PS2 Euphonies

In the earlier 3 posts of my videogame music euphonies series(NES, SNES, and PS), I gave a background of how videogame music have developed over the years. Anyone playing videogames for as long as I have – from the NES era to now – will have noticed the progression of the sound quality: from 8-bit to 16-bit and finally, during the PlayStation generation, culminating to the CD-like WAV.

Videogame music composers, however, were not quick to adapt to the new freedom offered by PlayStation’s audio. Early PS games sounded conservative, in that they still clung to that bleepy MIDI sound. Take Final Fantasy VII: though it has great compositions, its music sound like they were done on cheap Casio keyboards. Only during the later stage of PS’s life cycle have it become the norms for videogame music to sound like they’re coming an audio CD, which includes higher sampling rates and the use of live instruments.

So I don’t think I need to tell you that when PlayStation 2 was released, I was very excited to hear what kind of music its games would bring. After all, even during the chrysalis stage of videogame industry, the music already sounded very creative. Since the composers were no longer constrained by hardware limitations, I believed that they would explore other genres of music, because all I’d heard so far were rock, new age and orchestra - not that they’re bad, but there’s always this thing about variety being the spice of life. I expected to be further ensorcelled by what’s to come with videogame music.

Sadly, it didn’t happen that much. Sure, there are tracks that are just as good as - probably better than - anything else I have heard from videogames so far, but those are very few. I’m not lying if I tell you that I had much difficulty narrowing down my SNES and PS euphonies lists to just 10 tracks, but for PS2 I could hardly name 10, and most of them are from games that have only 1 or 2 good tunes. It doesn’t look like it’s going to improve with this generation of videogame consoles either; sans Eternal Sonata I’ve not found any X360 soundtrack (that is comprised of compositions made for the game) memorable.

What really gets me is how lazy videogames have become with their choices of music. Since the industry has become very profitable, the game developers either acquire the rights to play licensed music, or hire popular musicians (e.g. popular rock bands) to perform for them. The quality varies for licensed music – Grand Theft Auto certainly surpasses most others – but I don’t find that very effective in giving videogames much identity. As for popular musicians, they are chosen based on how they make the supplemented videogame more mainstream, and it’s because of this that some games takes a turn for the garish: just listen to the atrocities Godsmack have wrought to Prince of Persia: The Warrior Within. The mainstream from this 21^st century hasn’t been known as the golden age for any genre of music, and I think most will agree with me on how they just don’t make rock, rap, hiphop, rnb, or jazz like they used to. It’s sad that videogame music also has to suffer from the dreck the music industry tortures us with, but what can we do: commercial appeal is the gospel truth for everything, right? Don’t be surprised if the next Splinter Cell has songs by Linkin Park.

There still are cases when videogame-exclusive composers write game’s music, but this has become infrequent. Moreover, with the growing focus of using the “moody atmospheric ambient sound” to give players “a better immersion to the game” (really?), they just seem less and less intent on making memorable listens. So, all things considered, I think videogame music has gone downhill.

Anyway, this is my top 10 PS2 music list, which I compiled with a heavy heart.

1. Wild Arms 3 - Prologue Movie Song (Advanced Wind)

It has good lyrics - though not Bob Dylan quality, it at least rhymes (albeit not perfectly), which is more than what can be said for most English songs used for Japanese games. Additionally, the intro movie is guilty for being too good that the rest of the game couldn’t live up to it (excellent character designs, though).

2. Persona 3 - Changing Seasons

Persona 3’s soundtrack is interesting, in that it has great arrangements that are marred by silly English and French lyrics. Changing Seasons is one of the few instrumental tracks, and it makes you appreciate that, stripped down of the singing, the compositions of Persona 3 are quite good.

3. Genso Suikoden III - Prologue Movie Song (Exceeding Love)

This one is so different I don’t even know how to describe it, and the only thing I can say is that it has some chanting. Very worldly, and I’m not even sure what that means. The game is unfortunately not the best of the series.

4. Genso Suikoden IV - Prologue Movie Song (La Mer)

Dang! I dig this track’s Caribbean influences so much I can rank this as the best music I’ve heard from all PS2 games, blowing everything else out of the water (uh, sorry). The use of those percussions, guitars, and calliopes, it just rules! It depresses me how unremarkable the game is, considering how huge a draw the music is.

5. Final Fantasy X-2 - Prologue Movie Song (Real Emotions)

You recall me saying how phoning in pop songsters/songstresses can ruin the soundtrack of the videogame? Well, to be fair, Koda Kumi’s involvement with Final Fantasy X-2 wasn’t that bad, in my opinion. I know she totally sounds like Britney. I don’t like Britney. Koda Kumi is as formulaic as 99.9999998% of J-pop, K-pop, Canto-pop, and Mandarin-pop artists, in that they always have the obligatory dance track and then the love ballad. I just have to take exception on this song. It’s lively and I really like the arrangements. So, there.

Final Fantasy X-2’s soundtrack isn’t very well-received because fans keep saying how it isn’t purist to the Final Fantasy’s trademark of music. But I’m in disagreement here; it’s surely not gonna match Final Fantasy VI’s soundtrack, but I actually prefer it to Final Fantasy X’s. I like that the tracks here are funkier, jazzier, and more exciting, whereas FFX’s are so laid-back I don’t even remember more than two of them.

6. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty - Main Theme

Here’s a loud orchestral track. After hearing this you’ll understand why, with MGS2 being among the first games of PS2, I thought videogame music had a bright future. Harry Gregson Williams is the composer of most Metal Gear Solid’s soundtrack, in addition to being the one who did the soundtrack of way too many Hollywood movies (there’s 30% chance that the background music you’re hearing from any blockbuster action thriller is written by him).

7. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater - Prologue Movie Song (Snake Eater)

Two things: first, the singer sounds Caucasian, which is why it’s jarring to hear her sing such an inane lyrics; second, it still manages to be very reminiscent of James Bond’s music.

8. Soul Calibur III – Setsuka Theme (Ephemeral Dream)

The Soul Calibur series is famous (notorious?) for having super bombastic orchestral tracks. Setsuka’s theme is more subdued (though still overblown), and a bit somber, which makes it best track of the game, and maybe even of the whole Soul Calibur franchise.

9. Hitman 2: Silent Assassin - Title Theme

This operatic track just screams, “be awed by how imposing Agent 47 (the Hitman guy) looks, because he’s just as deadly as he appears.” Ok, I don’t know if that’s what’s being said; it just feels like that.

10. Shin Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams - Yagyu Jubei Theme

This is what happens when you mix electronica with traditional Japanese instrument. Yagyu Jubei is one of my favorite characters of the game, in that this Jubei is a female representation of a Japanese legend, and the music that plays whenever the game focuses on her fits her personality very well – she’s noisy, tomboyish, aggressive and determined. On an unrelated note, Shin Onimusha harkens back to the days when each characters of a game have their own theme music, and, if you can tell, I miss those days a lot.