I’ll be the first to admit I haven’t played much of the Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles series. That hasn’t prevented me from enjoying the soundtracks, however, composed mainly by Square Enix’s adorable Kumi Tanioka. She’s crafted some lovely tunes for the series in the past, the most memorable of which for me are the soothing Celtic-inspired compositions featured in the first Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles game. As Don mentioned in our preview earlier this year, get ready for a departure!
While Kumi Tanioka appears on The Crystal Bearers, she only composes a single track and arranges one more. What she’s up to? Who knows, but Hidenori Iwasaki of Front Mission 4 and Final Fantasy XI as well as synthesizer operator Ryo Yamazaki (who also worked on Front Mission 4) have been left to take care of the series in her absence. With these changes, The Crystal Bearers has a truly different sound, which matches well with the new action-oriented direction of the gameplay and visuals.
So, how did they do? Find out in our review after the jump. (more…)
