Music of Final Fantasy XII

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The music of the video game Final Fantasy XII was composed primarily by Hitoshi Sakimoto. Additional music was provided by Masaharu Iwata and Hayato Matsuo, who also orchestrated the opening and ending themes. Former regular series composer Nobuo Uematsu's only work for this game was "Kiss Me Good-Bye", the theme song sung by Angela Aki. The Final Fantasy XII Original Soundtrack was released on four Compact Discs in 2006 by Aniplex. A sampling of tracks from the soundtrack was released as an album entitled Selections from Final Fantasy XII Original Soundtrack, and was released in 2006 by Tofu Records. Additionally, a promotional digital album titled The Best of Final Fantasy XII was released on the Japanese localization of iTunes for download only in 2006. "Kiss Me Good-Bye" was released by Epic Records as a single in 2006, and Symphonic Poem "Hope", the complete music from the game's end credits, was released by Hats Unlimited the same year. An abridged version of the latter piece, which originally accompanied a promotional video for the game, was included in the official soundtrack album. An album of piano arrangements, titled Piano Collections Final Fantasy XII, was released by Square Enix in 2012.

Contents

The soundtrack received mixed reviews from critics; while several felt that it was an excellent album, others disagreed, finding it to be a good soundtrack but lacking in substance. Common complaints about the album were the large number of filler tracks, which seemed to be uninspired and hurt the soundtrack as a whole. However, several reviewers commented on "Kiss Me Good-bye", finding it to be one of the soundtrack's strongest areas. The singles for the soundtrack were very well received by critics, who found them to be very enjoyable but short in duration, and the piano album was considered by reviewers to be one of the best in the series. The game's soundtrack was nominated for a British Academy of Film and Television Arts award for Best Original Score.

Creation and influence

Hitoshi Sakimoto was the lead composer of Final Fantasy XII. Hitoshi Sakimoto.jpg
Hitoshi Sakimoto was the lead composer of Final Fantasy XII.

Hitoshi Sakimoto composed most of the game's soundtrack; Nobuo Uematsu, following his departure from Square Enix in 2004, only contributed the theme song, "Kiss Me Good-Bye", sung by Angela Aki. [1] Uematsu noted that Aki's style of playing the keyboard while singing reminded him of his childhood idol, Elton John, which was one of the reasons he chose her. [2] Aki was approached for the role three years before the release of the game. [3] She based her words for the song on "a scene of a new journey after good-bye", which was the sense she had gotten from Uematsu's melody, and was encouraged by Uematsu not to limit herself in her lyrics to what she thought the producers wanted. [3] Sakimoto was brought in to compose the soundtrack to the game by Yasumi Matsuno, the producer of the game, five months before the game was officially announced. [4] Sakimoto experienced difficulty following in Uematsu's footsteps, but he decided to create a unique soundtrack in his own way, although he cites Uematsu as his biggest musical influence. [5] [6]

Sakimoto did not meet with Uematsu for direction on creating the soundtrack and tried to avoid copying Uematsu's style from previous Final Fantasy soundtracks. However, he did attempt to ensure that his style would mesh with Uematsu's "Kiss Me Good-Bye" and the overall vision of the series. [4] The soundtrack also includes pieces composed by Uematsu for previous Final Fantasy games, with new arrangements by Sakimoto. [7] These tracks include "Final Fantasy ~FFXII Version~", "Victory Fanfare ~FFXII Version~", "Chocobo FFXII Arrange Ver. 1", "Chocobo ~FFXII Version~", and "Clash on the Big Bridge ~FFXII Version~". Of these, all but "Clash on the Big Bridge" are recurring pieces used in almost every Final Fantasy game. "Clash on the Big Bridge" plays during the battle with Gilgamesh, as it did in Final Fantasy V . [7] Sakimoto created the music for the game based on the atmosphere of the game and the emotional changes of the characters, rather than the story, so that the music would not be affected by changes in the development of the game. [4] Sakimoto stated in an interview included in a bonus disc of the collector's edition of the game that his favorite pieces from the soundtrack are the "world" themes in the outdoor areas, and that his overall favorite is "The Cerobi Steppe". [5]

Soundtrack

Final Fantasy XII Original Soundtrack
Front coverffxiiost.JPG
Studio album by
ReleasedMay 31, 2006
Genre Orchestra, classical, electronic, video game soundtrack
LengthDisk 1: 73:15
Disk 2: 73:18
Disk 3: 73:19
Disk 4: 73:25
Label Aniplex
Producer Hitoshi Sakimoto

