Crisis Core's soundtrack kicks ass. From another topic:
Hell yes.
* The Mako City - It's a throwaway theme, but it captures the casual feel of Midgar easily. Imagine sitting in the swank Shinra tower lobby.
It fits the city quite nicely. There's a district you can explore that's named after the LOVELESS play you see advertised around FFVII (and plays a role in Crisis Core)
* Wandering on a Sunny Afternoon - Wow, take off down the road! I don't like where the song ultimately ends up, but I can so imagine an adventure taking place to this song.
Oh, how I love this song. I listen to this when I'm outdoors, and it's awesome in-game when you're running to Angeal's hometown.
* The Summoned (Those Who Fight Further) - Awesome, awesome remix of TWFF. The song does that cool build-up and then just BLASTS OUT! Yet later, in somehow resumes that build-up sound on a new tier of tension (I guess that'd be the song's bridge).
Plays when you face summons. Fighting Bahamut to this song was one of the highlights of the game.
* The Clandestine - Bah, it doesn't go the whole way. But it's a very sleek Turk theme, which has been mis-remixed by fans for a long time now.
It's snazzy and works well. Usually plays when Cissnei is around.
* Aeris's Theme - I like the instrumentation. But for some reason, after I listen to this, I absolutely have to hear...
It's obvious where this begins playing. ^__^ Too bad the first time you hear it, there's a horrible transition out of it into the Sunny Afternoon theme when you leave the church (it sounds like someone forgot to fade out the song, and the resulting effect is annoying).
* A Beating Black Wing - Damn, this picks itself up off the ground and dusts! It sounds like a Sephiroth rampage from inside-out! And I love the part at 2:14.
Genesis's battle theme for the first time you fight him. I like how it starts.
* March on the Frontier - Compare to the emperor's marching tune from Final Fantasy 6. Last Order sort of sucked in the music department, though.
Damn, I forget what this song is.
* The Mako-Controlling Organization - I love the Shinra theme. This is a decent remix, but it sounds a little less powerful than its FF7 counterpart.
I agree that it's less powerful, but fits the company well enough.
* A Closed Off Village - Yes, this is an Ancient Heart remix done right! The romantic, ethereal tension is there, along with the mystique of the softly ringing melody...
Excellent.* An Ancient Hymn - Good tension theme.
I think this plays in the last dungeon.
* SOLDIER Battle - What the hell is with that intro? It's like hearing a damn fight theme and yielding to it! This thing is so hard it's ridiculous. SOLDIER are the best of the best, and this theme seems to ask, what if two SOLDIERS fought it out?
The Genesis battle accompanied with the SOLDIER Battle intro is incredible and really sets the scene.
* Howl of the Gathered - What a fast, fleeting combat theme.
Can't remember where this plays...
* Those Who Accept the Protection of the Stars - This is the culmination of it all, and one of the best Final Fantasy battle themes ever assembled.
Same here.
* One-Winged Angel - I adore what they did here. The introduction worked well for the cut scene in which Sephiroth amazingly bursts through the cannon's falling component by slashing his way through and proceeding to back Genesis up against a wall with the Masamune (metaphorically). Something different happens in each segment of this song; it never grows stale. The lines "Sors immanis - et inanis" seem to convey this fear and hatred towards fate, and follow with a great transition back into the main verse. That little triangle carries its weight. The part starting in the 1:40s is cool, although I sort of do miss that usual part after the verses. And what can I say about the ending? I expect the song to restart, and WHAT THE CHRIST, ITS THE OPENING! SEPHIROTH! AND ITS GROWING AND GROWING AND THE FIERCE SELF-WILL OF SEPHIROTH DEFIES DESTINY AND EXACTS ITS DREAM UPON THE WORLD! Whoa, there's such power in those closing notes! It was totally unexpected and it really blew my mind!
What can I say? Absolutely amazing, especially during
the battle with him. Sephiroth and Zack leap to the glass floor below JENOVA's cell, and in the second part of the fight, the battle takes place on a narrow pipe, and OWA kicks in. Incredible.
Highlight of the game: Facing Sephiroth, and the game's emotionally-fueled final battle (which I won't talk about, but FFVII fans will know).
Disappointing moment: Going on an irritating side-quest to build Aerith a fucking
flower wagon.As for the DoC comments, this game is seriously different from it. Don't let Dirge put you off Crisis Core, because the latter is honestly fantastic and is exactly the kind of spin-off we needed.
