Reception
The album reached #55 on the Japan Oricon charts. Soundtrack Central felt that Mitsuda "created a masterpiece in Xenogears", while RPGFan thought it was "most certainly his greatest achievement". On the other hand, one reviewer on Square Enix Music Online (unrelated to Square Enix) felt it did not represent Mitsuda's best album, saying that "what was an amazing soundtrack in its day ... has stood the test of time very well." Reviewers disagreed whether the album could only be enjoyed by Xenogears players, or if it could be appreciated by a wider audience.
Several reviewers noted the diversity of styles present in the score. Soundtrack Central thought it was a "superb mix of epic adventure and traditional themes", while Square Enix Music Online appreciated the melding of futuristic, ethnic and religious themes, feeling that the recurring chanting sound effects made everything sound coherent. Critics also noticed similarities between some melodies and Mitsuda's previous work Chrono Trigger, though reviewers felt that those of Xenogears were more "widely based" and had a distinctive Celtic sound. The reviewers also praised the sound system used for the instrumental tracks as being up to the highest standard for the PlayStation console.
The emotional tracks were considered the strongest part of the score, and were praised for their ability to musically reflect the various locales and characters seen in the game. The opening track "Dark Dawn" was similarly lauded for showcasing all the influences of the soundtrack in a single composition. The battle themes were described as a weaker area and were called either effective or repetitive, with Square Enix Music Online noting that "Mitsuda has never been very good at composing interesting battle tracks". The final boss theme "The One Who Bares Fangs at God" received the most diverse comments, ranging from praises to criticism, due to its reliance on synth choral sound effects rather than a clear melody. The ending song "Small Two of Pieces" was received positively and, as Mitsuda predicted, compared to "My Heart Will Go On".
Read more about this topic: Xenogears Original Soundtrack
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