FFXII OST Opinions. [Archive] - Eyes on Final Fantasy Forums

Dreddz

04-30-2006, 10:49 AM

Im pretty disappointed with the music in the game. There are a few stand outs, some are very good. But the others are very similier and boring.
I dont know what the names for each song because they arent mentioned on the torrent I downloaded.
I would of thought FFXII would have a great soundtrack, after FFX's amazing soundtrack, Im very disappointed.

Silent Warrior

05-04-2006, 02:59 PM

Hm... Care to elaborate some? Without song-titles, I guess that'll be a bit hard, but... maybe some comparison to previous FFs? What's the general mood? What about instrumentation, is it a full symphony orchestra or various synthesized thingies?

LunarWeaver

05-04-2006, 04:35 PM

I haven't really heard any of it yet, but wasn't this one of the Japanese complaints, the lame-like tunes? That can't be good at all, no at all ^_^ Well I like the Tactics' games soundtracks so I'm sure it will work out in the end. Besides I bet it's not horrible compared to other games, maybe just not up to par compared to other Final Fantasy games. No Battle Theme n' such can make it seem less stand-out-y perhaps.

Dreddz

05-05-2006, 12:00 AM

wandererwillow

05-06-2006, 02:26 PM

Some of the songs feel old and bland at times, like the music was made for an SNES version of final fantasy, but its just is getting used now.

However, it still does have some good music to it. When Baltheir (I think I got his name right) and crew leave in the airship, that song is very well done.

ughhis

05-06-2006, 02:56 PM

wandererwillow

05-06-2006, 05:53 PM

It's awesome and very nicely fitted to the scenes/places/characters etc. A few too many variations of some themes, but that's kinda like an FF thing, if you look at the other soundtracks.

Gogo Sakimoto!

One example, listen to Aeris' theme, and then listen to the end theme of FFVI. They are almost identical at many parts.

Hiraku

05-07-2006, 01:08 AM

I wouldn't say the music is bad, but different from the other FF games.

The songs in this FF12 game is not heavily Wagnerian as did all other games where each song would have specifically described a character or an event. That was what get me interested in FF music, too ^^
Because Nubuo Uematsu-san has successfully incorporated the drama into music, rather than being just absolute melody, so even if you aren't playing the game, you would have a pretty good idea what's going on just listening to the tracks.

But, you can do that (sort of) with the tracks in FF12, too. I really like the theme they have when they fight the summons!

BTW, I think they were intentional in making Aeris theme the same as the ending theme of the FFVII game because Aeris, after all, plays an EXTREMELY BIG ROLE in the game. Actually, they have been using the themes of the heroine as the ending themes for the game series since FFVII to FFX (Aeris-Pure Heart, Rinoa-Eyes on Me, Garnet-Melodies of Life, Yuna-It's Beautiful, Isn't It) <-I guess I was just disappointed that Ashe didn't get her own song

Zeromus_X

05-07-2006, 02:25 AM

Of course it's different. It's made by the Tactics composer. (Of course, whether you like it or not is up to you. :cat: )

wandererwillow

05-07-2006, 05:11 AM

Zeromus_X

05-07-2006, 06:29 AM

The Epilogue for FFVI contains remixes of every characters' lietmotif, depending on who you got. However, Celes' theme sounds very much like Aerith's theme, that's what you mean. :cat: Along with the beginning of the ending.

LunarWeaver

05-13-2006, 01:59 AM

Yowda, breathing life into this topic just to say I watched some gameplay videos and Vaan running around a city, and I really liked the music playing in the background. It wasn't melody-catchy like Uematsu maybe, but it just sort of... Fit the game to me. I dunno, but I liked it first impression.

And I went and out found Kiss Me Good-bye and I found it acceptable if not just sort of average. Actually, I've had good first impressions about the whole title, the feel, mood, music, characters all that stuff. All looks and sounds groovy to me. The chocobo theme is back too, which is all that truly matters in life.

But anywho... This game's been getting lotsa heat, so I thought I should spread some sugar around and say something positive >.>'

Necronopticous

05-13-2006, 02:31 AM

It's probably a good idea to play the game before you listen to the soundtrack. A large part of what makes soundtracks to great games so listenable is the great memories the tunes and songs bring back from the game. Without having the experience of first playing the game this musical arrangement is for, I think I'll pass on listening to it.

