Kenogu Labz

CRIMSON SHROUD! I almost forgot about this! It's a relatively small game designed by Yasumi Matsuno (Ivalice Alliance + Tactics Ogre), but based on emulating the aesthetic of a tabletop adventure. A fun experiment, if nothing else, and it's got one of Hitoshi Sakimoto (and co.)'s , in my opinion. did a brief recommendation of it, and since the normal trailer for the game has no gameplay footage, I figure it's a better demonstration.

Pretty much my feelings on it. Gets the job done, but not leaving the tab open...

For purposes of formatting - and possibly to provide song-by-song breakdowns - maybe this is a suitable project to push to Google Sheets?

I can double this recommendation. It's probably a good approximation to 'The Fugitive', really. Only problem is that I don't think it's available for streaming anymore, and I don't even know if there's any physical copies to be found.

Lesse... the angry category is gonna be tough to hit, so I'll just throw in examples that I think fit; perhaps you can use those to narrow the search? (A.R.E.S. Extinction Agenda) - This may match the tense and danger aspects, but might also be a bit too aggressive in that second half. , (The Banner Saga) - Not really matching the more precise tension of the Deus Ex linked above; despite that, these tracks from the Banner Saga build tension excellently. , Burning Orphanage (Chrono Cross) - Isle of the Dead is a bit mechanically tense, while Burning Orphanage might fit within your danger specs quite nicely. (Crimsonshroud) - Classic Hitoshi Sakimoto; a lot of his slower tracks have latent tension strung throughout, and this is a prime example. , , , , , (Dark Void) - Okay, this whole soundtrack is 100% fantastic, but these tracks are likely the most relevant. All lean on the danger side; 'The Collector' miiiight fit with the angry motif, though I can't really say it's not malicious; while 'The Watcher Airship' definitely leans towards tense. But seriously, check out the whole soundtrack; there's several other that probably fit here, too. (Final Fantasy Tactics) - I think this may fit the danger without combat theme. , (Final Fantasy XIII) - 'The Hanging Edge' is masterful tension-wise. 'No Way to Live' might actually be the first one here that really fits 'lashing out without malice'. , , (Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn) - 'One Blood' and 'Thunderer' can probably channel danger quite well. 'From Fear to Fortitude' might fit for anger. (Gods Will be Watching) - An interesting tension piece. Like much of the soundtrack, it's got HEAVY bitcrushing and compression, so may not suit everyone's tastes. , , (HydoraH) - 'Warcore' has some degree of tension; 'Red Eden' is mildly dangerous; and 'No Mercy' likely fits the anger category. Lycanthropy (Killer Instinct 2014) - This fits beautifully into the 'gotta run away' category. , , , (The Last Remnant) - 'Flamedrop' and 'Turn the Tide' could be in your 'lashing out' category; 'Unrelenting Advance' is quite dangerous (except for that last bit), and 'Everflow' is high-tension. Tsuyoshi Sekito is really, REALLY good at writing combat tracks (most of which are pretty aggressive), but he also does quite well with technical-sounding dungeon themes. The Last Remnant is chock-full of 'em, so may be worth looking at for more examples. , , (Magnetic by Nature) - This soundtrack ooozes tension and anxiety. , (The Spirit Engine 2) - Two more high-anxiety tracks. Anxiety, Panic, Escape (Xenosaga Episode I) - These track names speak for themselves, haha.

The despair enters in at around the last minute of the song; a repeat of the motif with a suspenseful and abrupt finality. The closest thing it brings to mind is someone so desperate that they walk into a trap; that section would be the despair closing in as they realize what they've done. Trust me, that game probably won't help you understand it much, either, hahah.

You bring up an excellent point, Native Jovian. Some of the most impactful songs emotionally are those that take previously constructed motifs and reinterpret them in a different emotional context.

