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Xenoblade Chronicles X soundtrack got a bad rap.
- Thread starter DeSo
- Start date
toastyToast
Member
Bad rap. I see what you did there.
Newtype-001
Member
I enjoyed Xs ost more than the first games.
The most memorable tracks from the 1st game was the title theme and Unfinished battle which played like once in the whole game.
Fight me
The most memorable tracks from the 1st game was the title theme and Unfinished battle which played like once in the whole game.
Fight me
I like composers that have out there styles. I like Sawano's style and I particularly liked the XCX ost, just as I liked the Kill La Kill soundtrack (Blumenkranz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdAoYar8Y0c)
There's usually not a song that wont grow on me in time, unless it's a literal snoozefest. Enter Sakuraba's Tales of Graces OST: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLo_-5MyI84
I'm pretty sure he can't mean either of those since they're both top tier songs.
There's usually not a song that wont grow on me in time, unless it's a literal snoozefest. Enter Sakuraba's Tales of Graces OST: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLo_-5MyI84
I'm pretty sure he can't mean either of those since they're both top tier songs.
Gurgelhals
Member
The New L.A. tracks are absolutely terrible. They probably wanted to underscore the town's "futuristic frontier town" vibe with that weird southern rock/hip hop fusion, but the tracks are just so clumsy and irritating that they just become unbearable after a few hours (after the initial shock has worn off and any subsequent attempt to find some kind of humor in them have failed).
The field tracks are better, but they are far too bombastic for their own good. It's really overbearing how the soundtrack is constantly screaming at you "LISTEN TO ME! I'M THIS GRAND, EPIC SOUNDTRACK FOR THIS GRAND, EPIC JRPG! AIN'T I AWESOME?!?" – and at full volume at that. Instead of underscoring the vistas, the music drowns them in its bombast and thus gets obnoxious very quickly as well.
They made some really baffling stylistic decisions with Xenoblade Chronicles X and it's all the more disappointing considering that they managed to strike the perfect balance with the original Xenoblade.
X is like a Xenoblade that has entered puberty: It's still visibly the same thing but it has also adopted some weird and annoying new mannerisms and, above all, very questionable tastes in fashion and music.
The field tracks are better, but they are far too bombastic for their own good. It's really overbearing how the soundtrack is constantly screaming at you "LISTEN TO ME! I'M THIS GRAND, EPIC SOUNDTRACK FOR THIS GRAND, EPIC JRPG! AIN'T I AWESOME?!?" – and at full volume at that. Instead of underscoring the vistas, the music drowns them in its bombast and thus gets obnoxious very quickly as well.
They made some really baffling stylistic decisions with Xenoblade Chronicles X and it's all the more disappointing considering that they managed to strike the perfect balance with the original Xenoblade.
X is like a Xenoblade that has entered puberty: It's still visibly the same thing but it has also adopted some weird and annoying new mannerisms and, above all, very questionable tastes in fashion and music.
Sammy Samusu
Member
The bad rap comes from people who have never played the game anyway.
GOAT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-f7kL9ZHoI
GOAT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-f7kL9ZHoI
Spirit Icana
Member
I hope Sawano works on another game (the sequel?) in the future. Enjoyed the soundtrack, but I did take issue with where vocal tracks played during some cutscenes, the volume, and the two NLA songs (not as good as the Team Medical Dragon hip hop stuff), etc.
Would like more songs with less synth and more orchestra too. Sawano still got a lot to show off!
That song is totally not Sakuraba. It's likely the other composer that used to work with Sakuraba on Tales of games.
Would like more songs with less synth and more orchestra too. Sawano still got a lot to show off!
That song is totally not Sakuraba. It's likely the other composer that used to work with Sakuraba on Tales of games.
Xaero Gravity
NEXT LEVEL lame™
Oh there's definitely a bad rap in there, but that's not all.
DragonGirl
Banned
I've spent a lot of time listening to the OST on Youtube. The game has a great sound track and I hardly hate the "bad" songs. After a little while I hardly notice the vocals. But hey, hyperbole is the word of the day every day in internetland.
Meccanical
Member
I see what you did there OP
I hate this defense and I don't even hate the OST. People have played the game and not enjoyed the soundtrack. Stop discrediting them even if you don't agree with them.
orthodoxy1095
Banned
It got a bad rap because the OST is just inherently divisive.
You can listen to an OST without playing the game.
Spirit Icana
Member
The reception it got was number five on neogaf's ost of the year 2015 and sold five times more soundtrack copies in it's first week compared to the Xenoblade 1 OST.
Info and sources in this thread at gamefaqs: http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/701151-xenoblade-chronicles-x/71831073?page=15
Not too bad a reception, methinks, despite the obvious loud group of haters that voiced their displeasure of the music (and composer) leading up to release and after.
The soundtrack has a lot of great songs, the problem is in how they are utilized. So far, the only song I really actively dislike is the NLA one. Every other song is either okay or really good. But they butcher it with the sound design.
They place these songs in a ridiculous volume level over dialogue, so you can't concentrate on the song, or the dialogue, and the dialogue turns even more ridiculous than it already is because it feels like the characters are talking "in tune" with the song. It doesn't help a bit when they use songs with lyrics on top of dialogue either.
Other awful choice is the flight song. I actually like that song, and the first time I listened to it I enjoyed it, because flying was a new experience and all of that, and the song helped hyping the moment. That said, it pops up if you lift ONE METER from the ground. If you're doing some exploring and are constantly getting on and off the skell this gets ridiculous and annoying really fast.
