Okay, at first glance, this little disc looks like an absolute waste of money. As a "Theme Song Single", you're looking at three instrumental tracks, standing on their own. Why spend $10-$15 on this three-track, ten minute disc, when you can spend $15 more and get the whole double-disc OST?

While I cannot argue that the price is simply too high, I will tell you why this disc might be worth a purchase.

First of all, many people agree that most of the songs on the X-2 OST are terrible. I disagree with the majority opinion, but that doesn't change the majority very much at all. However, almost everyone can agree that among the "good" tracks of the OST, these three are it. They are amazing tracks: when the rest fall short, these songs shine.

However, the most important reason of all is that these tracks aren't demo tracks, nor are they the same as the Original Soundtrack versions. These are the closest things to fully arranged tracks you can find for FFX-2. There are live instruments (piano, guitar, bass) going along with the standard background music, and it's all very refreshing.

I searched these tracks long and hard to find the best sections of "Besaid" and "Yuna's Ballad" to sample for the site, so you can get a feel for how much higher quality these tracks are compared to the OST versions. Again, the pricetag seems a bit too high for such a small amount of music (3 or 4 more tracks would've been nice), but if you're serious about your collection, this is a soundtrack you don't want to miss.

Reviewed by: Patrick Gann