"Terra's Theme" is not only the theme of the main character of Final Fantasy VI, Terra, but also functions as the theme of Final Fantasy VI itself. The opening sequence uses this theme, arranging it into a much more haunting, isolated and frigid version of the song as Terra and her subordinates march through a barren, frozen wilderness. "Terra's Theme" is used as the overworld music, meaning everytime you are walking form place to place during the game this song will be playing. This version is less haunting and more hopeful. Terra's journey is one of self-discovery and perseverance. Her theme reinforces a feeling that things will get better if we just keep moving forward.
Final Fantasy VI is an amazing game. Many of the things htis game did well were never duplicated again in the series. This includes its very large cast of characters, most of whom are extremely well presented and developed despite how many of them the story must account for. The large number of characters also lends to the unique game mechanic of splitting up your team into smaller, mini-teams that explore different parts of the same dungeon simultaneously. Each of these characters also had their own individual theme song, which is something I absolutely love. Uematsu would continue using character themes going forward in the "Final Fantasy" series until his departure from the company.
- TOP
@TOPGamingBlog
I played Final Fantasy VI way too late in life, and I'm ashamed to admit that I still haven't beaten it. When I was a kid, it was too hard for me. When I was a teenager, it was too hard for me. I'm not that good at role-playing games (RPG). The only one I'm proficient at is Chrono Trigger, but that is one of the easiest RPGs to get into that I've played. Final Fantasy VI gave me a lot of trouble and as a result I kept quitting. My last attempt was stalled when my save state (emulator) deleted itself right after I arrived in the World of Ruin. Boy was I mad! Despite all this and the fact that I haven't seen everything the game has to offer, I can state without reservation: it has fantastic music.
I love the opening scene of Final Fantasy VI. So there's no doubt that I also appreciate "Terra's Theme" which it uses in the opening. The first time I played the game, it was snowing heavily outside. I always associate the lonely theme with being out on some frigid frontier, isolated from things that make you smile. My bedroom was always freezing back then, too. Despite the chill I get when I hear this song, I seem to get a message from this song every time: we have a job to do, a journey to embark upon.
If I had started TOP Gaming before 2009, I would have named Lost Odyssey 2008's game of the year. This game is the complete package. It has a great, epic story. It has really wonderful characters, some of whom are extremely well developed over the course of the game. The music is extremely well done. It covers all the bases I look for in a great game. Lost Odyssey plays more like a "Final Fantasy" game than any other "Final Fantasy" title in the last 13 years - which is incidentally how long it's been since Final Fantasy creator, Sakaguchi Hironobu left Square Enix. It's really not too surprising that when Sakaguchi Hironobu, Toriyama Akira, and Uematsu Nobuo get together they continue to create amazing results.
The game also hosts unlockable short stories that go into detail of the main character's incredibly long life, in a collection called Thousand Years of Dreams. These short stories are penned by novelist Shigematsu Kiyoshi and are each a delight to read, if you don't mind taking a break from playing a game to read a short story. Lost Odyssey really put Mistwalker Studios on the map for me. Their debut game Blue Dragon was cute and fun, but I felt it lacked some depth and maturity which is something I could not say about Lost Odyssey.
This particular piece of music I revisit fairly regularly. I am swept up by the strings. It's another great example of Uematsu battle music, and probably not the last example in this count down. As I listen to it, I think, "I need to play this game again." Lost Odyssey and Tales of Vesperia are perhaps the only reason I'm still hanging on to my X-Box 360. Along with Xenoblade Chronicles on the Wii, these games stand as pillars of Japanese-style role-playing games (JRPG) that have come out in the last decade. There's sadly too few of their quality these days.
- TOP
@TOPGamingBlog
Unfortunately, I never had the privilege of playing Lost Odyssey. TOP said it was a great JRPG and one of the only decent ones on X-Box 360. I recall he told me it can be quick and simple if you blow through it, but also is deep and enthralling if you take your time and enjoy each facet of the game. I like that in a game. I miss the days of old where you'd have to wander around a game, talking to strangers for half an hour, and then piece together what the hell you were supposed to do next. I know games are evolving away from this, but in my eyes, exploration and discovery is half the fun.
I think I'd appreciate "Fire Above the Battle" more if I had played the game. It sounds fine and decent to me, but it doesn't drum up any emotion. Unlike many songs on this list, I don't get the urge to grab a sword and slay my enemies. It comes close, but it's not quite there. It seems more like a war room theme, playing in the background while generals furrow their brows and contemplate assault tactics. I'm sure it'd be a different case if I knew what trials and tribulations the player must endure throughout the game, but as of now it only seems a mediocre battle anthem. Feel free to comment if you disagree.
