And Now For Something Completely Different…: Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles The Crystal Bearers

First announced in May of 2005, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers was to serve as a console sequel to the original game released on the Gamecube. For a while, many details regarding the game were a mystery, given development hadn’t begun when it was initially announced. From what has been gathered, this game will focus on more of a single player experience in an open world setting. However, the most interesting news is that this score will not be handled by Kumi Tanioka, the composer for the series thus far, but rather Hidenori Iwasaki, composer for the Front Mission series and Ryo Yamazaki, a synthesizer operator who composed a few pieces for Dirge of Cerberus and Front Mission 4.

How does the music for the game sound so far? Check out the preview after the jump!

There are quite a few places to preview the upcoming music. On the official English site, there is a short preview of the “Final Fantasy Main Theme.” This rendition seems to take the series’ mainstay in the Celtic direction, reminiscent of the arrangement on Final Fantasy IV Celtic Moon. However, the Japanese site offers a much different listening experience. More new age in sound, it’s a very ethereal string led piece with hints of the “Prelude” mixed in. Things just seem to be getting stranger and stranger!

The latest trailer for the game, which was bundled with the Japanese release of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time showcases a mixture of orchestral themes and, strangest of all, jazzy country music, complete with harmonica and boogie-woogie piano! Needless to say, this may be the most diverse Final Fantasy score to date!

I’m not entirely sure what to think of the musical direction. It’s definitely diverse, but I’m not sure it will fit in the grand scheme of things. What do you think of the direction this game seems to be heading in terms of music? Does what you’ve heard intrigue you? Are you a fan of Ryo Yamazaki and Hidenori Iwasaki’s earlier works?