Final Fantasy XII Original Soundtrack is the soundtrack album of Final Fantasy XII, containing musical tracks from the game, and was composed and produced by Hitoshi Sakimoto. Additional music was provided by Masaharu Iwata and Hayato Matsuo, who also orchestrated the opening and ending themes. [7] The soundtrack spans four discs and 100 tracks, covering a duration of 4:54:34. It was released on May 31, 2006 in Japan by Aniplex, bearing the catalog numbers SVWC-7351~4. The limited edition of the soundtrack included a 28-page booklet featuring artwork for the game and providing information about the soundtrack. [7]

An album entitled Selections from Final Fantasy XII Original Soundtrack was released on October 31, 2006 by Tofu Records containing 31 tracks from the full Final Fantasy XII soundtrack. The tracks were the same versions as on the full soundtrack, although some tracks that repeated were cut shorter. The album covers a duration of 73:23 and has a catalog number of TOF-033. [8] Additionally, a promotional digital album titled The Best of Final Fantasy XII was released on the Japanese localization of iTunes for download only on March 15 the same year. The album contains 11 tracks handpicked by Hitoshi Sakimoto, including versions of "Theme of Final Fantasy XII" and "Chocobo FFXII Arrange Ver. 1" that were ultimately not used in the game. [9]

The game's soundtrack was nominated for a British Academy of Film and Television Arts award for Best Original Score. [10] Final Fantasy XII Original Soundtrack has sold 31,000 copies as of January 2010. [11] It reached #7 on the Japanese Oricon charts, and stayed on the charts for six weeks. [12] The album received mixed reviews from critics. Jared's review from Square Enix Music Online cited that the soundtrack "utilizes ambiance, power, intensity and beauty" and termed the album to be "amazing", though he felt that the lack of melody "hurts this soundtrack" and that some of the tracks were "bare of inspiration". [13] Meghan Sullivan of IGN thought that the composer was "trying too hard to evoke emotion" and that many of the tracks were "over-the-top and bombastic", though she did feel that there were certain tracks that "manage[d] to be stirring". She also stated that Uematsu's only work for the soundtrack, "Kiss Me Good-bye", is a "strong end to a surprisingly trite collection". [14] Greg Kasavin of GameSpot, on the other hand, felt that it was a "beautifully composed soundtrack" that sounded "fantastic". [15] Patrick Gann of RPGFan found it to be "a great work", but "somewhat lacking in substance", concluding that he had "a lot of mixed feelings about it", while Ben Schweitzer of RPGFan disagreed, enjoying the soundtrack and finding it to be an "excellent" album, and "better than [he] could have expected". [7]

