Star Ocean -The Last Hope- Original Soundtrack

	Album Title: Star Ocean -The Last Hope- Original Soundtrack
	Record Label: Square Enix
	Catalog No.: SQEX-10139/42
	Release Date: March 18, 2009
	Purchase: Buy at CDJapan

Overview

The Star Ocean series is tri-Ace’s longest running series, with four main games, each composed by Motoi Sakuraba. The first Star Ocean, released in Japan in 1996, really set the style for the series with a mixture of progressive rock and orchestral elements. A couple years later, in 1998, Sakuraba reprised his compositional role for the series in Star Ocean: The Second Story. Consisting once again of a mixture of progressive rock and orchestral stylings, many, including myself, find it to be the best Star Ocean soundtrack in terms of creating an emotional connection. It was full of vibrant themes and really captured the essence of the game’s character-driven story. Many consider Star Ocean: Till the End of Time, released five years later, to be Sakuraba’s best Star Ocean soundtrack and, depending upon who you ask, his best soundtrack to date. Featuring beautiful orchestrations and inventive progressive rock, it was the defining moment in his career. The use of live orchestra and live progressive rock really helped to make a cohesive soundtrack. This brings us to the most recent game, Star Ocean: The Last Hope. Taking place hundreds of years before the first game, this game sets the whole thing into action. Does Sakuraba create a soundtrack that rivals its predecessors? I guess you’ll have to read on to find out, so let’s traverse into the vast Star Ocean and see what we discover, shall we?

Body

To discover the past, let’s travel into the future. Anyone who has listened to the Star Ocean soundtracks has learned that Sakuraba is infamous for including some of his favorite Star Ocean: The Second Story compositions in his other works. For example, “Mission to the Deep Space” can be found on the recently released remake Star Ocean: First Departure as well as Star Ocean: Till the End of Time. Sadly, this is the first game not to feature this theme. Instead, we are treated with one of Sakuraba’s favorite themes to arrange, “The Incarnation of Devil,” as well as the normal battle theme from that game, “Stab the Sword of Justice”. The former, “The Incarnation of Devil (Next-Gen Remix)” is a string-led progressive theme, full of brass accents and string flourishes. The piano accompaniment also helps portray the main melody and the improvisational piano is tastefully done. “Stab the Sword of Justice (Heroic Remix)” is easily my favorite of the arranged Star Ocean themes though. It’s a beautiful recreation of the original, with a piano and synth led melody. The piano and space like synth really mesh well together and it’s a pretty interesting ride! It’s about time he rearranged this one again.

The majority of the Star Ocean rearrangements, however, come from the first Star Ocean. Mainly orchestral in nature, it includes many key themes from the original, but sadly, leaves out some of the more interesting ones, like “True Figure”. One of the themes, “DIM (Band Remix)” has a very progressive sound to it, but more along the lines of “Sank Memories” from Valkyrie Profile 2. It has a dark atmosphere, accentuated by the deep percussion and the mysterious string and piano lines. The normal battle theme from the first game was also arranged. “For Achieve (Brass Remix)” is a bit of a misnomer; while brass is certainly present and serves as an excellent counterharmony to the string led melody, I’d find it more apt to name it a strings/brass remix instead. I’d have preferred a progressive arrangement of this theme, personally, but it does fit with the style given to the rest of the Star Ocean arrangements. I’ll mention two town themes as well. “Innocence (Cheerful Mix)” is a playful woodwind led melody with some harp plucking used as a counter melody. It really brings out the charm in some of Sakuraba’s earlier works. However, my favorite town theme arrangement is easily “Refinement (Elegant Mix)”. It’s a very regal arrangement with some beautiful string and organ work and really helps to accentuate the royal flair found in Astral City.

Much of this soundtrack is orchestral based. The soundtrack opens up with “Ruin and Creation,” which is the first piece on the soundtrack that hints at the darkness of the soundtrack. While strings and brass serve as the backbone of the piece, the real highlight is the somber and dark mood the choral work creates. Once the ‘Ruin’ part of the track is completed, the ‘Creation’ portion features a more bombastic orchestral approach that highlights the main theme of the Star Ocean series. There is also another arrangement of this theme, entitled “Ruin and Creation (Monologue Mix)”. Unlike the bombastic and darker approach heard in the original, this one features a much softer and lighthearted approach with the main melody being played beautifully by some woodwind instruments. The brass is tastefully done and the harp accompaniment gives it an almost angelic atmosphere.

