Praetor refers to a Roman system of rank; there were two Praetors below the Consul. In the game, Praetor refers to the highest-ranking member of the Praetorium, a major theocratic government entity in the story.
@@MarcoMeatball also, I forget if people have recommended this before, but I'd suggest considering Shadow of the Lowlands! It's a town theme in the game and Nintendo published a music video for it performed by the Irish choral ensemble ANÚNA, who originally sung it. Even if you don't react to it, I think it's a very enchanting song.
The important thing here isn’t that he’s a god, it’s that he’s the ACTING god. In other words, he’s a regent, filling on for another entity. There’s a sort of entitlement in that title, it’s not really his role but he still has the authority. This ultimately leads to the question; Is this really the will of Architect? Is all the destruction and chaos brought on by Amalthus ordained by the divine? Do we even want to know? I just want to say that I love your analysis and wish I knew some operatic songs that you could look at. It’s such a unique perspective that I want to see more of.
Talking about clashing, I went to a video game orchetra a few years ago. Myself and a packed theater of nerds, some dressed up, some with props and me with a sonic shirt. Right next to me was an older couple dressed up nice like they go to the opera every week (im pretty sure the husband had a suit that was twice the price of my car lol), they definitely looked out of their element and you could tell they were displeased with the rowdiness of us nerds cheering at the tracks we all recognized. Then it got to the tracks like this from final fantasy and chrono trigger before the intermission and saw both of them awestruck by the music. Decided to strike a conversation with them and they were impressed that video games could have such beautiful music. After discussing music they would ask about each game after that and I would give a quick idea of what the story is and how the music reflects that. They enjoyed the rest of the program after that and I hope they told all their friends to check out video game music lol.
Xenoblade 2 has a lot of great complex villains, and Amalthus is probably my favorite. He's a bit of a tragic figure despite being very much a bad guy. Loved to hear you pick up on some of that just from the music! The motifs in this song are actually introduced before this boss fight in some cutscenes about Amalthus - check out the track called "Past From Far Distance"
@@phantasmalflight3896 and he's written to be the most hateable villain in the game, which to me says they did a fantastic job writing him since I absolutely hate his guts
PLEASE. That is one of the best boss themes in any game. Before I played Xenoblade 2, I never thought I could say that about a song that has no semblance of speed or fast energy.
Something interesting to note is that the track 'Over Despair and Animus' from the prequel story Torna: The Golden Country is at least a partial remix of this one, and it's used to great effect. Without saying too much, 'Animus' is the boss theme for a prequel villain who think's they're acting independently but is being indirectly manipulated by Amalthus, and the strangely playful nature of 'Animus' highlights that pretty well as said villain genuinely doesn't understand the true magnitude of what's going on but is still _incredibly_ dangerous.
"And it was because of the despair, that the man named Amalthus felt. His despair, is what brought about all this..." "You're weak, old man. The weakest of us all. So why did you look so sad back then? That was you too, once, wasn't it?" "I seem to recall once seeing a very similar scene. Perhaps that too, was one face of humanity." "Oh Architect! I should have been your chosen one!! I lived as you wanted me too! I did! I always- ugh. ...Father? Why do you not answer when I call?" "Mother, I've.. missed.... you." Amalthus is one of those villains that you love to hate, while still understanding how he eventually got to the place he did, and even feeling sorry for him. He also has a very impressive hat. Thanks for the reaction, love the way you structure your impressions and analysis of the music.
Amalthus is like a High Priest/Pope that rules over the Indoline Praetorium (Holy See), a religious state (also a titan) with a beautiful city and where the people worship titans. Indol is also a home to many refugees from dying titans and wars. I think that this track already gives a good idea of how this seemingly good religious man turns out to be. Wholeheartedly recommend playing the game, a grand adventure awaits!
I love your first comment because when you only have the music to inform you that's EXACTLY what he sounds like. In reality hes nothing more than a high priest who killed and stole to get to that place of power, but he sees himself the way the music portrays him; the acting god, larger than life and in control of the gears that make the clock turn
This song is insanely good, and yet it's not even in the top half of songs in the game (for my tastes anyway). Looking forward to more of your Xenoblade music reactions!
I really hope you listen to "Drifting Soul" from Xenoblade Chronicles 2 eventually. It's one of my favorite songs in the game. It's used in quite a few scenes, but it's always impactful. There's just so many good things about it, and I would love to hear your thoughts on it. Unfortunately can't support you on Patreon at the moment for a guaranteed request, but hopefully you'll see this and decide to listen it in the future!
