Search - :: Final Fantasy X-2: Original Soundtrack

Sequel Soundtrack: Matsueda and Eguchi Elevate the Franchise

Ian Vance | pagosa springs CO. | 02/15/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The release of Final Fantasy X-2 upon American shores was greeted with an equal measure of accolade and angst-ridden anguish. Half of FF's hardcore fan-base (and most of the casual video-game audience) applauded Squaresoft for creating a worthy sequel to arguably the greatest installment of its Final Fantasy franchise, along with changing/streamlining certain series-flaws therein; while the other half gnashed their teeth at the campy, `cheezy' aura surrounding Yuna and co.'s girl-power hijinks, and claimed to be *offended* by the mere fact that this sequel existed at all and that it displayed pretty girls in pretty outfits - heresy to the necronerd ethic! Amongst the voluminous whining and griping to ensue within the virtual confines of the cyberverse, the fact that seminal franchise-composer Nobuo Uematsu would not be writing or even participating on the score (his time served elsewhere, on FF11 and FF12), and his replacement by two FF "n00bs" (though Squaresoft alumni in their own right) Norika Matsueda and Takahito Eguchi, was enough to forever scar and mar the Final Fantasy brand-name for hard-core old-skool FF zealots. Well, good riddance, I say! Separate the chaff from the wheat and *then* we'll see where the quality remains.Rant aside, I judge this soundtrack with its modern-era FF contemporaries (7-10), and find it a worthy successor. For although there is very little development of Uematsu's previous FFX themes, and a few radical re-adjustments to certain long-standing musical motifs (such as the battle fanfare), the work by Matsueda and Eguchi retains the tonal qualities of the original score (location atmospheres, use of piano, guitar, synth and percussion), while adding contemporary elements (jazz, electronica, even J-pop [!]) to elucidate and enhance the themes of the *game itself*: i.e., that of change, and moving past loss; of forging a social-wide harmony and then working to maintain said harmony when the chips are down and everything is at its bleakest. As a game, Final Fantasy X-2 is another step for Squaresoft toward new developments and deeper thematic horizons; and it is only fitting that the soundtrack expands its aural scope and enriches the visual material it underpins.Or, (for the sake of brevity), Matsueda and Eguchi retain the previous `tone' of FFX while incorporating a number of refreshingly new qualities that, in the end result, help the game feel like a true sequel rather than a cash-in rehash.Now, to be honest, not a single FF soundtrack has escaped the required blight of background filler. This `filler' is an acute necessity when scoring a game 40+ hours in length: quiet, abstract material helps to offset the more epic, emotional pieces. Generally, these tone-poems are not very interesting, nor are they meant to be - they need only be present, to give greater emphasis to dialogue and development of story, to give an additional `weight' to the progression of cut-scenes. In the past I've found that each Final Fantasy soundtrack usually has around one full-length CD of great material sandwiched between the middling and the mediocre, and Matsueda and Euguchi's FF X-2 is no exception. I wrung a solid CD of greatness from the whole of this two-disc set - in truth, a better value than that found on Uematsu's sprawling four-disc releases.The Specifics:-As stated above, the location themes are for the most part highly faithful to both Uematsu's previous work and the progressive *history* of Spira's varied regions. The gentleness of Luca and Besaid surge and sigh, reminiscent of seaside tranquility, while the sinister choral found within the temples of Yevon resonate with uncertainty and pain, a dirge to lost glory. The tribal rhythms of Gagazet give the mountain climes an epic grandeur, and Zanarkand soars with the chords of a newly-found peace, appropriate for what is essentially a turbulent graveyard. Macalana Woods lulls the senses with a sorrowful treatment, emphasizing the steadiness of its decline.-The electronica-tinged Battle Music is some of the best in the entire franchise. It moves well with the ATB system and the sphere-change dramatics, and unlike certain previous installments, never really grows tedious through repetition. -J-Pop: I'm not much of fan of J-pop in general, though I do take pleasurable exception to previous FF mainstream compositions in the franchise (Eyes on Me, Melodies of Life, Isn't it Beautiful) - and with that said, *Real Emotion* and *1000 Words* are no exception to this, well, taste-exception, being exquisitely crafted slices of J-pop at its very best, though I must admit to finding the Japanese originals far more edifying that the English dubs. -*Eternity (Memories of Lightwaves)* - the stunner of the set, easily par with the best of Uematsu's work. In the first mix, a simple piano loop shimmers with haunting beauty, gradually building into a synthesizer crescendo; in the second mix, break-beat elements and a weirdly `organic' tone (for Spira, anyway) enriches the previous theme in a marvelously subtle way. -*Vegnagun Starting* directly lifts its opening riff from Edvard Grieg's `Piano Concerto in A Minor,' then launches into a shuddering choral masterpiece complete with keyboard frenzy highly reminiscent of Bach's `Organworks.' Haunting, driven, it's perfect for the final boss encounter. I've deducted one star from my rating due to the fact that out of two discs, there's around 80 minutes of repeat-quality music included. Still, Matsueda and Eguchi have more than proved their chops, in atmospheric, mainstream-oriented and eclectic composition. Hopefully we will see more of their work in Square-Enix's rosy-dawned future releases."