Elysian

05-13-2006, 05:58 AM

BTW, I think they were intentional in making Aeris theme the same as the ending theme of the FFVII game because Aeris, after all, plays an EXTREMELY BIG ROLE in the game.

I didnt say FFVII, I said FFVI. Here, let me show you.

FFVI Ending (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8DpUwZHW5Q&search=final%20fantasy%20VI)

Sounds familiar, doesnt it?

Actually, it sounds like it has parts like two songs...Aeris' theme, and something else...I was thinking balamb garden's song, but it doesnt seem right...

I enjoy Final Fantasy VIs version of the "aerith theme" or whatever much better, I like the singing in it. The ending sounds like some of the final battles songs in FF8 but a little more twisted. Either way, majority of the songs in the Final Fantasy series are done very well.

La Boomsikashod

06-04-2006, 03:42 PM

FFXII's OST didn't stand out over the others, but there were a few tracks I quite enjoyed.

FINAL FANTASY (FFXII Version) - a better remake of FF4's Prologue, and you hear it very often unlike the same piece of music in other FFs.

Giza Plains - nice open field music

Esper battle and Esper summoned music - very good battle theme

Kiss Me Goodbye was alright

and of course... MAJOR SPOILER
Clash on the Big Bridge (FFXII Version)

Rostum

06-05-2006, 12:42 AM

I only have the OST, and not played the game yet, of course. I find some songs to be a bit bland, but for the most part it seems pretty good. I think it'd fit in pretty well with the game, just from hearing it and seeing screenshots / movies from the game.

Sefie1999AD

06-05-2006, 07:30 AM

One thing I didn't like about the OST was that its main theme (the heroic sounding one) wasn't too memorable, and it felt too much like a watered down version of one of FF Tactics' themes. It also plays in way too many songs, which has two negative effects: First, the soundtrack sounds too repetitive, and second, without a memorable or an effective theme, the songs are quite forgettable. I enjoyed Hitoshi Sakimoto's work for Final Fantasy Tactics, and the music for Vagrant Story seemed pretty good too, but his music for FFXII hasn't been able to impress me so far.

It's weird how my favorite songs in the soundtrack aren't even composed by Hitoshi Sakimoto. So far my favorite song is "Kiss Me Good-bye" (by Nobuo Uematsu and Angela Aki), and other favorites include "Prelude" (originally composed by Nobuo Uematsu), "Final Fantasy" (the Prologue theme with an arrangement similar to FFIV's, originally composed by Nobuo Uematsu), "Symphonic Poem" (by Taro Hakase) and "Clash on the Big Bridge" (by Nobuo Uematsu). I think Symphonic Poem, especially its Hope part, had a strong and an emotional theme. FFXII should have used that one as the main theme, IMHO.

Hm... Care to elaborate some? Without song-titles, I guess that'll be a bit hard, but... maybe some comparison to previous FFs? What's the general mood? What about instrumentation, is it a full symphony orchestra or various synthesized thingies?

Compared to previous FFs, I'd say the music is less emotional and less memorable. It could work well with the scenes where it plays, although when I happened to watch some of the scenes around the final battle, I wasn't really impressed about the way the music was used. The music uses a pseudo-orchestral style, which is typical for Hitoshi Sakimoto, but it's still fully synthesized. I think "Kiss Me Good-Bye" and "Symphonic Poem" are the only songs to use live instruments. I've mostly been able to hear the music in psf2 file format (extracted directly from the game), and in that form, the synth sound quality is somewhat weak, especially with choir parts that sound extremely fake. However, the soundtracks usually have a lot better sound quality, and better recording and mixing, so I think the music in the soundtrack would sound a lot better.

Setzer Gabianni

06-05-2006, 09:28 AM

Rostum

06-05-2006, 11:10 AM

Oh please. This is one of the best FF soundtracks out there. The other music from the FF titles is starting to become bland, while FFXII's music is different, and enjoyable to listen to. At least I was one person here who actually liked the whole thing.

~Setzer Gabianni

Don't 'Oh please' us. This thread is about opinions, do you know what they are? People have different tastes in music -- there can be nothing that says what the best soundtrack is. It'd be like telling everyone the FF they think is the best, isn't.

As I stated, I did like the soundtrack. But I don't know where you think every other soundtrack from past FF games are bland. There's so many arrangements, piano collections, fan remixes and live concerts that give so much flare to a lot of the past songs.