Track list

Disc 1
No.TitleJapanese titleLength
1."Loop Demo"ループデモ Rūpu Demo1:36
2."FINAL FANTASY ~FFXII Version~"FINAL FANTASY ~FFXIIバージョン~ FINAL FANTASY ~FFXII Bājon~1:17
3."Opening Movie (Theme of FINAL FANTASY XII)"オープニング・ムービー (FINAL FANTASY XIIのテーマ) Ōpuningu Mūbī (FINAL FANTASY XII no Tēma)6:57
4."Infiltration"潜入 Sennyū3:09
5."Boss Battle"ボス戦 Bosusen3:24
6."Auditory Hallucination"幻聴 Genchō3:13
7."Secret Practice"秘密の練習 Himitsu no renshū2:09
8."A Small Happiness"小さな幸せ Chīsa na shiawase0:08
9."The Royal City of Rabanastre / Town Ward Upper Stratum"王都ラバナスタ/市街地上層 Ōto Rabanasuta/ Shigaichi jōsō5:28
10."Penelo's Theme"パンネロのテーマ Pannero no Tēma2:57
11."The Dream to be a Sky Pirate"空賊への夢 Kūzoku e no yume0:35
12."Little Rascal"小悪党 Koakutō3:03
13."The Dalmasca Estersand"東ダルマスカ砂漠 Higashi Darumasuka sabaku4:03
14."Level Up!"レベルアップ! Reberu Appu!0:07
15."Naivety"童心 Dōshin3:01
16."Coexistence (Imperial Version)"共存 (帝国バージョン) Kyōson (teikoku bājon)2:48
17."Signs of Change"変化の兆し Henka no kizashi2:21
18."Mission Start"ミッション開始 Misshon kaishi0:08
19."Rabanastre Downtown"ラバナスタ・ダウンタウン Rabanasuta Dauntaun2:40
20."Mission Failed"ミッション失敗 Misshon shippai0:13
21."Quiet Determination"静かなる決意 Shizukanaru ketsui3:33
22."The Dalmasca Westersand"西ダルマスカ砂漠 Nishi Darumasuka sabaku1:34
23."Clan Headquarters"クラン本部 Kuran honbu2:47
24."A Small Bargain"小さな拾い物 Chīsa na hiroimono0:09
25."Giza Plains"ギーザ草原 Gīza sōgen4:43
26."Separation with Penelo"パンネロとの別れ Pannero tono wakare0:31
27."The Garamsythe Waterway"ガラムサイズ水路 Garamusaizu suiro2:55
28."An Omen"予兆 Yochō2:48
29."Rebellion"騒乱 Sōran2:57
30."Nalbina Fortress Town Ward"ナルビナ城塞市街地 Narubina jōsai shigaichi2:22
Disc 2
No.TitleJapanese titleLength
1."The Princess' Vision"王女の幻影 Ōjo no gen'ei3:19
2."Clash of Swords"剣の一閃 Tsurugi no issen2:35
3."Victory Fanfare ~FFXII Version~"勝利のファンファーレ ~FFXIIバージョン~ Shōri no Fanfāre ~FFXII Bājon~0:29
4."Abyss"深淵 Shin'en3:25
5."Dark Clouds (Imperial Version)"暗雲 (帝国バージョン) An'un (teikoku Bājon)2:00
6."A Promise with Balthier"バルフレアとの約束 Barufurea to no yakusoku0:37
7."Game Over"ゲームオーバー Gēmu Ōbā0:22
8."Nalbina Fortress Underground Prison"ナルビナ城塞地下雑居房 Narubina jōsai chika zakkyobō4:35
9."The Barbarians"蛮族 Banzoku2:29
10."Battle Drum"戦いのドラム Tatakai no Doramu2:46
11."Theme of the Empire"帝国のテーマ Teikoku no Tēma7:50
12."Chocobo FFXII Arrange Ver. 1"チョコボFFXIIアレンジVer.1 Chokobo FFXII Arenji Ver.12:49
13."The Barheim Passage"バルハイム地下道 Barhaimu chikadō3:51
14."Sorrow (Liberation Army Version)"悲哀 (解放軍バージョン) Hiai (kaihōgun Bājon)3:36
15."Basch's Reminiscence"バッシュの回想 Basshu no kaisō0:57
16."Coexistence (Liberation Army Version)"共存 (解放軍バージョン) Kyōson (kaihōgun Bājon)2:50
17."The Skycity of Bhujerba"空中都市ビュエルバ Kūchū toshi Byueruba3:48
18."The Secret of Nethicite"魔石の秘密 Maseki no himitsu3:24
19."Dark Night (Imperial Version)"闇夜 (帝国バージョン) An'ya (teikoku Bājon)2:00
20."Speechless Fight"言葉無き戦い Kotobanaki tatakai2:33
21."The Dreadnought Leviathan Bridge"戦艦リヴァイアサン艦橋 Senkan Rivaiasan kankyō3:54
22."Challenging the Empire"帝国への挑戦 Teikoku e no chōsen3:19
23."State of Emergency"切迫する事態 Seppakusuru jitai3:16
24."Upheaval (Imperial Version)"動乱 (帝国バージョン) Dōran (teikoku bājon)3:13
25."The Tomb of Raithwall"レイスウォール王墓 Reisuwōru ōbo3:36
Disc 3
No.TitleJapanese titleLength
1."The Sandsea"大砂海 Daisakai2:21
2."Esper Battle"召喚獣戦 Shōkanjūsen3:23
3."Sorrow (Imperial Version)"悲哀 (帝国バージョン) Hiai (teikoku bājon)2:49
4."Seeking Power"求めし力 Motomeshi chikara3:13
5."Desperate Fight"死闘 Shitō2:44
6."Jahara, Land of the Garif"ガリフの地ジャハラ Garifu no chi Jahara4:59
7."Ozmone Plains"オズモーネ平原 Ozumōne heidan2:30
8."The Golmore Jungle"ゴルモア大森林 Gorumoa daishinrin3:50
9."Eruyt Village"エルトの里 Eruto no sato4:13
10."You're Really a Child..."本当に子供なんだから…。 Honto ni kodomo nandakara...0:13
11."Chocobo ~FFXII Version~"チョコボ ~FFXIIバージョン~ Chokobo ~FFXII Bājon~2:04
12."An Imminent Threat"迫る脅威 Semaru kyōi2:45
13."Clash on the Big Bridge ~FFXII Version~"ビッグブリッジの死闘 ~FFXIIバージョン~ Biggu Burijji no shitō ~FFXII Bājon~2:46
14."Abandoning Power"捨て去りし力 Sutesarishi chikara2:36
15."The Stilshrine of Miriam"ミリアム遺跡 Miriamu iseki3:24
16."Time for a Rest"安息の時 Ansoku no toki2:10
17."White Room"白い部屋 Shiroi heya3:45
18."The Salikawood"サリカ樹林 Sarika jurin2:37
19."The Phon Coast"フォーン海岸 Fōn kaigan3:59
20."Destiny"宿命 Shukumei2:58
21."The Sochen Cave Palace"ソーヘン地下宮殿 Sōhen chika kyūden3:39
22."A Moment's Rest"一時の休息 Ichiji no kyūsoku4:32
23."Near the Water"水のほとり Mizu no hotori3:12
24."The Mosphoran Highwaste"モスフォーラ山地 Mosufōra sanchi2:50
Disc 4
No.TitleJapanese titleLength
1."The Cerobi Steppe"セロビ大地 Serobi daichi3:13
2."Esper"召喚 Shōkan2:45
3."The Port of Balfonheim"港町バーフォンハイム Minatomachi Bāfonhaimu2:14
4."Nap"仮眠 Kamin0:14
5."The Zertinan Caverns"ゼルテニアン洞窟 Zerutenian dōkutsu3:23
6."A Land of Memories"追憶の地 Tsuioku no chi4:01
7."The Forgotten Capital"忘れ去られし都 Wasuresarareshi miyako4:16
8."The Feywood"幻妖の森 Gen'yō no mori4:15
9."Ashe's Theme"アーシェのテーマ Āshe no Tēma5:30
10."Giruvegan's Mystery"ギルヴェガンの謎 Giruvegan no nazo2:40
11."To the Place of the Gods"神々の場所へ Kamigami no basho e3:24
12."The Beginning of the End"終局の始まり Shūkyoku no hajimari3:37
13."To the Peak"頂上へ Chōjō e1:50
14."The Sky Fortress Bahamut"空中要塞バハムート Kūchū yōsai Bahamūto3:22
15."Shaking Bahamut"揺れるバハムート Yureru Bahamūto0:42
16."The Battle for Freedom"自由への闘い Jiyū e no tatakai8:52
17."The End of the Battle"闘いの結末 Tatakai no ketsumatsu1:14
18."Ending Movie"エンディング・ムービー Endingu Mūbī6:19
19."Kiss Me Good-Bye -featured in FINAL FANTASY XII-"Kiss Me Good-Bye-featured in FINAL FANTASY XII- Kiss Me Good-Bye-featured in FINAL FANTASY XII-4:59
20."Symphonic Poem "Hope" ~FINAL FANTASY XII PV ver.~"交響詩「希望」Symphonic Poem "Hope" ~FINAL FANTASY XII PV ver.~ Kōkyōshi "Kibō" Symphonic Poem "Hope" ~FINAL FANTASY XII PV ver.~3:55
21."Theme of FINAL FANTASY XII (Production Announcement Version)"FINAL FANTASY XIIのテーマ (制作発表会バージョン) FINAL FANTASY XII no Tēma (seisaku happyōkai Bājon)3:06

