Music of Final Fantasy XIV

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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.

Contents

The soundtracks for both releases of the game were well received by critics. Uematsu's mix of orchestral and rock tracks for XIV were praised, though the delayed release of a full album drew criticism. Soken's work on A Realm Reborn, including both his original tracks as well as themes carried over from XIV and previous Final Fantasy games, were heavily praised by reviewers for the game. Music from the initial release of the game has been played in the international Distant Worlds Final Fantasy concert series, and books of sheet music for piano arrangements of music from the game have been produced.

Creation and influence

Composer Nobuo Uematsu in 2006. Nobuo Uematsu.jpg
Composer Nobuo Uematsu in 2006.

The massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) Final Fantasy XIV was released in two versions: the original (live between 2010 and 2012), and its remake ( Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn , live since 2013). The music for XIV was composed by Nobuo Uematsu, who was the lead composer for the first ten main Final Fantasy games and a contributor to the Final Fantasy XI and XII soundtracks. [1] Over the two years that XIV was active, several updates were made to the game, which included additional music composed by Masayoshi Soken, Naoshi Mizuta, Tsuyoshi Sekito and Ryo Yamazaki. [2] XIV was poorly received, and despite the updates, Square Enix decided to take the game offline for a time, and relaunch it with a new development team under a new name. [3] Soken, the sound director for both releases, composed the soundtrack to A Realm Reborn. [4]

Prior to agreeing to create XIV's score, Uematsu had already planned to compose "Kimi ga Iru Kara", the theme song for Final Fantasy XIII . Wanting him to fully focus on XIV, Square Enix asked XIII's main composer Masashi Hamauzu to write the song instead. Thus, XIII was the first main-series Final Fantasy game soundtrack to not include Uematsu's work. [5] Despite XIV being an MMO and thus a new genre for him, Uematsu treated it as any other video game project. Compared to his previous work within the series, Uematsu had considerable creative freedom while composing the soundtrack, because the rest of the production team did not fully envision beforehand how the soundtrack would sound or fit into the game. Uematsu created a mixture of orchestral and rock pieces for the game's battle themes. There was a momentary crisis when he lost most of the data for his completed tracks and needed to hire a data recovery service. [6] He worked as a freelance composer during the project for Square Enix, also composing the music for The Last Story , a game from Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi. [7] The game's theme song, "Answers", was sung by Susan Calloway. She was chosen by Uematsu, who had worked with her during the first Distant Worlds concert and was impressed by her singing abilities. [8]

For A Realm Reborn, Soken was the primary contributor for numerous original and remixed songs, in addition to reprising his XIV role as lead sound director. The primary goal given to the music team was to make the music true to the series, such as remixed versions of traditional Final Fantasy theme songs including the Final Fantasy theme, Chocobo theme, victory fanfare as well as many others. Naoki Yoshida, the game's producer and director, told Soken to "give [the team] something straightforward that anyone could identify as Final Fantasy, with an easy-to-understand, expressive orchestral sound". [9] Soken focused primarily on creating the soundtrack rather than his sound director role. He often created new tracks due to requests from staff members. As the game was developed and released in a shorter timeframe than the original release, Soken and the sound team were given less than a year to create both the music and the various sound effects for the game world. According to Soken, it felt like "enough work for two full games in that time". [9] Unlike the freedom given Uematsu for XIV, most of the tracks for A Realm Reborn had specific guidelines, though Soken was allowed to "do what [he liked]" for Titan's battle theme. [10] Soken sang the vocal work for some tracks, such as the battle theme for Leviathan. [11] Several themes and tracks from the original game were carried over both directly and as a part of new tracks in A Realm Reborn, including the original vocal theme. [12] Soken also remixed pieces from earlier Final Fantasy games for use in special in-game events. [10]

Original release

Mini-albums

Final Fantasy XIV: Battle Tracks
Final Fantasy XIV: Field Tracks
Soundtrack album by
ReleasedSeptember 29, 2010
Genre Video game soundtrack
Length34:36(Battle Tracks)
45:05 (Field Tracks)

The mini-albums Final Fantasy XIV: Battle Tracks and Final Fantasy XIV: Field Tracks were the first releases of music from the game, and were published by Square Enix on September 29, 2010, a week after the game itself was released. They feature selected tracks from XIV. The music was composed by Uematsu and arranged by Tsutomu Narita. Kenichiro Fukui also helped arrange some of the pieces on the Field Tracks mini-album. Battle Tracks has nine pieces, and includes the game's opening theme, the boss theme "Nail of the Heavens", and Final Fantasy XIV's rendition of Uematsu's "Victory Fanfare". [13] Field Tracks predominantly features the main themes for the game's countries Ul'dah, Gridania and Limsa Lominsa, along with other pieces of music heard during traveling, for a total of eight tracks. [14] Each mini-album was accompanied by special liner notes by Uematsu describing his experiences writing music for the series, with particular reference to the first game. [15] [16]

Patrick Gann of RPGFan termed the mini-albums as a good return work from Uematsu despite some of the unexpected battle tracks, though he questioned whether the discs themselves would be worth purchasing once a full soundtrack album was released. [13] [14] Jayson Napolitano of Original Sound Version was generally positive, and cited the composition of the battle themes as "a cross between The Black Mages and Uematsu's work on Lord of Vermilion ". [17] The more orchestral field tracks were also praised. [17] Chris Greening of Square Enix Music Online termed Field Tracks as "largely likeable", and appreciated Uematsu's use of rock music in Battle Tracks, though he disliked the strategy of releasing two incomplete mini-albums rather than a full soundtrack album. [18] [19] Both mini-albums sold well: Battle Tracks appeared at position #73 on the Japanese Oricon album charts for a week, while Field Tracks appeared at position #75 for that same week. [20] [21]

Battle Tracks
No.TitleJapanese title (Romanization)Length
1."Opening Theme"オープニングテーマ (Ōpuningutēma)6:02
2."Beneath Bloodied Banners"紅蓮の戦旗の下に (Guren no Senki no Shimoni)5:32
3."Nail of the Heavens"天楔 (Tenkusabi)3:10
4."In the Shadow of the Colossus"旭影を追いかけ (Kyokkage wo Oikake)3:26
5."The Forest's Pulse"鳴動 (Meidou)4:27
6."Bathed in Woodsin"草藪を掻きわけ (Kusayabu wo Kakuwake)3:01
7."Quicksand"砂塵 (Sajin)4:41
8."Desert Moon Defied"砂礫を踏みしめ (Sareki wo Fumishime)3:19
9."Victory Fanfare (Full)"勝利のファンファーレ ~凱歌~ (Shouri no Faanfaare ~Gaika~)0:58
Field Tracks
No.TitleJapanese title (Romanization)Length
1."Prelude - Remembrance"プレリュード ~追憶の煌めき~ (Pureryūdo ~Tsuioku no Kirameki~)6:01
2."Navigator's Glory - The Theme of Limsa Lominsa"潮風の集う街 ~リムサ・ロミンサのテーマ~ (Shiokaze no Tsudou Machi ~Limsa Lominsa no Tēma~)5:23
3."On Windy Meadows"ラノシアの疾風 (Ranoshia no Hayate)5:25
4."Born of the Boughs - The Theme of Gridania"木々のさざめく街 ~グリダニアのテーマ~ (Kigi no Sazameku Machi ~Gridania no Tēma~)5:32
5."Emerald Labyrinth"黒衣の迷宮 (Hēiyīno mígōng)4:37
6."The Twin Faces of Fate - The Theme of Ul'dah"運命の交わる街 ~ウルダハのテーマ~ (Unmei no Majiwaru Machi ~Ul'dah no Tēma~)6:33
7."Twilight over Thanalan"ザナラーンの黄昏 (Thanalan no Tasogare)4:21
8."Aetherial Slumber"エーテルのまどろみ (Ēteru no Madoromi)7:13

Eorzean Frontiers

Final Fantasy XIV - Eorzean Frontiers
Soundtrack album by
ReleasedSeptember 1, 2012
Genre Video game soundtrack
Length3:14:24(iTunes download)

Final Fantasy XIV - Eorzean Frontiers was the first full album of music from the game to be released. It was published by Square Enix on September 1, 2012 as a digital album through iTunes. The tracks include most of the music that had been released for the game at that point, including pieces that were present at the game's launch and some which were added later, including "Rise of the White Raven", the theme for Nael Van Darnus, and the themes for the Grand Companies of Eorzea. All of the tracks from the album were additionally released on the same date in a set of smaller digital mini-albums, also released through iTunes, titled Final Fantasy XIV Frontiers - Gridania, Ishgard, Limsa Lominsa, and Ul'dah. The majority of the music was composed by Nobuo Uematsu, with additional pieces contributed by Masayoshi Soken, Naoshi Mizuta, Tsuyoshi Sekito, and Ryo Yamazaki. The 38 tracks of the album cover a duration of 3:14:24. [2]

Derek Heemsbergen of RPGFan reviewed the album as an "incredibly rich and diverse musical score", and felt that regardless of the reception to the game itself, that the soundtrack was worthy of a Final Fantasy game. [2] Jayson Napolitano of Destructoid , in his review of the album, found that while there were many interesting tracks in the album and that the total length of more than three hours made the album a "good deal", that most of the tracks that he enjoyed the most were previously featured on the Final Fantasy XIV Battle Tracks and Field Tracks mini-albums. [22]

