The 10 Best Final Fantasy Soundtracks of All Time
We polled our staff at game.audio to find an answer to one of the most contentious topics in Game Audio.
We asked everyone a simple question:
What are the 10 absolute best Soundtracks for Final Fantasy games?
As expected, we received a variety of answers ranging from “I’ve only Played FFVII” to “Well, FFII only sounds the best on the original hardware, but in emulation, it falters a bit.”
Whew!
So we tallied up the votes, and now we present game.audio’s The 10 Best Final Fantasy Soundtracks of All Time:
10. Final Fantasy II
Originally for the NES, this soundtrack really set the stage for all of the great Final Fantasy scores to come. Yes, it is the second in the series, but many people recognize the musical advancements as a moment when the Final Fantasy music really came into its own. We can compare the original NES version to later rearrangements to see how the music of the FF series has been advancing over time.
9. Final Fantasy IV
Final Fantasy IV score presents a fascinating example of a beautiful soundtrack that has been remade and reorchestrated in many ways over the years. Fans are very divided over what era represents the best version of the score. But most of us here prefer the original SNES score.
8. Final Fantasy IX
The Final Fantasy IX score is the most recent on the list up until this point. It is one of the most cinematic scores of the series. It feels like a “FANTASY” movie in a way that we can recognize from popular Hollywood films. A fantastic score through and through.
7. Final Fantasy XV
Fans were divided over Final Fantasy XV, with some feeling that it was too much of a departure from previous stories and settings. The music felt like a departure at times, with western sounding moments. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Final Fantasy game with wonderfully orchestrated battle themes. Here at game.audio, we feel that this game and score will stand the test of time as a true mark of progress in the series.
6. Final Fantasy VIII
Hot off the heels of arguably the most popular game in the series, Final Fantasy VIII had a lot of expectations before its release. From a gameplay perspective, some fans struggled to see it as an improvement over Final Fantasy VII. Even though it was on the same hardware, we can musically hear a radical improvement in the sonic fidelity compared to FFVII.
5. Final Fantasy VII Remake
Final Fantasy VII Remake is the newest Final Fantasy entry and, in terms of sonic fidelity, the current high-water mark of the series. Among our staff, we think that this might currently be the best-sounding video game of all time. The music updates traditional melodies and themes from Final Fantasy VI but also brings in new emotions and energy. It is ranked 5th on this list, primarily because it is a remake. How could we put this over the original?
4. Final Fantasy III
Like many of the NES games of the series, this soundtrack has been remade in many ways over the years. The remakes have proven to be very faithful updating of wonderful melodies and themes. We love the original NES soundtrack, but we probably listen to the wonderful remake versions a little bit more.
3. Final Fantasy VI
Final Fantasy VI was released as Final Fantasy III in North America. This was one of the deepest entries of the series when it came out and set the stage for the groundbreaking Final Fantasy VII. Utilizing SNES’s wonderful sound engine, this game had one of the most cinematic and epic soundtracks for games of its era.
2. Final Fantasy VII
While the Playstation 1 was capable of CD-quality audio, it still had an extremely limited storage capacity. This meant that the game had to share audio space with the game files themselves. The composers of FFVII utilized limited sample-based technology to extend their audio much farther than the storage would normally allow. From a modern context, we can hear how they are bridging full orchestral recording audio with a sample-based approach. It might sound old-fashioned to some ears, but to the rest of us, this soundtrack is one of the most comforting and nostalgic musical experiences possible.
1. Final Fantasy X
The music of Final Fantasy X has stood the test of time and continues to grow in fans every year. This set the stage for much of the modern FF games that we see today. We can also hear influences on monumental game soundtracks such as Breath of the Wild. The overall musicality of this soundtrack is perfect. We love the melodies and orchestration from beginning to end.