RPGamers Network > Reviews > Game Music Reviews > Panzer Dragoon: Orta Official Soundtrack
Reviewed by: Cyanide SeeD
Panzer Dragoon: Orta is probably the best example that I've seen of the fact that a game cannot ride on graphics alone.
I can't say that I was particularly impressed with the soundtrack as a whole; not a single track made much of an impression in any area other than "gods, that's awful." Iva in particular was a nauseating nightmare; most of the other tracks can only be labeled as bland, tepid, and dull.
I originally acquired the track seeking the trumpeting strain that originally drew me to the game after seeing the US broadcast television commercial, and found little else to captivate my attention. Groaning strains may have been intended to convey a dim and gloomy world, or perhaps the unshaking depression of the plot's plights, but all that came to mind was the heaving of a belly in distress, sickened after swallowing such aural indigestives.
Sometimes the pace picks up, faster-paced drum beats, thunderous rumbles, and then listeners are treated to one of two things: a semi-symphonic orchestral sound that's at least mildly pleasant, if nothing remarkable.....or a raging headache. Misuse of sound effects and tempo alterations are the least of the problems in these compositions; they ring discordantly false, and I can't hear even the slightest trace of the "Asian folk music influence" that TokyoPop claims.
All in all, Panzer Dragoon: Orta's soundtrack is textbook correct; teach a machine to compose music perfectly, and it would output this collection of lukewarm tracks. It lacks the spirit, the heart, and the emotion of a human touch, and in my opinion, drags the game down to a level of monotony with little to relieve it. The few rare moments of beauty, passion and excitement to be found in the shooter game become as limp and sighing-slow as a grey, dripping day.
It's rare for me to wholly dislike an entire soundtrack; as a lover of music of all genres and ages, I can generally find something to appreciate on even the worst CD. Unfortunately, with this one, the only things decent to be found are the three bonus tracks from an entirely different Panzer Dragoon title. Would I recommend buying the track? No. Would I recommend downloading it? Only if you can avoid the RIAA, which isn't likely.
Unless you're looking for a cure for insomnia, my only suggestion is to leave it on the shelf.
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| Album Information | Reviewer Rank |
|---|---|
|
Panzer Dragoon: Orta Official Soundtrack Published by: Tokyopop Soundtrax Release Date: January 21st 2003 Composed by: Saori Kobayashi, Yutaka Minobe, Yoshitaka Azuma, Yayoi Wachi, Teruhiko Nakagawa, Junko Shiratsu, Tomonori Sawada, Mariko Nanba Arranged by: Hayato Matsuo, Tomoyuki Hayashi 1 Disc, 21 Tracks Catalog: TPCD 0221-2 |
41 |
Reviewed by: Cyanide SeeD
Panzer Dragoon: Orta is probably the best example that I've seen of the fact that a game cannot ride on graphics alone.
I can't say that I was particularly impressed with the soundtrack as a whole; not a single track made much of an impression in any area other than "gods, that's awful." Iva in particular was a nauseating nightmare; most of the other tracks can only be labeled as bland, tepid, and dull.
I originally acquired the track seeking the trumpeting strain that originally drew me to the game after seeing the US broadcast television commercial, and found little else to captivate my attention. Groaning strains may have been intended to convey a dim and gloomy world, or perhaps the unshaking depression of the plot's plights, but all that came to mind was the heaving of a belly in distress, sickened after swallowing such aural indigestives.
Sometimes the pace picks up, faster-paced drum beats, thunderous rumbles, and then listeners are treated to one of two things: a semi-symphonic orchestral sound that's at least mildly pleasant, if nothing remarkable.....or a raging headache. Misuse of sound effects and tempo alterations are the least of the problems in these compositions; they ring discordantly false, and I can't hear even the slightest trace of the "Asian folk music influence" that TokyoPop claims.
All in all, Panzer Dragoon: Orta's soundtrack is textbook correct; teach a machine to compose music perfectly, and it would output this collection of lukewarm tracks. It lacks the spirit, the heart, and the emotion of a human touch, and in my opinion, drags the game down to a level of monotony with little to relieve it. The few rare moments of beauty, passion and excitement to be found in the shooter game become as limp and sighing-slow as a grey, dripping day.
It's rare for me to wholly dislike an entire soundtrack; as a lover of music of all genres and ages, I can generally find something to appreciate on even the worst CD. Unfortunately, with this one, the only things decent to be found are the three bonus tracks from an entirely different Panzer Dragoon title. Would I recommend buying the track? No. Would I recommend downloading it? Only if you can avoid the RIAA, which isn't likely.
Unless you're looking for a cure for insomnia, my only suggestion is to leave it on the shelf.
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