As many of you are aware at this point, Final Fantasy is the most successful RPG of all time and the only game to reach double digits legitimately. One of the biggest factors in the success of the games are the magnificent soundtracks of the games. Even through the soundtracks are good, you really need to play the game to fully appreate the soundtracks to these games. Before Final Fantasy X (the first Final Fantasy on the PS2), all of the numeral games on the PS had incredible soundtracks. Final Fantasy VII had a soundtrack containing 85 songs, and was groundbreaking because the sound quality on the game was much higher on the actual game than previous Final Fantasy's which were on Super Nintendo and Nintendo. The Final Fantasy VII soundtrack was primarily remembered for its final boss music and laid the foundation for later versions of the music.

Final Fantasy VIII's soundtrack was possibly the best of the PS Final Fantasy's, and is remembered for being the first Final Fantasy game to ever contain a track with vocals in it. The Final Fantasy IX soundtrack is quite possibly Nobuo Uematsu's largest body of work for a single game. The soundtrack contains 109 songs, most of which have a medieval feel to go along with the general feel of the game.

Final Fantasy X Soundtrack has a few elements you will not find in any of the PS Final Fantasy Soundtracks. First, the sound of the music is more modern, you might hear something similar to the music you would hear on a radio station. Another difference is that the music on this soundtrack is similar in sound quality to the game, because of the PS2's enhanced sound. Last, there is a HEAVY METAL song on this disc? This is something never before heard in a Final Fantasy game. Anyways on to the soundtrack!

The songs appear pretty much chronological as you would encounter them in the game. The first track is a nine second intro with some Japanese speaking...pretty worthless. The first actual track is a piano piece named At Zanarkand.Although I didn’t really like this song when I heard in in the game, it really grew on me when listening to the soundtrack. The piano is absolutely beautiful, but the track sounds a little sad. The next track is called Prelude which a poppy song with a little bit of techno thrown in, its an average song. As aforementioned, one of the songs on Disc one is a Heavy Metal song called Otherworld. This song really surprised me, at first when I heard it in the game and then on the soundtrack. Despite the overall quality of the tracks on Disc 1, there are a few that are mediocre. Songs like Omninous, Hopeless Desire, and Underwater Ruins fit in during the game but are slow paced and not really fun to listen to without the game. Some of the best songs towards the end of the disc are Besaid Island, Blitzball Gamblers, and Spirian Scenery. I liked Besaid Island so much on the game, I decided to buy the soundtrack because of it. Also worth mentioning is the Hymn of the Fayth, a vocal song which plays while you visit the temples in the game. The are variations throughout the soundtrack, each named for the Aeon you acquire.

Disc number two lost my attention really quick, the first five songs are mediocre and are songs I usually skip through. However, towards the middle of the disc, some of the best songs on the whole collection come up. An example is track six named Luca, which is a upbeat song that really grabs you attention throughout the song. Other good songs include The Splendid Performance, Confrontation, and Traveling Company. Track 11, Blitz off was a song I loved in the game, and despite the fact that the version of the soundtrack sounds a little different, this is one of my favorite songs. The next song is named Auron’s Theme, the song is a little bit repetitive but is enjoyable to listen to. Mi’hen Highroad is definitely one of the best tracks in the entire soundtrack. It has an upbeat tempo, but then gradually slows down almost to a stop, but then speeds back up again. It makes me want to listen to it over and over again!! In every Final Fantasy game there is a Chocobo theme. This one Brass de Chocobo is the best chocobo theme out of any Final Fantasy on the PS or PS2. It has a few beat changes, but is easy and fin to listen to. The rest of the tracks are okay...but I really like the one at the end named Guadosalam.

Disc Three is the disc that has spent the least amount of time in my CD player. Why? Because there really are not that many tracks on disc number three that I like to listen to. The first two tracks Thunder Plains and Jhect’s Theme are my favorite ones to listen to. I like Thunder Plains because it is a piano piece that is very enjoyable to listen to. Jhect’s Theme has a little bit of a Spanish song feel to it, and it is enjoyable. Also worth mentioning is the song Suteki de ne which translates to “Isn’t it wonderful?”. Starting with Final Fantasy 8, every final fantasy afterward has featured a song sung by a female Japanese singer. This one is song by a singer named Rikki. This should be the pinnacle of the songtrack, but it ended up being a letdown. I really can’t stand Rikki’s voice. She has a rift in he voice making some of the notes she sings painful. Overall this song is a huge disappointment in my book.

Disc Four really contains much of FFX’s strongest material. This is because it contains the final battle music, the ending theme, and various other great tracks. One of my favorite’s on the disc is People of the North Pole. It has a slow tempo but reminds me of more traditional prayer songs. Even through you hear this song earlier on the game, Challenge is a great song. I don’t know why it is not earlier on the soundtrack, but better late than never. One of the most complex battle songs you will ever hear is Seymour Battle. It has a large amount of tempo changes ranging from slow to what sounds like Techno. My favorite track of the entire soundtrack. Another good track is Summoned Beast Battle but the best is yet to come.
The final battle theme is named Decisive Battle and is really good. The mixture of Piano and the orchestra makes for a classic track. The ending theme is really another good track. It plays a variation of the earlier song At Zanarkand. It has a sad feel (but for a reason). Also in included in the end is a track called Never Forget and the orchestra version of Suteki de ne which still has Rikki in it so I don’t listen to it all that much.

For the first time ever in Final Fantasy soundtracks, Nobou Uemastu was not the only composer, as there were two others who helped him out. Recently, after Nobou had composed every Final Fantasy soundtrack, he resigned from Square Enix to pursue a individual career. This means this could be the last great Final Fantasy soundtrack.

Because the four disc boxset is imported, it can be tricky to find. There are some on Ebay that will cost you about $25 for four discs of music which is a great deal. You can also buy the shorted American version for about the same price, only containing a little over thirty songs. If you do come across either of these versions, and you like this type of music or have played the game, they are both worth buying.

Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Driving