(no subject)

[kjorteo]

Attention, readers who've played lots of RPGs and stuff in their day: what would you consider to be among the best epic emotional battle themes of all time? I'm talking, like, a fight with enough drama behind it to be memorable. Maybe it's the time you finally get to face off against the bastard who's been causing you grief for the entire game, or maybe it's a tragic battle against an old friend who turned evil or something. Just some battle theme for a moment that says "I swear I will kill you where you stand, just as soon as I stop shaking/crying long enough to be able to raise my sword."

I ask because I'm playing Tactics Ogre's PSP remake, and I'm thinking this one is pretty hard to beat:

(Note that it's especially perfect for the setting; much like the rest of the Ogre Series, Tactics Ogre's world is a Game of Thrones-esque bloodbath with more upheaval and suffering than whimsical adventuring, and the plot-important showdowns tend to have a "so, it has come to this..." feel as a result, which I believe this song captures very well.)

However, I feel like I should be remembering something else that I'm not, like there's some other extremely obvious example that is slipping my mind and will make me feel like an idiot when someone replies with a link to it. However, I did at least remember Antipyretic, Guardians of the Sorrowful Ice, Dragon Asymmetry, and this song whose title I don't know how to translate (and that I primarily know from a source other than Higurashi, obviously.)

Comments

[terrana.livejournal.com]

If I may be permitted the obvious choice, there is, of course, that one from Final Fantasy 7. The one where that thing happens, Aeris's music comes on, and while the end-of-disc boss technically happens, you barely even notice the fight because of how stunned you were by what just transpired. The choice of score was a large part of the effect there.

I know, how terrifyingly mainstream of me. I'll get my coat.

[budgiebin.livejournal.com]

Yeah, pretty much. I was about 13 when I first played FF7 and I had never experienced such strong storytelling before, so the whole Aeris thing just prompted me to shout YOU SON OF A BITCH I'M GOING TO PUMMEL YOU, especially since I had put a lot of growth into her .__.

[kjorteo]

Yeah, I think I must have forgotten about that one because technically it's not a battle theme and that boss is a pushover, but ... yeah, that's not the point; the battle itself is supposed to be the last thing on your mind at that moment, and the scene was done really well and Aeris' theme is perfect for it as a result.

[budgiebin.livejournal.com]

Well, it's been so long since I have experienced a moment like that... so I'll have to really think about this. There is of course Aeris' death mentioned above, and that's probably the obvious one you were missing. I think I nearly threw my controller at the screen when I realized SHE WASN'T COMING BACK. I spent so much time leveling her up.

In general, the best villain I have seen would be Kefka. He is actually a successful villain - starts out pretty normal, and through the progression of the game you see him slowly gain power and eventually become THE GOD OF MAGIC and completely ruin everything ever. When you finally get to him, you're ready to tear him about 7 new ass-holes, and the battle is COMPLETELY AWESOME and backed by an energetic 6-minute long prog rock composition. You can't go wrong with Kefka.

[kjorteo]

Final Fantasy VI was one of the first, if not the first game for which ever imported the OST because I loved the music that much. To this day, it's still one of the better OSTs in my collection. Currently, as far as ones I own and listen to and everything, only Star Ocean 2 and Etrian Odyssey 3, and maybe Final Fantasy Tactics can compare. Tactics Ogre will probably surpass them all once I allow myself to listen to it, but I'm kind of weird about "even music I haven't heard yet because I haven't made it to that part yet is a spoiler," so it's been sitting on my shelf unopened so far (I got it just in case it became rare and impossible to find later, but I need to beat the game before I can listen to it.) Etrian Odyssey 2 would be my single favorite ever, but I don't own the OST; I just missed getting it before it hit the "rare and impossible to find" point. :(

[budgiebin.livejournal.com]

For actual final battle themes - For me, FF3 gets listed because it literally pushed the capabilities of an NES cartridge as far as it could go. Chrono Trigger, when fighting the last form of Lavos... how about Earthbound? FF9's final battle was really shoehorned in, but the music is one of the better final battles I've heard.

FF7 doesn't make it on the list because it's SO OVERPLAYED it lost any and all significance. Square really oversaturated the market on that one.

[kjorteo]

Final battle themes? Hmm, let's see ... Chrono Trigger and Earthbound, yeah, for sure. Never made it as far as the final battle in FF9 because my "this is dumb" senses kicked in before then. FF3's is awesome, don't get me wrong, but there are even better ones; I like it but it wouldn't crack a top five list, you know? I'd add Etrian Odyssey 3 for sure, and maybe Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete and Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest (it had good music, shut up.) If I'm allowed to nominate non-RPGs, the final operation in Trauma Center: Under the Knife 2 had a badass endboss theme (what? That series isn't exactly known for its realistic depiction of surgery, so yes a combat-oriented endboss type song for the final operation is appropriate. Here's proof, assuming you don't mind spoiling the final operation in that game.)

[budgiebin.livejournal.com]

FF3 gets listed because it's a personal favorite, and because it's technically impressive when it comes to the NES' capabilities. Yes, there are better themes. But it's important to me. :D

"This is dumb"? What part was that? I rather enjoyed FF9 and.... i won't lie, the final battle was just the lamest thing to ever lame. All this buildup and then you discover that the guy you spend the last disc going against ISN'T ACTUALLY THE GUY YOU HAVE TO KILL it's just like OH HELLO MY NAME IS NECRON AND I AM GOING TO BE YOUR FINAL BOSS TODAY DESPITE HAVING NO BEARING ON THE PLOT WHATSOEVER jfdllggdf

I loved the rest of the game so much I was just so ANGRY they pulled that shit.

Mystic Quest did have some good music, and had the potential to be a pretty good game... D:

There are a lot of RPGs I have not been able to expose myself to, so it seems I will have to spend some time soon doing just that...

[crassadon.livejournal.com]

I couldn't think of one myself, but reading budgie talk about the Kefka theme made me think of the emotions I would feel when Doma castle was poisoned. You had to watch as the innocent soldiers all perished horrible, all while the Kefka theme played in the background. *cough* admitably, I can't remember for sure if Kefka's music plays in that scene, but I am pretty sure about it. The scene always filled me with the need to save that castle. . but there was always nothing that could be done to help it at all. .

[budgiebin.livejournal.com]

It does play during that scene. That bastard.