Arc the Lad Original Game Sound Track

There are two totally different sides to this soundtrack. One, the traditional-style, orchestrated side, is fair enough. "Opening" and "Ending" are upbeat while "Finale" and "Departure" have a sorrowful, serene quality slightly reminiscent of Panzer Dragoon's orchestral themes. It's doubtful any of these pieces will blow you away, but they're not too bad (even though "Opening" reminds me of a Mighty Dog commercial).

Unfortunately, the other side to this CD, the lame, eighties-throwback, rock and pop wannabe side, really hurts the soundtrack. These pieces (2 - 8) range in style from hard rock, to pop, to light jazz and other styles. They're all pitifully weak and all very non-RPG fare, seeming most appropriate to children. Very unexpected and disappointing. If this whole CD followed the style of the orchestrated tracks it would be a worthwhile purchase; as it is I would pass without hesitation.

Arc the Lad has the distinction of being the first game soundtrack to have sections performed by a live orchestra specifically for the game. In this case, it is the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and they give a good performance. However, the music for orchestra is a tad repetitive, and is very flat in form. There is none of the genius of Square or Konami present here. The music is just simply "there." Worst of all, most of the recording consists of the game music, which is the typical, horribly bland, rock style music that we've hear a million times before in a million other games. The CD has a certain historical significance, yes, but it's still not a great buy. Try again, Sony.