Actually, I really think the FFXII soundtrack has much more in common with Sakimoto's work in Vagrant Story than in Tactics. There's a few scenes in FFXII where it really gets jumping onto a larger than life scale, as proper dramatic music-but most of the soundtrack is not dramatic music.

Personally, I tend to prefur dramatic music, and I have notable exceptions. John Williams scores are great examples-so good they're text book quality, to be honest. Williams writes these grand sweeping scores, and they are excellent to listen to in and out of context-except for one thing. The man writes in a single major chord for his prominent movie work, so Star Wars and Harry Potter run together while Indiana Jones sounds like a different sound track. So when I listen to the Star Wars themes especially, I feel the ones that come through strongest are the slow sad one where Luke is looking at the two suns after his uncle and aunt were killed, The Imperial March because it uses a minor key variation of his typical major key, and some of the starship battles which tend to sound more like twinkling, fluttering sounds.

I can say a very similar thing for Sakimoto's work, only less so-it doesn't hit the same extremes that William's work does, but it has equally great moments. I'm fond of Paramina Rift, the Dalmasca Westersand, Archades, and the Esper Theme at the moment. There are scenes in the game where I feel the music is appropriate but forgetable, and then there are areas where I'm getting Vagrant Story flash backs.

The feeling of the score is very different from Tactics, honestly. I think the reason why is because Tactics is based around the idea of armies clashing together-the music represents that, even if the battles are 5 on 5 or there about. VS and FFXII are taking place in a much smaller, more personal view, and I think their scores strongly reflect that.

I don't miss the 'old FF music' because I look at each FF as a different game. Each one is its own thing.