The soundtrack to Xenoblade Chronicles is sheer gold. I swear Shimomura and Yasunori were saving some of their best concepts to plug into this game - and I've been fans of both of them for well over a decade. I don't want to undersell Kiyota Manami and ACE+ who also collaborated on this soundtrack, but to what capacity each composer worked on this individual track, I'm simply not sure. I honestly couldn't express enough how the music of this game will sweep you away the very minute you pop this disc into your (presumably under-appreciated) Wii. I did quite a big write up on the game at the beginning of the year; it encouraged quite a few friends and colleagues to really give it a fair shake. As far as I recall, none of them were disappointed with the experience. I even got my brother to buy a copy, and he sadly doesn't have the time for these types of games anymore. When he did set aside time to let it, it sucked him right in and had its way with him - as he will no doubt attest.
This particular piece really characterizes everything right about the music in Xenoblade Chronicles. It gently pulls you in with an emotional, melancholy melody and builds up to a rather intense and haunting climax. That's really not a bad description of the game itself, either. The story starts off feeling small, but will soon sweep you away to some unthinkable moments. I spend a good three months of continuous play in this game, which is attention I give to very few games these days. It speaks to just how deeply you can be entranced by this game. I went as far as naming it the TOP Game of 2012 and I stand by that decision. It's on a very, very short list of games I've played in the last ten years that are truly worth finding, playing and holding on to for future generations.
- TOP
@TOPGamingBlog
These days, I don't play games for their story. It's sad, I know. There's simply no time these days to plunge yourself into a world and become immersed enough to truly appreciate everything that the developers put into it. I really had no choice with Xenoblade Chronicles, however. I was sucked in immediately. The first moment I stepped onto the beautiful Gaur Plain, I realized this was not a title I'd be able to walk away from easily. I could rattle off many reasons why this game is/was/will always be amazing, but one I'd like to focus on is "emotion." This game had it in spades. It would tug at your heartstrings, drag you to the edge of sorrow, then fill you with vengeful rage. The story is written masterfully, but I think the final nail in this emotional coffin is provided by the music. Yasunori Mitsuda is one of my idols, and he has never been better than in Xenoblade Chronicles.
"Engage the Enemy" stirs up a fire in my belly. It generally plays in the game when something extremely dramatic is happening, either heart-wrenching or infuriating. I like the changes in the tempo and mood as the track progresses, as the developers did a good job of lining certain segments up with what's happening on the screen. I'm happy that this song made the cut for the TOP Tracks; I originally didn't think it was going to. I'm sad that it doesn't have a higher ranking! But it was in my top 2 favorite songs of 2012 and I have a feeling I'll be listening to it till I'm an old man.
I've got to be honest with you, I originally rated this song as rather average. Over the last couple of weeks, deciding upon our finalists, I had to listen to this song several times. It's simply not one of my favorite Uematsu Nobuo songs. I tried to clear my mind and focus simply on the music, pushing aside all that I know about "Final Fantasy" or Uematsu Nobuo. It was my best attempt at objectivity and as a result I decided it was quite an excellent piece on its own merit. I rated it above average, and due to our complex algorithm beyond the understanding of most men, it managed to secure the final spot in the TOP 31 Tracks of Music May.
My brother and I decided years ago that the one thing Uematsu does exceptionally well is battle theme music and "The Decisive Battle" is a real example of how he uses beat and tempo to create such a dramatic, emotional, and tense sensation. The song itself takes me back to fighting the boss, Ultros, for the very first time. Ultros would end up becoming a recurring joke character, not only in Final Fantasy VI, but in several subsequent entries in the franchise - often as an optional, humorous side-quest or download content. I must attest to you here, though, that the first fight with Ultros was no laughing matter for me at the young age of fourteen. It was that winter of 1994 that I was bundled up at my dad's house - a temporary housing arrangement in the center of Pepperell, MA, due to an unfortunate house fire earlier that year - with my brother and best friend beside me. Final Fantasy VI was like a dream come true after how much I had enjoyed Final Fantasy IV. It really pushed the Super Nintendo to the limit and as a result, it blew my mind.
- TOP
@TOPGamingBlog
This is my JAM! Between the years of 2005 and 2009, "The Decisive Battle" was my favorite song. Those were my college years, and it was during those years I developed an odd habit. As college kids are known to do, my friends and I would get really,really drunk. If I wasn't with a girl at the end of the night (read: almost every night), I would be unwilling to go to bed. All my roommates would pass out, but I'd be up at 4am ready to roll. What was an inebriated college kid to do? The answer, of course, is RAGE!
I'd grab my iPod, throw on a hoodie, and wander around town raging through the wee hours of the night. Of course, I'd be head banging as I stumbled through the quiet streets, but every once in a while a song would come on that really kicked the adrenaline up a notch. "The Decisive Battle" was one of those songs. I had no choice but to fight the shadows with my kung fu as the sun began to rise on the horizon. This playlist on my iPod was titled "FIGHT!"
"The Decisive Battle" is one of my favorite tracks from composer, Uematsu Nobuo. It has his iconic introduction: a heart pounding beat that builds up into the rocking melody. I think music has immeasurable power. It can bring you down, or it can raise you up. This track is one of the latter. It's a "death throes" song. It plays when the cards are stacked against you. All you can say to the situation is, "This is it, boys. It's us or them."
