Coming out eight years after NieR's original release, NieR Gestalt & Replicant Orchestral Arrangement Album proves that it's not just Automata's music that deserves all of the praise. The task of rearranging MONACA's work is taken head on by a group of veterans and newcomers, and it is an absolute success. All of the big songs from the game have been lovingly recreated, such as "Snow in Summer," which utilizes a large choir to perfectly capture NieR's desolate opening. "The Wretched Automatons" is another standout which could have easily lost its appeal due to the mechanical feeling of the track, but this imagining manages to create the sound beautifully. It's a real celebration of NieR's score, and given all of the attention Automata has gotten, it's about time people went back and explored the first game's music. Albums like this only help encourage people to explore more classic soundtracks.
Writeup by Alana Hagues
Hills of Radiant Winds
Gods Bound by Rules
Kainé
Also Read: NieR Gestalt & Replicant Orchestral Arrangement Album Review
This lovely offering was released by Scarlet Moon Records, giving one of the classic Final Fantasy titles the acoustic guitar treatment. Though this score has been interpreted many times over, there is more than enough room for another take, especially one that is done so well. The map and character themes have a cohesive and dreamy atmosphere, and the battle themes gain an eerie and pensive quality. There is a kind of magic around the arrangement of these pieces and the act of listening to them in solo acoustic guitar form that immediately immerses you and makes you feel like you're discovering FFIV for the first time. William Carlos Reyes delivers a consistent, heartfelt guitar performance — the dynamic changes near the end of the main theme are a good example of this — and even adds to the album with a composition of his own called "The Crystals." It fits right in. Final Fantasy IV thematically highlights personal transformation, and this theme is elevated by the sparse, introspective arrangement on this album. It feels like a journey inward when you listen.
Earthbound is a unique RPG with a soundtrack like no other. Seriously, the game itself contains several Beatles references and a Blues Brothers-like band called the Runaway Five. That's not your standard RPG fare. Which is why it's wonderful to see a small studio like Coin Op. Studios choose this project. They produce consistently good work and manage with this album to capture some of the charm that has several members of the RPGFan staff very attached to Earthbound regardless of whether they played it recently or long ago. Coin Op. uses a variety of instruments in their arrangements, and none of them ever feel out of place. Each song is done by a different small(ish) ensemble, which suits the source material and seems to play to the performers' strengths. The song choices also vary from previous Earthbound albums, which is very refreshing. That hotel song is still very much a rhumba, though, no matter what.
The orchestral arrangements of Project Destati breathe new life into the already robust musical library of the Kingdom Hearts series. Their ambitious duology of light and dark-themed concept albums came to a close with the release of DARKNESS in 2018, and the album shows tremendous improvement over their previous effort, LIGHT. The compositions in DARKNESS are richer, their use of the series' iconic leitmotifs more impactful, and the soundscape is darker and more ominous. But like the series it's based on, there's room for levity and light amidst all of the melodrama and bombast, with tracks like "Bounce-O-Rama" and "Magical Mystery" providing soothing interludes between more dramatic fare like "Darkness of the Unknown" or "Dark Impetus." There's also a truly haunting rendition of Organization XIII's theme music, entitled "Organization XIV," where the chime of a bell punctuates each somber piano note. For Kingdom Hearts fans, DARKNESS is a must listen.
Yasunori Nishiki's stellar score for Octopath Traveler was one of the easiest and most obvious choices for our 2018 Music of the Year list. While we didn't want to overdo the Octopath representation, with TPR's Pieces of Eight, the master of melancholy delivered so fully that we couldn't help ourselves. As usual, these pieces aren't specifically of a sad nature, as some simply sound mellow or introspective. Whatever mood each song may evoke in you, every track here is so wonderfully realized in TPR's signature style, whether the original was a high-octane battle theme or played in a moody dungeon. Pieces of Eight is the perfect album to listen to with a loved one, glass of wine in hand, as you watch the clouds roll by. TPR, you've done it once again.
Maybe you thought 2017 was the year of NieR. However, in terms of music, 2018 was absolutely the definitive year, with more releases than in 2010 or 2017 (the release years for NieR Gestalt/Replicant and Automata, respectively). Not everything released in 2018 has maintained the top quality of previous albums. However, there is enough worthwhile music on the Automata Piano Collections disc to include it. If for no other reason than that it contains a lovely piano solo rendition of "Copied City."
Some people were disappointed with this collection; to properly enjoy it, it is best to think of it as five separate soundtracks. The episodic content and other DLC features one or two prominent composers/arrangers each. For example, MONACA's Keiichi Okabe is featured in Episode Gladiolus (disc 1), and Yasunori Mitsuda provides some memorable new pieces for Episode Ignis (disc 4). In addition to the CD version, Volume 2 is also available as a two-disc Blu-ray set, wherein all five CDs fit on the first Blu-ray, and the second Blu-ray includes more of those epic driving tunes and unique arrangements. Regardless of the version you pick up, we think it's probably a worthy addition to your collection.
One thing that Quantic Dream games tend to do very well is music. Their soundtracks are emotional, often melancholy, and quite haunting at times. Detroit: Become Human is no different in this regard, but in addition to having beautiful music, it does something very interesting. The game features three protagonists, and each protagonist has their own composer who is responsible for creating all of that character's music. The result is a huge soundtrack with three distinct voices, each representing a main character solely through music. And did we say the music is beautiful? Because it really is. Soulful strings, moody synths, and epic action pieces tell a story through music that you should definitely check out, even if you have no interest in the game itself.
If you've had the pleasure of playing CrossCode, then you're aware of its alluring and tantalizing soundtrack. Deniz Akbulut's familiar yet unique music enrichens the game world and strongly draws you into every moment. Akbulut's careful synth sample decisions and composition tug at the heartstrings of players that enjoyed PS1 games, causing us to fondly remember earlier times with blocky characters running across the screen. This is especially true when hearing tracks like "Bergen Trail," and I'm sure many of you can immediately understand why. Akbulut's passion is clear and heard within each track. It should come as no surprise that we decided to include this little gem in our choice picks for MOTY2018!
It's been a good year for arrangements of Final Fantasy IV. The fact that we are getting a distinct and varied jazz album and an album of introspective guitar renditions of the same music in one year is a testament to the inspirational quality of FFIV's soundtrack. And Final Fantasy IV Jazz Arrange Version really does it justice. In this album, Sean Schafianski features several collaborators covering pieces over the course of the game — you do get the feeling of musicians playing off of each other. Each track has its own sound, but musical elements beyond the familiar melodies tie each song together. The basslines here are a treat, and the embellishments and improvisation don't take away from the original. Some sections featuring piano and drums are reminiscent of the Suikoden jazz collections, too, so there's a lot to enjoy here if you're ready for some jazz.