Piano album

Piano Collections Final Fantasy XII is an album of piano arrangements of music from the game. The thirteen tracks on the album, totaling 1:01:48 in length, were composed by Sakimoto and arranged and performed by Casey Ormond. The album was released by Square Enix on November 7, 2012 with the catalog number SQEX-10347, and was also published that same day as part of Final Fantasy XII OST & Piano Collections, a pack containing the album and the original soundtrack album with the catalog numbers SQEX-10348~52. [16] [17] A book of sheet music for the album has also been released. [18]

Sakimoto originally heard of Ormond due to an arrangement he had made of "The Skycity of Bhujerba" in 2009, which, after discussion between the two about several other arrangements Ormond made of Sakimoto's work, lead to the two officially working together on Valkyria Chronicles Piano Pieces, an album of piano arrangements for Valkyria Chronicles. [18] The style of arrangements on the Final Fantasy XII album range from classical to a "moody piece with plenty of sultry jazz tones", one of the two pieces located at the end of the album which Ormond had arranged prior to officially beginning the project. [19] Many of the pieces contain an "improvisational" sense, even when not technically jazz-based, and several depart notably from the style of the original works. [18] Ormond based many of the changes in theme or mood of his arrangements off of where the pieces were used in the original game, attempting to highlight the perspectives of different characters or ideas from the scenes they were played in. [18]