Track list
No.TitleWriter(s)Japanese titleLength
1."Holy Consult" Nobuo Uematsu 聖なる助言者4:53
2."Unspoken"Uematsuクルザスの静寂3:45
3."Starlight and Sellswords"Uematsu桟道を上りて4:08
4."Flightless Wings"Uematsu猛き嵐の剣に4:31
5."Fallen Angel" Masayoshi Soken 墜天せし者6:42
6."Tempest"Uematsu戦乱12:08
7."Rise of the White Raven"Soken白銀の凶鳥、飛翔せり5:55
8."Born of the Boughs (The Theme of Gridania)"Uematsu木々さざめく街 (グリダニアのテーマ)5:34
9."Whisper of the Land"Uematsu冥き地の底に5:30
10."Emerald Labyrinth"Uematsu黒衣の迷宮5:18
11."Bathed in Woodsin"Uematsu草薮を掻きわけ3:59
12."Dewdrops & Moonbeams" Ryo Yamazaki 露の玉、月の光3:25
13."Good King Moogle Mog XII"Soken善王モグル・モグXII世5:35
14."Into the Adder's Den" Tsuyoshi Sekito 双蛇党統合司令部6:49
15."Seven Jesters"Soken七匹の道化たち6:03
16."Navigator's Glory (The Theme of Limsa Lominsa)"Uematsu潮風の集う街 (リムサ・ロミンサのテーマ)5:24
17."Freedom"Soken自由なる風に吹かれて5:50
18."On Windy Meadows"Uematsuラノシアの疾風5:20
19."In the Shadow of the Colossus"Uematsu旭影を追いかけ4:08
20."Horizons Calling"Uematsu水平線の彼方5:10
21."Ripples in the Sea"Yamazaki洋上の小波2:21
22."Maelstrom Command" Naoshi Mizuta 黒渦団軍令部6:17
23."The Promise of Plunder"Soken隠し財宝を求めて4:00
24."Quick as Silver, Hard as Stone"Mizuta疾きこと銀の如く、硬きこと石の如く7:03
25."The Twin Faces of Fate (The Theme of Ul'dah)"Uematsu運命の交わる街 (ウルダハのテーマ)5:51
26."Twilight over Thanalan"Uematsuザナラーンの黄昏4:15
27."Widdershins"Uematsu深き海の淵に3:26
28."Quicksand"Uematsu砂塵4:32
29."Desert Moon Defied"Uematsu砂礫を踏みしめ3:52
30."Primal Judgment"Uematsu原始の審判4:38
31."Conflagration"Uematsu紅き焔の熱に4:54
32."The Sand's Secrets"Yamazaki砂の機密2:59
33."The Hall of Flames"Yamazaki不滅隊作戦本部6:17
34."Pitfire"Uematsu炎獄の火種2:57
35."Tears for Mor Dhouna"Uematsuモドゥーナの涙雨6:53
36."Phantoms on the Lake"Uematsu幽境5:36
37."Steel Reason"Uematsu鋼の理念4:13
38."Imperium"Uematsuインペリウム4:17

Before Meteor

Before Meteor: Final Fantasy XIV Original Soundtrack
Soundtrack album by
ReleasedAugust 14, 2013
Recorded2008 - 2012
Genre Video game soundtrack
Length6:05:51(Single Blu-ray disc)

On August 14, 2013, two weeks before the release of A Realm Reborn, Square Enix published Before Meteor: Final Fantasy XIV Original Soundtrack, a full soundtrack album with all of the music composed for the original release of the game, which had shut down a year prior. The 104-track album was released on a single Blu-ray disc and included music lasting 6:05:51, with both the original music by Uematsu as well as the additional tracks composed by Mizuta, Yamazaki, Sekito, Soken, and Ai Yamashita during the game's run. The disc also included a remastered version of the "A New Beginning" trailer and a bonus download code for an in-game Dalamud Minion. [23] The Blu-ray disc allowed purchasers to rip digital copies of the album on their Blu-ray devices to play without the disc. [24] Emily McMillan of Video Game Music Online generally praised the music, praising some of the newer tracks and Uematsu's work on the more orchestral tracks. Her main criticisms were that some aspects seemed artificial and that the composers were playing safe with the themes and motifs used. [25] Before Meteor appeared at position #11 on the Japanese Oricon album charts for its release week and remained in the charts for three weeks. [26]

Track list
No.TitleWriter(s)Japanese titleLength
1."Prelude - Remembrance" Nobuo Uematsu プレリュード ~追憶の煌めき~5:50
2."Opening Theme"Uematsuオープニングテーマ5:56
3."Navigator’s Glory - The Theme of Limsa Lominsa"Uematsu潮風の集う街 ~リムサ・ロミンサのテーマ~3:56
4."Freedom"Uematsu自由なる風に吹かれて5:30
5."On Windy Meadows"Uematsuラノシアの疾風5:18
6."Nail of the Heavens"Uematsu天楔3:17
7."In the Shadow of the Colossus"Uematsu旭影を追いかけ3:28
8."Siren Song" Masayoshi Soken セイレーンの呼び声2:05
9."Born of the Boughs - The Theme of Gridania"Uematsu木々のさざめく街 ~グリダニアのテーマ~5:02
10."Whisper of the Land"Uematsu冥き地の底に5:28
11."Emerald Labyrinth"Uematsu黒衣の迷宮3:33
12."The Forest’s Pulse"Uematsu鳴動3:04
13."Bathed in Woodsin"Uematsu草藪を掻きわけ3:28
14."March of the Moogles"Sokenモーグリ行進曲0:44
15."The Twin Faces of Fate - The Theme of Ul’dah"Uematsu運命の交わる街 ~ウルダハのテーマ~5:32
16."Twilight over Thanalan"Uematsuザナラーンの黄昏4:12
17."Widdershins"Uematsu深き海の淵に3:24
18."Quicksand"Uematsu砂塵4:38
19."Desert Moon Defied"Uematsu砂礫を踏みしめ3:20
20."Unspoken"Uematsuクルザスの静寂3:13
21."Pennons Aloft"Uematsu槍旗6:01
22."Starlight and Sellswords"Uematsu桟道を上りて3:50
23."Tears for Mor Dhona"Uematsuモードゥナの涙雨4:27
24."Phantoms on the Lake"Uematsu幽境5:20
25."Supply & Demand"Uematsu街路の雑踏1:44
26."Behind Closed Doors"Uematsu安らぎの部屋3:28
27."Horizons Calling"Uematsu地平線の彼方2:51
28."No Quarter"Uematsuノー・クォーター4:05
29."Beneath Bloodied Banners"Uematsu紅蓮の戦旗の下に5:50
30."With these Hands"Uematsuすべてはこの手から2:58
31."By Design"Uematsuバイデザイン2:20
32."Nature's Bounty"Uematsu自然の賜物2:22
33."When a Tree Falls"Uematsu汗を流して1:03
34."Decisions"Uematsu駆け引き2:30
35."Crowning Achievements"Uematsu栄光の賛歌0:11
36."Where the Heart Is"Uematsu心の故郷2:33
37."Holy Consult"Uematsu聖なる助言者4:39
38."Aetherial Slumber"Uematsuエーテルのまどろみ3:18
39."The Echo"Uematsu追憶の迷路1:45
40."Fever Dream"Uematsu前触れ2:31
41."Daring Alliances"Uematsu日溜り1:46
42."Sacred Bonds"Uematsu哀愁2:57
43."Piece of Mind"Uematsu清浄なる心3:16
44."Inner Recess"Uematsu焦燥の旅路1:19
45."From the Heart"Uematsu帰るべき場所2:27
46."Fourteen Steps"Uematsuまた、ここから3:13
47."Fragments of Forever"Uematsu永遠の欠片2:22
48."Tranquility"Uematsu静かなる一刻2:09
49."Neverborn"Uematsu疑惑の廻廊2:08
50."Everbinding Oath"Uematsu永遠の誓い2:37
51."Heavensturn"Uematsu降神祭4:27
52."Moonfire Faire"Uematsu紅蓮祭3:23
53."All Saint's Wake"Uematsu守護天節3:15
54."Starlight Celebration"Uematsu星芒祭6:05
55."Conflagration"Uematsu紅き焔の熱に5:02
56."The Hero of Hatchingside"Sokenエッグハントの英雄0:07
57."Enraptured"Uematsu淡き光の夢に4:02
58."Battle Drums"Uematsu蛮勇4:02
59."Bo-down"Uematsuレンタル de チョコボ2:53
60."Fury"Uematsu憤怒5:18
61."The Seventh Gate"Uematsu試練の戦い5:40
62."Victory Fanfare (Short)"Uematsu勝利のファンファーレ ~凱歌~ (ショート)0:11
63."Without Shadow"Uematsu忍び寄る闇3:08
64."Canticle"Ai Yamashita祈りの歌1:19
65."Wrath of the Eikons"Uematsu怒れる神々3:51
66."Primal Judgment"Uematsu原始の審判5:07
67."Final Respite"Uematsu夢はいまも……3:31
68."The Dark's Embrace"Uematsu闇の抱擁3:32
69."The Dark's Kiss"Uematsu闇の口付3:28
70."Nemesis"Uematsuネメシス4:53
71."Victory Fanfare (Full)"Uematsu勝利のファンファーレ ~凱歌~ (ロング)0:40
72."Maelstrom Command" Naoshi Mizuta 黒渦団軍令部5:50
73."Into the Adder's Den" Tsuyoshi Sekito 双蛇党統合司令部4:11
74."The Hall of Flames" Ryo Yamazaki 不滅隊作戦本部4:33
75."Honor and Duty"Soken名誉と義務0:08
76."Eorzea de Chocobo"Sokenエオルゼア de チョコボ4:24
77."Ripples in the Sea"Yamazaki洋上の小波1:15
78."The Sand’s Secrets"Yamazaki砂の機密1:30
79."Dewdrops & Moonbeams"Yamazaki露の玉、月の光1:44
80."Dreams Aloft"Yamazaki夢見るは遙かなる空1:20
81."Airborne"Soken大空へ0:29
82."Birds of a Feather"Sokenキャラバン護衛1:25
83."Flee Together"Sokenとんずら!1:52
84."Quick as Silver, Hard as Stone"Mizuta疾きこと銀の如く、硬きこと石の如く5:00
85."Flightless Wings"Uematsu猛き嵐の剣に4:14
86."Pitfire"Uematsu炎獄の火種2:56
87."The Promise of Plunder"Soken隠し財宝を求めて3:49
88."Meteor"Yamazakiメテオ4:06
89."Seven Jesters"Soken七匹の道化たち3:02
90."Good King Moogle Mog XII"Soken善王モグル・モグXII世5:38
91."The Rider's Boon"Sekitoその背に揺られて(そのせにゆられて3:20
92."Breaking Boundaries"Soken極限を超えて3:20
93."Relics"Soken古のジョブ1:58
94."In the Arms of Althyk"Soken時神に誘われて0:11
95."Agent of Inquiry"Soken事件屋のアレ2:43
96."The Tug of Fate"Soken運命の導き4:30
97."To the Fore"Soken全隊前へ!6:32
98."Imperial Will"Uematsu帝国の意志5:09
99."Steel Reason"Uematsu鋼の理念4:17
100."Imperium"Uematsuインペリウム6:28
101."Fallen Angel"Soken堕天せし者7:09
102."Tempest"Uematsu戦乱7:51
103."Rise of the White Raven"Soken白銀の凶鳥、飛翔せり5:51
104."Answers"UematsuAnswers7:09

