Wild Arms 2nd Ignition Original Soundtrack Pt.5

1-54) Battle Force
Due to the piss poor attempt at arranging Wild Arms 2nd Ignition's music in any kind of logical order on this soundtrack (let's see... let's start by putting them in the order they appear in the game [somewhat] and once we get past the three introductory quests we'll just start chucking them together based on their usage! Yeah, that's a killer idea to keep people on their toes) the listener won't hear a single battle theme until track fifty-four. Track fifty-four? I wish I was kidding, but no — it's a reality. If all of the deficiencies that have been outlined up to this point weren't enough, "Battle Force" is actually one of the soundtrack's best battle themes despite its repetitious nature and lack of anything resembling complexity. This doesn't speak well on what's yet to come; still, forging an ill-opinion of this track in an effort to drive it into the ground is so easy it's like creating a bad joke that revolves around a pun. Fun as that may be, those that can turn off their creative complexity detectors will have a blast with this track as they did with "Critical Hit!" from the first game. If that's not your thing, the fact it's one of the few tracks that manages to loop twice won't be much of a consolation prize. (7/10)

1-55) Battle: Knight Blazer
My speech above about the lackluster battle themes ahead was apparently a bit pre-emptive. "Battle: Knight Blazer" is a godsend in the game, able to mask particular abominations when you summon "the Blaze of Disaster" into battle. While the power of this grotesque creature teeters on the edge of absurd, there certainly isn't anything absurd about this piece. Things start out with a revenge-like call crying out into the night, the percussion and sci-fi elements sneaking in ever so slightly as the composition switches gears from the opening passage of reckless abandon to one illustrating controlled tenacity. The shifts in momentum employed by Naruke here are well executed, keeping the piece exciting though words like "epic" are far from appropriate. Perhaps what makes "Battle: Knight Blazer" stand out is how it musically defines an idea seen throughout the games in the series; that power itself is neither good nor evil. Of course, those responsible for writing the games' scenario never heard Masato Kouda's terrible remix of this track on the second volume of the Wild Arms Vth Vanguard Original Soundtrack so there are certain exceptions to this belief. (8/10)

1-56) Battle VS Mid Boss
There is a lot to be said about this track; unfortunately, none of it is good. "Battle VS Mid Boss" is a piece so musically bankrupt it makes a so-so boss theme — like that from the original game — look like a masterpiece. As expected, the feeling of doom is nigh as the blaring instruments go at it, stumbling over one another in their bid for attention. It's not even the sound programming that's at fault here. This is one of the worst — if not the worst — compositions Naruke has ever penned; the brain-dead path it follows comparable to something one would expect the inexperienced to come up with as they feel their way through a new piece of software. It's somewhat more tolerable in-game when you're forced to listen to it until you cancel it out with the much more enjoyable "Battle: Knight Blazer," but this recycle bin fodder is inexcusable otherwise. (2/10)

1-57) Battle VS Kanon
Analyzing what "Battle VS Kanon" brings to the table without reflecting on "W-W-What? (Zed's Theme)" from the first game is difficult because in essence this is what this track tries so hard to be — a variation or port of a previously successful track. As simple as it would seem to adjust the emotional frequency towards another character, the mixed result proves its not. Listening to Zed's theme it's crystal clear what you're suppose to feel: a goofy, overly dramatic adversary that isn't as important or powerful as he thinks he is confronts you and dispatching of this "comic relief" is meant to be fun. When it comes to "Battle VS Solid" the message is scrambled; the fear and threat that the ethnic instruments bring is unmistakable, but is there really a sense of sadness buried in here like I want to believe? If so, am I confusing the worry attached to the fear factor as that tragic sadness? It's terribly baffling when you know Kanon’s backstory. It's like playing connect the dots without the dots being numbered but still knowing what the object is. What compounds this even further is how the fanfare associated with this track feels like the missing piece, but is it the missing piece or an additional piece? After playing the game a million times I can't imagine anything else playing as Kanon devilishly assaults your weakest character (usually Tim) with Pike Kicks and Drive Cuts in her pursuit of her blind and obstinate goals. Still, Naruke could have come up with something more concrete (and original) for the female mercenary. (6/10)

1-58) Battle VS Cocytus
Even as a Naruke and Wild Arms fan, it's somewhat hard to discern what makes some of these battle themes good and bad. "Battle VS Cocytus" is no different, the pluses and minuses more or less equaling out to what is best described as a fair piece of music. Naruke again makes use of the thick, oppressive texture that's by now become the calling card of Odessa based themes but this time there's a bit more ruggedness to it. It's not really what you'd call a "western ruggedness," yet it adds a dash of flavor to a predictable formula. Also accounting for some of the hidden allure is the weariness of the brass section that almost sounds as if it's mired in quicksand, providing a reprieve from the sharp melodrama that desperately tries (and fails) to recapture the magic found in Wild Arms' "Power Fighter." Still, there is only so much these elements can do to support a track that is otherwise boring and leaves little to interpret. The corresponding fanfare however... (6/10)

1-59) End of Banquet
Naruke (almost) goes completely acoustic here, the cold and lonely notes giving birth to an ill omen on top of a remorseful harmony. The gothic flair does lend itself quite well to the scene in which it appears, though it's hard to give it any kind of technical nod outside the crisp clarity of the instruments. It's not a bad, great, catchy or memorable track, but it could have turned out messy or even more pompous than it already is. In the end, it's just there. (6/10)

