What's that song from? It's beautiful

[nik0tine]

So why is that? Is it simply the magic of Uematsu that's missing from FFXII and XIII? Is it a degradation of game music in general? Or is it just another sign that I'm getting older?

It is precisely the degradation of game music in general. Uematsu is an artist before he is a VGM composer. On the contrary, most of todays VGM composers are, at the very best, good craftsman (but really, they are just businessmen, and it shows).

Even though video game music is supposed to act as an accompaniment, good music will always transcend that and that is exactly what Uematsus music does. If you take away the game you are left with music that stands by itself as music. This music will speak to anyone, young or old, even if they have no idea that it was written for a video game.
Contrast this with the composers of today and you will see a vastly different scenario. If you remove the compositions from the game you are left with nothing but professionally orchestrated, professionally composed prefabricated ambient noise. I'll take Uematsus beeps over that any day.

I long for the 'good old days' when composers (and to an extent games in general) did not sacrifice their integrity for a quick dollar.

Gonna have to respectfully disagree. FFI, II and III's soundtracks are well ahead of their time but it wasn't till IV that Uematsu had sound equipment to effectively produce a catchy meoldy.

A catchy melody will always be catchy, whether it is sung, played on a piano, orchestrated, or played with 8-bit beeps. The relationship between the notes is what makes a melody catchy, not the ensemble it is performed on.