We should get Marco to listen to the most unforgettable song in this game. I’m obviously referring to the battle theme while fighting Ardanian soldiers.
Without getting into spoiler territory, the song's title includes "acting god" because Amalthus thinks that he has the authority to carry out what he assumes to be a god's will.
I hope you do decide to give these games another chance, they're my favorites of all time (especially Xenoblade Definitive Edition, pure masterpiece right there lol)
So, one thing I find to be really cool about the title of this track is that "The Acting God" is used in a similar vein as "The Acting President". The character who this theme is used for is not a god, but a deeply religious person who was upset by God's inaction and decided that they should take over the role, micro managing every single facet of society in order to make a world that they thought would be fit in the eyes of God. This piece really reminds me of the dark, romantic period of classical from the 1800s and very early 1900s and it even contains a quote from Holst's Jupiter. This especially tickles my brain because Jupiter, a stand in for Zeus, is often seen as the leader of the Gods in pop culture, but anyone familiar with the myths that feature him would know that he is a very flawed man and a slave to his own vices, which makes the use very fitting for the Praetor. Someone with the powers of God, but the illogical vices of a man.
Whenever a game OST with Yasunori Mitsuda or PROCYON STUDIO attached has music pieces that are of this caliber of orchestration, they are almost always the work of Mariam Abounnasr. Mitsuda likely sketches out the themes and melodies on keyboard, but Abounnasr puts the work in on the orchestrations. As someone who data-mines OST booklets, I can testify her name is everywhere whenever a piece of music has full chorus and orchestra and Richard Strauss has a cameo.
Man I duno what it is but I weirdly have a thing for loving a voilin or anything really in the back. In this the voilin in the back at the start just does magic for me. The brass in this is also amazing and totally agree with Marco on feeling like were in a storm and feeling like a serious threat/the theme is about a villian.
So happy to see some appreciation thrown towards this song, always felt a tad underrated among the rest of the soundtrack. Gotta recommend you check out Eyes that Gaze into the Nexus ~ The Ones who Gather Stars in the Night, which is the final boss theme from Bravely Default 2, and has a killer vocal lead
Thank you so much for this.. could you do walking with you/desolation? They are essentially the same song with the same melody but desolation is a piano version. One of my favourite tracks in the game. Also thank you so much for covering this series' music, I love it so much
Oh, you gotta react to "Death Match with Torna". Idk, you might have heard this one in-game already, but it slaps. This song right here is another one of my favourites. They hired a choir from Pague to do most of the singing, and an ensemble group that did, as far as I know, four songs. They even made a music video.
XC2 had so many good songs, I can't really pick my favorites out... and by now I've forgotten most of the names. I just remember really liking both the day and night themes of the small little island before the praetorium island, as well as those two a cappella songs on the actual praetorium island (Our Eternal Land and We Are the Chosen Ones)... among many others! Oh how I wish I would've gotten my hands on that limited edition OST, 6 CDs in a cool box. Oh well :P
What is impressive is that without having played far enough to know any of these things, you get the correct understanding of the characters and story just from the music. That speaks of a great composer and a great listener.
Just beat the first game and I’ve been thinking about playing the second one soon since the third is coming out in the near future. Music like this is making that decision easier for sure
Second game is great, some don’t like the anime style or cliche, but it was my first xenoblade and did not disappoint at all. The story was a great progression and it’s resolution was beautiful
If you really dislike common anime tropes, then I can’t recommend it as much as I would like to. Particularly, some of the character designs-the game definitely earns its rating. An amazing experience though (provided you don’t have parents or siblings to wander in at random points. There are a few scenes that would make the players look like total degenerates for playing “that kind” of game, when taken out of context.)
Oh please continue your experience with Xenoblade 2! I would die to see your opinions on the music with the background knowledge of the game. I think it would make an interesting video to have an in-depth look at the significance of these tracks. The techniques being used to convey that moment, the use of instruments, etc.
Now I know I am the 100th+ person here to recommend a track from Xenoblade to you but ‘Battle! Torna’ is a track all universally agree on being probably the best. It is a normal battle theme against random monsters, not even something special which means you get to hear it a lot but that’s good since it has one of the longest loops ever (over 4 minutes). When Characters from Xenoblade 2 where added to Smash Bros everyone in every reaction I watched wanted to track in and where excited when it actually happened so yeah.
