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aruruAs promised, I am back with a review of each of the Persona 3 soundtracks available, including sample tracks for you guys to download. Since these may be a little lengthy, I've divided the reviews into 3 parts - one per album. Also, because it takes me a lot of time to upload all the samples, I'll be doing only one review every couple of days/each week - depends on how long it takes me to get all the files up. So please be patient.
Anyway, this is the first review, for the Persona 3 Original Soundtrack. (buy it here - track listing and lyrics in English here)
Now, this one will be a little different from the other two album reviews (which will be a little more![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
ruaki-styled), because Atlus USA did something that is both completely amazing and a teensy bit frustrating when they made the bonus CD that came with the game: They included almost every one of the really "good" tracks! This is completely amazing because I've never seen a company that was so generous with their fans.
So why is it a tiny bit frustrating? Because it means that, if you buy the full soundtrack, you'll find that you're not missing out on that much. I guess they didn't consider that some folks would be interested in getting the whole thing.
Anyway, I'm going to assume that the people who're checking this review already own Persona 3 and have the bonus CD, so the sample tracks that are going to be featured here are things that were NOT in that disc. Frankly, while none of these - shall we say, "second tier" tracks - are quite as amazing as the tracks that were selected for the bonus CD, I still think they're pretty nice, and if they motivate people who haven't played this game/heard the soundtrack into buying any of the merchandise, then all the better.
Anyway, on to the tracks. (These are not quite in order as they appear on the CDs, because I wanted to group a couple of them together.)
1. First off, I wanted to share all of the Tartarus block tracks. Not because they're all that great, but because I think they make an interesting progression - it starts with the first block's music, which is a little bland and repetitive, but the deeper you get into the dungeon, they add more instruments/sounds until they have a tune that's actually pretty decent (if still repetitive). Anyway, I just wanted to share it because I found what Shoji Meguro (the composer) did here kinda interesting.
tartarus_0d01
tartarus_0d02
tartarus_0d03
tartarus_0d04
tartarus_0d05
tartarus_0d06 <- (If you're not interested in hearing the progression, I suggest just taking this last one, which is the "complete" melody.)
2. Troubled - This is track 6 of the first disc. It's a piano piece that sounds like it could've also been at home in the original Parasite Eve. Meaning, it's pretty cool. Not too long and not too short, so it neither gets old nor does it leave you hanging.
3. Peace - Track 11 of the first disc. A brief mix of the "Want To Be Close" theme. I forget where this first plays, but as the title implies, it's very pretty and peaceful-sounding.
4. Paulownia Mall - Track 21 of the first disc. This short, slower mix of the "When The Moon's Reaching Out Stars" theme is what plays whenever you're in one of the shops at the Paulownia Mall. A little bit strange for a "shop" theme, but then again, P3 isn't your regular RPG, so it seems to work for the most part.
5. Junior Exam... - Track 26 of the first disc. I'm still really early in the game, so I don't know where this track plays, but from the name I'm assuming it plays during the midterms. Anyway, it's pretty laid-back sounding (especially considering your character's taking tests, heh!).
6. Master of Tartarus - This is track 3 of the second disc. I haven't gotten far enough in the game to hear it, but I'm assuming it's a story event track. Anyway, it's pretty rocking and a bit menacing-sounding, which is appropiate, considering that it's about Tartarus. Very cool.
7. Memories of the Academy - Track 15 of the second disc. I don't know when it plays, but I do know it's a brief piano arrangement of the "Memories of You" track, which if I'm not mistaken, is the end theme. Anyway, a pretty if short rendition of that theme.
And... I think I'll leave it at this. There are a few other "second tier" tracks that I liked enough and didn't include, but since I have an unbearingly slow connection, I had to narrow it down to just a couple. Plus, I don't want to give the whole thing away - I AM trying to get you to support Atlus by getting their merchandise, yanno.
The Final Verdict: Due to the fact that the bonus CD Atlus USA bundled with P3 already has most of the best tracks, I can in all honesty only recommend getting this if you're either a diehard completist(Guilty as charged.), or if you bought this game used and thus didn't get the bonus soundtrack. It's still a nice piece of merchandise to own, though.