It also doesn't help that the soundtrack has a lot of songs with vocals. I actually like them (well, most of them), but there are SO many... it really is exaggerated.
Those choices regarding the game's audio aside, I really like some songs. All of the field ones are great, and the sad one that usually plays in affinity missions is fantastic, imo.
They place these songs in a ridiculous volume level over dialogue, so you can't concentrate on the song, or the dialogue, and the dialogue turns even more ridiculous than it already is because it feels like the characters are talking "in tune" with the song. It doesn't help a bit when they use songs with lyrics on top of dialogue either.
Other awful choice is the flight song. I actually like that song, and the first time I listened to it I enjoyed it, because flying was a new experience and all of that, and the song helped hyping the moment. That said, it pops up if you lift ONE METER from the ground. If you're doing some exploring and are constantly getting on and off the skell this gets ridiculous and annoying really fast.
It also doesn't help that the soundtrack has a lot of songs with vocals. I actually like them (well, most of them), but there are SO many... it really is exaggerated.
Those choices regarding the game's audio aside, I really like some songs. All of the field ones are great, and the sad one that usually plays in affinity missions is fantastic, imo.
Wyndstryker
Member
It's more about the music direction than the actual OST. The few times the songs were used right they were awesome, but most of the time they're just....there.
It feels like the OST was created and then just placed into the game than having the OST and game being worked together so they complement each other.
It feels like the OST was created and then just placed into the game than having the OST and game being worked together so they complement each other.
skLaFarebear
Member
Well deserved too. It's a fantastic soundtrack.
Spirit Icana
Member
The OST for this game was finished back in 2012, I think. Sawano said he finished it before working on Attack on titan.
The game was released in Japan in 2014 and had some major development shake up at some point that lead to the avatar MC and online elements being incorporated, so I think it's fair to say you could be right.
That said, the vocal music during battle was Sawano's idea, so that's on him. Field themes and NLA were obviously made for those areas as well. I'm betting for most cutscenes, particularly the cheap ones where the player moves the camera as the characters talk, that's gotta be on monolith soft on what goes where and how loud it is. Those scenes looked like they were made after the budget was spent on making the world and everything else. Direction wise, they would've likely asked for the usual stock 'danger music' or 'sad music' to be reused for various scenes.
sixteen-bit
Member
I thought XCX had a terrific soundtrack. I was unaware of there being a backlash.
FrenchMovieTheme
Member
The music was so bad I actually stopped playing the game and ultimately sold the game. How can there be no volume controls? Stupid design choice and the worst video game soundtrack I've ever heard.
Well it's not like people can downvote OSTs.
The continents themes are excellent.
Without these, there are a couple of other OK songs.
After that, lots of songs (Day NLA theme, Flight theme, Story Sequence theme with loud lyrics, etc.) makes the experience of the game as a whole a lot less enjoyable.
Especially that fucking flight theme, holy crap, it's a shame that THE VERY MOMENT you leave the ground it stops everything to start this damn song. :lol
Without these, there are a couple of other OK songs.
After that, lots of songs (Day NLA theme, Flight theme, Story Sequence theme with loud lyrics, etc.) makes the experience of the game as a whole a lot less enjoyable.
Especially that fucking flight theme, holy crap, it's a shame that THE VERY MOMENT you leave the ground it stops everything to start this damn song. :lol
Fine Ham Abounds
Member
It kinda grows on you
Like fungus
Like fungus
GinoFelino
Member
Maybe don't go off on someone that quickly in the future. Makes it look like you've got some issues going.
Thanks for apologizing, anyway.
JimboJones
Member
I hate going back to NLA because of the soundtrack lol
The field themes are great, especially like Oblivias day theme.
Some cheesy fight themes but they kinda work in the middle of a fight, probably wouldn't listen to them outside of the game though.
although I do like the MaNon ship music.
The field themes are great, especially like Oblivias day theme.
Some cheesy fight themes but they kinda work in the middle of a fight, probably wouldn't listen to them outside of the game though.
This fellow is speaking the truth.
Some tracks might be good on their own, but as a whole the soundtrack is definitely weak.
lightchris
Member
It has some good tracks, though not as good as in Xenoblade Chronicles. And the bad ones are way more annoying. Overall, it's just okay to me.
Lunafreya Nox Fleuret
Member
I'm on the last chapter and I'm still not used to the New Los Angeles night theme. It is honestly baffling how it made it into the game. Something like black tar was horrible at first but I ended up liking it. Both NLA themes are pretty asinine but they represent something in the game. Uh yeah uh uh yeah reflects how the characters do nothing but kill and I cannot hear you, I cannot see you represents the race clashing, I imagine.
SatoAilDarko
Member
I absolutely love the soundtrack.
My soundtrack of the year last year.
I really enjoyed the New LA themes.
My soundtrack of the year last year.
I really enjoyed the New LA themes.
Andyliini
Member
I absolutely loved the soundtrack. I loved it so much I imported the OST from Japan, so I could listen to it with CD quality. My favorite is still The Key we've Lost. Such a powerful piece of music.
devious.one
Member
Just wish they gave you the choice to turn off the flight theme when you're out in the world. It's an alright track, but damn; after the umpteenth time hearing it you just wanna hear that beastly Noctilum track again.
I guess I could always just get out of the Doll, but who wants to do that?
I guess I could always just get out of the Doll, but who wants to do that?