I was out here thinking jazz was just moderately upbeat saxophone at it’s most intense, but ever since I was told this piece is jazz, my view on the genre has changed. Although to be fair you don’t usually see violin and piano together in jazz
Honnestly I wuld love to see you doo a letsplay of xenoblade. Just all of them to be honnest. They are amazing rollecosters of story. The first one pretty much flipps the script on its head 3 times.
Ya really should try and play both Xenoblade Definitive Edition and Xenoblade 2 all the way through, you'll come to appreciate the music even more than you already do once ya have the context for where each track plays
Omg please more Xenoblade 2 reactions, and just the fact that you even try to find out things about the Boss battle or things that are Happening separates you from other reaction
Would love to hear your take on Xenoblade 2's softer choral themes - "Ever Come to an End / Shadow of the Lowland" and "We Are the Chosen Ones / Our Eternal Land." Both of those are paired, the same base song but re-arranged for female or male voices respectively, using the day/night area themes Xenoblade 2 thrives on. As a choir kid all through high school they're my jam and I'd love to hear what a professional singer has to say about them.
I'm sure someone already recommended that soundtrack to you but you will love soundtrack to both games: Ori and the blind forest and Ori and the will of wisps. A relatively simple platforming games with absolutely stunning visuals and music.
I just spent fifteen minutes commenting a whole essay on it, I hope he notices. Ori and the Will of the Wisps is (in my opinion) one of, if not the best, way to spend $60 on a video game.
As much as I like this piece, I'm totally lost to "The Power of Jin". I'm sure someone will suggest that one eventually!! 😄🙌 If you're interested in the story side of the game, I'm sure there are "movie" versions available somewhere on TH-cam. It's not easy to give 100+ hours to one game :P one of my best friends' trying to play from start to finish for the third time 🤣 let's see if he'll complete it this time.
I wish your friend luck! I actually decided to do something similar and just wrapped up that playthrough in less than 30 hours. If you know what you're doing, you can go through the game pretty quickly
@@conorb.1901 Thanks, he's pretty committed this time ;) and he doesn't play like me, mind you xD I can't leave no stone unturned, even going circles around the objective and then get back to it 🤣
@@dffagundo I was just rushing because I wanted to finish up the playthrough before Xenoblade Chronicles 3 comes out. I've already done most of the sidequests and things on my ng+ file, this most recent playthrough was just for a refresher on why this masterpiece is my favorite game of all time.
@@conorb.1901 Yeah, he has the same reason for doing it right now hahahahah. I've played both games around their launch time frames for Switch, and not much else to play at the time 😜
Any time you react to amazing music from a franchise I haven't played yet, my wallet starts trembling. Also Day eighteen, two, of recommending Stay Gold from the Arknights OST
Yasunori Mistuda delivered hit after hit in this soundtrack, even being one of the least present composers of the bunch. I'm about to finish the last fight (I've died a few times yesterday) and I swear every piece I enjoy ended up being his!
8:54 It's amazing that your interpretations here are pretty accurate from just listening to the music without knowing the actual context - just goes to show what an amazing job the composers did by crafting this soundtrack deliberately to not just accommodate but actively support the story telling.
@@MarcoMeatball actually "The One They Call the Witch" commonly gets mixed up with "Daughter of the Dark God" because they have the same melody. "The One They Call the Witch" is the stronger one with the bigger opera part
In story, this is a boss fight against the game's main villain. Someone who has seen the world's evils, and is disgusted by them. He believes that he is divine - an ambassador of the world's deity, the Architect. He is someone who truly wishes to watch the world die a slow, painful death, by his own hands if it comes to it - and thinks that his god wishes the same. The point where you fight him is right before the party reaches "Elysium," a mythical land that the player's party hopes could circumvent the world's decay. A land that could solve the world's current crisis of dwindling land and resources. So, on one side - you have a man driven by despair. One who balks at the world's condition, and believes humanity is beyond saving. That it is his divine right to deliver judgement upon all. On the other, you have a group who believes that, yes, despite the evils committed by humanity, the good is worth saving. While evil may fester, the good will ultimately continue to manifest. This is the main idea of the game - the clash of "despair" and "hope." One who believes the world isn't worth saving, and one that argues that it is. This fight is pretty much the culmination of that theme - the ultimatum of despair, vs the piercing light of hope. There's a bit more to it, but that's the gist.