EXTRA NOTE: The soundtrack I got was NOT a first printing, so I didn't get the two bonus tracks (they're listed in that GameFAQs file I linked with the tracklist) that were on the second disc. If anyone could find them for me and hook me up with a download, that'd be awesome.
Anyway, this is the first review, for the Persona 3 Original Soundtrack. (buy it here - track listing and lyrics in English here)
Now, this one will be a little different from the other two album reviews (which will be a little more
ruaki-styled), because Atlus USA did something that is both completely amazing and a teensy bit frustrating when they made the bonus CD that came with the game: They included almost every one of the really "good" tracks! This is completely amazing because I've never seen a company that was so generous with their fans.So why is it a tiny bit frustrating? Because it means that, if you buy the full soundtrack, you'll find that you're not missing out on that much. I guess they didn't consider that some folks would be interested in getting the whole thing.
Anyway, I'm going to assume that the people who're checking this review already own Persona 3 and have the bonus CD, so the sample tracks that are going to be featured here are things that were NOT in that disc. Frankly, while none of these - shall we say, "second tier" tracks - are quite as amazing as the tracks that were selected for the bonus CD, I still think they're pretty nice, and if they motivate people who haven't played this game/heard the soundtrack into buying any of the merchandise, then all the better.
Anyway, on to the tracks. (These are not quite in order as they appear on the CDs, because I wanted to group a couple of them together.)
1. First off, I wanted to share all of the Tartarus block tracks. Not because they're all that great, but because I think they make an interesting progression - it starts with the first block's music, which is a little bland and repetitive, but the deeper you get into the dungeon, they add more instruments/sounds until they have a tune that's actually pretty decent (if still repetitive). Anyway, I just wanted to share it because I found what Shoji Meguro (the composer) did here kinda interesting.
tartarus_0d01
tartarus_0d02
tartarus_0d03
tartarus_0d04
tartarus_0d05
tartarus_0d06 <- (If you're not interested in hearing the progression, I suggest just taking this last one, which is the "complete" melody.)
2. Troubled - This is track 6 of the first disc. It's a piano piece that sounds like it could've also been at home in the original Parasite Eve. Meaning, it's pretty cool. Not too long and not too short, so it neither gets old nor does it leave you hanging.
3. Peace - Track 11 of the first disc. A brief mix of the "Want To Be Close" theme. I forget where this first plays, but as the title implies, it's very pretty and peaceful-sounding.
4. Paulownia Mall - Track 21 of the first disc. This short, slower mix of the "When The Moon's Reaching Out Stars" theme is what plays whenever you're in one of the shops at the Paulownia Mall. A little bit strange for a "shop" theme, but then again, P3 isn't your regular RPG, so it seems to work for the most part.
5. Junior Exam... - Track 26 of the first disc. I'm still really early in the game, so I don't know where this track plays, but from the name I'm assuming it plays during the midterms. Anyway, it's pretty laid-back sounding (especially considering your character's taking tests, heh!).
6. Master of Tartarus - This is track 3 of the second disc. I haven't gotten far enough in the game to hear it, but I'm assuming it's a story event track. Anyway, it's pretty rocking and a bit menacing-sounding, which is appropiate, considering that it's about Tartarus. Very cool.
7. Memories of the Academy - Track 15 of the second disc. I don't know when it plays, but I do know it's a brief piano arrangement of the "Memories of You" track, which if I'm not mistaken, is the end theme. Anyway, a pretty if short rendition of that theme.
And... I think I'll leave it at this. There are a few other "second tier" tracks that I liked enough and didn't include, but since I have an unbearingly slow connection, I had to narrow it down to just a couple. Plus, I don't want to give the whole thing away - I AM trying to get you to support Atlus by getting their merchandise, yanno.
The Final Verdict: Due to the fact that the bonus CD Atlus USA bundled with P3 already has most of the best tracks, I can in all honesty only recommend getting this if you're either a diehard completist
EXTRA NOTE: The soundtrack I got was NOT a first printing, so I didn't get the two bonus tracks (they're listed in that GameFAQs file I linked with the tracklist) that were on the second disc. If anyone could find them for me and hook me up with a download, that'd be awesome.