A Realm Reborn

Original Soundtrack

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn Original Soundtrack
A Realm Reborn album cover.jpg
Soundtrack album by
ReleasedMarch 26, 2014 [27]
Genre Video game soundtrack
Length6:48:00(Single Blu-ray disc) [28]

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn Original Soundtrack was released by Square Enix on March 21, 2014. It was released on a Blu-ray disc and features 119 tracks lasting 6:48:00, composed by numerous artists, including Nobuo Uematsu, Masayoshi Soken, [28] Naoshi Mizuta, and Tsuyoshi Sekito. In addition to the tracks present in the initial launch of A Realm Reborn, the album also includes tracks used in the 2.1 patch, A Realm Awoken. [24] Initial copies of the soundtrack also came with a special "Wind-up Bahamut" in-game pet. [29] Soken contributed to composing, compiling, and remixing all of the music of the game, which includes traditional Final Fantasy themes composed originally by Uematsu, as well as sound effects, in only eight months. [30] Emily McMillan of Video Game Music Online, in her review of the album, termed it a "truly fantastic score", and said that it was superior to the music of the original version of the game. She felt that it was an excellent merging of the traditional Final Fantasy musical style with a modern orchestral score. [31] Mike Salbato of RPGFan also praised the album saying that it was his favorite soundtrack album of 2014, and that he "can't recommend A Realm Reborn's soundtrack highly enough". [30]

In addition to reviews of the album, within the context of the game the music has been well received. Kotaku 's Mike Fahey stated that the music was "wonderful, complex and satisfying". [32] He often paused to remove the ambient and interface noises so as to hear it better. [32] GamesRadar 's Adam Harshberger called it "a standout even amongst Final Fantasy's storied heritage", [33] while Digital Spy 's Mark Langshaw called it "a sonic feast ... that pays appropriate homage to the long-running RPG series". [34] The soundtrack won Video Game Music Online's 2013 Annual Game Music Awards in the Eastern category. [35] A Realm Reborn appeared at position #10 on the Japanese Oricon album charts for its release week, and remained in the charts for eight weeks, selling over 21,900 copies. [36] [37]