Huh. I hadn't really thought of this before, but of all artists, Yoko Shimomura may be one of the best at conveying emotion effectively to me, even if only in select songs. (Kingdom Hearts) - I haven't played these games, but this track just resounds with... I think the best way to describe it is 'loss'. Never fails to move me. (Legend of Mana) - I HAVE played Legend of Mana, and for very similar reasons to the previous one, this track emanates loss. Having the story's context for this one really brings it home, though. Going Through the Flame (Legend of Mana) - Another one from Legend of Mana, tied to another storyline from the game. This one's less directly about loss, but more along the lines of a tragedy (in the traditional sense). Yasunori Mitsuda definitely gets added to this list. Doug nailed one with 'People Seized with Life'; one of the most moving songs he's ever written. Also excellent from him: (Xenosaga I) - Another tragedy-centric song. Actually feels very similar to a lot of Shimomura's work. (Xenogears) - This one feels more specifically like grieving, not just a general sadness. And for a few miscellaneous other songs: and (Etrian Odyssey IV) - The vast unknown; a wild, unexplored land. Kicks in a thirst for exploration. Many of this game's overworld and dungeon themes have similar impact. , and (Fez) - This game and this soundtrack. Never have I been more surprised in my life. These tracks in particular channel intense nostalgia, but the soundtrack as a whole encompasses an incredible breadth of emotion. It's always a journey to listen to. Ending Theme (Final Fantasy VIII) - This was the first Final Fantasy game I ever finished, and the ending sticks with me to this day, leading from tension and despair to relief, triumph, and tenderness. (See also: ) , , and (Frozen Synapse) - These songs actually tend to lead to detachment, cold and critical action. Immediately puts me in mind of highly technical or mechanical operations. (Jamestown) - This track moves from intensity to sadness, pushing on to anger, and finally to full-on despair or terror. The effectiveness of the transitions between these emotions really makes this one shine. and (World of Goo) - The same motif, first used with near-horror connotations, then moving to the resolution of that horror into grief.

Don't abuse the term play 2 win. Very few MMOs give gameplay advantages that can be payed for directly with cash; it's bad for business.

Well, if your avatar is anything to go by...

It may have something to do with the 'Americana Dawn' Kickstarter that went unfunded, but that's a bit of a wild guess based solely on timing and his own participation. Can't wait to see you back, Shnab!

Gomez Curly Brace Chell

Wait wait, what? XI and XIV: A Realm Reborn have both been wild successes, if I'm not mistaken. Only XIV flopped, and for good reason, and even that was fully redeemed by an absolutely superb team and localization.

My current final alarm: Nothing like waking up with the feeling that either the alarm turns off or you die a horrible death. Works especially well if your landlord is an F.O.E.

I may be very incorrect, but I'd expect that the two aren't limited by exactly the same factors. It isn't a linear trade-off.

As someone who has never really gotten even the early sonic games, the schadenfreude from this thread is delicious.

They've already convinced me they could do weather in A Realm Reborn. <3 So yeah, more gameplay would be nice. If I recall correctly, XIII's development had similar progression where they were still working out the combat very late in the development cycle. Here's hoping this is a bit more settled, and the footage selection is simply misguided.

Oh snap, Civilized Folk has been one of my favorite albums of the last couple years. Excited to see the game itself preparing to take off!

OH MY GOODNESS, THIS IS FANTASTIC! Seriously, what a splendidly rich arrangement of some of the best themes in the game! Incredible performance, and definitely looking forward to hearing more from you.

The removed remixes were not removed as a matter of panel taste. They were removed because they did not meet the standards all arrangements on the site are held to. The one you mentioned in particular was removed because: See the FAQ and the ReMix Changelog for more details. This isn't a personal vendetta against your tastes: it's just the standard application of the submission standards.

My weekdays usually end up extending later into the evenings; however, I could probably jostle an evening around to be available starting from 4-5 PST. Like Jeff, this weekend's gonna be a no-go.

Just putting this out there, but someone's got to do an arrangement in the vein of Sakimoto's Genesis soundtracks. (See: )

Yep. Thanks for putting up with us newbies and our tedious character creation time! Weekdays may be tougher for me as a west-coaster, in case that makes things more difficult schedule-wise.

I'm interested in the session if there ends up being room, and could make it for the Saturday timeslot. It would definitely be my first time for true pen & paper. I assume this would be the first in several sessions?