One I can think of, is an orchestral arrangement of FF6. It includes things such as the opening theme song (with Tina's theme), Mystery Train and Kefka. It's amazing the amount of quality in the mix of the song there is, and it gives it such a new edge compared to their midi counterparts.

I have a lot of FF music, around 10GB's worth. That includes different spin off's, to live concerts, to arrangments, to the original soundtracks, to piano collections, and so on. I think I'd have a pretty good view for my opinion on what I like and don't like.

All I'm saying is, you have no right to discredit anyone's opinion on what they think of this soundtrack. Too me, although it's a nice soundtrack, is too flat and has no real dynamic from song to song. But I do respect that you think this is a great soundtrack and one of the best.

Setzer Gabianni

06-05-2006, 12:56 PM

Sorry for the rant. My stupid rants are usually fueled by /xxx.gif/xxx.gif/xxx.gif/xxx.gife which happens in my life :D I take back what I said :)

~Setzer Gabianni

Dell

06-05-2006, 06:55 PM

jj984jj

06-06-2006, 09:55 PM

I like it a lot, I really think it's some of Sakimoto's best work and much better then the OST of the last few FF games. But the best songs are easily his remixes of the old themes, he really took them to the next level. Angela Aki's song was great too, it's now my favourite FF song that has someone singing it next to Eyes on me.

CloudedSquall

06-07-2006, 12:34 AM

I watched some of the clips and although they fit the scenes well I found the lack of melody.. a little.. weird. I like to walk around a place in FF with a definitive and melody driven piece that is pleasant to the ear.. not just a piece that makes me think "o right.. there's some music in the background". I guess i'm a fan of Uematsu and i'm a big music lover so personally it's what i mainly concentrate on. However, i haven't played the game so i can't knock it JUST yet.

~SapphireStar~

06-07-2006, 01:57 AM

It's probably a good idea to play the game before you listen to the soundtrack. A large part of what makes soundtracks to great games so listenable is the great memories the tunes and songs bring back from the game.
Oh indeed, completely agree. The music is wonderful for memories of past gaming experiences.

Bluntknife

06-10-2006, 10:56 PM

But, you can do that (sort of) with the tracks in FF12, too. I really like the theme they have when they fight the summons!

Lol, if you're talking about the one I think you're talking about, that Clash on the Big Bridge (I think from FFVI). I know for sure it plays while you're fighting Gilgamesh. Yes, it's awesome, but it was originally done by Uematsu. And that's my one big problem with the FFXII OST. Pretty much all the music on there I like is a re-arranged version of a Uematsu piece. The new composer is obviously good, but it's more music to suit a certain situation. Uematsu's music was brilliant to listen to just by it's self. It had brilliant and very memorable melodies. I often found that his music for when you are simply running around the environments was not so good, but the character's themes and the music for the big events in the game story-wise were always brilliant. And that's what I miss from the new soundtrack. Shame.

The other piece I really like is the FF prologue (number 2 on disc 1), and guess who wrote that...

Be more careful with spoilers - Psychotic

Sefie1999AD

06-11-2006, 01:10 AM

Lol, if you're talking about the one I think you're talking about, that Clash on the Big Bridge (I think from FFVI). I know for sure it plays while you're fighting Gilgamesh. Yes, it's awesome, but it was originally done by Uematsu. And that's my one big problem with the FFXII OST. Pretty much all the music on there I like is a re-arranged version of a Uematsu piece. The new composer is obviously good, but it's more music to suit a certain situation. Uematsu's music was brilliant to listen to just by it's self. It had brilliant and very memorable melodies. I often found that his music for when you are simply running around the environments was not so good, but the character's themes and the music for the big events in the game story-wise were always brilliant. And that's what I miss from the new soundtrack. Shame.

The other piece I really like is the FF prologue (number 2 on disc 1), and guess who wrote that...

Be more careful with spoilers - Psychotic

That song is from Final Fantasy V, and it's known as the Battle With Gilgamesh in FFV. I agree with what you said about most of the best music being Uematsu's, though. The song "Final Fantasy" (aka the Prologue theme, titled "Final Fantasy ~ FFXII version ~") is great, though that's because it's always been a very good song, and it has a pretty good FFIV-style arrangement this time.

