Final Fantasy XII

I am a fan of Nobuo Uematsu\'s Final Fantasy scores, especially VII and X.  While the majority of the Final Fantasy scores are synth, Uematsu would include orchestral suites or piano versions of the themes to help flesh out his score. The piano theme from X and the orchestral suite from VII are two of my favorite video game cues. Hitoshi Sakimoto, who wrote the music for Final Fantasy Tactics, took over for Uematsu for the game franchise and has a lot to live up to. It may not be fair to compare them, but everyone will anyway. Sakimoto\'s work for this game has been described as over the top and bombastic when compared to Uematsu\'s more subtle touch and I have to agree completely. I did a bit of research before writing this review to make sure my thoughts weren\'t off just because I don\'t know the Final Fantasy soundscape as well as others, and I am most familiar with Final Fantasy X. Reviews of the complete 4 disc set (this one I am reviewing is a one-disc "selection" album) pointed out a couple of standout cues... none of which are on the this compilation. So that\'s a fault of the production.

Recent video game scores have set a new standard, whether they are orchestral (Medal of Honor, SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs) or synth (Metal Gear Solid, Prey). Jeremy Soule\'s work with sampling libraries has even redefined what synth scores can sound like. Sakimoto\'s score is synth, but more realistic than Uematsu\'s. Nevertheless, the tone doesn\'t work as well. The Final Fantasy XII score is bombastic, as I said before, and features a lot of music, but none of it really hits home or is very memorable. The closing score cue, "Struggle for Freedom" features some interesting brass chord progressions, but it does not go anywhere. Usually, video game scores vary depending on the settings of the game and can contain multiple genres and ethnic variations. Final Fantasy XII sounds the same. The full score may vary more, but generally, it all blends together. One of the more interesting cues is the "Chocobo Theme", which is a playful cue with woodwind and light percussion. Generally, I think Sakimoto tried too hard to make the score always dominating and powerful and ended up making none of it stand out. The song at the end of the album is also less than standard for the Final Fantasy franchise. I would only recommend looking into this score if you have played the game and specifically liked the music.