It’s kind of funny, thinking about it-taken that way, this actually feels a lot more like a final boss. You do have to essentially stop the other main villain from nuking the planet with a superweapon, but I’m pretty sure that said villain is just bat-s**t crazy at that point.
Hi. I highly recommend you to listen to Roxas' Theme from Kingdom Hearts 2 (the orchestral version). That game has a lot of potential with his soudtracks.
If you haven’t heard of it, I’d recommend with every cell in my body taking a look at the soundtracks from Ori and the Blind Forest or Ori and the Will of The Wisps. Aside from being one of the best games I have ever played, the orchestration is absolutely beautiful. Everything from the main theme to the final boss is amazing, and has a ton of music and game theory stuff to analyze. Some of my favorite tracks would have to be “Dashing and Bashing” and “Shriek and Ori” (the final boss theme). I’d recommend listening to the main theme before anything else though-the motif is used a lot throughout the whole OST. Since I don’t actually have the means to financially support for a request, the best I can do is to pray that this comment is taken into consideration. But just know that if I could do an official request, I would in a heartbeat.
You're pretty close Amalthus basically put himself on a pedestal he's the acting good because he sees himself as above others but then we fight and we prove he isn't the god he isn't the fate of this world Rex and the Aegis is
If he’s played 30 hours, he’s definitely heard it. It plays in a cutscene near the end of the first chapter. I can still hear Malos’ and Pyra’s lines as the the main theme comes in (mainly because of how frustrated I was with how close it was to living up perfectly with the music)
I would like you to react to "Malos" from Xenoblades Chronicles 2 : Torna the Golden Country after this one. It would be interesting to see your reaction for the song.
That’s “Lost in Thoughts All Alone” right? ‘Cause that song is engraved in my brain from Smash Bros. Ultimate World of Light (story mode). The number of Fire Rmblem-related fights that use that song is ridiculous
"In a way it feels like we're in a storm. [sings the motive from Kushala Daora's theme from Monster Hunter]" Actually surprised there haven't been any MH tracks here yet (or I've missed them), come to think of it.
If you want some insane stuff to react and analyze... I'd say you should look at the different main themes from Final Fantasy XIV (14) and ESPECIALLY to the one of the Heavensward Expansion, I don't thave the titles in mind, but IF you feel interested I'd gladly go and gather them. sorry for posting it twice under videos, but I wasn't careful and didn't see the date under God Shattering Star until it was too late.
If you don't mind XC2 spoilers... here's what this song is. Amalthus is like the world's religious leader, and is extremely powerful politically. He also kind of hates himself and life in general. You can probably see where this is going. He believes himself to be the servant of God (the architect), and does everything to serve him. He uses this to justify horrible crimes. Near the end of the game, Amalthus almost loses his mind, and becomes an ultra-powerful almost-diety like being. This is the song that plays when you fight him in this crazed state It's one of my favorite battles in the game.
Hello Marco, i love your videos, have you though to react retro game ost, there is a few song than got remastered, even orchestrated, Zero Two Kirby Boss fight for example. Keep it up with the XC2 and FE3H songs, i love them. Bye
This theme is a more exciting climatic version of the theme "Past From Far Distance" which uses a choir as its main element. Befitting the religious themes of that part of the game. th-cam.com/video/tvpLYZg5LO4/w-d-xo.html.
Cool analysis. I'd say, do yourself a favor and play both games. XBC2 has a lot of, as you said, roaming through the countryside. Perhaps one of its not-best things is that the "epicness" and true exquisiteness doesn't build until late in the game, so on those 30+ hours you probably only lived the more light and casual of the story. The first title is good from the get go to the very end, which in my opinion was better management of the story development.That said however, both are great games.
Please, consider continuing playing the game after this break. It will definitely blow your mind! The music, the Lore, everything about this game is amazing! Amalthus, in his interior, was just a kid missing his mother, he is that kind of villain that you can simpathize with. His hatred for the world, and humans brought him to corruption, and the moment that this music plays is the moment he reaches Apotheosis. But in the end, he is reunited with his long lost mother, and it was up to Rex, to bring Malos down.
