As the first of this new column I wish to head is the wondrous work that is Final Fantasy Tactics for the PS1.
I’ve always considered this an interesting soundtrack for the way it has so many forgettable tracks that somehow become unforgettable at the same time. It uses a far more cinematic orchestral style, as dictated by underrated game music super-scribe Hitoshi Sakimoto, with lots of tempo, key and signature changes within even the same tracks. No rock and prog-synth Uematsu work here—just pure strings, harps, woodwinds and horns, but a hell of an execution considering it’s all MIDI.
And still there are some amazing pastoral moments with highly memorable and creative arrangements. People who have played the game surely can’t forget the battle BGMs that accompany the random encounters with the twittering flutes, dignified horn chords, soaring strings and surprise major key changes; the thunderously, insanely dark dirges that play as you fight your worst enemies; or the credits song that deserves to be in every Squaresoft fan’s favorite music playlist. 150 minutes might go by slow, but can you think of a better video to play while you’re studying physics? I didn’t think so.
