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[Zafir]

I totally agree really.

There's actually very few battle themes I actually like and this doesn't help matters. Only absolutely fantastic songs can I hear 100+ times over and still like it.

 

[KyanMehwulfe]

I love how FFXII just kept the overworld music playing, even as it went into battle. Of course this dictated the style of the overworld music, because it had to contain both "low emotion" and "intense emotion" sections woven through each of the overworld music tracks..... but I thought it worked very well.

It really aided my sense of immersion into the fantasy having the exploration and battle themes woven together. Having them separate makes me too aware I am playing a simple videogame. The old school transition into a separate battle theme really kills my immersion.

Part of what I enjoyed of the exploration and travel was how the game made it natural to 'appreciate the forest for the trees,' so to speak... the environment itself becomes like a moving diorama that you've already set, or an opera that you've cast and play-written, and the field is where you watch it unfold on stage and appreciate the act, the setting, the music.

 

[Mexen]

Persona 5 really needs to have multiple battle themes like SMT Nocturne or DDS, or at least have an on the fly Persona Radio where you can shuffle between tracks across the series.

On this we agree. I tend not to have a problem with battle themes unless they are exceptionally terrible but giving players a chance to switch does enrich the experience. At least P3P allowed us to switch dungeon music but as that poster put it, all I can hear now is "ooh yeah, tana tanta tana tanta baby baby..."

Also, you have an awesome avatar. I am going to be an absolute creep and send you a GAF friend request.

 

[wmlk]

Persona's battle music is grating most of the time, but I wouldn't put it among the worst transitions from field to battle since the dungeons were nothing memorable.

 

[Rentahamster]

Not a JRPG, but I love the way FTL uses the same theme in a sector and transitions between the explore and battle-styled versions depending on what you're doing.

https://benprunty.bandcamp.com/track/lanius-explore

https://benprunty.bandcamp.com/track/lanius-battle

 

[SkyOdin]

I absolutely love RPG battle themes. I would hate to see them ever go away. I am honestly perplexed why some people don't seem to like them.

I mean sure, I can understand someone getting sick of the battle theme song in a game like Xenosaga Episode 1, where they use the same battle theme for every fight in the game, including every boss other than the final boss. But a lot of RPGs have some really amazing battle music that I will never get sick off, while others have a pretty great variety of battle themes.

 

[SatelliteOfLove]

It's too shrill and staccato; all the instrument parts are in the upper frequency range. That song basically says to the listener, "It's time to be stressed!!" No thanks.

I think maybe something like Kenji Niinuma's The Moon and the Prince or Disco Prince (from Katamari Damacy and We Love Katamari) are probably the only songs I could listen to during battles that much. Persona 3's is pretty good, but after a thousand battles any song can become annoying.



I like the idea of this, but that theme is complicated musically, which creates cognitive load on the brain as it tries to follow the music and the shifting parts. The instruments are played like the notes are being fired at the user. Again, stressful, and tiring for the brain. It's okay if boss music is stressful, however normal battle music should basically have a groove but be something your brain can push to the background, because your mind should be focused on the battle.

p.s. that Fire Emblem Fates battle music reminds me quite a bit of Soul Calibur battle music.

It's Etrian. It's finely crafted PC-88 FM synth. It has Mountain Lynxes as ranbats. Everything fits.

 

[K.Sabot]

I like how the new Fire Emblem does its battle music. There is the map music that is playing normally, then when a battle is initiated it zooms on in, then the battle theme is seamlessly transitioned into since it is a variation of the map theme. It doesn't feel like the music does a stop and go since they basically pick up where it is left off.

Calm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BOcdhaYTQQ

Battle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95sgwli5oVg

Also you chose the best map song in the game to use as your example, cheers.

 

[orthodoxy1095]

I think Battle Themes are great. There just needs to more variety. I don't want to hear the same shit for 45+ hours.

 

[K.Sabot]

Really, the Persona 4 battle theme cutting into Heaven is the absolute best example of what I want less of in the future.

Absolutely can not stand the tonal difference between a lot of field / dungeon themes and battle themes.

 

[John Kowalski]

When the field song keeps playing through battles you just know real shit is going down.