“Cosmic Voyagers” is a bombastic take on the main theme of the series. It has a very sci-fience sound to it with some majestic string passages accompanied by some woodwind and brass accents. It is a bit on the harsher side, but I guess it does set an exhilarating tone for the opening of the game. Like “Ruin and Creation” this one also receives some arrangements. “Cosmic Voyagers (Peace & Love Mix)” has a more militaristic approach to it. There are some differences to it, but I find it to be less exciting than the original. However, my favorite version has to be “Cosmic Voyagers (Spring Wind Mix)”. Unlike the bombastic approach of the original, it opts for a subdued approach. By transforming it from a brass and string led composition to a woodwind and harp based theme, it adds an extremely peaceful and nurturing atmosphere. Those who didn’t like the original will probably find this theme to be a bit more accessible to them.

As mentioned before, the atmosphere of this soundtrack is rather dark for the most part. For instance, “Yin and Yang” is an extremely somber and mysterious string led piece punctuated with occasional piano chords. This is truly a dark theme, but one that is also extremely exquisite at the same time. Unlike some of the darker themes on this soundtrack, this one has a bit of personality and really helps to paint a picture of utter hopelessness. It’s truly magnificent if you ask me. For a title such as “Skyward Bound,” this piece is not as carefree as one would expect. Like “Yin and Yang,” this string led piece is filled with sorrow and anguish. Yet it again manages to create its own personality, accentuated by the inclusion of some haunting choral work. It’s truly another exquisite piece in terms of crafting a dark theme that manages to keep the listener engaged. Another dark theme that manages to succeed in engaging the listener is “Shattered Dreams”. The use of acoustic guitar, strings, piano, and choral work helps to craft a somber theme that utilizes a nice variety of instruments with a pretty engaging melody. It’s not the best dark theme on the soundtrack, but it does manage to keep me engaged.

Unfortunately, not all themes of this dark nature can keep my attention as well. The piano-based themes seem to suffer the most. “Welcome to the Darkness” is one such theme. The mood is full of despair, but the suspended string work and the piano passages do nothing to really engage the listener as there is no real melodic hook to which you can hang on. Similarly, “Black Chaos” is an entirely piano-based composition that just meanders with deep piano chords without ever really attaining any sense of development. Lastly, while “Dark Heart, Dark Mind” does do a bit more than the previous two themes mentioned, especially in terms of crafting a melody, it doesn’t really do much for me. The piano can sound haunting at times, but in the end, it’s one of those dark themes that falls in between being engaging or being unable to listen.

Some of the orchestral themes used for the area themes are quite nice. For example, “Silk Road in the Sky I” has a nice ethnic flair to it in the percussion line and it manages to elaborate a bit on the main theme of the Star Ocean series. It’s a nice orchestral theme with some beautiful string passages that, while at times sound a bit sci-fi, give it a nice exploratory atmosphere. The second version of this theme, “Silk Road in the Sky II,” has a much more sci-fiction feel to it and is also a lot darker in atmosphere. It maintains that ethnic flair at times, but the electronic features of the piece gives it an extremely mysterious nature. It’s one of the more intriguing experiments on the soundtrack. Lastly, the ending theme, “Worlds Yet Unexplored,” is probably the most exquisite orchestral composition on the soundtrack. It’s an extremely beautiful composition that really showcases Sakuraba’s ability to create a very strong orchestral theme. Featuring moments of sadness, darkness, and happiness, it takes the listener on a cursory tour of the entire soundtrack in one sitting. Perhaps the most beautiful passage in the entire composition is the inclusion of “We Form in Crystals” from Star Ocean: The Second Story.

Most fans of Sakuraba, however, are probably more interested in the battle themes and progressive rock compositions that he’s most known for. Aside from the two battle themes mentioned previously, “For Achieve (Brass Remix)” and “Stab the Sword of Justice (Heroic Remix),” there are two other normal battle themes. The first, “Blood on the Keys,” is probably the one that most people are already familiar with, as it was released back in September 2008 with Infinite Undiscovery, at least in Japan. The piece itself focuses on a nice blend of progressive keyboard work and electric guitar. If you listen closely, you’ll be able to tell that the guitarist from the Baten Kaitos series and the Guilty Gear series, Toru Iwao, returns to work with Sakuraba for this soundtrack. As for other portions of the piece, there are some nice, bouncy interludes, and the futuristic synth Sakuraba employs just screams Star Ocean. Chaotic, as usual, the keyboard and guitar solos help to make this piece an extremely engaging battle theme. The other normal battle theme, “Don’t Be a Hero,” is my personal favorite in terms of normal battle themes. Those who enjoy Sakuraba’s rock, such as that found in “The Divine Spirit of Language” from Star Ocean: Till the End of Time or the rock version of “The True Mirror” from Baten Kaitos, will probably enjoy this one. It’s an interesting mesh of electric guitar and piano countermelodies. They go extremely well together and only serve to heighten the strength of each other. The jazzy piano solo and the rocking guitar solo really help take this one to new heights!