Please, consider continue playing the game after this break. It will definitely blow your mind! The music, the Lore, everything about this game is amazing! Amalthus, in his interior, was just a kid missing his mother, he is that kind of villain that you can simpathize with. His hatred for the world, and humans brought him to corruption, and the moment that this music plays is the moment he reaches Apotheosis. But in the end, he is reunited with his long lost mother, and it was up to Rex, to bring Malos down.
Praetor refers to a Roman system of rank; there were two Praetors below the Consul. In the game, Praetor refers to the highest-ranking member of the Praetorium, a major theocratic government entity in the story.
Well that’s good to know 😆🤗
@@MarcoMeatball also, I forget if people have recommended this before, but I'd suggest considering Shadow of the Lowlands! It's a town theme in the game and Nintendo published a music video for it performed by the Irish choral ensemble ANÚNA, who originally sung it. Even if you don't react to it, I think it's a very enchanting song.
There's Praetorium in FFXIV ... I'd wondered how to properly pronounce that. 🙂
So if Praetors are below Consuls does that mean Consul Dughall is politically above Amalthus lmao
@@painoman5083 Oh, dear ^^
The important thing here isn’t that he’s a god, it’s that he’s the ACTING god. In other words, he’s a regent, filling on for another entity. There’s a sort of entitlement in that title, it’s not really his role but he still has the authority. This ultimately leads to the question; Is this really the will of Architect? Is all the destruction and chaos brought on by Amalthus ordained by the divine? Do we even want to know?
I just want to say that I love your analysis and wish I knew some operatic songs that you could look at. It’s such a unique perspective that I want to see more of.
Talking about clashing, I went to a video game orchetra a few years ago. Myself and a packed theater of nerds, some dressed up, some with props and me with a sonic shirt. Right next to me was an older couple dressed up nice like they go to the opera every week (im pretty sure the husband had a suit that was twice the price of my car lol), they definitely looked out of their element and you could tell they were displeased with the rowdiness of us nerds cheering at the tracks we all recognized. Then it got to the tracks like this from final fantasy and chrono trigger before the intermission and saw both of them awestruck by the music. Decided to strike a conversation with them and they were impressed that video games could have such beautiful music. After discussing music they would ask about each game after that and I would give a quick idea of what the story is and how the music reflects that. They enjoyed the rest of the program after that and I hope they told all their friends to check out video game music lol.
That’s amazing
Xenoblade 2 has a lot of great complex villains, and Amalthus is probably my favorite. He's a bit of a tragic figure despite being very much a bad guy. Loved to hear you pick up on some of that just from the music!
The motifs in this song are actually introduced before this boss fight in some cutscenes about Amalthus - check out the track called "Past From Far Distance"
Amalthus is absolutely the most hateable villain in the game
@@phantasmalflight3896 and he's written to be the most hateable villain in the game, which to me says they did a fantastic job writing him since I absolutely hate his guts
If you liked that song I highly recommend listening to "after despair and hope", it's the final battle theme for XC2 and its absolutely beautiful
That is hands down one of my favourite songs in the game.
PLEASE. That is one of the best boss themes in any game. Before I played Xenoblade 2, I never thought I could say that about a song that has no semblance of speed or fast energy.
I HIGHLY recommend you check out Drifting Soul from XC2. It's my favorite character theme I've ever heard.
Something interesting to note is that the track 'Over Despair and Animus' from the prequel story Torna: The Golden Country is at least a partial remix of this one, and it's used to great effect. Without saying too much, 'Animus' is the boss theme for a prequel villain who think's they're acting independently but is being indirectly manipulated by Amalthus, and the strangely playful nature of 'Animus' highlights that pretty well as said villain genuinely doesn't understand the true magnitude of what's going on but is still _incredibly_ dangerous.
"And it was because of the despair, that the man named Amalthus felt. His despair, is what brought about all this..."
"You're weak, old man. The weakest of us all. So why did you look so sad back then? That was you too, once, wasn't it?"
"I seem to recall once seeing a very similar scene. Perhaps that too, was one face of humanity."
"Oh Architect! I should have been your chosen one!! I lived as you wanted me too! I did! I always- ugh. ...Father? Why do you not answer when I call?"
"Mother, I've.. missed.... you."
Amalthus is one of those villains that you love to hate, while still understanding how he eventually got to the place he did, and even feeling sorry for him. He also has a very impressive hat.
Thanks for the reaction, love the way you structure your impressions and analysis of the music.
"I often wonder if we are growing as a people... or in fact, regressing."
Man was on to something far beyond his own scope...
