It’s hard to explain precisely why I like listening to game soundtracks - but there’s something comforting about it - especially with older games like FFVII. I’m adding it to the shopping list, if only for the yacht-rock flavored main theme. FF7R even has jukeboxes and collectible CDs scattered across the game, teasing even more songs, most of which are apparently on a limited-run jazz CD. I haven’t (read: haven’t yet) gone that far but definitely wanted more. How many CDs will the entire project cover? Remember this is the first installment of the remake. That’s why there’s a $77.77 official soundtrack, spread across eight discs. Square Enix is very aware of the existence of people like me, willing to spend more money beyond the standalone game. I want the rough, funky remix of “Oppressed People,” the Jenova battle theme that you only get to hear once in the closing chapters, and many more. It had some of the major battle themes and catchier background songs but it’s not all the tracks I want. While I had to dig out my USB CD drive to put the thing on devices I’d actually listen to, the sampler has a good mix of remade tracks from the original and entirely new arrangements.
Alongside a lanyard (I’m not going anywhere that will require an ID for a while), this version came with a “mini soundtrack” CD with 12 songs of in-game music. It’s the reason I bought the middleweight “limited” edition FFVII Remake. Yes, Final Fantasy VII Remake, which has pulled me back into seeking out niche remixes, polished fan-made covers, and overpriced official albums from Square Enix itself. I listen to game music pretty often - and a large chunk of it is from the Final Fantasy game series, from the original right through to this year’s remaster of a decades-old game.