I'll second the Grandia mention. Too many people overlook that game and score in general. Amazing music.
I guess the first Suikoden is an obvious pick for me. Also Tenchu (PS1) and Soul Blade. They all sound great.
I've always thought that my Star Ocean 2 soundtrack album (First Smile) sounded very crisp and clean. An extra note in "Walk Over" still throws me off because I never noticed it in all my playthroughs of the game.
On a side note, I used to think it a slight knock that Sakuraba's music sounded a little samey in terms of the samples, but when I think about how boring Valkyrie Profile 2's soundtrack turned out to be (I played through the game and only one track caught my interest...one track!!!), I have a greater appreciation for the crispness and potency of his Star Ocean 2 and VP1 (and energy for this one....has to be said) soundtracks in particular.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GoldfishX
Most Yasunori Mitsuda stuff: Until recently, I had Mitsuda pegged as the most overrated VGM composer. But I dig his sense of melody and the production on his albums helps to add a lot of warmth.
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He's still overrated, though. Just perhaps not "the most", I suppose. People are so enamored with his style that they think other notable composers don't measure up somehow. It's been a long time since I've debated these things on message boards, however. Maybe people aren't as exceedingly high on him as they used to be.
All that being said, I can't deny the man's talent for making music that just sounds good. Soft, lush, and pretty would all apply to Chrono Cross in particular. I just don't always find soft, lush, and pretty to be the most engaging or resonant sort of music. But it does sound good.