Final Fantasy Brave Exvius Soundtrack

Final Fantasy Brave Exvius Soundtrack, Noriyasu Agematsu / Hitoshi Fujima / Junpei Fujita / Seima Kondo / Ryota Tomaru, 2015

Square Enix’s post-merger strategy was based mainly on the idea of “polymorphic content” – although some might say that this was simply the age-old strategy of milking popular brands for all that they’re worth. As a result, the number of games bearing the “Final Fantasy” moniker exploded from the mid-2000s onwards – and of course, the franchise would eventually jump on the freemium mobile gaming bandwagon once this business model started to take off in the 2010s. Final Fantasy Brave Exvius was developed by Alim, who had displayed their assured handling of this particular genre with Brave Frontier. However, critical reception of Brave Exvius remained mixed, despite the copious amounts of fan service Alim had added to the mix. Then again, 45 million downloads within five years of the game’s release were nothing to sneeze at, so Brave Exvius certainly didn’t rate as a commercial failure.

For the game’s score, Alim approached Noriyasu Agematsu and his media music production group Elements Garden, which included several co-composers and orchestrators. While the Final Fantasy Brave Exvius soundtrack was Agematsu’s first score for the franchise, he was already a veteran composer. His first game score assignment had been 2002’s Hooligan, while he and his collaborators had also worked on many anime titles. Furthermore, Agematsu had gathered experienced scoring JRPGs with his work on Wild Arms 5 and Wild Arms XF. A fan of Final Fantasy III to VI in his youth, Agematsu had received the following brief for this assignment: “How would the FF music from this period sound like if they were [sic] performed by a live orchestra?” 

This consciously retro approach puts Final Fantasy Brave Exvius in line with other Square titles of the same period that promised a return to the melody-driven values of the golden era of 16-bit JRPGs. That point was further underlined by Agematsu’s approach to composing the pieces for the Final Fantasy Brave Exvius soundtrack: “I would keep things simple during the initial stages, sticking to having only two sounds – the melody and the base – while building a strong melody. I would then work on the arrangement later to make the music grander in scope.” In interviews, he explained that his melody-focused style was partially a result of the fact that his “favorite FF music tracks are the smooth and pleasing melodies.”

And indeed, what makes Final Fantasy Brave Exvius shine are first and foremost Agematsu’s richly romantic melodies, far exceeding competitors Bravely Default and Octopath Traveler. While their composers equally evinced a fondness for melody-driven, classic JRPG scores, their interpretation of these works’ character was flawed. What made the excellent scores of the 16-bit era so outstanding wasn’t just that they had wonderful melodies. They also packed an enormous amount of ideas into their compositions’ short duration. That’s the exact opposite of newer retro JRPG scores that spread their material too thin, building entire tracks around repetitions of one melody. It’s not a mistake Agematsu makes. His cues rarely run for much longer than one minute (non-looped) – and at his best, he makes every second count, constantly developing his pieces and fluidly involving all sections of the orchestra. The latter, no doubt, is also a tribute to the orchestrators’ excellent work.

That’s not to say that the Final Fantasy Brave Exvius soundtrack, in its entirety, is an unqualified masterpiece. As with any score released over a total of 6 CDs, some trimming is required to compile the soundtrack’s strongest compositions (the third and final score album has a particularly pronounced odds-and-ends feel about it). Agematsu’s co-composers contribute a significant amount of material, although it is usually less noteworthy. Square Enix’s album releases complicate things further by gathering the majority of battle cues on the second album, significantly skewing the score’s balance – which requires some additional work resorting the track order. Ultimately, there are ‘only’ 90 minutes of genuinely outstanding music to be found on this lengthy score release. However, during those 90 minutes, the Final Fantasy franchise hits rarified heights it hasn’t attained since 1997’s Final Fantasy Tactics – ending a long drought for what used to be game music’s flagship franchise.

At his best, Agematsu writes concise, lushly arranged pieces that find the perfect balance between letting their melodies unfold and never standing still. What characterises most of the score’s non-battle track highlights is Agematsu’s hugely attractive string writing as he creates one warmly glowing, luscious melody after another. “Tree of Tales”, “Peaceful Village”, and “Walkabout” are perfect examples of Agematsu’s sweeping melodic instincts. Importantly, he tweaks his sumptuous writing style to suit the occasion. While a location like “The Ghost Ship” receives underscoring that nods to its spooky nature, the cue still segues elegantly into swooning string tones. “Allure of the Unknown” performs a similar feat. Tinkling arpeggios and light metal percussion evoke an icy, crystalline world, while Agematsu carefully prepares the ground for the inevitable string climax – maybe more serene and filled with yearning here than usual.

These pieces are hardly understated, but Agematsu uses his robust melodies and opulent orchestrations as the foundation to increase the music’s scale further still. Sometimes, he heightens the score’s already optimistic mood by adding upbeat pop and electro elements on “Monument Valley” and “Overcome the Menace” – while never neglecting the quality of his orchestral writing. “Odyssey” mixes some martial bombast into the soundtrack’s formula, pushing the music’s emotional expressiveness to even greater heights – helped by Agematsu’s assured handling of dynamics when he starts the cue with a flute lead and builds it from there. “State of Voyage” is a stately travel theme that adds fluttering woodwinds and heroic horn accents to its flowing strings. Even better is “Over the Rain Clouds”, doubtlessly the game’s airship theme. Gladiatorial brass fanfares open the piece before pop drums catapult a thrilling mix of string and piano melodies sky-high.

Of course, this being a JRGP, the other end of the emotional spectrum needs to be covered as well – roaring battle tracks. Again, Agematsu sets himself apart from the competition. While other retro JRPGs (including Square Enix’s Pixel Remasters) tend towards power metal stylings for their action tracks, Agematsu keeps his non-orchestral elements lighter, more leaning into pop-rock (although he can also let rip – note “Onslaught”’s frantic double bass drumming). Throughout the battle tracks on the Final Fantasy Brave Exvius soundtrack – be it the pumping electronic accompaniment of “Parallel Star” and “Banish the Darkness” or the choral bombast of “Chaotic Darkness” – Agematsu stays true to the virtues that also make his slower-paced compositions such a delight. The music always remains varied, agile (even during its most grandiose moments) and constantly enthusiastic. Most importantly, Agematsu’s best battle tracks are always guided by melodies rather than the pursuit of sheer force.

Lastly, there is also space for a bit of experimentation. “Once More Dance?” is one of the score’s most delectable cues. Not quite a waltz despite its ¾ metre, the composition’s skipping piano rhythm and pizzicato strings have a lovely spring in their step, while a gorgeous flute and viola duet weaves its nostalgic spell. “Into the Labyrinth” beautifully conveys the mysterious nature of its location, thanks to a potent mix of string/choir unisono accents and hushed wordless choir. “Call of the Crystal” features the score’s most complex vocal arrangements, its heady, floating voices contrasting effectively with the ostinato string rhythms underneath. It’s yet another example of how Agematsu realises his lofty ambition of writing no less than a live orchestral version of a classic Final Fantasy score – an impressive achievement indeed.