PixlBit

Switch/PS4/Xbone, 2018

Composers: Yuzo Koshiro, Motoi Sakuraba, Michiru Yamane, Keiki Kobayashi, Takeshi Yanagawa

I played this game last year, and it blew me away. Not only is it a great game, but the music is outstanding. You’ll notice that several of the game’s composers are legends, led by the excellent Yuzo Koshiro. I think Koshiro did most of the soundtrack, but I can tell that certain songs were composed by certain individuals (more on that later). Due to the large map and varied environments, the OST has a lot of variety (which is probably why they wanted different composers). There are fields, forests, temples, a volcano, a sky city, a beach, underwater caverns, haunted woods, and the list goes on. The songs are also performed by a real band, so the music sounds great too. 

Green Fields

This is the best song in the game, hands down! It’s actually become one of my favorite VG songs, I listen to it all the time. Koshiro definitely did this one. The style is very catchy, and the melody is extremely memorable (it’ll get stuck in your head). The instrumentation is also perfect, as electric guitar leads with voices in the background and a constant beat. The rhythm has a great groove, and when the song does slow down, it makes it even more exciting when it ramps up again. It’s also a long song, playing for 3 minutes 40 seconds before it loops. I’m not complaining! You have to give this one a listen. 

The Lost Temples

I think this song was probably composed by Motoi Sakuraba, but I could be wrong. This is a really funky song. I love the bass, which is very 80s. The instrumentation here is quite odd: pan flutes, electric guitars, trumpets, organ, and that groovy bass! The sound is so wild that you never know where it’s going to go next, and it’s a fun ride. You get the lost temple feel at the beginning of the song, but then it goes in a different direction, but that’s fine because it’s such a fun song. 

Boss Battle

This is definitely Koshiro (just compare this to his battle music from the Etrian Odyssey games). This boss theme is just exhilarating! After a brief introduction, the electric guitar runs away with the melody, followed by the saxophone with trumpets blasting in the background. At 1’04” things calm down slightly, but then ramp up again and go crazy! The song is so energetic that it almost feels out of place during certain boss fights that are slower. But I can’t complain because it’s a blast to listen to. 

Volcano

This is a more focused and dramatic song as the guitar leads with a great melody. A keyboard and drums back up the guitar. The song becomes more exciting at 58 seconds when the guitar starts playing more dramatically, but it’s still quite tame compared to other songs in the OST. What I really like is when the song seems to loop, it actually goes on a little longer as the keyboard pounds away and a jazz piano comes in for some cool effects, then the song loops. It’s really good. 

Haunted Manor 

There is no doubt that Michiru Yamane did this one. This song actually sounds like it belongs in a Castlevania game. There’s a great sense of mystery that the song evokes by cleverly using chimes, piano, and organ. The melody here is very strong and memorable. The strings also add some depth. At 1’17” is when the song sounds just like a Castlevania song (tell me I’m wrong). As a big fan of Castlevania music, I fell in love with this one—it’s one of my favorite songs in the game. Spot on! 

Download this OST here