Review Summary: I may never play Final Fantasy XIII again, but the music will never leave me.
We all have that one album or song that
defines us more than any other. It may be a widely celebrated piece of work, or it may be that one little secret you refuse to share because it’s too personal to you. Well, I’m not sure if the soundtrack to
Final Fantasy XIII really fits in either category. It’s the soundtrack to one of the most polarizing games in recent memory, and while the music of the game was praised quite a bit, it generally isn’t regarded as highly as many of the classic tunes that Nobuo Uematsu composed for the classic games in the series. After all, this was the first
Final Fantasy soundtrack that Masashi Hamauzu composed on his own after working with Uematsu on the tenth installment of the franchise; perhaps fans were of the mindset that he hadn’t fully proven himself yet.
However, the power of nostalgia never ceases to amaze. As strange as it is to admit, my first
Final Fantasy game wasn’t
VI, or
VII, or
X. It was
Final Fantasy XIII. Yes, the most love-or-hate entry is the one I started with. And, as equally strange as it is to admit (especially today), I absolutely loved it back then. The problems people had with it - the linear game design, the paradigm-based combat system, the cheesy dialogue, the confusing plot - were of no issue to me as I traversed the stunning land of Cocoon. To be honest, I’ve actually been resisting the urge to replay
Final Fantasy XIII again out of fear that my entire perception of the game will crumble as I uncover how flawed it really is. Just let me have my 2010 memory, and don’t give me a reason to set myself up for disappointment.
But one thing is still true: I’ve gone back to the music too many times to count. These pieces have never left my mind, from the beautiful piano work of the title theme to the bombastic symphonic moments that score the battle sequences, not to mention the unique themes for each main character (though much of this is applicable to the other entries of the series, of course). What always drew me in more than anything else was the atmosphere; for all of
Final Fantasy XIII’s faults, it truly created a world that you wanted to live in for its visual splendor and scenic locales. And as with any good
Final Fantasy game, the music accompanied this beauty perfectly. The increased use of electronic elements was icing on the cake, as it added a more otherworldly vibe to quite a few tracks.
More importantly, however, this was the soundtrack that made me want to become a composer and songwriter in the first place. I wanted to have the ability to put people in a different world with music, whether as an escape or out of a love for exploration. It’s the reason I started falling in love with music by Bjork, Joe Hisaishi, Ko Otani, and other artists whose music I felt as though I could “inhabit” if only temporarily. There’s something about the power of a medium that you can’t see or watch that’s always been captivating to me, as you can imagine the scenery of a book, poem, or musical composition as you see fit. The paragraphs or lyrics might have a setting in mind, but you can still envision it in your own way. As amazing as Nobuo Uematsu’s work is (I do still see him as the superior composer), the way Hamauzu can create a setting with just a few piano notes is extremely impressive.
The
Final Fantasy XIII soundtrack wasn’t ground-zero for me musically, but it’s what made me want to pursue music as my main hobby and, eventually, my career. All of those hours spent sitting on the floor playing the game on my gen-one Playstation 3 created so many memories; they were simpler times, and listening to the soundtrack unleashes those old couch-potato daydreams as if I were opening up a time capsule I buried a decade ago. I may never play the game again, but the music will never leave me. Rest in peace,
Final Fantasy XIII, and thank you for helping me carve out my path in life.