Track list
No.TitleWriter(s)Japanese title (Romanization)Length
1."Prelude – Rebirth" Masayoshi Soken プレリュード ~再誕の煌めき~ (Prelude ~Saitan no Kirameki~)1:16
2."Torn from the Heavens"Soken天より降りし力 (Ten yori Kudarishi Chikara)5:11
3."Prelude – Discoveries"Sokenプレリュード ~冒険の序章~ (Prelude ~Bouken no Joshou~)10:30
4."A New Hope"Soken希望の都 (Kibou no Miyako)11:24
5."To the Sun"Soken灼熱の地へ (Shakunetsu no Chi e)6:34
6."The Land Burns"Soken荒野の鼓動 (Kouya no Kodou)3:04
7."The Gift of Life"Soken生命の賜物 (Seimei no Tamamono)1:07
8."Another Round"Sokenもう一杯! (Mou Ippai!)2:16
9."Hard to Miss"Soken宿命 (Shukumei)4:12
10."Bo-down" Nobuo Uematsu レンタル de チョコボ (Rental de Chocobo)1:57
11."Sultana Dreaming"Soken夢見る女王陛下 (Yume Miru Jou'ou Heika)7:05
12."Bliss"Soken, Nobuko Toda, Yoshitaka Suzuki無常の喜び (Mujou no Yorokobi)1:56
13."Fracture"Soken不穏な気配 (Fuon na Kehai)1:25
14."Tenacity"Soken, Toda, Suzuki不屈の闘志 (Fukutsu no Toushi)5:05
15."Return of the Hero"Soken, Toda, Suzuki英雄の凱旋 (Eiyuu no Gaisen)2:16
16."A World Apart"Sokenそして世界へ (Soshite Sekai e)3:38
17."I Am the Sea"Soken偉大なる母港 (Idai naru Bokou)13:58
18."On Westerly Winds"Soken西風に乗せて (Nishikaze ni Nosete)5:19
19."The Land Breathes"Soken大地の鼓動 (Daichi no Kodou)3:04
20."Saltswept"Soken潮風香る街 (Shiokaze Kaoru Machi)1:49
21."Ruby Moonrise"Soken爆ぜよ耐熱装備 (Hazeyo Tainetsu Soubi)2:19
22."Eorzea de Chocobo"Sokenエオルゼア de チョコボ (Eorzea de Chocobo)2:33
23."A Sailor Never Sleeps"Soken船乗りは眠らない (Funanori wa Nemuranai)7:45
24."Currents"Soken潮流 (Chouryuu)0:51
25."Brothers in Arms"Soken, Toda, Suzuki戦友 (Senyuu)6:31
26."Wailers And Waterwheels"Soken水車の調べ (Suisha no Shirabe)11:26
27."Serenity"Soken静穏の森 (Seion no Mori)5:52
28."The Land Bends"Soken森の鼓動 (Mori no Kodou)2:49
29."Reign of Pain" Naoshi Mizuta 黒き悪魔 (Kuroki Akuma)2:01
30."The Rider's Boon" Tsuyoshi Sekito その背に揺られて (Sono Se ni Yurarete)3:18
31."Dance of the Fireflies"Soken蛍たちの舞踏会 (Hotaru-tachi no Butoukai)4:24
32."Greenwrath"Soken精霊の意思 (Seirei no Ishi)1:23
33."From the Depths"Soken仄暗い底から (Honogurai Soko kara)1:34
34."The Promise of Plunder"Soken隠し財宝を求めて (Kakushi Zaihou wo Motomete)3:48
35."Slumber Disturbed"Soken妨げられた眠り (Samatagerareta Nemuri)1:14
36."A Fine Death"Soken名誉に賭けて (Meiyo ni Kakete)3:11
37."Below"Soken地下坑道 (Chika Koudou)1:36
38."Nemesis"Uematsuネメシス (Nemesis)4:52
39."A Victory Fanfare Reborn (Full)"Soken勝利のファンファーレ ~新生(フル)~ (Shouri no Fanfare ~Shinshou (Full)~)1:41
40."The Waking Sands"Soken砂の家 (Suna no Ie)4:10
41."Smoulder"Soken燻る灰 (Iburu Hai)1:29
42."Pitfire"Uematsu炎獄の火種 (Engoku no Hidane)1:56
43."One Blood"Toda, Suzuki血脈 (Ketsumyaku)1:56
44."Primal Judgement"Uematsu原始の審判 (Genshi no Shinpan)3:05
45."Calling"Soken星の囁き (Hoshi no Sasayaki)0:36
46."Where the Heart Is"Soken心温まる場所 (Kokoro Atatamaru Basho)2:39
47."Where the Hearth Is"Soken体暖まる場所 (Karada Atatamaru Basho)5:21
48."Battle Theme 1.x"Soken戦闘シーン1.X (Sentou Scene 1.X)3:30
49."Conundrum"Soken, Toda, Suzuki堂々巡り (Doudoumeguri)2:07
50."Agent of Inquiry"Soken事件屋のアレ (Jikenya no Are)1:44
51."The Ludus"Soken闘士の修練所 (Doushi no Shuurensho)1:25
52."Flibbertigibbet"Sokenイタズラっ子たち (Itazurakko-tachi)1:46
53."A Curious Breed of Botherment"Soken世にも奇妙な厄介者 (Yo ni mo Kimyou na Yakkaimono)1:54
54."A Thousand Screams"Soken千の悲鳴 (Sen no Himei)0:58
55."My Soul to Keep"Soken我が魂を捧げて (Waga Tamashii wo Sasagete)2:08
56."From Fear to Fortitude"Soken, Toda, Suzuki豪勇の士 (Gouyuu no Shi)4:21
57."The Maiden's Lament"Soken乙女の哀歌 (Otome no Aika)1:20
58."Ruby Sunrise"Soken輝く太陽(Kagayaku Taiyou)3:57
59."Lipflaps on Longstops"Soken野営地のお調子者 (Yaeichi no Ochoushimono)1:08
60."Echoes of Ages Past"Soken昔日の残響 (Sekijitsu no Zankyou)0:55
61."Abomination"Soken憎悪 (Zou'o)1:02
62."Quick as Silver, Hard as Stone"Mizuta疾きこと銀の如く、硬きこと石の如く (Tsuki koto Kane no Shiku, Kouki koto Ishi no Shiku)2:30
63."Weight of a Whisper"Sokenタイタンの慟哭 (Titan no Doukoku)1:40
64."Weight of His Will"Sokenタイタンの憤怒 (Titan no Funne)2:52
65."Weight of the World"Sokenタイタンの激震 (Titan no Gekishin)1:35
66."Heartless"Sokenタイタンの心核 (Titan no Shisane)2:16
67."Under the Weight"Soken過重圧殺! ~蛮神タイタン討滅戦~ (Kajou Assatsu! ~Banshin Titan Toumetsusen~)11:34
68."Forever Lost"Soken永遠の離別 (Eien no Ribetsu)2:58
69."Fealty"Soken忠義 (Chuugi)3:33
70."Undying Faith"Soken鋼の信仰 (Hagane no Shinkou)0:55
71."The Land Breaks"Soken雪山の鼓動 (Setsuzan no Kodou)3:19
72."The Dragon's Dirge"Soken竜の葬送歌 (Ryuu no Sousouka)1:01
73."Cold Salvation"Soken極寒戦線 (Gokkan Sensen)1:02
74."The Darkhold"Sokenゼーメル要塞 (Dzemael Yousai)1:12
75."Miser's Folly"Soken守銭奴の愚行 (Shuusendo no Gukou)1:09
76."Thunderer"Soken雷鳴 (Raimei)5:04
77."Kiss of Chaos"Soken混沌の予感 (Konton no Yokan)1:43
78."Flightless Wings"Uematsu猛き嵐の剣に (Mouki Arashi no Ken ni)2:35
79."Fleeting Rays"Soken儚き光彩 (Hakanaki Kousai)1:37
80."Engage"Soken蒼き翼 (Aoki Tsubasa)3:36
81."Damnation"Soken破滅 (Hametsu)1:03
82."Fallen Angel"Soken堕天せし者 (Datenseshi mono)4:30
83."Frontiers Within"Sokenフロンティア (Frontier)3:25
84."Reflections"Sokenリフレクション (Reflection)2:08
85."Intertwined"Soken交錯 (Kousaku)3:32
86."The Land Bleeds"Soken水晶の鼓動 (Suishou no Kodou)3:05
87."Crystal Rain"Sokenクリスタルの雨 (Crystal no Ame)0:55
88."Through the Gloom"Soken薄闇に射す光 (Usuyami ni Sasu Hikari)1:53
89."Slither"Soken五里霧中 (Gorimuchuu)0:23
90."Good King Moggle Mog XII"Soken善王モグル・モグXII世 (Zennou Moggle Mog XII)3:13
91."A Tonberry's Tears"Sokenトンベリの涙 (Tonberry no Namida)1:04
92."A Fell Air Falleth"Soken戦士の直感 (Senshi no Chokkan)2:55
93."Cracks in the Wall"Soken古城にて…… (Kojou nite......)1:15
94."Skullduggery"Soken奸計 (Kankei)2:13
95."Breaking Boundaries"Soken極限を超えて (Kyokugen wo Koete)1:59
96."The Dark's Embrace"Uematsu闇の抱擁 (Yami no Houyou)2:00
97."The Dark's Kiss"Uematsu闇の口付 (Yami no Kuchizuke)2:02
98."Hubris"Soken, Toda, Suzuki傲慢 (Gouman)5:52
99."Ever Upwards"Soken, Toda, Suzuki天上へ (Tenjou e)6:00
100."Tumbling Down"Soken, Toda, Suzuki奈落へ (Naraku e)6:46
101."Defender of the Realm"Soken, Toda, Suzukiエオルゼアの守護者 (Eorzea no Shugosha)2:20
102."Machinations"Soken軍議 (Gungi)1:28
103."Discordance"Soken不調和 (Fuchouwa)0:21
104."The Emperor's Wont"Soken魔導の軍勢 (Madou no Gunzei)8:26
105."Beyond the Unknown"Soken未知の領域へ (Michi no Ryouiki)0:13
106."The Only Path"Sokenただひとつの道 (Tada Hitotsu no Michi)0:59
107."Penitus"Soken魔導城プラエトリウム (Madoujou Praetorium)14:18
108."Bite of the Black Wolf"Soken漆黒の王狼、咆吼せり (Shikkoku no Oukami, Houkou seri)4:36
109."The Maker's Ruin"Soken神なき世界 (Kami naki Sekai)2:51
110."Ultima"Soken究極幻想 (Kyuukyoku Gensou)7:10
111."Serving the Light"Soken光の加護 (Hikari no Kago)1:04
112."Flight"Soken終局 (Shuukyoku)1:15
113."The Seventh Sun"Soken第七星暦 (Dai-nana Hoshireki)5:00
114."Dawn of a New Era"Soken新時代の暁 (Sjinjidai no Akatsuki)1:07
115."And You! – A Realm Reborn Medley"SokenAnd You! ~新生エオルゼアメドレー~ (And You! ~Shinshou Eorzea Medley~)2:40
116."The Corpse Hall"Soken(Zan)10:50
117."Primal Timbre"Soken真実を求めて (Shinjitsu wo Motomete)6:31
118."Spiral"Soken螺旋 (Rasen)6:54
119."Calamity Unbound"Soken試練を超える力 (Shiren wo Koeru Chikara)8:08
120."Battle on the Big Bridge (hidden track)"Uematsu, Sokenビッグブリッヂの死闘 ~新生~ Mortal Combat on the Big Bridge ~Reborn~4:24

From Astral to Umbral

Final Fantasy XIV: From Astral to Umbral - Band & Piano Arrangement Album
Soundtrack album by
ReleasedDecember 17, 2014
Genre Video game soundtrack
Length1:06:34

Final Fantasy XIV: From Astral to Umbral - Band & Piano Arrangement Album is a Blu-ray album of rock and piano arrangements of music from A Realm Reborn. It features arrangements by Soken, GUNN, Keiko, and Nobuko Toda of pieces originally composed by Soken for the game, and was published by Square Enix on December 17, 2014. The first six tracks on the album are piano covers, performed by Keiko, of field and town themes from the game. The following six are rock covers by Soken's band The Primals of the musical themes from the game of the primals, powerful elemental creatures. The Blu-ray disc also features the original versions of the twelve tracks, videos of in-game scenes where the original music plays, as well as one secret track that needs a password to unlock. Some of the original tracks had not yet been released on an official album when Astral to Umbral was produced. [38] In picking tracks to arrange for this album, Soken wanted to highlight the contrast between the two sides. He chose pieces that he originally composed on piano for the piano selections and on guitar for the rock selections. [39]

Mike Salbato of RPGFan reviewed the album and described it as "a great, if perhaps disjointed experience". He praised the high quality of the arrangements and performances, but questioned the grouping of the more gentle piano tracks alongside the heavy rock pieces. [38]

