After the captured trophy of We Love Wizardry there remained a palpable gap in my musical experience which was the music from the rest of the series. Since those were Japan-only releases there was an important hurdle from not having any contacts over there. In fact, the only place I could find them, other than the odd-eBay publication, was Amazon.jp. With the lockdown crisis and the fact that I had already waited, literally, decades, I felt that this year was the time to get hold of them. The thing is that I actually picked up very bad time and the exchange rate hit me hard. I managed to get the three titles I was looking for from a single seller but those amounted to close to $200. If it was not now, when?
Some general observations covering all three discs. These came in great shape with no scratches on their surfaces or jewel cases. The accompanying booklets had some foxing marks and provided the score for some of the tracks. Unexpectedly, two of the three came in with their official stickers (I'm not peeling those off anytime soon) and the other with its obi strip tucked between the pages. All of them played back flawlessly and everything is still performed mostly on synths. The composer is still Kentaro Haneda. There are no LP releases for these titles. There is no release at all for Wizardry IV.
Wizardry II and III
Knight of Diamonds is a hodgepodge of styles assigned to the familiar locations. There's classical, Caribbean, samba and metal. It is also unusual in its having an actual guitarist for a few sections in the fighting in victory themes. I'm at a loss to explain what the composer was going for, but while the result is the least Wizardry-like, it is enjoyable.
When it comes to comparing these two to the gold standard, which is the first installment, these two fall moderately strong in terms of engagement. If I were to compare them to contemporary dungeon synth, some of the current artists surpass what is found in these two offerings. While reservedly good, they should probably not rank high in someone's wish list. The prices they're going for make them even less appealing. I had the urge, and had to go for them, but the experience didn't match the outlay.
 |
| Both of them just good |
Wizardry V
Heart is the one that returns best to the
Proving Grounds roots and in a way can serve as a junior partner to the
flagship We Love Wizardry. In fact, with a couple listens in my previous gaming
experience, I would say this one comes real close to the first suite, maybe
some 7/8 of the way. The selection is very consistent and doesn't sag anywhere.
The music for both the upper and lower levels of the dungeon work quite well
and the information gathering theme is a fun one. It also has the best ending
starting with a good fanfare followed by a medleys of the above-ground
locations in a Final Fantasy fashion, closing the chapter with the best
aftertaste from all the titles of the series I have listened to.
Now, in terms of dungeon synth, the ingenuity of the composer clearly outshines most of the field. This one is one to get hold of. If you can get the duo of We Love Wizardry and Heart, do so. Their scarcity and prices are still obstacles, but if surmounted, these are sure pay off in enjoyment over the years. Ditto, for any of these two singly.
 |
| You'll find nothing better |
0 comments:
Post a Comment