Favorite non-Squenix RPG Soundtracks

[Wolf Kanno]

Not counting the mighty Squenix which is always good for music, what are some of your favorite RPG soundtracks?

[Dat Matt]

Grandia 2 and Xenoblade Chronicles Battle themes are nothing short of masterpieces.


Eternal sonata is also pretty good, but half of that is just Chopin music so does that count?

Not battle music but the Dark Cloud Dungeon musics are also pretty rad.

[qwertysaur]

Persona 3 FES has an amazing soundtrack. I really like Darkness, it's has a feel of whimsy yet at the same time lets you know the gravity of the battle.

[Vyk]

I got the Knights of the Old Republic soundtrack because I was in love with it

[Mirage]

Persona 3 and 4 had pretty good soundtracks. I also liked Grandia 1's soundtrack, and the Mass Effect soundtracks.

[metagloria]

Xenoblade for sure. But...I pretty much only listen to Square RPG music.

[Noire]

Adding my voice in for Xenoblade Chronicles. I dragged out the final boss battle just so I could listen to The God Slaying Sword, and I somehow never got bored of One Who Gets In Our Way, despite the fact it was used for pretty much every boss battle. Then there were the field themes...only Hills of Radiant Wind from NieR can compete against Gaur Plains, in my opinion.

Baten Kaitos had some pretty good music, too; easily amongst Sakuraba's best. The True Mirror was my favourite battle theme for ages.

The Atelier series boasts some fantastic tracks, too...especially the Arland trilogy. It's all so delightfully whimsical! Cadena is one of my favourite opening songs for how wonderfully bubbly it is, and whilst a lot of the music is just a variation of a single track, I like how it all builds up. Totori changed the tone of Following the Footsteps depending on your location, and Meruru's overworld music changed depending on how developed your kingdom was. I like stuff like that. Plus there was Hagel's theme...

Ar Tonelico gets a special mention for its vocal tracks, which easily rival NieR's. Not only is Akiko Shikata a fantastic vocalist, but the fact that the songs fit into the game's mythology give them a greater significance than the norm and just make me appreciate them more for it.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds had a spectacular soundtrack, as well. Zelda OST is generally pretty good by-and-large, but ALBW was just one giant fanservice album. So many classic tracks remixed to perfection! I also really liked Mother Maimai's theme for some reason. Lorule Castle had a nice build-up as well; the more you did, the more epic it got, until it goes full blast with the vocals at the end. Yuga having a vocal battle theme was nice too.

...I'll edit this with more and some samples somewhen. I listen almost exclusively to game music these days, I have a LOT of favourites. xD

[Wolf Kanno]

Shoji Meguro is my main man.







Though the rest of the MegaTen franchise have good music.





Wild ARMS has always had great music as well.







Obviously Xenoblade has been mentioned but I mean damn, listen to that OST!



I also never thought Nobuo Uematsu would help write a final music piec on par with Eyes on Me or Melodies of Life but The Last Story proved me wrong.



Ever wonder what Hitoshi Sakimoto does when he's not making Ivalice music for Matsuno? He's doing things like Breath of Fire V

[Forsaken Lover]

More of you people need to play Baten Kaitos.

Behold, one of the greatest normal battle themes in any RPG ever.
(SPOILER)

And there is a ridiculous amount of awesome diversity in the boss themes


Condemnation of Darkness

Chaotic Dance


Rumling of the Earth

And the coup de grace
FINAL BOSS

Although I think this is hands down the single best and most beautiful track in the game:


People always yap at me that "GUILTY GEAR HAS THE BEST FIGHTING GAME MUSIC EVER." Well the GG guy was the one did the guitarwork for Baten Kaitos. Also Star Ocean The Last Hope.