plays with heavy drums to make the player feel uneasy about stepping into unfamiliar territory, but Macalania Woods, which is a much more magical and mysterious part of the game, is paired with a more whimsical tune that sparks the player’s imagination in all kinds of ways.Final Fantasy 10already has an outstanding story and great gameplay, but the music goes a long way in elevating the overall experience to make it even more memorable.
On the surface,Kingdom Hearts 2can seem like a fairly silly game that’s just about meeting popular Disney characters and beating up a few enemies along the way, but the incredible score by Yoko Shimomura makes it very clear that the game is much more serious and meaningful at its core. As soon as players land on the title screen, they’ll be met with the incredible “Dearly Beloved” which is already outstanding and very impactful, but then the game delivers yet another classic song in the form of “Sanctuary,” a delicate ballad which features captivating vocals by a popular Japanese singer, Hikaru Utada.
The game then cycles between a myriad of different music styles that relate to the world Sora is currently exploring, adding a lot of variety to the soundtrack and making every area feel alive and fully realized. For example, whilethe Beauty & the Beast castlehas a very sophisticated and traditional track that plays in the background, the Pride Lands from The Lion King has a much livelier feel to it, which is a lot more adventurous and exciting. The iconic intro sequence may blow players away with its beautiful music score, but this is only a taste of what the rest ofKingdom Hearts 2has to offer.
Often referred to as the bridge between traditional and modern RPGs,Final Fantasy 7features a soundtrack that perfectly reflects this change in the genre, including plenty of tracks that would suitthe 8-bit era, while also ushering in plenty of more modern songs. Rather than just having a single beat that replays on loop over and over again, each ofFinal Fantasy 7’ssongs has a slow sense of escalation that enhances everything happening on-screen, such as the intense “Bombing Mission” which only gets louder and more impactful as it goes on, or the iconic battle theme which sounds more desperate the longer a fight lasts.
ThroughoutFinal Fantasy 7, there’s a real sense of dread and mystery that seeps its way into the narrative, and Uematsu captures this feeling perfectly through his music. While there are many examples of this such as “Under The Rotting Pizza” and Forested Temple," by far the most well-known is “One Winged Angel” which has essentially been the golden standard of how to create a memorable and intimidating boss theme. The amount of creativity and passion poured intoFinal Fantasy 7’sOST really is something to be admired, and it’s therefore no wonder why so many people still listen to the original music even to this day.
