Suikoden IV Original Soundtrack

	Album Title: Suikoden IV Original Soundtrack
	Record Label: Konami Media Entertainment
	Catalog No.: KOLA-102/3
	Release Date: June 1, 2005
	Purchase: Buy at CDJapan

Overview

After the success of the third installation of the Suikoden series, the fourth part reached the hands of the gamers. But unlike its predecessors, it was harshly criticised, especially for its pale scenario design, short total gameplay, and
unemotional character designs. The music also was met with mixed feelings. It features some excellent tracks with catchy melodies, but many of them are simply underdeveloped and boring despite still fitting the scenery. But is it really a “disgrace to the series” as I’ve heard many times? Let’s have a closer look.

Body

The soundtrack starts on a strong and very effective note. The opening theme “La Mer”, which means “The Sea” as you may guess, is composed and performed by Coba, alias Yasuhiro Kobayashi, who plays the grand accordion as well. The rest of the instrumentation gives the piece an interesting Spanish and French flair. The melody is quite catchy and gets into one’s head right when it starts. It never gets dull. The overall piece fits in the game’s scenery perfectly and introduces the style within the rest of the score. A beautiful beginning of the soundtrack and one of the best tracks from this score. After the absence in Suikoden III, the classic Name Entry theme makes a glorious return in “A New Journey” complete with a serviceable arrangement. “Departure” is used during the opening staff roll and is rather interesting from a melodic perspective. However, it is rather underdeveloped like many other pieces from the score.

In the town theme “Arrival”, the style of the opening track “La Mer” shines as bright as the sun. It features nearly the same instrumentation as it, but uses a more harmonic approach to development. The melody is very catchy, and the accordion use is especially refreshing. It’s a step above equivalents from Suikoden III. “Seaside Spring” is one of my favorite area themes. The flute melody is simply beautiful — so happy and peaceful — and really gives a picture of a little paradise with white sands, burning sun, and the endless blue ocean in front of you. “Nay-Kobold Village” has a happy-go-lucky atmosphere using steel guitar chords and flute melodies. The atmosphere created is very fitting for a special race like the Kobolds. The Middleport theme, “Orange-Colored Scenery”, is also quite refreshing with its mandolin passages and Spanish guitar opening. “Southern Wind”, the Kingdom of Obel’s music, is a refreshing piece that captures a more Eastern atmosphere with sitar and bagpipes.

“Battle” is a pretty straightforward battle theme which is reminiscent in style from Suikoden II‘s, but sadly doesn’t feature any strong melodies. It starts off with some repetitive string motif accompanied by some rolling timpani, building up from the 0:22 mark to a brief but powerful brass line. After that, there is a pleasant melodic interlude of strings and timpani, which adds a little more variety to the piece, but sounds a bit ouf of place in my opinion. Truly, this battle theme leaves a lot to be desired. “A Formidable Enemy Arrives” is the boss battle theme from Suikoden IV. This is the type of piece we’re missing until now: full of drama, tension, and movement. Obviously contributed by Miura, this theme is packed with power. I like the beginning of the track where the strings and percussion lead into a part where the excellent string and brass sections and pumping percussion gets under the skin.

“Fated Confrontation” is a wonderful track created obviously by Norikazu Miura. It’s the duel music for this game and one of the best, if not the best, in the series. The track begins with some shrouding brass chords and whirling tremolo strings. When the percussion sets in, the main melody starts to develop with some excellent use of brass and strings. The melody itself is very heroic and encouraging. In the middle of the piece, the brass is roaring up leading into a dramatic rendition of the leitmotif “Rune of Punishment”, the very last track on the soundtrack. The duel music returns with a short bombastic arrangement in “Magnificent Handling of a Broadsword”. The tempo is increased and there is more emphatic orchestration, giving an overwhelming atmosphere.

Unlike other games in the series, Suikoden IV did not have a “real” overworld you could explore. Instead you’re on with your ship and drive through the vast (and sadly rather empty) ocean. “Crossing the Waves” accompanies you on your journey in the first half of the story. The overall piece is surprisingly simple from the steady snare drums and bass line to the somewhat catchy melody performed by sitar and strings. However, it is missing the typical impact other world map themes have — sadly underdeveloped and a little bland. We’ve got a second one later, which is better… “Ah, the Sparkling Sea! Ah, the Sky!” is the overworld theme in the second half of the story and an immense improvement compared to the first one. It shines from the catchy beginning, adventurous melody, and robust orchestration. Close to the one minute mark, when the percussion fades out, a small part from “Crossing the Waves” is performed. It features the same atmosphere previous Suikoden themes had and is a worthy contribution to the series.

The first of two warfare themes, “Naval Warfare 1” finally brings some movement to the picture. The strings whirr, the brass shroud, and the percussion pound. The first minute is pretty much based on builing up tension in a dramatic way. After that, a nice melodic phrase sets in which reminds me a bit of Pirates of the Caribbean. Even better is “Naval Warfare 2”, the main warfare music. The track is quite similar to the first version, but it captures more heroism and excitement. The use of brass is again excellent here and the strings, woodwinds, and gradually more intense military percussion play their part. I like the development of the piece, with the sense of danger building up to the adrenaline-pumping climax near the end. It’s maybe a little short, but definitely one of the best warfare themes in the series.

