Panzer Dragoon Saga

[FmCdD]

I love this site, and never gave it the time it deserved over the years. I recently came back in force after listening to the SFII Remix album, and got blown away again by the FFVII Remix album.

I was surprised, though, when I went looking for Panzer Dragoon Saga remixes, I didn't find any. There was plenty of stuff from Panzer Dragoon, and Panzer Dragoon Zwei, but neither of those games struck me as having OSTs that compared to that of PDS. As the only RPG outing of the series, it had the sort of variety in its soundtrack that rewarded repeated listens, and had more of an immersive character. The orchestral stuff was different to the first two games - whereas their soundtracks favoured the panaromic spectacle of those games, recalling Maurice Jarre, in PDS the soundtrack incorporated more of the dramatic nature of the action, ranging from the wistful and sentimental to the epic.

Against the orchestral work on the soundtrack, the Saturn's synth was put to use developing the unique combination of synth-orchestral melodies and pulsing bass that we heard on PDZ. And the quieter moments of the game were accompanied by rich arrangements which nowadays call to mind Blue Fields from FFVIII or the more relaxed moments of the original Golden Axe.

It such a rich, varied soundtrack, it's ripe for exploration by remixers. I guess it's because it was such a little known game compared to the other two that it's not represented here.

This was one of the first RPGs I became totally immersed in - it came out around the same time FFVII was breaking RPGs as a genre in the west. I absolutely recommend playing it, if you can get hold of it. But failing that, its soundtrack gives you a good idea of its unique atmosphere.

I'll include some references to the soundtrack, so that you can see for yourself.

This is the intro from the game, with some of the central themes of the soundtrack.

Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LR_Rfo61B0Y&feature=related

Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKqhaWzAAxo&feature=related

Be sure to watch to the end of Part 2 - the "Wings" theme is the best theme in the entire game, I think. I reproduce it here:

Wings

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xOTHxo0f-E&feature=related

and also Ecce Valde Generous Ale

Here are some of the excellent field and battle tracks:

Pure Blood Seed

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnp3UtR8yb0

Water Ruins

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlodGwU5iKY&feature=related

Spirit of the Dragon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bawDN8qonJE&feature=related

Ancient Weapon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0yp9npPly8&feature=related

Atolm Dragon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JePuqHRSEmM&feature=related

And some of the orientalizing desert and mountain village themes:

Village of the Seekers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFW_fsWW1Ic&feature=related

Town of Zoah

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCGFCkWrFi8&feature=related

Paet

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaJOw4MCcR8

Rest

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8qX2sk4tV8&feature=related

That last one is one of my favourites... recalls for me some of Motoi Sakuraba's best stuff in Shining Force III, too. (Like this:

)

Just thought I'd mention it on here!