The album was well received by reviewers, with Don Kotowski of Square Enix Music Online calling it one of the best Final Fantasy piano arrangement albums, a claim echoed by Derek Heemsbergen of RPGFan. [16] [19] Heemsbergen added that "Ormond shows reverence for Sakimoto's original material while exploring musical ideas in a style all his own" and praised the variety of the music. [16] Kotowski praised both the "variety of moods" covered by the pieces as well as the overall cohesiveness of the album. [19]

Track list
No.TitleJapanese titleLength
1."Opening Movie (FFXII Theme) - To Be a Sky Pirate"オープニング・ムービー(FINAL FANTASY XIIのテーマ) ~ 空賊への夢4:03
2."Streets of Rabanastre"王都ラバナスタ/市街地上層4:34
3."The Dalmasca Estersand"東ダルマスカ砂漠6:19
4."On the Riverbank"水のほとり4:57
5."To Walk Amongst Gods"神々の場所へ4:54
6."Penelo's Theme"パンネロのテーマ4:16
7."Ashe's Theme"アーシェのテーマ4:12
8."The Archadian Empire"帝国のテーマ5:23
9."A Moment's Rest"一時の休息5:41
10."Nalbina Fortress"ナルビナ城塞市街地3:48
11."Lowtown"ラバナスタ・ダウンタウン4:37
12."Eruyt Village"エルトの里4:47
13."The Skycity of Bhujerba"空中都市ビュエルバ4:17

The Zodiac Age

Corresponding with the release of a high-definition remaster of the International Zodiac Job System version of Final Fantasy XII, subtitled The Zodiac Age, Square Enix released an album of music from the game. The 102-track album, released digitally and physically on Blu-ray on July 19, 2017, contains new compositions and arrangements of the original tracks by Sakimoto. A limited edition of the album included an additional CD of just the arrangements. [20] Tien Hoang of VGMOnline reviewed the album, and found it a "great update to a complex score"; they felt that the live instruments improved the score, though not as much as a full orchestra could have, and found the new tracks to be "fine but not groundbreaking". [21]

Singles

Kiss Me Good-Bye

Kiss Me Good-Bye is the theme song of Final Fantasy XII , and is the third Japanese single by Angela Aki. The only vocal piece in the game, it was set to tunes composed by Nobuo Uematsu, arranged by Kenichiro Fukui and produced by Motoki Matsuoka. The single was released by Epic Records in Japan on March 15, 2006, covering a duration of 19:59 and bearing the catalog number ESCL-2810. A limited edition was also released bearing the catalog number ESCL-2808 featuring a DVD containing the Kiss Me Good-Bye video clip which included both shots of Aki performing the single and clips from the video game. [22] Unlike previous Final Fantasy games, the theme song is sung in English in both the Japanese and North American versions of the game. The version featured on the CD single has a slightly different arrangement and Japanese lyrics; however, the English version that was featured in the game is included as a bonus track. An English version of the single was released as a digital single on May 16 the same year under the title Kiss Me Good-Bye [EP] in North America through Tofu Records. [23]

"Kiss Me Good-bye" reached #6 on the Oricon charts and remained on the charts for 18 weeks. [24] The release was seen by critics as an excellent single, with Gann feeling that both the Final Fantasy XII and non-game tracks held their weight equally. [22]

Symphonic Poem "Hope"

Symphonic Poem "Hope" (交響詩「希望」, Kōkyōshi "Kibō") is a single released by violinist Taro Hakase and is the full version of the game's ending credits music. The piece has been described as a "mini-symphony" for Final Fantasy XII inspired by the main theme for the game. [25] The single contains five tracks, arranged by Taro Hakase and Yuji Toriyama and produced by Taro Hakase, and features performance by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. A shorter edit blending the first, second and fifth movements of the symphonic poem was used in a promotional video for the game, and appears as a single track in the official soundtrack release. Symphonic Poem "Hope" was released on March 1, 2006 by Hats Unlimited bearing the catalog number HUCD-10015. [25]

