Ranking Every Final Fantasy By Their Soundtrack
15. Final Fantasy Tactics Series
Final Fantasy Tactics OST: Tracks - 71, Composer(s) - Hitoshi Sakamoto & Masaharu Iwata, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance OST: Tracks - 42, Composer(s) - Hitoshi Sakamoto, Nobuo Uematsu, Kaori Ohkoshi & Ayako Saso, Final Fantasy Tactics A2 OST: Tracks - 56 , Composer(s) - Hitoshi Sakamoto, Nobuo Uematsu, Kaori Ohkoshi, Ayako Saso & Mitsuhero Kaneda
Final Fantasy Tactics is the definitive example of a massively underrated game, given its status as a masterpiece in everything from its dark A Song Of Ice And Fire-esque narrative to it's brilliant combat and job system. It's two spiritual successors (Tactics Advance and Tactics A2) are much tamer and simplistic by comparison, but they more than hold their own as complex tactical experiences.
The soundtrack was perhaps the original game's weakest element, though composers Sakimoto and Iwata still delivered a fitting score for the game's plethora of combat sequences and storyline scenes. 'Trisection' stands out as a hard-hitting piece during several major battles, whilst 'Shock!' is a great dramatic accompaniment to one of Delita's many plot revelations and machinations. The game also had some of the most strangely titled tracks that the series has ever seen - 'Bloody Excrement' anyone?
Tactics Advance's soundtrack was limited by the sound quality limitations of the Game Boy Advance, though a CD release showcased 32 tracks in a much better format and the game's main trio all got fitting themes in the form of 'Marche', 'Mewt' and 'Ritz'.
Tactics A2 was guilty of having a soundtrack that was only half made up of original compositions, with the other half reused from its immediate predecessor as well as Final Fantasy XII. Nevertheless, 'Determination' is an excellent battle theme, whilst 'A Shadow Lurking' and 'Eternal Time' also stand out.