Track list
No.TitleWriter(s)Japanese title (Romanization)Length
1."Piano: Serenity"KEIKO/Nobuko Tode静穏の森 ~黒衣森フィールド~ (Seion no mori ~ kokui mori fīrudo ~)6:14
2."Piano: Wailers And Waterwheels"KEIKO/Nobuko Tode水車の調べ 〜グリダニア〜 (Suisha no shirabe 〜 guridania 〜)6:01
3."Piano: To the Sun"KEIKO/Nobuko Tode灼熱の地へ 〜ザナラーンフィールド〜 (Shakunetsu no ji e 〜 zanarānfīrudo 〜)7:19
4."Piano: A New Hope"KEIKO/Nobuko Tode希望の都 〜ウルダハ〜 (Kibō no miyako 〜 urudaha 〜)6:52
5."Piano: On Westerly Winds"KEIKO/Nobuko Tode西風に乗せて 〜ラノシアフィールド〜 (Seifū ni nosete 〜 ranoshiafīrudo 〜)5:50
6."I Am the Sea"KEIKO/Nobuko Tode偉大なる母港 〜リムサ・ロミンサ〜 (Idainaru bokō 〜 rimusa rominsa 〜)8:57
7."Band: Primal Judgment" Masayoshi Soken/GUNN/THE PRIMALS原始の審判 〜蛮神イフリート討伐戦〜 (Genshi no shinpan 〜 Ban-shin ifurīto tōbatsu-sen 〜)2:52
8."Band: Under the Weight"Masayoshi Soken/GUNN/THE PRIMALS過重圧殺! 〜蛮神タイタン討伐戦〜 (Kajū assatsu! 〜 Ban Kami Tai Tan tōbatsu-sen 〜)5:15
9."Band: Fallen Angel"Masayoshi Soken/GUNN/THE PRIMALS堕天せし者 〜蛮神ガルーダ討伐戦〜 (Daten seshi mono 〜 Ban-shin garūda tōbatsu-sen 〜)4:12
10."Band: Through the Maelstrom"Masayoshi Soken/GUNN/THE PRIMALS混沌の渦動 〜蛮神リヴァイアサン討滅戦〜 (Konton no kadō 〜 Ban-shin rivu~aiasan tōmetsu-sen 〜)4:17
11."Band: Thunder Rolls"Masayoshi Soken/GUNN/THE PRIMALS雷光雷鳴 〜蛮神ラムウ討滅戦〜 (Raikō raimei 〜 Ban-shin ramū tōmetsu-sen 〜)4:44
12."Band: Oblivion"Masayoshi Soken/GUNN/THE PRIMALS忘却の彼方 〜蛮神シヴァ討滅戦〜 (Bōkyaku no kanata 〜 Ban-shin shivu~a tōmetsu-sen 〜)4:00

Before the Fall

Before the Fall: Final Fantasy XIV Original Soundtrack
Soundtrack album by
ReleasedAugust 26, 2015
Genre Video game soundtrack
Length4:12:41

Before the Fall: Final Fantasy XIV Original Soundtrack is an album of music from four patches to Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. These were patches 2.2 through 2.5: "Through the Maelstrom", "Defenders of Eorzea", "Dreams of Ice", and "Before the Fall". The album was released by Square Enix on August 26, 2015 on Blu-ray, and includes all of the music that Soken composed for the updates, as well as several pieces for the updates written by Nobuo Uematsu, Naoshi Mizuta, and Ryo Yamazaki. Of the 61 tracks, 16 were previously released on other albums, primarily the Before Meteor album, and these tracks compose the majority of the non-Soken tracks. [40] It sold around 14,500 copies. [41]

Christopher Huynh of Video Game Music Online held a mixed opinion of the album, which he criticized as "a rather mixed bag of tracks". He said that while some of the tracks were excellent, there were several poor pieces as well, and was disappointed in the repeated material. He ascribed the uneven quality of the album to a lack of an overriding theme to the music, which left it as a collection of disparate material. He also criticized the sound quality, believing that the use of a real orchestra would have helped the orchestral pieces. [40]

Track list
No.TitleWriter(s)Japanese title (Romanization)Length
1."Wreck to the Seaman" Masayoshi Soken 船乗りには難破を ~蛮神リヴァイアサン前哨戦~ (Funanori ni wa nanpa o ~ Ban-shin rivu~aiasan zenshōsen ~)2:00
2."Through the Maelstrom" Masayoshi Soken 混沌の渦動 〜蛮神リヴァイアサン討滅戦〜 (Konton no kadō 〜 Ban-shin rivu~aiasan tōmetsu-sen 〜)7:29
3."The Scars of Battle" Masayoshi Soken 魔大戦の傷跡 ~腐敗遺跡 古アムダプール市街~ (Ma taisen no kizuato ~ fuhai iseki ko amudapūru shigai ~)4:48
4."Persistence" Nobuo Uematsu 不屈の挑戦 (Fukutsu no chōsen)1:37
5."Wrath of the Eikons" Nobuo Uematsu 怒れる神々 (Okoreru kamigami)2:35
6."Breathless" Nobuo Uematsu ノォヴ一味 (No~ovu ichimi)2:20
7."Gluppity-schlopp" Naoshi Mizuta クズテツどもの歌 (Kuzutetsu-domo no uta)1:41
8."Fury" Nobuo Uematsu 憤怒 ~盟友支援 ブレイフロクスの野営地~ (Fundo ~ meiyū shien bureifurokusu no yaei-chi ~)2:36
9."Pa-Paya" Masayoshi Soken パーパや (Pa-Paya)4:40
10."Birds of a Feather" Masayoshi Soken キャラバン護衛 ~剣闘領域 ハラタリ修練所~ (Kyaraban goei ~ ken 闘領-Iki haratari shūren-sho ~)1:20
11."Beneath Bloodied Banners" Nobuo Uematsu 紅蓮の戦旗の下に ~剣闘領域 ハラタリ修練所~ (Guren no senki no shita ni ~ ken 闘領-Iki haratari shūren-sho ~)2:52
12."Big-boned" Masayoshi Soken でぶチョコボ騎乗 (Debu chokobo kijō)2:34
13."Battle on the Big Bridge" Nobuo Uematsu ビッグブリッヂの死闘 ~新生~ (Bigguburiddjinoshitō ~ Shinsei ~)4:26
14."Through the Maelstrom (Female Vocals)" Masayoshi Soken 混沌の渦動 〜蛮神リヴァイアサン討滅戦:女性版〜 (Konton no kadō 〜 Ban-shin rivu~aiasan tōmetsu-sen: Josei-ban 〜)7:29
15."Meteor" Ryo Yamazaki メテオ (Meteo)2:16
16."Blades" Masayoshi Soken 剣と剣 ~大迷宮 バハムート侵攻編~ (Ken to ken ~ dai meikyū bahamūto shinkō-hen ~)6:10
17."Tempest" Nobuo Uematsu 戦乱 (Senran)6:16
18."Rise of the White Raven" Masayoshi Soken 白銀の凶鳥、飛翔せり (Shirogane no kyō tori, hishō seri)3:05
19."Horizons Calling" Nobuo Uematsu 地平線の彼方 ~財宝伝説 ハルブレーカー・アイル~ (Chiheisen no kanata ~ zaihō densetsu haruburēkā airu ~)3:07
20."Far from Home" Nobuo Uematsu 何よりも高く (Naniyori mo takaku)1:42
21."Dark Vows" Masayoshi Soken 漆黒の誓い ~惨劇霊殿 タムタラの墓所~ (Shikkoku no chikai ~ sangeki reiden tamutara no bosho ~)4:36
22."Answers - Reprise" Nobuo Uematsu Answers - Reprise (Answers - Reprise)1:57
23."Thunder Rolls" Masayoshi Soken 雷光雷鳴 〜蛮神ラムウ討滅戦〜 (Raikō raimei 〜 Ban-shin ramū tōmetsu-sen 〜)10:38
24."Moonfire Faire" Nobuo Uematsu 紅蓮祭 (Guren-sai)2:04
25."Thicker than a Knife"s Blade" Masayoshi Soken 刃、厚いほどに (Ha, atsui hodo ni)2:08
26."The War Room" 作戦会議室 (Sakusen kaigijitsu)4:02
27."Rouse Out!" Masayoshi Soken 総員抜剣! (Sōin bakken!)2:51
28."Blood for Blood" Masayoshi Soken 血で血を洗って (Chi de chi o aratte)3:28
29."Or the Egg?" Masayoshi Soken 卵が先か? (Tamago ga saki ka?)0:19
30."Game Theory" Masayoshi Soken ゲーム理論 (Gēmu riron)2:39
31."Now I Know the Truth" Nobuo Uematsu ドーガとウネの心 (Dōga to Une no kokoro)2:05
32."Out of the Labyrinth" Masayoshi Soken 絢爛 ~クリスタルタワー:シルクスの塔~ ( Kenran ~ kurisutarutawā: Shirukusu no tō ~)5:19
33."Shattered" Masayoshi Soken 破砕 ~クリスタルタワー:シルクスの塔~ (Hasai ~ kurisutarutawā: Shirukusu no tō ~)5:19
34."Loss of Time" Masayoshi Soken 時はこぼれ落ちて (Toki wa koboreochite)1:41
35."His Holiness" Masayoshi Soken 教皇 (Kyōkō)1:09
36."A Light in the Storm" Masayoshi Soken 嵐の中の灯火 ~怪鳥巨塔 シリウス大灯台~ (Arashi no naka no tomoshibi ~ kaichō kyotō Shiriusu dai tōdai ~)8:08
37."Riptide" Masayoshi Soken 潮衝 ~逆襲要害 サスタシャ浸食洞~ (Shio 衝 ~ Gyakushū yōgai sasutasha shinshoku hora ~)6:59
38."The Edge" Masayoshi Soken 忍びの刃 (Shinobi no ha)2:07
39."Forgotten by the Sun" Masayoshi Soken 落日の遺跡 ~遺跡救援 カルン埋没寺院~ (Rakujitsu no iseki ~ iseki kyūen karun maibotsu jiin ~)6:54
40."Pennons Aloft" Nobuo Uematsu 槍旗 (Yari hata)3:58
41."The Warrens" Masayoshi Soken 秘密坑道 ~氷結潜窟 スノークローク大氷壁~ (Himitsu kōdō ~ hyōketsu sen 窟 Sunōkurōku dai hyōheki ~)7:15
42."Footsteps in the Snow" Masayoshi Soken 雪上の足跡 ~蛮神シヴァ前哨戦~ (Setsujō no ashiato ~ Ban-shin shivu~a zenshōsen ~)7:00
43."Oblivion" Masayoshi Soken 忘却の彼方 〜蛮神シヴァ討滅戦〜 (Bōkyaku no kanata 〜 Ban-shin shivu~a tōmetsu-sen 〜)8:00
44."Everbinding Oath" Nobuo Uematsu 永遠の誓い (Eien'nochikai)5:11
45."From the Ashes" Masayoshi Soken 灰より生まれし者 (Hai yori umareshi mono)6:26
46."The Coil Tightens" Masayoshi Soken 侵攻 (Shinkō)1:24
47."Four-sided Circle" Nobuo Uematsu マンダヴィル・ゴールドソーサー (Mandavu~iru gōrudosōsā)4:11
48."Gateway to Paradise" Nobuo Uematsu 天国の扉 (Tengoku no tobira)3:59
49."Sport of Kings" Nobuo Uematsu チョコボレース (Chokoborēsu)2:43
50."Aftermath" Masayoshi Soken 戦禍 ~邪念排撃 古城アムダプール~ (Senka ~ janen haigeki kojō amudapūru ~)6:24
51."Tricksome" Masayoshi Soken 聖域の罠 ~武装聖域 ワンダラーパレス~ (Seiiki no wana ~ busō seiiki wandarāparesu ~)6:03
52."Magiteknical Difficulties" Nobuo Uematsu 魔導仕掛けの友 (Madō shikake no tomo)3:38
53."Blind to the Dark" Masayoshi Soken 薄闇 ~クリスタルタワー:闇の世界~ (Usuyami ~ kurisutarutawā: Yami no sekai ~)5:20
54."Hamartomania" Masayoshi Soken 暗闇 ~クリスタルタワー:闇の世界~ (Kurayami ~ kurisutarutawā: Yami no sekai ~)5:09
55."Hunger" Nobuo Uematsu 死闘の序曲 (Shitō no jokyoku)0:38
56."The Reach of Darkness" Masayoshi Soken 最後の死闘 ~新生~ (Saigo no shitō ~ Shinsei ~)4:28
57."Eternal Wind" Nobuo Uematsu 悠久の風 ~新生~ (Yūkyū no kaze ~ Shinsei ~)2:39
58."Faith in Her Fury" Masayoshi Soken 戦神の教義 ~皇都イシュガルド防衛戦~(Ikusagami no kyōgi ~ sumeragi-to ishugarudo bōei-sen ~)8:29
59."Unworthy" Masayoshi Soken 仇敵 ~皇都イシュガルド防衛戦~ (Kyūteki ~ sumeragi-to ishugarudo bōei-sen ~)2:23
60."Silver Tears" Masayoshi Soken 銀の涙 ~幻龍残骸 黙約の塔~ (Gin no namida ~ maboroshi ryū zangai mokuyaku no tō ~)4:58
61."Primogenitor" Masayoshi Soken 始祖たる幻龍 (Shisotaru maboroshi ryū)7:34

