Before even touching on the music, I’d like to talk about the production and packaging of this fine soundtrack. First of all, the publisher, “SulePuter”, might sound different to you. This company is actually Capcom’s new music division. Some interesting trivia, “CapCom” is short for “CapsuleComputer”…So, the name “SulePuter” is the remaining part of “CapCom”.
The packaging is very similar to the book-case form in a glossy hardbook form seen in the first prints of earlier Squaresoft soundtracks (FFIV OSV, Hanjuku Hero, etc). However, because this soundtrack is two discs, The package is set up in a fold-out manner, and it is a completely new packaging design to me. Very clever. Also, there is very awesome water-color artwork in the booklet, and the obi strip is this flimsy black plastic thing that goes along the bottom (as seen in the picture). This thing is actually very hard to work with when opening and closing the book: this is my only complaint in packaging.
On to the music!! Now, as most of you all know, the Breath of Fire III OST featured music that is pretty gosh-darn mediocre. It was filled with “filler” tracks, and they were jazzy in an annoying synth way. Gone are these days, as this soundtrack is a MAJOR improvement. The style is completely different, which is surprising seeing as the main composers are still the same. These tracks aren’t just filler, they express mood well and are very enjoyable. The best track, however, is the opening track. This track is AMAZING, it ranks up there with one of my alltime favorite tracks using light/fluttery piano, the last dungeon music from the Alundra OST. You cannot help but enjoy this track.
Another neat aspect about this soundtrack is the fact that it is, to date, the only video game or anime CD with a secret track at the end. After the awesome vocal track on disc 2 track 31, you can wait about 2 minutes, and then hear some guys (probably the composers and other staff), singing some tune and talking. It’s really funny, and I’m glad someone finally did this, especially on an RPG OST.
