Ernest's Music Box - Distant Worlds II: More Music from Final Fantasy

I am a huge fan of video game music; whether its a old 8-bit soundtrack or a huge orchestral affair like we have in current games.  To me a good soundtrack in video gaming is something that listened to on its own conjures up memories of the game and the emotions you had playing it.  The second you hear it you get swept back into that world.  This new column will highlight some of my favorite soundtracks that exemplify this, or a collection of fantastic music that captures what makes video game music so fantastic.

So to kick it off lets talk about probably one of my favorite video game music composers of all time: Nobuo Uematsu. This collection is from a Final Fantasy concert series back in 2010 called Distant Worlds II.  It comes from a Final Fantasy concert series back in 2010, so expect larger orchestral music for this one.

This album has music spanning most of the series although my personal favorite is still the opening track 'Prelude'.  This song to me is most synonymous with the Final Fantasy series and the rendition is stunning.  On this selection we get the symphony along with a choir doing a epic arrangement of this beloved track.  Other highlights include music from FF X in the track 'Zanarkand', the epic 10 minute 'Dancing Mad' from FF VI, and fast paced 'Jenova' from FF VII.  Every arrangement was redone by Uematsu for this concert series to take full use of the full symphony that he would have for the concert series.  What that gives us is a amazingly rich and sweeping tribute to an amazing set of games.  The Final Fantasy series has always had great music and with us moving forward into the newest entry it is a great time to take a look back at where we have been and be swept away and reminded what makes these games great.

Album Score: 8 out of 10

Standout Track: Prelude (I could listen to this track all day if you would let me)

You can find this album on Spotify, and Amazon (if your a prime member stream for free)