OST Discussion

[Lord of Riva]

The fates OST is great. hearing it froms start to end on repeat for three days straight now

[Thane]

I absolutely adore both Awakening and Fates' OST. A definite favorite from the new game is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prhNQ1QotO0&index=41&list=PL3tZU636q_oqP3fcIeoj34JBtKAbnsyr4

Edited July 8, 2015 by Thane

[rainbowResonance]

Fates has a nice OST, but it has less songs that really catch my attention compared to Awakening's.

I love ID~Purpose but as much as I like it and its epic nature, I prefer Fate's final battle song due to its more subtle epic theme and more musical variations/transitions. I liked Fate's main menu song, but it feel it's a bit empty compared to Id~Beginnings.

I like most of Awk's map songs including Prelude, Duty, Divine Decree, Destiny, Chaos, Champion as well as the 2nd final~ ID~Hope. My favorites being Duty, Chaos & ID~Hope.

For Fates, only A4 really stands out. Strangely enough, F1 is by far my favorite battle map song from Fates for its classy elements.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVMSMOEYnpI&list=PLCqhabHGExQtPCMrHGC4AFmfpK2WxwzGx

Both games have Conquest so can't argue on that, other than Conquest being original to Awk.

I love both Fate's and Awakening's prep songs quite equally. Fate's is far more ambitious but hearing the flute's higher pitches can get tiring for me.

My favorite songs in all of Awakening is the world map song & Id-Return. (In fact I like Id-Return more than I like Id-Purpose, due to the feelings it gives off, as to turning the tides in a dire situation).

Azura's theme is beautiful beyond words (Awk doesn't have a theme song so there's that).

tl;dr, Awk's Ost is more coherent and themed througout while Fate's is more ambitious with a key focus on expressing celtic(?) and japanese cultures. Though I feel there's not enough of a melded impact in Fate's music.

C-c-c-combo breaker~ I agreed with the OP this time (to an extent...)

Edited August 11, 2015 by rainbowResonance

[NoNameAtAll]

I dunno about the original songs made for Fates, but I do know of one amazing remix.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kobFs3_7zJE

[CyborgZeta]

Honestly, I'm not that keen on the OST in Fates. There are a couple tracks I like, but it largely does nothing for me. When I think about it, I think Awakening had a better OST.

Some of the Hoshido themes that played when I progressed later into Conquest were kind of grating on me. Probably because I had to redo a couple of the stages and was somewhat annoyed at the time.

[mimasho]

tbh none of the music in Awakening stood out in particular to me, except maybe "don't speak her name" ?

FE:if definitely has one of my favorite OSTs for the series though;

I particularly like how different yet differentiable the Nohr and Hoshido music is ! * U *

Can't wait for the actual titles to come out so I can find a way to refer to my favorites xD

[rainbowResonance]

Can't wait for the actual titles to come out so I can find a way to refer to my favorites xD

This has been particularly bothering me, too. I was surprised they didn't release an OST yet, then again they waited a year to do that for Awakening...

Has anyone uploaded a list of which song goes to which from Fate's music room (doesn't matter if it's in Japanese)? Does Fates even have a music room? .__.

[NeptuniasBeard]

Map F is the SHIT! I've been listening to it all day! Everything else is just gravy

[Vineron]

Honestly besides one or two songs per game most FE music just sorta blends together for me.

I'm really liking Fates soundtrack from what I've heard though, imo definitely a step up.

[The DanMan]

Fates falls into the same pitfalls and advantages that Awakening's soundtrack does, though I have to admit that the quality of instrument samples between tracks is surprising in how it varies. Some tracks sound the best the series ever has, and others have clarinet samples that are about as convincing as the MIDI in Path of Radiance. This is a step down from Awakening, which was mostly consistent in its samples and scoring.

One of Kondoh and Morishita's quirks involves theme and variation on a primary identity. Awakening gave three primary Ylissean identities and then drowned the rest of the game's motifs beneath these identities. Aqua's theme is, unfortunately, taken a step further and does the same job with only one motif instead of three. It doesn't help that her theme is rarely given retrogrades or inversions, making it a conspicuous and distracting feature to tracks it shouldn't necessarily appear in.

