Earlier than I even heard this album, I used to be comfy making the next conclusion: Romancing SaGa Re;univerSe Unique Soundtrack vol.2 is healthier than the primary quantity. After listening, I can affirm it. Nonetheless, I didn’t understand how significantly better it will be—which is to say, it was a major enchancment over Romancing SaGa Re;univerSe Unique Soundtrack. Earlier than moving into the content material of this album, although, I’d like to handle why this album is categorically completely different and higher than its counterpart.
As famous in each my 2019 soundtrack overview and 2021 recreation overview of Romancing SaGa Re;univerSe, the title launched with six authentic compositions, a handful of latest and unique preparations from earlier titles, plus padding with current variations of songs from earlier video games and albums. In different phrases, it was a “better of” album with some new content material sprinkled in, with a complete run-time of fifty minutes. Not cool, my associates. Not cool. And sure, the brand new compositions have been good, however they weren’t Kenji Ito’s finest.
Evaluate that to vol.2! To start with, not a single repeat of earlier materials. Given the a whole bunch of tracks used on this cellular recreation, both from earlier OSTs or earlier prepare albums, it will have been tempting to sprinkle extra “better of” into this album. Mercifully, they didn’t. Second, we now have eight authentic compositions from Kenji Ito, and so they stand head and shoulders above the primary quantity’s originals! “Igomahl the Harlequin” and “Shadow of Doubt” are my favorites, each that includes attention-grabbing vocal work in that the vocals are extra ornamental than central to those items. “Entrance: When Stars Align” is one other strong piece, with orchestral preparations from Yohei Kobayashi serving to to construct on Ito’s supply composition. This piece performs in-game on the fundamental “hub” display, so it will get a whole lot of air time for these taking part in this surprisingly high-quality cellular RPG. It’s a becoming “residence base” theme if ever there was one.
Then, people, there are the brand new preparations. These aren’t phoned-in synth-upgrade preparations akin to what we heard within the first quantity. Nor are they pulled instantly from latest prepare albums like SaGa Frontier Collection Acoustic Preparations or DESTINY 8, nice as they’re. No, the seven organized tracks are new and fantastic in themselves. The brand new association from Minako Seki for “Podol” (a city theme from Romancing SaGa 3) is a winter miracle. Vocals are central to this association, remodeling it into a wholly new expertise. Tsutomu Narita’s association of the ultimate battle theme from The Remaining Fantasy Legend is a strong synth rock association, distinct from different latest rock preparations of this basic Uematsu observe. Narita even provides a 3rd authentic part to the theme, considerably increasing the track’s size with out shedding any of the vitality.
One other new association borrowing from the arranger’s work elsewhere is Yohei Kobayashi’s rendition of “Alone” from SaGa Frontier. Kobayashi additionally organized this one for Orchestral SaGa and utilized his work from that orchestral association on this model for Re;univerSe. Nonetheless, the decidedly upbeat and jazzy method to this association isn’t current within the orchestral model. The framing of the association additionally makes for a neat loop, which fits the sport effectively, making it a pleasant model for an OST launch.
My solely criticism about this album is its size. Or, fairly, the pointless packaging. At almost 70 minutes, it’s longer than the primary quantity and filled with completely new content material, in order that’s nice! However the bodily model comes as a 2-CD set. This appears pointless and unwieldy. The album can also be improperly sorted. You’d anticipate the primary disc to be the preparations and the second disc to be the unique compositions, however the first disc has two of the eight authentic tracks. I don’t perceive the aim of the partitioning.
Whether or not it’s the bodily or digital model, you’re nonetheless getting 15 tracks of pure SaGa awesomeness, and none of it’s re-purchasing beforehand launched content material. The questions left in my thoughts, having continued to play the sport: when will Romancing SaGa Re;univerSe Unique Soundtrack vol.3 arrive, will it’s bodily or digital-only, and what enjoyable preparations may it characteristic? Time will inform, however given the content material so far within the recreation’s “Liam Arc” story, one imagines there can be fairly a little bit of SaGa Frontier music!