Full track listing

J-Man | 12/28/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Disc One (66:30)

1) Eternity ~Memory of the Light and Waves~ 2:37

2) real Emotion (FFX-2 Mix) 2:33

3) YuRiPa Fight No. 1 1:29

4) Yuna's Theme 2:52

5) YuRiPa Fight No. 2 2:00

6) Mission Complete 1:36

7) Sphere Hunter - The Gullwings 2:47

8) Mission Start 2:55

9) Mt. Gagazet 3:38

10) YuRiPa Fight No. 3 1:45

11) Game Over 0:17

12) Anything Is Possible With LeBlanc! 1:44

13) I'll Give You Something Hot 2:08

14) Shuyin's Theme 3:41

15) Besaid 2:48

16) Kilika 2:16

17) Luca 1:45

18) Mi'ihen Highroad 2:18

19) Mushroom Rock Highroad 1:55

20) Youth League 2:38

21) Machina Faction 1:56

22) Guadosalam 1:42

23) Thunder Plains 1:15

24) Macalania Forest 2:55

25) Bikanel Desert 1:53

26) New Yevon Party 1:36

27) The Calm Lands 1:52

28) Zanarkand Ruins 2:31

29) Sphere Hunter 1:53

30) Temple 1:14

31) Tension 1:49



Disc Two (72:06)

1) The Gullwings March 2:32

2) Great Being 1:31

3) Good Night 0:17

4) Anxiety 2:10

5) Infiltration! LeBlanc's Hideout 1:43

6) Rikku's Theme 2:08

7) Chocobo 1:48

8) Paine's Theme 2:39

9) Bevelle's Secret 1:14

10) Under Bevelle 2:00

11) Yuna's Ballad 3:00

12) The Gullwings to the Rescue 2:21

13) Now It's Our Turn 2:58

14) Mystery 1:43

15) Confusion 1:41

16) Summoned Beast 1:06

17) Otherworld Abyss 2:23

18) Eternity ~Memory of the Light and Waves~ (Band Member Musical Performance) 3:33

19) 1000 Words (original mix) 3:53

20) Nightmare of the Cave 1:19

21) Akagi Team 3:04

22) Vegnagun Starts Up 2:31

23) Clash 1:34

24) Struggle 1:22

25) Destruction 2:58

26) Demise 2:33

27) 1000 Words Piano Version ~Feelings That Crossed Time~ 3:44

28) Ending ~Until the Day We Meet Again~ 2:10

29) 1000 Words Orchestra Version 6:29

30) Epilogue ~Reunion~ 3:28

"

It's Final Fantasy...What else needs to be said?

[+]EndlessAbyssalBlackening[+] | Concord, North Carolina | 06/11/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ok, this is VERY different from any other FF soundtrack, believe me I have EVERY one of them ever made. Anyway, I felt like this was a nice change of pace for me...sure, FFVIII was the best soundtrack but most of that was really dark. This is really upbeat and is for anyone who wants to get in a good mood real quick. Although you will not find Jade from Sweetbox on this CD. Only Koda Kumi singing in Japanese, the only downfall of this CD, only because I can't understand Japanese...oh well buy it anyway, you will not be dissappointed."