As for the final map theme...

There's a particular moment in it a little over a minute in where the strings enter with particularly aggressive rhythmic articulation. It's easily the most intense 20 seconds of the song, and the fact that it appears so early and leaves so quickly leaves me disappointed similarly to the volume issues in Id (Purpose).

All in all, the cultural difference between Nohr and Hoshido is appreciated, but unlike Awakening I feel that this soundtrack does not suit the Fire Emblem series. When the Fire Emblem theme enters near the end of the game, it carries with it a style and character long forgotten by this game, and it clashes with the compositional character of the new composers. Tsujiyoko's removal from the compositional process to sound supervisor is felt here more strongly than it is in Awakening, and ultimately not even Aqua's theme taking inspiration from Gaiden can bridge the gap.

After listening to more of it and letting some time to pass, I have to agree with you; it's pretty hit-and-miss.

Though the cultural differences between the Hoshido and Nohr tracks is appreciated, a lot of the tracks are fairly repetitive and become grating after a couple listens.

And the amount of focus Aqua's song gets is freaking ridiculous; I almost feel like they went out of their way to try and promote Renka.

And yeah, that part was good; shame that most of the track is *yawn* more Renka and orchestral fluff.

Really, the soundtrack's just "eh".

[Ryo]

About the final boss theme, Aqua/Renka's vocal kind of ruined it for me. Perhaps it would have sounded much better if they'd played those parts with instruments alone.

[nocturnal YL]

The first half of the game had far greater music than Awakening. Don't know about the rest.

Awakening's music didn't variate enough and was generally way too calm and did not feel like game music (contrast with FE4, which had the best music in the series). The few that did stand out were excellent, though.

[Thane]

Surprised to see people harp on Awakening's music; I absolutely adore it. Then again, people around here seem to hate absolutely every aspect of that game.

As for this Fates' OST, while a few songs don't quite do it for me, I love the majority of it. One of the best songs by far is this one:

[Nanima]

I didn't mind Awakenings music, I just don't remember it much. The only exceptions are the title theme and the sortie theme (on account of hearing it a bajillion times).

Fates too has its share of forgettable tracks, but I think there are more gems to be found here. Thane has already posted Map A4, but there is also Map E3, the opening music and all the boss themes.

I personally like Hitori no Omou and love it's final boss version, but that's probably just my taste in music already leaning in that direction.

[RidellCrimea]

I think this OST might be my favorite out of the games I've played.

[Azz]

I am a big fan of the OST.I love Hitori Omou it is just hnggg(Also the final boos music is what I listen to when I go walking).I also love the sad theme.(Though I do think the one from FEA is better cause that scene)

[Mox]

I adored the soundtrack to this game. I thought that it was well varied and well composed. Some pieces had me really fired up and some had me really sad, for me any music that can elicit such a strong emotional response is good music.

[Folt]

I adore the soundtrack! It's really really good, and the way they use some of the songs imply certain things about the character!

Like how Boss B4 and Boss C3 both play when up against Garon on the Birthright and Conquest routes respectively and both fit him, but plays in very different circumstances which is why both songs fit him in the first place (B4 takes mostly from the usual Nohr instruments because he's the King of Nohr and that's all you ever know him as on the Birthright route, while C3 plays like most Invisible Kingdom tunes which highlights his status and exposure on the Conquest route as a corpse-turned-familiar to Anankos). Or how Boss C1 (the normal Invisible Kingdom boss theme) plays when fighting Takumi, instead of Boss A3 (the Hoshido Royals boss theme), because Anankos is slowly influencing and possessing him.

Also:

[spoiler=Final Map/Battle Theme] I really dig the Final Map (and boss, kinda) songs. They're really good. It's also interesting in that the melody and composition for the three of them is practically the same, yet Azura sings a different verse depending on the route you picked that is essentially tailor-made for them.

EDIT: Also, gotta mention Map A3-4, Map B1, B3-B5, Map C1 and C3, Map E1-E3, and Map F1 (aka the one that isn't Conquest). The aforementioned Map themes are some of the most beautiful themes I've heard, and absolutely fitting for the maps that they play on, while F1 is an incredibly good all-purpose map music.

