Final Fantasy XII
The second and final game in the main series to be released on the Playstation 2, Final Fantasy XII attracted both extensive praise and criticism upon its release, with the latter mostly aimed at its one-character battle system and incredibly bland main character, Vaan, who pales in comparison to his comrades, such as Balthier, Basch and Ashe. It is these who are the main players in an engaging storyline that incorporates conquest, gods, science, technology and politics throughout its considerable runtime. One of the game's less stellar features is its soundtrack, for which Nobuo Uematsu contributed just one track. As a result of this, picking five good pieces is much more difficult than it was for other games.
Esper Battle A handful of battles take place throughout the game against espers the game's version of summons. Almost all of them are long and drawn out affairs, but this heavy backing track keeps you focused and on point for the duration. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COG3R3Km-Zk
To The Place Of Gods Given how large and confusing it is, the Great Crystal is a horrible area to try and navigate. This mysterious piece, however, which serves as the location's backing track, ensures that the experience is not all bad. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZ2rw-VDwfA
Kiss Me Goodbye Naturally, Uematsu's only contribution to the soundtrack is a stellar effort, though this piano arrangement of it stands high above the version featured in the game, which contained somewhat distracting vocals. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLgmV6NfoPE
The End Of Battle In lieu of the traditional Victory Fanfare, the game plays this track upon the conclusion of a battle. Battles are a weak element of the game, making the hearing of this a relief as well as an enjoyable auditory experience. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLnvUm5wQd0
Struggle For Freedom An amalgamation of a number of boss themes featured in the game, this plays during the game's final encounter and is a highly diverse and engaging nine minute track. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PjEN-zFlDQ