Not all the battle themes, however, are progressive in nature. The most surprising battle theme belongs to the boss theme, “I Do, Therefore I Am.” Unlike “Truth of Influence Appearance” from Star Ocean: Till the End of Time, this theme is an extremely slow piece with an atmosphere full of despair. The choral work is the driving force behind this piece with ominous chants throughout the piece, with brass and percussion accents employed to give it a bit of variety. However, I find it mesmerizing that this theme is used as a boss theme. It’s not at all something I’d expect from a boss theme from Sakuraba. The final boss theme also employs the use of dark atmosphere. “Maelstrom’s Clutches” is an epic orchestral theme employing the use of choir, strings, and organ to craft an extremely evil sounding theme. For those who have played the game, considering who the final boss is, I can see why he opted to go for a sad, yet evil, theme as opposed to a more progressive theme such as “Highbrow”. At first, I was put off by this theme, but I really enjoy it now.

Some of my favorite event battle themes belong to “Chain of Explosions” and “Seeker”. The former is an excellent progressive rock theme that has the catchiest bass intro I’ve heard in a while. Combine that with some futuristic synth, a small hint of the Star Ocean main theme, and a sense of urgency and you have a pretty catchy battle theme. The crazy solo interlude that he loves to throw in is also quite a nice touch. “Seeker,” however, is another rock based theme. The electric guitar led melody with the keyboard accompaniment makes for a crazy theme. It’s extremely energetic, melodically engaging, and features some excellent solos. In particular, the electric guitar solo, played by Toru Iwao, has some wonderful bass riffs underlying it, while Sakuraba’s keyboard solo is pretty crazy too, and unlike some of his others, doesn’t slow the pace down at all.

The rest of the progressive themes can be found in the dungeons in some areas. “Shotgun Formation” is definitely a bit more inclined to be described as “classic” Sakuraba. Featuring his signature keyboard and synth sounds, he crafts an engaging piece, that while isn’t the most inventive, manages to bring about that classic sound heard in his Star Ocean live concerts. Another excellent theme is “Nascent Pulse”. This one also focuses more on the signature sounds heard in most Sakuraba progressive rock; however, it adds some guitar riffs and some jazzy piano interludes into the mix. This, to me, helps to tie it into the jazzy piano stylings of the third game. Upon hearing the intro to “Night of the Chase,” those who follow the Star Ocean series closely, might recognize a piece from Star Ocean: Till the End of Time in it. Indeed, “Night of the Chase” offers a subtle homage to “Fly Away in the Violet Sky”. Combining progressive rock with some jazzy piano proves to be a wonderful experience. As the piece progresses, the jazz piano starts to improvise and offers quite the playful soundscape. The progressive rock elements also help contrast nicely with the piano, from the deep bass to the infamous use of the Hammond organ. My personal favorite dungeon theme, however, is “Brilliant Rose”. It’s a more piano and synth led composition with some deep bass and percussion lending nicely to craft a slightly dark atmosphere. The jazzy piano is another particularly striking touch and really makes the piece I think.

Summary

The Star Ocean -The Last Hope- Original Soundtrack is truly an interesting journey. Featuring a much darker atmosphere than previous Star Ocean games, Sakuraba risked alienating fans of his former works. Yet, at the same time, he attempts to reel them back in by providing some very lighthearted works as well. In addition to these, his progressive rock is as beautiful as ever and the inclusion of the jazzy piano helps to tie the style heard in Star Ocean: Till the End of Time to this one, considering it is the only game without an arrangement on this soundtrack. In the end, Sakuraba’s latest venture in the vast Star Ocean is one that might take some time to get into. The dark pieces are nice, but at times, you may feel bombarded by the sheer quantity of them. Luckily, his progressive rock is in top-form, after having been absent for too long. If you’re a fan of the series, I recommend it for you, but be warned that it’s unlike any other Star Ocean soundtrack to date.

Posted on August 1, 2012 by Don Kotowski. Last modified on August 1, 2012.

About the Author

Don Kotowski Currently residing in Philadelphia. I spend my days working in vaccine characterization and dedicate some of my spare time in the evening to the vast world of video game music, both reviewing soundtracks as well as maintaining relationships with composers overseas in Europe and in Japan.

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