The Quintet Quintet - Diversion | Soundtrack Reviews: ActRaiser 2 and Robotrek

The last of the Quintet Quintet posts, a diversion into the scores ActRaiser 2 and Robotrek, two games which have been forgotten relative to the affection bestowed upon their other SNES works (and The Granstream Saga).

My thanks to GiantBomb for the images.

My initial plans did not include reviewing these two scores as ActRaiser 2 is generally forgotten about and less well-loved than its successor, while the connections between Robotrek and the rest of the games can be described as not just tenuous but non-existent. However, as I was so tardy with The Granstream Saga, I re-decided on ActRaiser 2 and figured may as well through Robotrek in there as well.

ActRaiser 2, of course, was the 1993 sequel to ActRaiser, developed by Quintet and published by Enix in the U.S. and Japan, and published by Ubisoft in Europe (where it arrived in '94.) Robotrek, known as Slapstick in Japan, was released in 1994 (albeit only in the U.S. and Japan) by Enix and developed by Quintet in collaboration with Ancient.

ActRaiser 2 was scored by Yuzo Koshiro, whose early career leading up to ActRaiser I briefly touched upon. This game was the sequel. Unlike the first one it is not as well-loved or well-remembered, for the reason that it cut out the simulation elements that gave the original such a unique atmosphere. The reason for this can be found in this interview with former Enix USA producer Robert Jerauld on Gaming.moe.

In any case, ActRaiser 2 doesn't nearly have the sheen of excellence the first game did. Though still orchestral, it drops the cinematic nature of the first game. That's not all it drops. The variety of instrumentation and diversity of the original soundtrack is also left behind in favor of a far more homogeneous straightforwardly orchestral score.

In my review of the first ActRaiser's soundtrack (a link can be found at the end of this post, accompanied by links to all the other 'Quintet Quintet' reviews) I said this:

The disparity between the rock-esque "Filmore", the organs of "Sky Palace", the orchestral might and fury of "All Over the World", and the faux-Baroque stylings of "Birth of the People" create an immensely varied score, but one, too, that's almost jarring in how swiftly it changes.

I remarked also on the effect of disjunction created by the cinematic nature of the tracks. That disjunction is no longer present, which is, I suppose, a smallest of consolations for the otherwise dull nature of the score.

Robotrek on the other hand was scored by Ayako Yoda in, as far as I can tell, her only videogame score ever. It's an odd score, with a fascinating variety of instrumentation, and little effort taken to try and present any form of unity in style. It often comes off as cartoonish or childish.

Interestingly, looking up the name Ayako Yoda I find it to be the name of a Japanese pianist. Whether they are the same person, however, is impossible to know.

On to the scores.

Carried over from the original game, "Title" reprises the overture of with very little alteration beyond, I believe, some new brass harmonies at one part. It remains as fantastic and epic a composition as it was in the original. Other than this, the remainder of the game is entirely new, original compositions.

"Overworld" is short and quiet, a persistent high string note running through its length, occasional dissonances and brass enlivening its otherwise peaceful vibe. I am left wishing that Koshiro kept its peaceful vibe, as the dissonances stick out unpleasantly. "Descent" is a jingle carried over from the original game.

"Industen" is short and underdeveloped, brass and winds flying over the place against low strings. Most effective, though, is the horn harmonies in the background which feel almost tacked on given the stormy exterior. It's not particularly enjoyable. Coming it next is "Tower of Souls", a low, ambient piece with little to recommend. It's broody, with plenty of sustains, and little melodic content, its brassy beginning the best thing about it.

"Death Field" revives the Baroque styling of a couple previous tracks, though without bringing also the period-appropriate instruments. It's another short and underdeveloped track, not even half a minute long before looping.

My own personal favorite on the score is "Mini Boss", a stunningly dramatic piece of music which, incredibly, is only twenty seconds long, but feels like it could go on forever. Low brass chords, spinning strings and trumpet stabs in its second half, all rooted by a dark timpani ostinato. I know that I've criticized other tracks for being underdeveloped, leaving me feeling unsatisfied, but I can't claim the same holds here. While an argument could be made that it is, indeed, underdeveloped, it leaves me satisfied.

"Altheria" is, like "Tower of Souls" before it, another brooding, ambient piece. I'd say, however, that I like this one much more. It perhaps doesn't succeed all the time, but it's the longest piece on the score. Its dark string harmonies will interest very few, though the motion of contrasting dissonances and consonances is neat to listen to, its second half with its funereal flute melody against horn and strings is downright bleak to listen to.

"Ice Palace" is another dull ambient track, though arpeggios in its back half definitely make it more bearable, but again it is tedious. "Ant's Cave" is a slight break from this, with more motion in its instrumental lines. Ambience doesn't mean that there can't be any motion in the music. Once again, though, its only truly redeeming feature is a stormy opening. "Stormrook" is another short track, more dynamic in nature, but underdeveloped.

"Tanzra" is, from some perspective, effective, I guess, but I found it to be bleak and unexciting. You know, that really sums up the entire soundtrack: unexciting. "Banishing of Tanzra" is again bleak, and sparser than other tracks - no sustained harmonies in the background this time.