1-60) Battle VS Vinsfield
In another instance where I can say "copy and paste what I said there here," the sharp, jagged and overly dramatic instrumentation of "Battle VS Vinsfield" walks the thin line between tastefulness and tastelessness as the theme holds nothing back and goes for broke. Unattractive as the bombastic peaks are this isn't a too bad of a track, easily surpassing the aforementioned "Battle VS Mid Boss." It cannot compete, however, with a composition that can build tension without feeling as fragmented and pointed — the previously mentioned (and far superior) "Power Fighter" coming to mind. As befitting and maddening as the percussion is in presenting one of the most dangerous and charismatic minds in Filgaia, it is regrettable that Naruke took such a one-dimensional route with this one considering how it's the concluding Odessa piece in the game. Can't win them all I suppose. (5/10)

1-61) Battle VS Liz and Ard
Highlighting the ill-fated battle exploits of the infamous, self-styled "master of disaster" Liz and his faithful assistant Ard ("lizard," get it?), "Battle VS Liz and Ard" is another battle theme that is highly dependant on that thick, ethnic flair Naruke cultivated in the original game with "W-W-What? (Zed's Theme)." The problem is as hard as this track tries, it is unable to escape the shadow of this composition much like "Battle VS Kanon." The difference between the two lies in the fact that the stigma associated with this connection is even greater this time around thanks in part to the overall tempo, theme and direction being so close to the "original." Eliminating any and all doubt about the message behind the piece is a positive step; the wacky banjo portraying the questionable combat tactics of these two creatures of unknown origin to a tee. Outside the warmth and comfort of its in-game context, the track doesn't have much to go on until you compare it to the "interesting" rocking heart rendition. (6/10)

1-62) Battle VS Root of Kuiper Belt
To those that have played a Wild Arms game, the concept of a rustic western world that is reliant on the fragments of a bygone, technologically advanced society is not unfamiliar. As rewarding as it is to reap the rewards after scoring some of the world's coolest "toys" it is perhaps what lies beyond that is the most interesting — the unworldly. While most games in the series at least relate to this concept, it is the second installment that really runs with it. This also applies to the music; Naruke doesn't go too crazy with the notion, but once again the results are mixed. The result here is pretty damn good though; the sense of worry is a lot thicker here and is followed with a side order of dread — putting somewhat of a cap on the fun and thrill of discovery heard in "Field: Distorted Sky." Light jazz elements come into play late as the horns tease the listener, offering what will initially appear to be a lengthy reprieve from the doom and gloom before the moodiness shoots it down in a rude blaze of glory. Even though it falls short of stellar, "Battle VS Root of Kuiper Belt" creates an unfamiliar aura of oppression and makes what is a brief experience anything but brisk. Unfortunately, Naruke's success here... (7/10)

1-63) Battle vs Edgeworth=Kuiper Belt
...only magnifies her failure here, proving it only takes a moment for something that worked well enough to crash and burn next time out. "Battle VS Edgeworth = Kuiper Belt" is one hell of an example of this phenomena; none of the previous praise is applicable despite the return of the sci-fi/extraterrestrial motif. Simply put, this is just a really unattractive piece. The pushy, force-fed instruments aren't pushy in a good way, the climax is incapable of sealing the deal, and the entire thing misses the bigger, more emotional picture. While the oppressive beats musically depict the awkward jerking motion of this boss enemy's wing-like appendages the entire experience feels so soulless. What's ironic (rather problematic) about this is when one considers the sins committed to bring this abomination to life there shouldn't be anything "soulless" about. The remainder of the track — like the alien-like flute — only serves to add a layer of phoniness to what is already a misfired arrow; an arrow I wish was more in line with a heart-wrenching piece like "Last Battle" from Xenosaga. It's these unexplored possibilities that hurt this piece so much. (5/10)

1-64) You're Not Alone...
"You're Not Alone..." is a peculiar track for a variety of reasons. The most confounding aspect is while it appears on the soundtrack, it is nowhere to be found in the game or in the stream/sequenced music data on either disc of the North American game. Exclusive use in the Japanese original also seems doubtful because while it contains vocals (the opening lines of "You Are Not Alone" — shocking given the title) those would have been removed during localization like the opening/ending themes. Most likely an extra thrown in for the sake of it, the explosion (?) at the end makes one reflect on the various blasts that rip though certain locals on the first disc alone. Regardless, it is a rather pointless addition to an already bloated soundtrack. Unfortunately, it won't be the last. (N/A)

1-65) Battle VS Lord Blazer
If a single track expressed what Wild Arms 2nd Ignition meant to me, this would be it. No disrespect to other great tracks like "Dungeon: Ruins Type 3" or "Live Reflector" but I can't help reflect on every superfluous NPC I've run across in the course of my adventure when I hear this all encompassing tune. That's a pretty tall order for any piece of music to fill, especially when it's a reprise of the main theme minus the full-blown production seen in the opening video. This accounts for a large portion of the charm found within "Battle VS Lord Blazer;" it's not the most complex arrangement of the theme, but is the one that is the most poignant and fun. I'll admit the previous statement is somewhat skewed having taken part in the battle itself — which rocks — but the strength of the brass section and Naruke's foresight of knowing when to charge ahead and when to scale it back should not be underestimated. Wholeheartedly recommended, though those looking for a little more variety when it comes to the instrumentation may prefer the version that appears on the rocking heart arrange. (10/10)