@@Argorox might want to put a spoiler warning above that
Amalthus is like a High Priest/Pope that rules over the Indoline Praetorium (Holy See), a religious state (also a titan) with a beautiful city and where the people worship titans. Indol is also a home to many refugees from dying titans and wars. I think that this track already gives a good idea of how this seemingly good religious man turns out to be.
Wholeheartedly recommend playing the game, a grand adventure awaits!
I love your first comment because when you only have the music to inform you that's EXACTLY what he sounds like. In reality hes nothing more than a high priest who killed and stole to get to that place of power, but he sees himself the way the music portrays him; the acting god, larger than life and in control of the gears that make the clock turn
This song is insanely good, and yet it's not even in the top half of songs in the game (for my tastes anyway). Looking forward to more of your Xenoblade music reactions!
I really hope you listen to "Drifting Soul" from Xenoblade Chronicles 2 eventually. It's one of my favorite songs in the game. It's used in quite a few scenes, but it's always impactful. There's just so many good things about it, and I would love to hear your thoughts on it.
Unfortunately can't support you on Patreon at the moment for a guaranteed request, but hopefully you'll see this and decide to listen it in the future!
and most importantly, Drifting Soul's lyrics have a ton of deep lore hidden in them. Actually, all the songs with lyrics do.
Drifting Soul was great, but the final cutscene theme (“One Last You” I believe it’s called) is a pretty tough song to beat.
@@xraenon1664 especially when you realise what the lyrics mean.
We should get Marco to listen to the most unforgettable song in this game.
I’m obviously referring to the battle theme while fighting Ardanian soldiers.
You meant this song? I would love to see him react to that too. th-cam.com/video/rmnZ0R8quWM/w-d-xo.html
DON'T FORGET ME
THINK YOU CAN TAKE ME?
The praetor in this game is like the pope
I would love seeing you react to Zanza the divine, Tragic decision or Agniratha from xenoblade chronicles definitive edition truly masterpieces
Without getting into spoiler territory, the song's title includes "acting god" because Amalthus thinks that he has the authority to carry out what he assumes to be a god's will.
The amount of care and passion they put into these games and the music is incredible. I can't wait for XC3
I hope you do decide to give these games another chance, they're my favorites of all time (especially Xenoblade Definitive Edition, pure masterpiece right there lol)
So, one thing I find to be really cool about the title of this track is that "The Acting God" is used in a similar vein as "The Acting President". The character who this theme is used for is not a god, but a deeply religious person who was upset by God's inaction and decided that they should take over the role, micro managing every single facet of society in order to make a world that they thought would be fit in the eyes of God.
This piece really reminds me of the dark, romantic period of classical from the 1800s and very early 1900s and it even contains a quote from Holst's Jupiter. This especially tickles my brain because Jupiter, a stand in for Zeus, is often seen as the leader of the Gods in pop culture, but anyone familiar with the myths that feature him would know that he is a very flawed man and a slave to his own vices, which makes the use very fitting for the Praetor. Someone with the powers of God, but the illogical vices of a man.
Whenever a game OST with Yasunori Mitsuda or PROCYON STUDIO attached has music pieces that are of this caliber of orchestration, they are almost always the work of Mariam Abounnasr. Mitsuda likely sketches out the themes and melodies on keyboard, but Abounnasr puts the work in on the orchestrations. As someone who data-mines OST booklets, I can testify her name is everywhere whenever a piece of music has full chorus and orchestra and Richard Strauss has a cameo.
I can't wait for you to listen to Xenoblade Chronicles 3's music. Great video as always, keep doing those! :D
aye i know you(from instagram), nice to see you bro
@@cloudbird761 Hey :D Soon we all get to collect a new Xenoblade-game! Excited?
Man I duno what it is but I weirdly have a thing for loving a voilin or anything really in the back. In this the voilin in the back at the start just does magic for me. The brass in this is also amazing and totally agree with Marco on feeling like were in a storm and feeling like a serious threat/the theme is about a villian.
So happy to see some appreciation thrown towards this song, always felt a tad underrated among the rest of the soundtrack. Gotta recommend you check out Eyes that Gaze into the Nexus ~ The Ones who Gather Stars in the Night, which is the final boss theme from Bravely Default 2, and has a killer vocal lead
Xenoblade chronicles 2 has amazing tracks.
