HAY GUYS

orion_mk3 · Aug 13, 2007, 05:53 PM

Catalog Number n/a
Release Date May 22, 2007 (game)
Release Type n/a
Release Price n/a
Media Type MP3 (40 tracks, 192 VBR)
Classification Gamerip
Published by n/a
Composed by Basicscape (Hitoshi Sakimoto, Masaharu Iwata, Kimihiro Abe, Mitsuhiro Kaneda, Manabu Namiki)
Arranged by Nami Uehara (song "Odin Sphere Theme Shanachie ver.")
Performed by Shanachie (song "Odin Sphere Theme Shanachie ver.")
From the Game Odin Sphere
Platform(s) Sony PlayStation 2

Note: The track names used in this review are the reviewer's invention. The order of tracks, and the track titles themselves, are derived from a complete 40-hour playthrough, and a fully ordered and tagged version of the rip may be found here.

Tracklist

Spoiler:

Recommended: For anyone who enjoyed the music in-game, and would enjoy large-scale orchestral and choral music despite the limits of the rip and some very weak tracks.

Developed as a spiritual sequel to Princess Crown, Odin Sphere was a dark horse hit in spring 2007, captivating western audiences with detailed 2D artwork and a nuanced localization. Odin Sphere also saw the first collaboration between Hitoshi Sakimoto's Basicscape music company and developer Vanillaware, a collaboration that has already extended to the subsequent Grim Grimoire.

Sakimoto, with co-composers Masaharu Iwata, Kimihiro Abe, Mitsuhiro Kaneda, and Manabu Namiki, fashioned a soundtrack with a large orchestral sound, occasionally influenced by medieval music and leavened with touches of choir. The choral approach is most notable in the "Main Theme" and its variations, which present a sprightly, ethereal melody with French and Japanese lyrics. It's incorporated as counterpoint in many tracks such as the penultimate "Cauldron Battle" and given a rousing Celtic rendition by Shanachie during the staff roll.

The balance of the tracks are largely split into energized, militaristic tracks for battles and softer pieces for moments of rest. Each area has a battle theme and a rest theme; rising, percussive "Nebulaopolis" is offset by the regal and brassy "Ragnanival," for instance, and the lively "Forest of Elrit," which emphasizes mallet percussion, is paired with the ambient, contemplative "Forest Shrine." The quirkier tracks are especially noteworthy, with the delightful "Attic" leading the pack, alongside a pair of light tracks for the Pooka race.

The music is not perfect, though, and there are a number of missteps. The Fire Kingdom tracks, "Volkenon Lava Pit" and "Fire King's Shrine" are dull and atonal, while the pulsing "Titania Capital" is inexplicably paired with "Capital Alleyways," a sparse and random track. As a gamerip, some of the tracks contain background sound effects, which range from inoffensive (forest sounds in Elrit and Ringford) to dreadful (crackling fire in "Rabbit Café").

Since there is no official OST, there is no information on which of the Basicscape composers wrote which track—aside from the game's main theme, which is explicitly credited to Sakimoto. While some speculation is possible, the music generally gels well and there are few obvious deviations from its overriding style.

The Odin Sphere game rip is a worthwhile pursuit for fans of the Basicscape sound and the game itself. Hopefully, given the game's success, an official album will be released sans sound effects and with a detailed composer breakdown. Until then, the rip is an adequate representation of the music.

Rating (out of *****):
****

Jam it back in, in the dark.