Edited August 11, 2015 by Folt

[Lakmé]

Map B4 perfectly delivers the 'epic' vibe meant to suit its maps! The "ablaze" version of B3 is impressive as well...

I loved Awakening's soundtrack but it saddened me that Rei Kondoh's style was becoming more and more repetitive (Sakuraba syndrome) while he's one of my favourite composers since Okami: e.g. Destiny(Ablaze) is fantastic but it sounds so much like some of his previous compositions... I mostly didn't feel this way with Fate, even the japanese-style themes were nothing like what he did with Okami/Okamiden and yet they are amazing.

[RJWalker]

I'm not a fan. Damn near every single track forces the main notes of Aqua's song into it. Conversation tracks, battle tracks, map tracks. Fucking everything. It's just bad.

[Party Moth]

I'm not a fan. Damn near every single track forces the main notes of Aqua's song into it. Conversation tracks, battle tracks, map tracks. Fucking everything. It's just bad.

I wouldn't mind it so much if, as I've posted before, it was actually used to its full potential, but they just feel the need to quote the original melody with no retrogrades or inversions. It doesn't help that the melody by itself doesn't lend itself to a strict tonal structure. At least Awakening actually used its three identities in creative ways.

Edited August 12, 2015 by Party Moth

[L00dBoi]

It's been a while since I've had the pleasure of listening to a good soundtrack so culturally diverse. I'm still working on listening to all the boss themes and My Castle tunes, but the map themes blow Awakening out of the fucking water, to me at least. Not sure if the map themes have official names, so I'll refer to them by their data names.

Ramblings of a music student below.

There's very few tracks on here that fall flat. The only prevailing issue I have with the OST as a whole is that Aqua's Song snakes its way into a couple too many otherwise great songs.

The Hoshidan themes manage to get the Japanese tone across without being heavy-handed, generic-sounding, or too similar. Maps A1 and A3 are used multiple times, but they give off a different tone and feel each time, which is VERY hard to do with Asian-inspired music. Map A2 isn't awful, but it pales in comparison to the other tracks on this side. There isn't much to say about Map A4. The "calm" version might be a bit barebones, but the "ablaze" version we heard in the E3 trailer and in the Hoshido lategame is easily some of Fire Emblem's best. People are already clamoring for it to get into Smash, that's how damn phenominal it is.

The Nohr tracks are even better, to me. Their use of bagpipes, violins, and flutes give such a celtic vibe that can be tangibly felt in every tune. Maps B1 and B2 are similar in useage to A1 and A3, but are more replayable, and are stellar on both versions given to us. Map B3 is a bit barren in the calm version, but like A4, it becomes an infinitely better ablaze. It might be due to the chapters it is used on, but Map B4 has what I believe to be some of the biggest impact of the entire soundtrack. It gets you pumped up to fight the battle, but has the lingering tone of unease of your actions. It executes its purpose flawlessly, and is held up as one of the soundtrack's finest for a reason. Some people don't like Map B5, but I easily find it top 5 out of the entire pool of map themes. It's criminally underused, only appearing in a single lategame Nohr chapter, which is a damn shame. It sets the mood from the opening fanfare, keeps you anxious and pumped at the same time, and never once lets go of your attention; calm or ablaze. I'd also like to add that Nohr's Preparation/Base music, to me, is the best preparation theme in the entire series.

Invisible Kingdom's music is very somber and mellow. It uses music that seems more at home in a fantasy RPG taking place in another world. Considering IK's setting, that "out there" thematic choice actually manages to work well. I'm going to lump both Map C1 and C1R together, as I believe they are mirrored versions of each other (correct me if I'm wrong here). They both set the mood, and are very enjoyable to listen to. Their calm versions aren't as memorable as--say--B1, but they're good in their own right. The ablaze version, however, is phenominal. Completely flips the mood, and gives the track the kick in the ass it needed. Map C2 is a lesser version of B5. It's grim, bleak, and intended to be a little scary for the player, but this one doesn't quite hit the mark. The calm version would be bare as a menu theme, and ablaze isn't much better. It tries to be spooky and dark, but it doesn't really get me immersed like some other similar tracks did. Map C3 is a very odd theme to me. The calm version sounds like it belongs more in a later chapter of Corpse Party rather than Fire Emblem, but does set the similar (in this case) mood of dread and worry. It does this FAR better than C2 does, I might add. The ablaze rendition is everything I loved about B5, set with the Invisible Kingdom instruments, and it gets you worried about the fate of your units even when they're critting footsoldiers. Wonderful track.

