“Lightning’s Theme – A Distant Glimmer” uses gentle piano and violin to portend a hopeful future for the heroine, while “Lightning’s Theme – Radiance” features the same instruments but has an almost mournful quality. “Lightning’s Theme,” the basis for the widely beloved “Blinded by Light,” makes numerous appearances throughout all four discs. Lightning herself has a myriad of tracks that explore her personality and new role as the savior of humanity’s souls. The composers build upon two games’ worth of musical history by alluding to past character themes in a variety of evocative ways. Recurring motifs are abundant in this soundtrack, and they work to great effect. Finally, ultra-catchy “The Glittering City of Yusnaan” plays in - you guessed it - Yusnaan, where the people celebrate endlessly to the tune of “City of Revelry.” Despite the dramatic tonal difference between each of these places, the music for each is consistently great and complementary. Luxerion is a city of darkness and light in equal parts, represented by the nominal “Luxerion” and jazzy “Midnight Eternal.” The uncharted sands and forgotten relics of the Dead Dunes are highlighted by exotic tracks like “Desert Awakening” and “Treasures Within.” Nature reigns supreme in The Wildlands, where “Prowlers of the Night” roam free and woodwind melodies like “Sunset Path” are carried on the wind.

It is a seductive synthesis of atmosphere and melody, of Western and Eastern RPG music sensibilities working in tandem.Įach one of the four regions in Nova Chrysalia has a distinct flavor and thematic presentation, but the music still feels cohesive. Unlike Final Fantasy XIII-2’s soundtrack, which was excellent but decidedly eclectic, the music for Lightning Returns retains a unified vision of a world that is at once pre- and post-apocalyptic. With these qualities clearly in mind, veteran Square Enix composers Hamauzu, Mizuta, and Suzuki have created a complex and pervasively melancholy musical climax befitting the final chapter of the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy. The game’s setting, Nova Chrysalia, is a world steeped in darkness and divinity alike, birthed from Chaos and doomed to an imminent end. Her involuntary journey across time, space, and worlds has at last reached its end with the release of Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII.

Shackled by capricious gods and forced to play puppet in their schemes, Lightning is a woman whose entire adult life has been a battle against an unjust fate. 03 – Lightning’s Theme – A Distant Glimmer –ġ1 – The Song of the Savior – The Chosen One –ġ2 – The Song of the Savior – Grand Finale –

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