I’m retiring the part joke here now I think, and for good reason. You see the title, right? Base Game? I will explain in a moment.
I love FFXI. I have very fond memories watching it being played growing up (some of the only fond memories I have at times hahaaaaa), and that love very much influences the feelings I have for it nowadays. It’s absolutely an aged game. It is 100% a game of its time, and I’m ok with that! I play it when I want to chill out, mindlessly grind, and listen to some chill beats; It is such a vibe of a game. It also has a really cool world, story, and characters, and for that to all the people that make “every FF game” lists of all types and you exclude XI? I will find you. The main composers other than Uematsu in this game were Naoshi Mizuta and Kumi Tanioka, who later do Stranger of Paradise and Crystal Chronicles, respectively (those are at least my favorite bits they do)
As XI is an MMO, it is split up into several expansions, and some add-on content. It’s a huge game, and I can’t do it justice by only doing 5 songs from the whole thing, so I’m going to split this up into a few parts, one for every expansion (plus maybe a bonus one for the add-ons and things that don’t quite fit) (this is also why I can’t keep doing the part joke cause then XII is gonna be like part 17 and that’s fucked). It’s XI week! Let’s start with the base game :)
5. Despair (Memoro de la Ŝtono)
You might be wondering, What The Fuck is that title? Memoro de la Ŝtono is the vocal part of the opening, and its motifs are used in several different songs. This version specifically is one of my favorites. It plays in a few different cutscenes so when it appears it’s like a nice treat. I absolutely love the synth in this whole track, the heavy backing, the cool harpsichord, and the part in the middle where it just goes ham on the keys. It does really fit well with the Despair name, but also like it’s kind of a jam?
4. Battle Theme
Something cool about XI is that it has different battle themes depending on where you are and if you’re in a group or not. This is the general battle theme when you aren’t in a party (so for that reason ironically you’re probably not going to hear it much considering most of this game needs a party). I love the intro still giving you that classic FF build up, but in a unique way. The whole song sounds almost like a band marching you out for war, with the snare and the flute especially. Another really cool part is when it gets less upbeat, the flute is giving you a steady yet nervous backing while the trumpet plays its heart out.
3. Awakening
Yooooooooo the first final boss theme of this game. When I actually played XI myself and not through the eyes of a child watching, it was in the modern day with trusts, basically soloing it. Catch me sitting awkwardly regenerating HP while the Actual Final Boss is killing all of my ghost friends who can’t do shit: it was very funny. ANYWAYS, this song is so cool. Super heavy on percussion, and the toms have a really awesome bouncy feel to them. This whole song takes the Shadow Lord’s main theme, keeps a lot of the same sounds and melodies, but transforms it into a battle theme expertly. This is also a really fun song to play in Theatrhythm with the melody hitting you with a lot of triplets.
2. The Republic of Bastok
One of my favorite memories of this game is seeing Bastok being wandered around. When I finally decided to pick it back up as an adult, the moment I heard this song I got really emotional and happy. The percussion with the timpani and claves really gives you the feel of a bustling city, and the melody is an absolute joy to my ears; making you feel like everything is right and happy, walking through the city as people build and craft. I really don’t have much else to say about this song, it never fails to bring a genuine smile to my face.
1. Vana'diel March
Vana'diel March absolutely does that thing that music does where when a specific instrument plays some specific notes, it is like, scientifically calculated to pull on your heartstrings. One day I will figure out what this term is called cause I know it has to exist. This is the title screen music; every expansion has its own unique theme, but the basic one has always been my favorite. March is a perfect word for this song, cause the intro which becomes the backing gives you that feel; imagine the end of the opening cutscene where you see the huge army walking together? That’s this song. The trumpet comes in with a beautiful solo, going into the prelude showing you that this is still Final Fantasy. Bring in the rest of the orchestra to create a grand feeling of adventure, saying to you: “Hey, this is a huge world that you’re about to enter. Think of this as you walk through it.” It’s beautiful, and this song is almost like a musical summary of why I love this game, in a way.
Honorable Mentions go to: Battle Theme #2, Ronfaure, Gustaberg, Sarutabaruta, Voyager, Selbina, The Grand Duchy of Jeuno, Hopelessness, and Castle Zvahl.
