ReMix: Final Fantasy VIII 'Realization'

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Though critically well-received at the time, FF8 doesn't seem to have aged as well as its immediate predecessor, or enjoyed as much fandom or creation of auxiliary works. It's interesting; I remember trying to play it at the time and being entirely put off by the complexity of some of the menuing and combat options. I know you hardcore (and even mediumcore) RPG guys and gals out there love this stuff, but I actually think Square could get some new fans by reviving the essential concept of Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest - in other words, RPGs for dummies. Seriously, I love the exploratory nature of RPGs, the storytelling, and of course the excellent music, but I don't have the patience, time, or interest to micromanage character upgrades and/or inventory that involves thousands of options, millions of permutations, and - most importantly - abundant free time. The soundtrack for VIII, however, is a different story; most of the tracks are very accessible, and Eyes on Me in particular is a classic, and also one of the best-selling VGM singles of all time. Siamey gives us an interesting trance-oscillating-with-orchestral take on Truth, a piece less familiar but still very solid. Larry gives us the play-by-play:

"Nice intro keeping the instrumentation style of the original melody but beefing it up as well the trance elements surrounding things. Hit the source's chorus at 1:35 for a nice change of pace. I thought the oboes were all good myself. Moved back into the trance groove at 2:51 before the source melody returned at 3:18, albeit pretty low in volume to me. Nothing wrong with it playing second fiddle until 3:33. Nice variations on the chorus at 3:32 to keep everything fresh. Definitely enjoyed the writing of 4:54's final section for the close. I was feeling all of the sound choices involved. Good stuff all around. Solid production, dynamics, and sound variation, complimenting a creative, well-developed arrangement."

Essentially you've got Heath's HQ trance style dodging in and out of orchestral breaks, which prevents the piece from being danceable non-stop, but also makes it far more interesting. 2'10", with the rising and falling melody finally breaking into full stride, is pretty darn catchy. I really think the ReMixer did a good job on ALL the transitions - things slide in and out on cues that seem very natural. Making these types of changeups sound natural is hard work, though, and Morris did an A+ job of handling that aspect. The source material lends itself well to a trance arrangement, and the production is definitely smooth. It does feel at times that things are a little left-heavy, with the majority of stronger elements leaning to that side of the stereo spectrum, but it's far from blatant and doesn't significantly affect the overall mix. This is one of the more accessible and solidly produced FF8 ReMixes out there, and our first trance coverage of the game's score in quite awhile; great work from Siamey that infuses his staple genre with symphonic instrumentation for an enjoyable and compelling end result.

― djpretzel