Heavensward

Heavensward: Final Fantasy XIV Original Soundtrack
Soundtrack album by
ReleasedFebruary 24, 2016
Genre Video game soundtrack
Length4:43:54

Heavensward: Final Fantasy XIV Original Soundtrack is an album of music for the Heavensward expansion pack to A Realm Reborn. The album was released by Square Enix on February 24, 2016 on Blu-ray, and includes all of the music that Soken composed for the expansion and the 3.1 patch "As Goes Light, So Goes Darkness". A few of the 58 tracks on the album were composed by Yukiko Takada or Nobuo Uematsu, and the majority by Soken. Unlike the prior Before the Fall album, all of the music was new to the album, though 16 of the tracks were previously released in September through November 2015 as Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward -EP- Vol. 1. through 3. [42] It sold over 10,600 copies. [43]

The album was well received by Emily McMillan of Video Game Music Online, who lauded the soundtrack's "brilliant, varied, and extraordinarily fun to hear" themes. She praised the unique atmosphere of the new expansion's music, as well as its integration into the overall game's soundscape. [42] It was also well received by Mike Salbato of RPGFan, who claimed that in the soundtrack, "Uematsu, Soken and co. really got a chance to shine musically". He listed "Dragonsong" and "Heavensward" as the "backbone" of the album, as their themes were prevalent in many other pieces in the soundtrack. [44]

Track list
No.TitleWriter(s)Japanese title (Romanization)Length
1."Heavensward" Masayoshi Soken Heavensward4:19
2."A Cold Wind" Masayoshi Soken 雪風 (Yukikaze)1:44
3."Solid" Masayoshi Soken 堅牢 ~イシュガルド下層:昼~ (Kenrō ~ ishugarudo kasō: Hiru ~)13:22
4."Against the Wind" Masayoshi Soken 風に向かって ~クルザス西部高地:昼~ (Kaze ni mukatte ~ kuruzasu seibu kōchi: Hiru ~)2:09
5."Melt" Masayoshi Soken 熱戦 ~イシュガルド地方:戦闘~ (Nessen ~ ishugarudo chihō: Sentō ~)3:17
6."Descent" Masayoshi Soken 堕落 ~廃砦捜索 ダスクヴィジル~ (Daraku ~ hai toride sōsaku dasukuvu~ijiru ~)4:57
7."Ominous Prognisticks" Masayoshi Soken 不吉なる前兆 (Fukitsunaru zenchō)4:14
8."Black and White" Masayoshi Soken 黒闇と白雪 ~クルザス西部高地:夜~ (Kuroyami to shira yuki ~ kuruzasu seibu kōchi: Yoru ~)2:18
9."Nobility Sleeps" Masayoshi Soken ノブレス・スリープス ~イシュガルド上層:夜~ (Noburesu surīpusu ~ ishugarudo jōsō: Yoru ~)10:31
10."Borderless" Masayoshi Soken 国境なき空 (Kokkyō naki sora)6:43
11."Shelter" Masayoshi Soken 旅の宿 (Tabi no yado)1:08
12."Lost in the Clouds" Masayoshi Soken 雲に隠れて ~アバラシア雲海:昼~ (Kumo ni kakurete ~ abarashia unkai: Hiru ~)4:22
13."Coming Home" Masayoshi Soken 大らかな家 (Dai ra ka na ie)5:31
14."Like a Summer Rain" Masayoshi Soken 夏の雨の如く ~神域浮島 ネバーリープ~ (Natsu no ame nogotoku ~ shin'iki ukishima nebārīpu ~)5:51
15."Close to the Heavens" Masayoshi Soken 天上の世界 ~アバラシア雲海:夜~ (Tenjō no sekai ~ abarashia unkai: Yoru ~)4:58
16."Jewel" Masayoshi Soken 宝石 ~雲海探索 ディアデム諸島~ (Hōseki ~ unkai tansaku diademu shotō ~)3:13
17."For the Sky" Masayoshi Soken 天のため (Ten no tame)4:17
18."Safety in Numbers" Masayoshi Soken みんなでいれば怖くない (Min'na de ireba kowakunai)1:35
19."Painted Foothills" Masayoshi Soken 彩られし山麓 ~高地ドラヴァニア:昼~ (Irodora reshi sanroku ~ kōchi doravu~ania: Hiru ~)5:30
20."The Hand that Gives the Rose" Masayoshi Soken 武神降臨 ~蛮神ラーヴァナ前哨戦~ (Bushinkōrin ~ Ban-shin rāvu~ana zenshōsen ~)3:08
21."Unbending Steel" Masayoshi Soken 曲がらぬ刃 ~蛮神ラーヴァナ討滅戦~ (Magaranu ha ~ Ban-shin rāvu~ana tōmetsu-sen ~)7:24
22."Painted Skies" Masayoshi Soken 彩られし夜空 ~高地ドラヴァニア:夜~ (Irodora reshi yozora ~ kōchi doravu~ania: Yoru ~)3:53
23."Slumber Eternal" Masayoshi Soken 永遠の眠り ~霊峰踏破 ソーム・アル~ (Eien no nemuri ~ reihō tōha sōmu Aru ~)5:45
24."Landlords" Masayoshi Soken ランドロード ~ドラヴァニア雲海:昼~ (Randorōdo ~ doravu~ania unkai: Hiru ~)4:44
25."What is Love?" Masayoshi Soken それは愛くぽ? (Sore wa ai ku po?)1:15
26."Roar of the Wyrm" Masayoshi Soken 邪竜の咆吼 ~邪竜血戦 ドラゴンズエアリー~ (Yokoshima ryū no hōkō ~ yokoshima ryū kessen doragonzuearī ~)4:26
27."Skylords" Masayoshi Soken スカイロード ~ドラヴァニア雲海:夜~ (Sukairōdo ~ doravu~ania unkai: Yoru ~)4:25
28."Contention" Nobuo Uematsu 闘争 (Tōsō)3:22
29."Nobility Obliges" Masayoshi Soken ノブレス・オブリージュ ~イシュガルド上層:昼~ (Noburesu oburīju ~ ishugarudo jōsō: Hiru ~)9:20
30."Hallowed Halls" Masayoshi Soken 聖座 ~強硬突入 イシュガルド教皇庁~ (Sei-za ~ kyōkō totsunyū ishugarudo kyōkō-chō ~)2:49
31."The Heavens' Ward" Masayoshi Soken 蒼天騎士団 (Sōten kishi-dan)3:15
32."Night in the Brume" Masayoshi Soken 雲霧街の夜霧 ~イシュガルド下層:夜~ (Kumogiri machi no yogiri ~ ishugarudo kasō: Yoru ~)10:14
33."Heavy Rain"Yukiko Takada雷雨の如く (Raiu nogotoku)2:40
34."Limitless Blue" Masayoshi Soken 果てなき蒼 ~蛮神ビスマルク前哨戦~ (Hatenaki ao ~ Ban Kami Bisumaruku zenshōsen ~)3:47
35."Woe that Is Madness" Masayoshi Soken 狂気なる災厄 ~蛮神ビスマルク討滅戦~ (Kyōkinaru saiyaku ~ Ban Kami Bisumaruku tōmetsu-sen ~)5:08
36."Misconception" Nobuo Uematsu 誤想 (Gosō)4:47
37."Missing Pages" Masayoshi Soken 欠けた頁 ~低地ドラヴァニア:昼~ (Kaketa pēji ~ teichi doravu~ania: Hiru ~)3:11
38."Paradise Found" Masayoshi Soken 約束の地 (Yakusoku no ji)3:59
39."The Mushroomery" Nobuo Uematsu マトーヤの洞窟 ~蒼天~ (Matōya no dōkutsu ~ sōten ~)2:55
40."Ink Long Dry" Masayoshi Soken 万世の言葉 ~禁書回収 グブラ幻想図書館~ (Bansei no kotoba ~ kinsho kaishū gubura gensō toshokan ~)5:34
41."Homestead" Masayoshi Soken ホームステッド (Hōmusuteddo)2:52
42."The Silent Regard of Stars" Masayoshi Soken 静寂の星空 ~低地ドラヴァニア:夜~ (Shijima no hoshizora ~ teichi doravu~ania: Yoru ~)3:33
43."Poison Ivy" Masayoshi Soken 有毒植物 ~草木庭園 聖モシャーヌ植物園~ (Yūdoku shokubutsu ~ kusaki teien Sei moshānu shokubutsu-en ~)6:04
44."Upon the Rocks" Masayoshi Soken 座礁 ~制圧巨塔 シリウス大灯台~ (Zashō ~ seiatsu kyotō Shiriusu dai tōdai ~)12:06
45."Aetherpause" Masayoshi Soken エーテル圏 ~魔航船ヴォイドアーク~ (Ēteru-ken ~ ma kō-sen vu~oidoāku ~)3:42
46."In Darkness, There Is One" Masayoshi Soken 深淵に潜む者 ~魔航船ヴォイドアーク~ (Shin'en ni hisomu mono ~ ma kō-sen vu~oidoāku ~)5:05
47."Voidal Manifest" Masayoshi Soken ヴォイドの棺 ~魔航船ヴォイドアーク~ (Vu~oido no hitsugi ~ ma kō-sen vu~oidoāku ~)4:44
48."Stone and Steel" Masayoshi Soken 石と鋼 (Ishi to hagane)4:38
49."Order Yet Undeciphered" Masayoshi Soken 未解読法則 ~魔大陸アジス・ラー~ (Mi kaidoku hōsoku ~ ma tairiku Ajisu rā ~)11:07
50."Unbreakable" Masayoshi Soken アンブレーカブル ~博物戦艦 フラクタル・コンティニアム~ (Anbureikaburu ~ hakubutsu senkan furakutaru kontiniamu ~)4:55
51."Imagination" Masayoshi Soken イマジネーション ~蒼天聖戦 魔科学研究所~ (Imajinēshon ~ sōten seisen ma kagakukenkyūjo ~)3:42
52."Heroes Never Die" Masayoshi Soken 英傑は死なず ~蒼天幻想 ナイツ・オブ・ラウンド討滅戦~ (Eiketsu wa shinazu ~ sōten gensō naitsu Obu raundo tōmetsu-sen ~)7:59
53."Heroes" Masayoshi Soken 英傑 ~ナイツ・オブ・ラウンド討滅戦~ (Eiketsu ~ naitsu Obu raundo tōmetsu-sen ~)3:49
54."Inception" Masayoshi Soken 発端 (Hottan)1:06
55."Dragonsong" Nobuo Uematsu Dragonsong5:43
56."Sins of the Father, Sins of the Son" Masayoshi Soken 製造者責任 ~機工城アレキサンダー:起動編~ (Seizō-sha sekinin ~ kikō-jō arekisandā: Kidō-hen ~)2:42
57."Locus" Masayoshi Soken ローカス ~機工城アレキサンダー:起動編~ (Rōkasu ~ kikō-jō arekisandā: Kidō-hen ~)8:56
58."Metal" Masayoshi Soken メタル ~機工城アレキサンダー:起動編~(Metaru ~ kikō-jō arekisandā: Kidō-hen ~)5:30

