Final Fantasy Tactics Original Soundtrack

Final Fantasy Tactics Original Soundtrack
[Audio CD, 2 Discs]
Source: Final Fantasy Tactics [PS1]
Composer: Masaharu Iwata, Hitoshi Sakimoto
Release Date: 1997
Label: DigiCube

Final Fantasy Tactics is a tactical RPG that was released for the PS1 a few months after the release of Final Fantasy VII. While Nobuo Uematsu worked diligently on Final Fantasy VII, Square's first major title on the Playstation, the soundtrack for Final Fantasy Tactics would need to be headed by someone else entirely. Square turned to composers Hitoshi Sakimoto and Masaharu Iwata, a duo that were relatively unknown compared to Uematsu but nonetheless had done impressive work with Tactics Ogre and numerous other projects.

The soundtrack to Final Fantasy Tactics is impressive to say the least. It utilizes strong, imaginative orchestral work which works wonders with the darker mood and heavy themes presented in the game. You can tell that the sound team spent a lot of time taxing the PS1 to its capacity in order to flesh out the illusion of orchestral sound. While Final Fantasy VII has a lot of memorable themes, they're hindered by the default sound channels of the PS1. Final Fantasy Tactics overcame this difficulty and set the pace for future Square projects.

Sakimoto and Iwata would go on to compose the soundtracks to Vagrant Story, Breath of Fire V: Dragon Quarter (Sakimoto only), Final Fantasy XII and Odin Sphere, among other titles. Like Nobuo Uematsu's work, their compositions have a unique and recognizable style.

Track List

DISC I
01 Brand Logo ~ Title Back
02 Backborn Story
03 P.R. Movie
04 Character Introductions
05 Character Making
06 Prologue Movie
07 Pray
08 Enemy Attack
09 Trisection
10 Commander In Training
11 Attack Team
12 Unavoidable Battle
13 Mission Complete
14 Hero's theme
15 A Chapel
16 Algus
17 World Map
18 Shop
19 Warrior's Hideout
20 Fur, Meat, and Bones Store
21 Team Making
22 Brave Story
23 Pub
24 Data Screen
25 Desert Land
26 Alma's Theme
27 Cryptic Mood
28 Decisive Battle
29 Cry of Pain
30 Remnants
31 Anxiety
32 Tension 1
33 Game Over
34 Tutorial
35 Random Waltz
36 Ovelia's Theme
37 Apoplexy
38 Zalbag, The Holy Knight
39 Run Past Through The Plain
40 Invasion
41 Delita's Theme
42 Back Fire

DISC II
01 Memories
02 Dycedarg's theme
03 Antipyretic
04 Saint Ajora's Theme
05 Bloody Excrement
06 And I Ran Away
07 Espionage
08 Kourin
09 Ovelia's Worries
10 Under the Stars
11 Battle On The Bridge
12 Count's Anger
13 In Pursuit
14 Shock! ~ Despair
15 Saint Ajora's Theme Deluxe
16 Cry of Pain!
17 Requiem
18 Terror 1
19 The Pervert
20 Antidote
21 Thunder God Cid
22 Treasure
23 Night Attack
24 Terror 2
25 Ultima, the Nice Body
26 Ultima, the Perfect Body
27 Fanfare
28 Epilogue
29 Staff Credit

Recommended Listening: Desert Land, Antipyretic, Battle on the Bridge.