I managed to listen to FFXII OST, though I still haven't listened to all the songs. So far, it seems the sound quality (synth) is a lot better than when you listen to the .psf2 files (extracted directly from the game). The songs are synthesized, though I'm not sure whether a couple of songs are orchestrated or not. I can't remember which songs they wear, but they were quite cinematic sounding (most likely played during an FMV), and their string parts sounded quite orchestral, although the brass instruments sounded somewhat synthesized. However, I'll try to write more about the OST when I've listened to all of it.

Zeromus_X

06-11-2006, 01:17 AM

I've listened to it, and (other than Clash on the Big Bridge remix), I'd say it's pretty good. It'd be nice to compile memories of it, of course, but I'd say it's a decent soundtrack. I'm glad they picked Sakimoto for the soundtrack, after hearing FF Tactics. Although I'd say he could be a bit more creative with his titles. (I.E., a dungeon/area's theme is titled the name of that area, etc.)

I thouroughly enjoy Dark Cloud (Imperial Version) and The Sochen Cave Palace.

Bluntknife

06-11-2006, 11:22 AM

Yeh, sorry about the spoilers. I tried to highlight it, but I could only change the text colour. Can anyone please tell me how to do that please?

Edit: Oh, I worked it out now, hopefully...

Aralith

06-23-2006, 09:50 PM

Though I have not actually listened to the soundtrack, I do fear for I was not entirely impressed by the FF Tactics Soundtrack. I wish Nobuo wasn't leaving SE. Then we could still have good music. Just my opinion. I wonder what the music of XIII is going to be like when Nobuo will have no part in the music.

Diogo

06-23-2006, 10:52 PM

I wish Nobuo wasn't leaving SE. Then we could still have good music.[quote]
Even if Nobuo had not left SE, he would still NOT compose the music for FFXII. In fact, FFXII's composer also had left Square, and even before than Nobuo did. The reason of why Sakimoto was hired to compose the OST for FFXII was because his music fits the type of game that FFXII is much better than Nobuo's type of music.

And are you trying to say that without Nobuo, the series can't have good music? Nobuo isn't the only good composer in the whole world.

[quote]Just my opinion. I wonder what the music of XIII is going to be like when Nobuo will have no part in the music.
Nobuo will work on the main theme of FFXIII, actually. The rest of the music should sound like FFX's best and most well composed tracks. Kitase apparently was very impressed by Hamauzo's work in FFX to decide to put him in his next games, DoC and FFXIII.

lemurian

07-01-2006, 11:35 PM

I have the whole soundtrack and it's amazing, maybe it is because is not nobuo uematsu who made it and that's why it can sound different and there are some persons that doesn't like, but in my opinion is fantastic, becuase is different from others were they used to use the same music just mixed or remade.

LunarWeaver

07-02-2006, 01:53 AM

I just got it. Overall it's nothing I really want to sit there and listen to on a CD at the moment. But it's very good music and in a game it's going to be excellent. After I play the game I'll probably like it more for the whole connection to game parts..thing. His Tactics soundtrack was better though.

Tainted Angel

08-02-2006, 10:45 PM

<Search for FFXII OST yourself*>

The 'Loop Demo', the FFtheme remix (' FINAL FANTASY ~FFXII Version~ ') are both nice remixes, which is the intention. I like it better than the X opener, and that was a 'refreshing' theme. Overall I'd rather have remixes than some of the new stuff).

I'm bumping the thread because I don't see a link to the OST's. ALso so people without the game yet could hear the tracks.

Avarice-ness

08-03-2006, 07:08 PM

I wasn't that impressed by FFX's soundtrack. To many pianos. In the earlier SNES games, and even into FFVII and somewhat in FFVIII, they used the tools that were available, Synths and what not. Well now they have the ability compose full orchestrated music, which even as a composer is more difficult then being able to sit at a Synth and key in notes change cresendos, all that fun stuff. I mean, with a synth, you can change the key or transition different staffs to be flat or sharp. But now, atleast I think, that they have the ability to actually write the music, go into a studio and record, they try to use that and no use of synths at all. Hence most of the songs in FFX and the one's I've heard on this game use strings and pianos, and even Marimbas. Basically the music sounds less video game like and more movie soundtrack like.

The remake of 'Clash on the Big Bridge' has more of a feel to a movie than it does to a game. Mostly when the Marimba's come in as the lower bassline. Uematsu is prolly repeating some of his past works, but hopeing it will work out because now he has the tools to be a music composer for not just video games, but an entire orchestra. I mean.. If I went from Synths to an Orchestra, I'd want to see how my past works could apply. *stops her stupid bandy talk now.* ^^;