Duality

Final Fantasy XIV: Duality ~Arrangement Album~
Soundtrack album by
ReleasedDecember 7, 2016
Genre Video game soundtrack
Length1:08:00

Final Fantasy XIV: Duality ~Arrangement Album~ is a Blu-ray album of rock and piano arrangements of music from Heavensward. It features arrangements by Soken, GUNN, and Keiko of pieces originally composed by Soken for the game, and was published by Square Enix on December 7, 2016. Like From Astral to Umbral, it is split between piano and rock band covers; the first six tracks are piano covers, performed by Keiko, of field and town themes from the game, while the following seven are rock covers by Soken's band The Primals of the musical themes from the game of the primals. The final track on the album is an acoustic and vocal cover of Oblivion, which was a rock song in the original game. [45]

Mike Salbato of RPGFan reviewed the album and described it in similar terms to From Astral, the first arrangement album for the game. He praised the high quality of the arrangements and performances, but found the piano arrangements more interesting for their originality than the rock arrangements; unlike for the From Astral rock arrangements, many of the Duality arrangements were of rock or rock-inspired tracks, which he felt left the arrangements feeling superfluous. He concluded, however, that the piano arrangements and Oblivion cover made the album an "easy recommendation". [45] Tien Hoang of VGMOnline felt it was inferior to From Astral; he described the piano tracks as "fine to listen to", but "not very memorable", and the rock arrangements as enjoyable but predictable and lacking the novelty of the first arranged album. [46]

The Far Edge of Fate

The Far Edge of Fate: Final Fantasy XIV Original Soundtrack
Soundtrack album by
Masayoshi Soken
ReleasedJune 7, 2017
Genre Video game soundtrack
Length3:34:58

A soundtrack album composed of songs from Patch 3.2 through Patch 3.5, was released on 7 June 2017. [47] It sold over 8,900 copies. [48] Tien Hoang of VGMOnline reviewed the album and felt it contained several "great tracks", but was also repetitive. [49]

Orchestral albums

An album of orchestral arrangements from A Realm Reborn and Heavensward, Final Fantasy XIV Orchestral Arrangement Album, was released on September 20, 2017. Performed by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, the eight-track album includes arrangements from Sachiko Miyano, Yoshitaka Suzuki, Kenichi Kuroda, Takahiro Tsuji, and Shota Nakama. An expanded eighteen-track album was released on Blu-ray on December 20 the same year, as Eorzean Symphony: Final Fantasy XIV Orchestral Album in two versions, one containing studio recordings and one containing live concert recordings. Only two tracks are not included in the original Orchestral Arrangement Album or are from the game itself with minor changes. Tien Hoang of VGMOnline reviewed both albums; they felt that both albums included a solid set of arrangements and performances, though none were particularly innovative or creative. [50] [51]

The Primals

The Primals, an album of rock arrangements by the eponymous band created by composer Masayoshi Soken, was released on May 16, 2018. It mostly contains arrangements that were included in the From Astral to Umbral and Duality albums, with some additional tracks from the Heavensward patches. Tien Hoang of VGMOnline reviewed the album, and found that the tracks worked better together on a dedicated album then they had alongside other arrangement styles in their original albums. [52]

Stormblood

Stormblood: Final Fantasy XIV Original Soundtrack
Soundtrack album by
Masayoshi Soken
ReleasedJuly 4, 2018
Genre Video game soundtrack
Length6:10:19

A soundtrack album composed of songs from the Stormblood expansion, covering Patch 4.0 through Patch 4.3, was released on July 4, 2018. [53] The 105-track Blu-ray album was reviewed by Tien Hoang of VGMOnline, who highly praised the album's quality and emotional impact, though they felt the breadth of references to prior games' music left the album less focused than the album for the Heavensward expansion. [54]

Piano

Piano Collections Final Fantasy XIV
Soundtrack album
ReleasedMarch 6, 2019
Genre Video game soundtrack

An album of piano arrangements, Piano Collections Final Fantasy XIV, was released on March 6, 2019. The 17-track album includes piano renditions of songs from throughout the game's soundtrack. [55] It was reviewed by Tien Hoang of VGMOnline, who found it enjoyable and felt the arrangements new to the album were superior to the inconsequential arrangements of From Astral to Umbral or "improvisational" arrangements from Duality. [56]

Journeys

Journeys: Final Fantasy XIV Arrangement Album is an album of arranged songs from the Heavensward and Stormblood expansions, split between piano and rock arrangements and released on June 19, 2019. Several of the eighteen tracks were previously included in The Primals and the Final Fantasy XIV Piano Collections albums. In Tien Hoang of VGMOnline's review, he termed it the best of the piano/rock arrangement albums released to date, with creative arrangements of solid pieces. [57]

