Final Fantasy XIII had not one but two OSTs released: the main OST and an OST PLUS with extra tracks. There's also a piano collections album and even two vinyl releases. You can find out everything here.
Composer: Masashi Hamauzu
Arrangers: Masashi Hamauzu, Mitsuto Suzuki, Ryo Yamazaki, Junya Nakano
Catalog #: SQEX-10183~6
Length: 4:03:26
Tracks: 85, on 4 discs
Release Date: 27 January 2010
In a Final Fantasy first, the English release of the game had a different theme song: Leona Lewis's "My Hands" rather than Sayuri Sugawara's "Kimi ga Iru Kara." Lewis's song does not appear on any official soundtrack, but is on her second album.
Personally, I really enjoy FFXIII's music — I think it has a really unique sound in the FF series, largely due to Hamauzu's position as composer. While Hamauzu had worked on previous soundtracks in the series (FFX, in particular), I think the FFXIII series is where Hamauzu's work really came to the forefront. Cocoon and Pulse each have a very distinct sound, and though both the game and soundtrack are long, the music is never dull.
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Composer: Masashi Hamauzu
Arrangers: Masashi Hamauzu, Mitsuto Suzuki, Ryo Yamazaki, Junya Nakano
Catalog #: SQEX-10192
Length: 50:08
Tracks: 16, on 1 disc
Release Date: 26 May 2010
In recent years, Square Enix has taken to releasing PLUS soundtracks containing tracks that didn't make the cut for the actual soundtrack, were used as bonus tracks in the game or part of DLC, or were part of promotional material. Either they're trying to milk us for money or they realize that I have an undying need to fill my iTunes library with as much FF music as I possibly can. You decide.
Personally I find this album okay, but not stellar. I really like the instrumental version of "The Gapra Whitewood," and this version of "Defiers of Fate," but aside from those I don't find these versions remarkable enough to stand out from the originals. If you're not wild about FFXIII's music, give it a pass. The FF Wiki has a translation of Hamauzu's liner notes on the tracks.
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Composer: Masashi Hamauzu
Arrangers: Masashi Hamauzu
Catalog #: SQEX-10196
Length: 45:09
Tracks: 10, on 1 disc
Release Date: 21 July 2010
Just about every FF game has had a piano album; FFXIII is no different. This particular album was performed by Aki Kuroda, who also performed the FFX Piano Collections album. A sheet music book for this album has been released.
If you like piano music and FFXIII music, you'll probably enjoy this album. All of the piano collections are great; this one is no different.
Piano Collections |
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Composer: Masashi Hamauzu
Arrangers: Masashi Hamauzu, Mitsuto Suzuki, Ryo Yamazaki, Yoshihisa Hirano
Catalog #: SE-M0001
Length: 32:06
Tracks: 8, on 1 vinyl
Release Date: 26 February 2010
Now here's a unique release. Vinyls are a bygone thing in this day and age, and the idea of a game like FFXIII having its music released on vinyl is almost alien — and yet here it is. It's clearly an experiment, and I don't know how well it sold, but I think it's neat that they gave it a shot.
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Composer: Masashi Hamauzu
Arrangers: Masashi Hamauzu, Toshiyuki Oomori, Yoshihisa Hirano, Toru Tabei
Catalog #: SE-M0002
Length: 22:34
Tracks: 8, on 1 vinyl
Release Date: 30 June 2010
So, months after I put this page together, I discovered that there was actually a second vinyl album released some six months after the first. Interestingly, Square is continuing to put out various albums in their catalog in vinyl. It seems that this brief experiment with FFXIII has paid off for them.
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