Map E1 has some of the problems that C2 has, but to a lesser degree. It's a bit too dreary for my tastes, but it's used a couple times where that is wholly appropriate. It's used more times than I would like, however, and after the first chapter it's used in, it loses a lot of it's emotional punch. I'm not a huge fan of the ablaze version. Sounds like violins slapped over-top of the calm version, and they didn't try to change the mood of the song at all. Map E2 has to have been the song that has grown the most on me. I didn't think I'd find myself wanting to repeat this track, but holy fuck was I wrong. Another criminally underused song, E2 is another one of those "great calm, incredible ablaze" tracks. My only real complaint is that Aqua's Melody is unnecessarily thrown in, just because the song is a neutral one that appears once in each route. Map E3 gets the extreme scrutiny of being a song used at an emotional high point of multiple campaigns, and it still manages to be amazing. The calm version is very reminiscent of "don't speak her name", a standout from the Awakening soundtrack that E3 actually manages to exceed. Every time you hear this song rev up, you know some serious shit is about to happen. The ablaze version is just as good, trading a little bit of tone for a massive shot of emotion. You can feel the musician's emotion, the character's emotion, and the emotion of the story all washing over you at once. I get goosebumps every time I hear this track.

Map F1 is one of the most hyped up tracks off the entire OST, being heralded as the most likely song to make it into the future installments. The song lives up to the hype, having one of the most memorable tunes of the entire collection. I'm not a fan of just how laid-back the calm version is, but as it's own piece...it's great. Where this track shines is obviously the ablaze version. It gets a MASSIVE shift in theme and quality. It's a bit jarring just how different the two pieces are, but this is the far superior version. The song keeps on pushing forward, never letting the listener down for a moment. Even if it's only part of grinding missions and My Castle battles, F1 ablaze invests you in the conflict in an Awakeing-esque "Fuck Yeah!" kind of way.

Aqua's Song, Brave Ver. is THE most hyped song of the entire collection. Mild spoilers, but it's the song that plays during the finale of each route, and it's entirely fitting for each map. To me, it's like Id Purpose without the drawn-out buildup leading into the best parts of the song. The crescendo the song builds up for the first 2 minutes never loses you, and it uses Aqua's Song a lot less than I'd assumed it would. It uses a fuckton of different tempos, instruments, and key changes, but it never quite crosses the line of having "too much" going on. Great track, though a bit overhyped.

Holy shit that was a lot more than I thought I'd be typing about this. If I'm gonna rank the map tracks, they'd go for me as follows:

Honorable Mentions: Map B3; Brave, Map C1; Brave, Map E3; Calm

10. Aqua's Song; Brave Ver.
9. Map C3; Brave
8. Map B1; Calm
7. Map B4; Brave
6. Map A3; Brave
5. Map B5; Brave
4. Map F1; Brave
3. Map E2; Brave
2. Map E3; Brave
1. Map A4; Brave

[andodel]

Boss A2 and B2 are the best boss themes of the game. Better than any of awakenings imo.

As a whole I think Fates ost is better than Awakenings. Now if only they had enemy turn themes :(

[Nyanko]

I love the few tracks I've heard so far. (Trying not to spoil myself with too much of the music.)

I adored Awakening's ost, but this music is better than anything from Awakening to me:

Does anyone mind telling me where it's used in the game?

[gayserbeam]

I love the few tracks I've heard so far. (Trying not to spoil myself with too much of the music.)

I adored Awakening's ost, but this music is better than anything from Awakening to me:

Does anyone mind telling me where it's used in the game?

It's a map theme in Nohr. It's the calm version of this ablaze theme:

https://youtu.be/g_PaEG9k-r8

Edited August 12, 2015 by gayserbeam