Shadowbringers

Shadowbringers: Final Fantasy XIV Original Soundtrack
Soundtrack album by
Masayoshi Soken
ReleasedSeptember 11, 2019
Genre Video game soundtrack

An album composed of songs from Patch 4.4 through Patch 5.05, covering the Shadowbringers expansion, was released on September 11, 2019. [58]

Pulse

An album of electronic remixes of Final Fantasy XIV tracks, Pulse: Final Fantasy XIV Remix Album, was released on September 30, 2020. The fourteen-track album contains remixes by Takafumi Imamura, Daiki Ishikawa, and Masayoshi Soken, covering songs from A Realm Reborn and the Heavensward, Stormblood, and Shadowbringers expansions. It was reviewed by Tien Hoang of VGMOnline, who found it "solid and entertaining" and one of the more successful arrangement projects of the game's music. [59]

Death Unto Dawn

Death Unto Dawn: Final Fantasy XIV Original Soundtrack
Soundtrack album by
Masayoshi Soken
ReleasedSeptember 15, 2021
Genre Video game soundtrack
Masayoshi Soken chronology
Shadowbringers: Final Fantasy XIV Original Soundtrack
(2019)
Death Unto Dawn: Final Fantasy XIV Original Soundtrack
(2021)
Final Fantasy XVI Original Soundtrack
(2023)

Another album, composed of songs from Patch 5.1 through 5.55, was released on September 15, 2021. [60]

Legacy

Four tracks from Final Fantasy XIV ("Navigator's Glory", "Twilight Over Thanalan", "Primal Judgement", and an orchestral rendition of "Answers" with vocals by Susan Calloway) were included in the Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy Returning Home concert on November 6 and 7, 2010 in Tokyo, Japan, which was released as a CD-DVD package in 2011. [61] Those four tracks along with "Beneath Bloodied Banners" were then added to the general setlist options for the international Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy concert tour. [62] Tracks from A Realm Reborn were included in the Nintendo 3DS rhythm game Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call . [63] An 88-page book of sheet music for piano arrangements of songs from the soundtrack titled Final Fantasy XIV Piano Solo Sheet Music was published by Dream Music Factory in 2010, containing the tracks featured in the mini-albums. [64] Dream Music Factory also published piano-arranged sheet music for Before Meteor in 2013 titled Before Meteor: Final Fantasy XIV Piano Solo Sheet Music. [65]

A series of concerts of music from Final Fantasy XIV began in 2017, titled Eorzean Symphony. The series began in September with a three-night set of concerts in Tokyo performed by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, led by conductor Hirofumi Kurita. [66] It continued in June 2018 with another concert in Los Angeles and in then again in August in Dortmund, Germany. [67] An album was released on December 20, 2017 containing music from the Tokyo concerts; a Blu-ray release contains sixteen tracks as well as video from the concerts, while a CD release contains eight tracks. [66] The album sold over 13,100 copies. [68]

Related Research Articles

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 series began in 1987 as an eponymous role-playing video game developed by Square, spawning a video game series that became the central focus of the franchise. The music of the Final Fantasy series refers to the soundtracks of the Final Fantasy series of video games, as well as the surrounding medley of soundtrack, arranged, and compilation albums. The series' music ranges from very light background music to emotionally intense interweavings of character and situation leitmotifs.

The Black Mages were a Japanese instrumental rock band formed in 2002 by Nobuo Uematsu, Kenichiro Fukui and Tsuyoshi Sekito, who were three video game composers for Square and Square Enix. The band arranged Uematsu's Final Fantasy video game series-based compositions in a hard rock style often similar to progressive metal, achieved with the additional use of synthesizers. A year later the band expanded to six members with the addition of Keiji Kawamori, Michio Okamiya and Arata Hanyuda. In August 2010, Uematsu announced the band had been disbanded, but he would continue to perform rock arrangements of his music as a part of another similar band, known as the Earthbound Papas.

The music of the video game Final Fantasy X was composed by regular series composer Nobuo Uematsu, along with Masashi Hamauzu and Junya Nakano. It was the first title in the main Final Fantasy series in which Uematsu was not the sole composer. The Final Fantasy X Original Soundtrack was released on four Compact Discs in 2001 by DigiCube, and was re-released in 2004 by Square Enix. Prior to the album's North American release, a reduced version entitled Final Fantasy X Official Soundtrack was released on a single disk by Tokyopop in 2002. An EP entitled feel/Go dream: Yuna & Tidus containing additional singles not present in the game was released by DigiCube in 2001. Piano Collections Final Fantasy X, a collection of piano arrangements of the original soundtracks by Masashi Hamauzu and performed by Aki Kuroda, was released by DigiCube in 2002 and re-released by Square EA in 2004. A collection of vocal arrangements of pieces from the game arranged by Katsumi Suyama along with radio drama tracks was released as Final Fantasy X Vocal Collection in 2002 by DigiCube.

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 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.

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 game Final Fantasy X-2 was composed by Noriko Matsueda and Takahito Eguchi. Regular series composer Nobuo Uematsu did not contribute any of the music, despite having composed around half of the soundtrack for the first game, Final Fantasy X. The Final Fantasy X-2 Original Soundtrack was released on two Compact Discs in 2003 by Avex. After the release of Final Fantasy X-2 International + Last Mission, an album entitled Final Fantasy X-2 International + Last Mission Original Soundtrack composed of the songs added to the soundtrack for that game was released in 2003 by Avex. Final Fantasy X-2 Piano Collection, a collection of piano arrangements of the original soundtracks by Noriko Matsueda, Takahito Eguchi, Hiroko Kokubu, Masahiro Sayama, and Febian Reza Pane, was released by Avex in 2004.

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.

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

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 Cross was composed by Yasunori Mitsuda, the main composer of Chrono Trigger and Radical Dreamers. Chrono Cross has sparked a soundtrack album, released in 1999 by DigiCube and re-released in 2005 by Square Enix, and a greatest hits mini-album, published in 2000 by Square along with the North American release of the game. Radical Dreamers, the music of which heavily inspired the soundtrack of Chrono Cross, has not sparked any albums, though some songs from its soundtrack were reused in Chrono Cross. An album of arrangements of Chrono Cross songs was first announced by Mitsuda in 2005, and later intended to be released to coincide with the tenth anniversary of the game in 2009; its release date was pushed back several times since then. In 2015, Mitsuda released an album of arranged music from Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross entitled To Far Away Times to commemorate the 20-year anniversary of Chrono Trigger.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Masayoshi Soken</span> Japanese composer (born 1975)

Masayoshi Soken is a Japanese video game composer and sound editor who has worked for Square Enix since 2001. Soken is best known for being the lead composer and sound director of Final Fantasy XIV and its expansions, as well as the composer for Final Fantasy XVI.

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.

<i>Final Fantasy XIV</i> 2013 video game

Final Fantasy XIV is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed and published by Square Enix. Directed and produced by Naoki Yoshida and released worldwide for PlayStation 3 and Windows in August 2013, it replaced the failed 2010 version, with subsequent support for PlayStation 4, OS X, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and Series S. Final Fantasy XIV is set in the fantasy region of Eorzea, five years after the devastating Seventh Umbral Calamity which ended the original version. In the Calamity, the elder primal Bahamut escaped from his prison, an ancient space station called Dalamud, unleashing an apocalypse across Eorzea. Through temporal magic, the player character of the original version escaped, reappearing at the start of A Realm Reborn. As Eorzea cements its recovery, the player must fend off a reignited invasion from the Garlean Empire.

<i>Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward</i> 2015 Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn expansion pack

Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward is the first expansion pack to Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed and published by Square Enix for macOS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and Windows. It was released on June 23, 2015, nearly two years after the debut of A Realm Reborn. Naoki Yoshida served as director and producer and Nobuo Uematsu, who had not worked on the title since the ill-fated 2010 launch of the original Final Fantasy XIV, returned to collaborate with Masayoshi Soken on the soundtrack. The expansion pack was released as a standalone product for current players, as well as an "all-in-one" bundle containing A Realm Reborn and Heavensward. The latter was the only way to access the OS X version of the game, which premiered on the same day as the expansion pack's launch.

<i>Final Symphony II</i> Concert tour of music from the Final Fantasy video game series

Final Symphony II is a symphonic concert tour first held at the Beethovenhalle in Bonn, Germany on August 29, 2015. The concert performances feature arrangements of video game music selected from the Final Fantasy series, specifically Final Fantasy V, VIII, IX, and XIII. It is divided into four acts, one per game, with the newest game, Final Fantasy XIII, first, and the oldest, V, last; all four arrangements are single-section arrangements, with the IX portion as a piano concerto. The tour is a follow-up to Final Symphony, a similar tour of orchestral arrangement performances from Final Fantasy VI, VII, and X beginning in 2013. The concert is produced and directed by Thomas Böcker of Merregnon Studios, with arrangements provided by Finnish composer and musician Jonne Valtonen, along with Roger Wanamo and Final Fantasy XIII composer Masashi Hamauzu. The original works were composed by Nobuo Uematsu and Hamauzu, and an introductory piece was composed by Valtonen. The premiere concert was performed by the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn under conduction from Eckehard Stier, with guest performer Mischa Cheung joining the orchestra on piano.

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