Hope was found by critics to be an enjoyable single, though at only 9 minutes long, Gann felt he could have "gotten by without it", although he said that for other listeners, their "collection may not be complete without this little gem". [25] Dave of Square Enix Music Online concurred with that sentiment, saying that "despite the length of the album, it easily grew on" him. [26] "Hope" reached #15 on the Oricon charts and remained on the charts for 16 weeks. [27]

Track list
No.TitleJapanese titleLength
1."1st mov. Overture"第一楽章 序曲0:59
2."2nd mov. March of a Wise man"第二楽章 賢者の行進1:04
3."3rd mov. Road of Hope"第三楽章 ロード・オブ・ホープ3:07
4."4th mov. Romance"第四楽章 ロマンス1:41
5."5th mov. Road of Hope ~ Refrain"第五楽章 ロード・オブ・ホープ~リフレイン1:54

Legacy

"Kiss Me Good-bye" was performed by the Chicagoland Pops Orchestra and Angela Aki for Play! A Video Game Symphony, a worldwide video game music orchestral concert series. [28] The Eminence Symphony Orchestra performed "Victory Fanfare", "Clan Headquarters", and "Penelo's Theme" at the three "Passion" concerts held in Australia and Singapore in December 2006. [29] "Penelo's Theme" was again played at the Fantasy Comes Alive concert in Singapore on April 30, 2010. [30] Selections of music from the game also appear on Japanese remix albums, called dojin music, and on English remixing websites. [31]

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Music of <i>Chrono Trigger</i> Music of the video game Chrono Trigger

The Chrono series is a video game franchise developed and published by Square Enix. It began in 1995 with the time travel role-playing video game Chrono Trigger, which spawned two continuations, Radical Dreamers and Chrono Cross. The music of Chrono Trigger was mainly composed by Yasunori Mitsuda, with a few tracks composed by regular Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu. The Chrono Trigger soundtrack has inspired four official album releases by Square Enix: a soundtrack album released by NTT Publishing in 1995 and re-released in 2004, a greatest hits album published by DigiCube in 1999, published in abbreviated form by Tokyopop in 2001, and republished by Square Enix in 2005, an acid jazz arrangement album published and republished by NTT Publishing in 1995 and 2004, and a 2008 orchestral arranged album by Square Enix. Corresponding with the Nintendo DS release of the game, a reissued soundtrack was released in 2009. An arranged album for Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross, entitled To Far Away Times, was released in 2015 to commemorate the 20 year anniversary of Chrono Trigger.

Final Fantasy VII is a role-playing video game by Square as the seventh installment in the Final Fantasy series. Released in 1997, the game sparked the release of a collection of media centered on the game entitled the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII. The music of the Final Fantasy VII series includes not only the soundtrack to the original game and its associated albums, but also the soundtracks and music albums released for the other titles in the collection. The first album produced was Final Fantasy VII Original Soundtrack, a compilation of all the music in the game. It was released as a soundtrack album on four CDs by DigiCube in 1997. A selection of tracks from the album was released in the single-disc Reunion Tracks by DigiCube the same year. Piano Collections Final Fantasy VII, an album featuring piano arrangements of pieces from the soundtrack, was released in 2003 by DigiCube, and Square Enix began reprinting all three albums in 2004. To date, these are the only released albums based on the original game's soundtrack, and were solely composed by regular series composer Nobuo Uematsu; his role for the majority of subsequent albums has been filled by Masashi Hamauzu and Takeharu Ishimoto.

The music of the video game Final Fantasy VI was composed by regular series composer Nobuo Uematsu. The Final Fantasy VI Original Sound Version, a compilation of all the music in the game, was released in Japan by NTT Publishing in 1994 and re-released by Square Enix in 2004. The album was released by Square Co./NTT Publishing in North America in 1994 under the name Kefka's Domain. Selected tracks from the official soundtrack were later released as part of the Music From FFV and FFVI Video Games album that was included with the release of Final Fantasy Anthology, and two EPs were produced containing character theme tracks entitled Final Fantasy VI Stars Vol. 1 and Vol. 2. A special orchestral arrangement of selected tracks from the game, arranged by Shiro Sagisu and Tsuneyoshi Saito, and performed by the Milan Symphony Orchestra, was released under the title Final Fantasy VI Grand Finale by NTT Publishing in 1994 and 2004, and a collection of piano arrangements, arranged by Shirou Satou and performed by Reiko Nomura, was released under the title Piano Collections Final Fantasy VI by Square/NTT Publishing in 1994 and by NTT Publishing in 2001. Additionally, a single containing unused and remixed tracks from the game was released as Final Fantasy VI Special Tracks by NTT Publishing in 1994.

