Recommended Soundtracks: Legaia 2: Duel Saga

When I think about some of my favorite video game soundtracks, mainly from RPGs, I like to fantasize about if a few of my favorite composers would get together for the soundtrack of one game. It’s usually unlikely, hence deeming it definitely a fantasy; however, there have been rare occasions where some have decided – or have been enlisted to — work together. The result also depends on how good their work would sound fused together as one soundtrack. Of course you wouldn’t want two composers whose styles differ so completely that the end result doesn’t sound awkward, so those tracks will depend on the game’s inherent scenarios.

For that last bit, consider how Kouhei Tanaka (of both Alundra games and a laundry list of anime) and Motoi Sakuraba (of way too damn many RPGs) are collaborating for End of Eternity/Resonance of Fate. While the former is responsible for the compositions that will be found in the field and event scenes, and the latter has been relegated to only the battle sequences. Interesting departure from the norm, given that Sakuraba has been solely responsible for the compositions for every Tri-Ace game thus far.

Of course, there have been some games where this experiment hasn’t worked out too well, and one of them is the title whose soundtrack I’d like to discuss today: Legaia 2: Duel Saga. The sequel to the pretty well liked PSOne RPG Legend of Legaia, Legaia 2 was the PS2 sequel that, like any sequel, sought to enhance the experience and fix the flaws of its predecessor. I’m not going to say I didn’t enjoy it, but I did realize its mediocrity in some really long and drawn out battles, reliance on tired cliches, and hilariously bad voice acting. They actually made it worse! That probably had to do with this game having a different developer (Prokion instead of Contrail).

The soundtrack, composed by the team of Hitoshi Sakimoto, Yasunori Mitsuda, and Michiru Oshima, didn’t mix in all that well in the game, but outside of it, it has some fantastic material.

Another good thing about this soundtrack is that it also serves as a litmus test for distinguishing who composed what. You’ll recognize Sakimoto’s work if you’ve played games like Final Fantasy Tactics, Vagrant Story, and Final Fantasy XII, Mitsuda’s if you’ve played Xenogears and Chrono Cross, and Oshima’s if you’ve played the previous game, which she composed along with a little assistance from, uh, Kohei Tanaka. I did not intend for this to be a coincidence! Oshima was also responsible for Ico’s soundtrack as well as various anime soundtracks like Fullmetal Alchemist, though her work there is wildly different (and infinitely superior in the case of the former) from what’s present here.

The intro, for instance, is definitely vintage Mitsuda. He’s been known to stick to his”vintage” material style a little too often, but that’s only because it sounds so great. Well, whenever he composes a soundtrack, which sadly isn’t often these days This track is called “Fight, Then Riot,” but I don’t think (or hope) you’ll feel an incentive to afterward:

This next track is from Sakimoto, where you can also note a different style. His music is also the best of the bunch in this game. This track is called Karavalia, named after the town in the game it accompanies:

And last is one of Oshima’s better tracks in the game. Unfortunately, she’s the weakest link here, and I know she’s capable of better (like in, uh, the first game). She did compose some good material, though This one is “Wind, Tree, and Water,” which is from the first real dungeon in the game:

Legaia 2 would definitely qualify for a “Bad Game, Good Soundtrack” running feature, if there was one (it was an idea for a time). The music is definitely the best part; in fact, I’d argue that it’s the only genuinely good part. Sony Computer Entertainment of America localized the original back in early 1999 — still around the time where their localizations were suspect — but passed on this one despite their Japanese arm publishing it. Eidos Interactive published it outside of Japan, under their died-just-as-fast-as-it-arrived Fresh Games moniker. But be sure to hear the soundtrack, though.