Moving on to negative aspects, the music for different scenes like tension or conversation are mostly blank and boring. “Rollback” is a tension theme, mostly dominated by string motifs and steady percussion. It’s clichéd composition and repetitive development means this piece can get quite annoying after a while. In contrast, “Creeping Shadows” focuses more on a dramatic crisis motif. Kimura composed a near-identical theme in Castlevania 64, namely “Shudder”, and a similar piece also exists in Suikoden. It works decent in the context of the game, but doesn’t attract much on a stand-alone basis. The last tension theme, “Imminent Threat”, is very simply textured with some foreboding string notes, brass passages, and synth harmony lines.

Among lighter themes, “Agitpunkt Theme”, the theme for the Pirate Hideout, reflects the scoundrels with harmonica melodies, tango rhythms, and a melancholic second section. “A Dear Person” is a very minimalistic theme performed by a pizzicato strings. It might capture a slightly humorous atmosphere, but it’s so short and lame that you can skip it right away. There is also a bunch of mini-game themes at the end of the first disc and at the centre of the second disc, most of them brief and gimmicky. Finally, “The Conversation Continues” is quite a silly piece of music — the type of track which easily could straight come from Kingdom Hearts — complete with novelty instrumentation and simplistic motifs. Sadly it’s one of the tracks which doesn’t work well in game and outside too. Conversation ended.

The palace theme, “The Significance of Heritage”, is quite similar to the earlier “Life of a Knight”. It features typical chamber strings and harpsichord continuo to give a noble atmosphere. The headquarter themes entitled “Stronghold” are also a strength. I like the catchy yet heart warming melody of the original version, while the second version is more emphatic and fast-paced. The famous “Narcy’s Theme” is also back again in “Reinbach Theme”. From the very first Suikoden until now every game has included an arrangement of this, with its subtle changes to fit the scenery. “Enchanted Runemistress” meanwhile is dedicated to Jeane, the beautiful lady of the rune store. She has appeared in every Suikoden episode, but this time she finally gets her own theme, which reflects her mystic and magical aura fantastically.

“Echoes of the Sea’s Roar” is actually used as a dungeon theme, yet it is not a particularly interesting one. It features some eerie synth effects at the beginning, before becoming dominated by deep strings and snare drums. “Time Stands Still” is the second dungeon theme for the game and actually a little improvement on the first one. The instrumentation is pretty smooth with soft woodwind melodies and exotic accompaniment. The second part is the best part of the track and everything is rather atmospheric if quite monotonous. The third dungeon theme, “Concealed Offense and Defense”, is a lot better than the other two. As I long suspected, it has been confirmed that it was not composed by Masahiko Kimura but rather by Michiru Yamane. The orchestration here is particularly excellent. The percussion and bass are fitting, while the melodies of sitar and woodwind are beautifully textured and well developed.

“Palisade Melody” is the game’s final dungeon theme, but also appears in a few cutscenes all placed in the Fortress El-Eal. The track is very ambient and doesn’t feature a real melody. However, sometimes a few piano chords show up and the background features some creepy and dissonant choir chords. The music is good to build up an atmosphere of anxiety and tension, serving to fit the Fort’s emptiness quite well, though it is kind of bland and boring. “Decisve Battle Against a Corrupted Soul”, composed by Norikazu Miura, is a perfect final battle theme. After a major build-up to establish the mood and illustrate the power of the enemy, there is a breathtaking climax at the 1:15 mark and eventually the “Rune of Punishment” motif makes an appearance in bittersweet appearances. The melody could have been emphasised a bit more, but all in all the arrangement and development is great.

“Epilogue ~For the 108 Stars~” and “Finale: Remembering the Deep Blue” are contributed by Michiru Yamane. The former is a worthy ending theme featuring beautiful orchestration and emotional thematic reprises, including the “Rune of Punishment” motif. The latter is also greatly emotional, even including a soft rendition of Suikoden‘s “Theme of Sadness” interlaced with beautiful piano work. The soundtack also includes a surprising reprise of Suikoden‘s main theme “Into the World of Illusions” by Coba in their distinctive style. The two war themes from the first Suikoden are also interpreted in surprising renditions. Finally, Kimura offers the main theme of Suikoden IV, “Rune of Punishment”, for live pianoa nd violin. Actually an altered version of the famous “Reminiscence” theme from Suikoden II, the track captures all the emotions the original version while having a specific meaning in the game.

Summary

The Suikoden IV soundtrack leaves a lot to be desired compared to previous instalments or the later fifth part, that’s for sure. But that doesn’t mean it features bad music. While the event and dungeon themes tend to be uninspiring, the soundtrack makes up with excellent battle themes, distinctive setting themes, and some closing reprises. It’s sad that there only exists two CDs, which actually means each piece is played only once instead of twice. Beyond that, it’s a nice selection of tracks which definitely work in game. It’s maybe the least effective score in the series until now, but all in all hardly bad.

Do you agree with the review and score? Let us know in the comments below!