The music of the video game Final Fantasy V was composed by regular series composer Nobuo Uematsu. The Final Fantasy V Original Sound Version, a compilation of almost all of the music in the game, was released by Square Co./NTT Publishing, and subsequently re-released by NTT Publishing after the game was brought to North America as part of the Final Fantasy Anthology. An arranged album entitled Final Fantasy V Dear Friends, containing a selection of musical tracks from the game arranged in multiple styles, including live and vocal versions, was released by Square/NTT Publishing and later re-released by NTT Publishing. Additionally, a collection of piano arrangements composed by Nobuo Uematsu, arranged by Shirou Satou and played by Toshiyuki Mori titled Piano Collections Final Fantasy V was released by Square/NTT Publishing, and re-released by NTT Publishing.

The music of the video games Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy II was composed by regular series composer Nobuo Uematsu, who would go on to be the exclusive composer for the next seven Final Fantasy games. Although they were composed separately, music from the two games has only been released together. All Sounds of Final Fantasy I•II, a compilation of almost all of the music in the games, was released by DataM/Polystar in 1989, and subsequently re-released by NTT Publishing in 1994. Symphonic Suite Final Fantasy, an arranged album of music from the two games by Katsuhisa Hattori and his son Takayuki Hattori was released by DataM in 1989, and re-released by NTT Publishing/Polystar in 1994. Final Fantasy & Final Fantasy II Original Soundtrack, another arranged album, this time by Nobuo Uematsu and Tsuyoshi Sekito, was released in 2002 by DigiCube and again in 2004 by Square Enix.

The music of the Final Fantasy Tactics series, composed of Final Fantasy Tactics, Tactics Advance, Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift, and The War of the Lions, was primarily composed by Hitoshi Sakimoto. He was assisted by Masaharu Iwata in composing the music for Final Fantasy Tactics. The Final Fantasy Tactics Original Soundtrack, a compilation of almost all of the music in the game, was released by DigiCube in 1997, and re-released by Square Enix in 2006. No separate soundtrack has been released for Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions. The soundtrack was well received by critics, who found it to be astounding and one of the best video game music soundtracks in existence at the time of its release.

The music of the video game Final Fantasy VIII was composed by regular series composer Nobuo Uematsu. The Final Fantasy VIII Original Soundtrack, a compilation of all music in the game, was released on four Compact Discs by DigiCube in Japan, and by Square EA in North America. A special orchestral arrangement of selected tracks from the game—arranged by Shirō Hamaguchi—was released under the title Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec Final Fantasy VIII, and a collection of piano arrangements—performed by Shinko Ogata—was released under the title Piano Collections Final Fantasy VIII.

The music of the video game Final Fantasy IV was composed by regular series composer Nobuo Uematsu. The Final Fantasy IV Original Sound Version, a compilation of almost all of the music in the game, was released by Square Co./NTT Publishing, and subsequently re-released by NTT Publishing. It was released in North America by Tokyopop as Final Fantasy IV Official Soundtrack: Music from Final Fantasy Chronicles, with one additional track. It has since been re-released multiple times with slight changes as part of the Final Fantasy Finest Box and as Final Fantasy IV DS OST. An arranged album entitled Final Fantasy IV Celtic Moon, containing a selection of musical tracks from the game performed in the style of Celtic music by Máire Breatnach, was released by Square and later re-released by NTT Publishing. Additionally, a collection of piano arrangements composed by Nobuo Uematsu and played by Toshiyuki Mori titled Piano Collections Final Fantasy IV was released by NTT Publishing.

The music of the video game Final Fantasy IX was composed by regular series composer Nobuo Uematsu. It was his last exclusive Final Fantasy score. The Final Fantasy IX Original Soundtrack, a compilation of all music in the game, was originally released on four Compact Discs by DigiCube in 2000, and was re-released by Square Enix in 2004. A Best Of and arranged soundtrack album of musical tracks from the game entitled Final Fantasy IX: Uematsu's Best Selection was released in 2000 by Tokyopop Soundtrax. Final Fantasy IX Original Soundtrack PLUS, an album of music from the game's full motion videos and extra tracks, was released by DigiCube in 2000 and re-released in 2004, and a collection of piano arrangements of pieces from the original soundtrack arranged by Shirō Hamaguchi and performed by Louis Leerink was released as Piano Collections Final Fantasy IX in 2001.