I can especially recommend Indol's theme both day and night
This game probably has the best villains in any game
Thank you so much for this.. could you do walking with you/desolation? They are essentially the same song with the same melody but desolation is a piano version. One of my favourite tracks in the game. Also thank you so much for covering this series' music, I love it so much
Oh, you gotta react to "Death Match with Torna". Idk, you might have heard this one in-game already, but it slaps.
This song right here is another one of my favourites. They hired a choir from Pague to do most of the singing, and an ensemble group that did, as far as I know, four songs. They even made a music video.
XC2 had so many good songs, I can't really pick my favorites out... and by now I've forgotten most of the names. I just remember really liking both the day and night themes of the small little island before the praetorium island, as well as those two a cappella songs on the actual praetorium island (Our Eternal Land and We Are the Chosen Ones)... among many others!
Oh how I wish I would've gotten my hands on that limited edition OST, 6 CDs in a cool box. Oh well :P
What is impressive is that without having played far enough to know any of these things, you get the correct understanding of the characters and story just from the music.
That speaks of a great composer and a great listener.
Just beat the first game and I’ve been thinking about playing the second one soon since the third is coming out in the near future. Music like this is making that decision easier for sure
Second game is great, some don’t like the anime style or cliche, but it was my first xenoblade and did not disappoint at all. The story was a great progression and it’s resolution was beautiful
@@samus8163 the good thing is that the story isn't toed to the designs, so at least it only looks weird lol
If you really dislike common anime tropes, then I can’t recommend it as much as I would like to. Particularly, some of the character designs-the game definitely earns its rating. An amazing experience though (provided you don’t have parents or siblings to wander in at random points. There are a few scenes that would make the players look like total degenerates for playing “that kind” of game, when taken out of context.)
@@xraenon1664 that kind of stuff doesn’t really bother me with how much anime I’ve seen, but I appreciate the heads up
Oh please continue your experience with Xenoblade 2! I would die to see your opinions on the music with the background knowledge of the game. I think it would make an interesting video to have an in-depth look at the significance of these tracks. The techniques being used to convey that moment, the use of instruments, etc.
Now I know I am the 100th+ person here to recommend a track from Xenoblade to you but ‘Battle! Torna’ is a track all universally agree on being probably the best. It is a normal battle theme against random monsters, not even something special which means you get to hear it a lot but that’s good since it has one of the longest loops ever (over 4 minutes). When Characters from Xenoblade 2 where added to Smash Bros everyone in every reaction I watched wanted to track in and where excited when it actually happened so yeah.
I was out here thinking jazz was just moderately upbeat saxophone at it’s most intense, but ever since I was told this piece is jazz, my view on the genre has changed.
Although to be fair you don’t usually see violin and piano together in jazz
Honnestly I wuld love to see you doo a letsplay of xenoblade. Just all of them to be honnest. They are amazing rollecosters of story. The first one pretty much flipps the script on its head 3 times.
Ya really should try and play both Xenoblade Definitive Edition and Xenoblade 2 all the way through, you'll come to appreciate the music even more than you already do once ya have the context for where each track plays
Omg please more Xenoblade 2 reactions, and just the fact that you even try to find out things about the Boss battle or things that are Happening separates you from other reaction
If you need more Xenoblade 2 music I highly recommend Over Despair and Animus! It uses a lot of elements from Praetor Amalthus, the Acting God!
Would love to hear your take on Xenoblade 2's softer choral themes - "Ever Come to an End / Shadow of the Lowland" and "We Are the Chosen Ones / Our Eternal Land." Both of those are paired, the same base song but re-arranged for female or male voices respectively, using the day/night area themes Xenoblade 2 thrives on.
As a choir kid all through high school they're my jam and I'd love to hear what a professional singer has to say about them.
I like how you caught onto, I guess the old part. How they are there from the start type of deal
I'm sure someone already recommended that soundtrack to you but you will love soundtrack to both games: Ori and the blind forest and Ori and the will of wisps. A relatively simple platforming games with absolutely stunning visuals and music.
I just spent fifteen minutes commenting a whole essay on it, I hope he notices. Ori and the Will of the Wisps is (in my opinion) one of, if not the best, way to spend $60 on a video game.