"Ending", as mentioned in the review of ActRaiser, combines the twin virtues of not merely being unexciting but adding uninspired onto this. A dull 4/4 march and entirely predictable woodwind flourishes don't go far in creating excitement, even if the string melody is suitably victorious.

We open with the awkward, goofy "Research and Development", featuring plenty of those 'wrong' notes so often found in 'cute' music. The odd sounds, dissonances, and overall childishness of this makes it, to say the least, an inauspicious beginning.

"Hometown in Autumn" is the closest thing to a leitmotif - it's reprised later on in the game in music box form. It opens a little awkwardly but soon becomes a rather pretty melody. It fits the 'hometown' vibe excellently with its cheery nature. Even so, it could've done with a 'B' section and a slower tempo. (Or even just an extended 'A' section. It's barely twenty seconds long before loop.) "The World of Quintenix" (subtle there with the reference) is also surprisingly pretty, a simple piece admittedly, but unexpectedly beautiful.

"Theme of the Hackers" can best be described as mediocre and predictable. There's nothing of interest here, its attempt at intensity falling tragically flat without any form of percussion to back it up. "Robots vs Hackers" is, I can only assume, the battle theme, but to be honest it sounds more like one of those tracks you'd hear in a side content carnival game. Underdeveloped, and irritating.

Coming in as my favorite track is the shockingly good "Dangerous Places". Observed at first note is that it retains the cartoonish nature of so many of the other tracks. Even so, I found it to be an unexpectedly tense and nervous piece, fitting very well into the function implied by the name. The slower 'B' section is to the benefit of the whole by providing contrast with the nervous 'A' section.

Alas, "Deep Underground" is one of the irritating tracks, its synth brasses jarring and blasting incessantly without rest.

"Super Robot Battle!" reminds me of classic rock 'n' roll tracks in its guitar-like phrases and melodies, but it is, curiously, not on any electric guitar whatsoever. Even so, it's another short and underdeveloped track, not even half a minute long.

Serving in the role of the dull ambient track is the oppressive, plodding, and downright dreary "Count Prinky's Mansion", a track whose only redeeming feature is its melody, and whose sole redeeming feature is compromised by synth patch choice.

"A Long Time Ago" is a welcome relief after three mediocre tracks as it is better developed and longer, and its lead instrument choice of clarinet makes it rather distinctive. It's well-written, too, despite occasional awkward synth patch choice. "Tropical Paradise", if it had the steel drums, would sound exactly as you'd expect it too. "Beneath the Lava" (again with the 'doo' voice patch!) is another of the longer tracks. The jarring brass is grating on the ears, unfortunately.

"High in the Sky" is dark, if again irritating. "Programmers' Computer" is one of the few tracks to last more than a minute before looping. It's a good thing, too, better developed, more listenable. It's a surprisingly cheerful track, despite its bleak opening. Yoda clearly does better with longer tracks.

"Music Box of Memories" reprises "Hometown in Autumn" (curiously lacking a counterpart for the other three seasons, but who am I to question the nomenclature of Zophar's Domain) and it's surprisingly beautiful, despite Yoda taking the music box far lower in range than it should be (and it's not a pleasant sound).

"Beyond the Stars" is tragically awkward, its brassy nature odd to listen to, the trumpets seemingly not written with any thought towards playing it with its rapid notes (perhaps by tonguing?) and in any case it's not a very nice sound. "Futuristic World in Peril" hardly sounds perilous - it's a waltz which starts out in major key, even if it becomes more dissonant. Regardless, a waltz does not strike me as perilous.

One of the better tracks is "Hackers' Supreme Fortress", another dark dungeon track. It's unmemorable but for its bass note running throughout the track. "Gateau ~ Master of Time" will irritate with its running high ostinato and continuously blasting orchestra hits. A battle theme? An intense carnival game tune? Who knows.

From a hat struggling to turn out a track which loops at any quantity of time above the minute mark is "Quiet Victory" which shows that, yes, Yoda is a talented composer when she puts her mind to it. It's a beautiful track, melancholy, yet triumphant - only 1:30, yes, but it's complete. It leaves me satisfied. Finally, there's "Staff Roll" with its unusual Japanese flavoring. Another short track, mind.

It's impossible not to be disappointed. Koshiro in ActRaiser 2 seemingly forgets everything that made the first game so good - the orchestration, even, misses out - the horn lines I so loved in "Industen" are almost certainly unplayable in their great length. It's a dull, uninteresting listen. 5.2 out of 10, and that's only because "Mini Boss" is so excellent.

Robotrek on the other hand is an entirely different beast. It's almost never a dull, uninteresting listen - merely an irritating one. There are shades of quality, areas of perspective, but these are the tiniest of hints, probably invisible (if not illusory) for many listeners. Poor instrument choice mars almost the entirety of it; and unlike in other scores the underlying quality of the music can't redeem it because the underlying quality is missing. Only "Hometown in Autumn", "Dangerous Places", and "Quiet Victory" are any good - and while I think I can recommend "Dangerous Places" to the listener, I'd hesitate to say you should spend your time on even the other two I liked, much less the entire score. 4.6 out of 10: an irritating, frustrating, underdeveloped score.