The music of the MMORPG Final Fantasy XI was composed by Naoshi Mizuta along with regular series composer Nobuo Uematsu and Kumi Tanioka. The Final Fantasy XI Original Soundtrack, a compilation of almost all of the music in the game, was released by DigiCube in 2002, and subsequently re-released by Square Enix in 2004. Final Fantasy XI Rise of the Zilart Original Soundtrack was released by DigiCube in 2003 after the release of the Rise of the Zilart expansion for Final Fantasy XI, and re-released by Square Enix in 2004. Final Fantasy XI Chains of Promathia Original Soundtrack was produced by Square Enix in 2004 after the release of the Chains of Promathia expansion, and in 2005 Square Enix published Music from the Other Side of Vana'diel, a collection of arranged tracks from the game performed by The Star Onions, a group composed of Square Enix composers including Naoshi Mizuta, Kumi Tanioka and Hidenori Iwasaki. Final Fantasy XI Treasures of Aht Urhgan Original Soundtrack was released by Square Enix in 2006 for the Treasures of Aht Urhgan expansion.

SaGa is a series of science fiction role-playing video games produced by Square, now Square Enix. The series originated on the Game Boy in 1989 as the creation of Akitoshi Kawazu. It has since continued across multiple platforms, from the Super Nintendo Entertainment System to the PlayStation 2, and like the Final Fantasy series, the story in each SaGa game is independent of its counterparts. The music of the SaGa series consists of musical scores and arranged albums from various composers. Some of these composers have created soundtracks and pieces for other Square Enix franchises including the Final Fantasy series and Mana series. The SaGa series is divided up between the original series, released as the Final Fantasy Legend series in North America, the Romancing SaGa series, the SaGa Frontier series, and Unlimited SaGa.

Final Fantasy is a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi and owned by Square Enix that includes video games, motion pictures, and other merchandise. The original Final Fantasy video game, published in 1987, is a role-playing video game developed by Square, spawning a video game series that became the central focus of the franchise. The primary composer of music for the main series was Nobuo Uematsu, who single-handedly composed the soundtracks for the first nine games, as well as directing the production of many of the soundtrack albums. Music for the spin-off series and main series games beginning with Final Fantasy X was created by a variety of composers including Masashi Hamauzu, Naoshi Mizuta, Hitoshi Sakimoto, and Kumi Tanioka, as well as many others.

The music of the video game Final Fantasy XIII was composed by Masashi Hamauzu. Former regular series composer Nobuo Uematsu did not contribute any pieces to the soundtrack. Music from the game has been released in several albums. The main soundtrack album, Final Fantasy XIII Original Soundtrack, was released on four Compact Discs in 2010 by Square Enix, the developers and producers of the game. Selections from the soundtrack have been released on two gramophone record albums, W/F: Music from Final Fantasy XIII and W/F: Music from Final Fantasy XIII Gentle Reveries, both in 2010 by Square Enix. An album of arranged pieces from the soundtrack, Final Fantasy XIII Original Soundtrack -PLUS-, was also released by Square Enix in 2010, as was an album of piano arrangements, Piano Collection Final Fantasy XIII. The theme song for the Japanese version of the game, "Kimi ga Iru Kara", was released as a single by For Life Music in 2009.

The music for the MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV was composed by Nobuo Uematsu, a regular contributor to the music of the Final Fantasy series. Several other composers including Masayoshi Soken and Naoshi Mizuta contributed music for updates to the game. The music for the game's reboot, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, and subsequent expansions, is compiled of a collection of original and remixed songs by numerous composers, namely Uematsu, Soken, as well as others including guest composers such as Okabe of the NIER series. Soken was the sound director for both releases of the game. Music from both releases of the game has been released in several albums. A pair of mini-albums containing a handful of selected tracks from XIV, Final Fantasy XIV: Battle Tracks and Final Fantasy XIV: Field Tracks, were released by Square Enix in 2010 when XIV first launched. A soundtrack album titled Final Fantasy XIV - Eorzean Frontiers, containing most of the music that had been released by that point for XIV, was digitally released in 2012. A final soundtrack album for the original release of the game, Before Meteor: Final Fantasy XIV Original Soundtrack, was released in 2013 just before the launch of A Realm Reborn, and contains all of the music that was composed for XIV throughout its lifetime. The latest soundtrack album, Shadowbringers: Final Fantasy XIV Original Soundtrack, was released in 2019. This album contains the music for the third expansion, Shadowbringers, and music from the previous expansion, Stormblood, that was added to the game via patches after the release of that expansion's soundtrack.

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