As much as I like this piece, I'm totally lost to "The Power of Jin". I'm sure someone will suggest that one eventually!! 😄🙌
If you're interested in the story side of the game, I'm sure there are "movie" versions available somewhere on TH-cam. It's not easy to give 100+ hours to one game :P one of my best friends' trying to play from start to finish for the third time 🤣 let's see if he'll complete it this time.
a man of culture I see
I wish your friend luck! I actually decided to do something similar and just wrapped up that playthrough in less than 30 hours. If you know what you're doing, you can go through the game pretty quickly
@@conorb.1901 Thanks, he's pretty committed this time ;) and he doesn't play like me, mind you xD
I can't leave no stone unturned, even going circles around the objective and then get back to it 🤣
@@dffagundo I was just rushing because I wanted to finish up the playthrough before Xenoblade Chronicles 3 comes out. I've already done most of the sidequests and things on my ng+ file, this most recent playthrough was just for a refresher on why this masterpiece is my favorite game of all time.
@@conorb.1901 Yeah, he has the same reason for doing it right now hahahahah.
I've played both games around their launch time frames for Switch, and not much else to play at the time 😜
Any time you react to amazing music from a franchise I haven't played yet, my wallet starts trembling.
Also
Day eighteen, two, of recommending Stay Gold from the Arknights OST
Yasunori Mistuda delivered hit after hit in this soundtrack, even being one of the least present composers of the bunch. I'm about to finish the last fight (I've died a few times yesterday) and I swear every piece I enjoy ended up being his!
8:54 It's amazing that your interpretations here are pretty accurate from just listening to the music without knowing the actual context - just goes to show what an amazing job the composers did by crafting this soundtrack deliberately to not just accommodate but actively support the story telling.
YESSSSSSSS this is definitely one of my favorite boss themes in the game it’s so good
One of my favorite characters in Xenoblade 2, such an intriguing character
Could you do a reaction to Daughter of the Dark God from Octopath Traveler? It has a great opera base in it.
Yup!
@@MarcoMeatball actually "The One They Call the Witch" commonly gets mixed up with "Daughter of the Dark God" because they have the same melody. "The One They Call the Witch" is the stronger one with the bigger opera part
@@leahtheanimationfan40 ill have to see which one I’ve recorded
Pray-tor.
noted!
In story, this is a boss fight against the game's main villain. Someone who has seen the world's evils, and is disgusted by them. He believes that he is divine - an ambassador of the world's deity, the Architect. He is someone who truly wishes to watch the world die a slow, painful death, by his own hands if it comes to it - and thinks that his god wishes the same.
The point where you fight him is right before the party reaches "Elysium," a mythical land that the player's party hopes could circumvent the world's decay. A land that could solve the world's current crisis of dwindling land and resources.
So, on one side - you have a man driven by despair. One who balks at the world's condition, and believes humanity is beyond saving. That it is his divine right to deliver judgement upon all.
On the other, you have a group who believes that, yes, despite the evils committed by humanity, the good is worth saving. While evil may fester, the good will ultimately continue to manifest.
This is the main idea of the game - the clash of "despair" and "hope." One who believes the world isn't worth saving, and one that argues that it is. This fight is pretty much the culmination of that theme - the ultimatum of despair, vs the piercing light of hope.
There's a bit more to it, but that's the gist.
It’s kind of funny, thinking about it-taken that way, this actually feels a lot more like a final boss. You do have to essentially stop the other main villain from nuking the planet with a superweapon, but I’m pretty sure that said villain is just bat-s**t crazy at that point.
@@xraenon1664Gameplay final boss vs thematic final boss, I would say.
Please react to Walking With You and Mor Ardain (Roaming the Wastes Daytime). They are two of my favorite songs from Xenoblade 2 ❤
Hi. I highly recommend you to listen to Roxas' Theme from Kingdom Hearts 2 (the orchestral version). That game has a lot of potential with his soudtracks.
I see xenoblade in it, AND it Is an instant like.
If you haven’t heard of it, I’d recommend with every cell in my body taking a look at the soundtracks from Ori and the Blind Forest or Ori and the Will of The Wisps. Aside from being one of the best games I have ever played, the orchestration is absolutely beautiful. Everything from the main theme to the final boss is amazing, and has a ton of music and game theory stuff to analyze. Some of my favorite tracks would have to be “Dashing and Bashing” and “Shriek and Ori” (the final boss theme). I’d recommend listening to the main theme before anything else though-the motif is used a lot throughout the whole OST.
Since I don’t actually have the means to financially support for a request, the best I can do is to pray that this comment is taken into consideration. But just know that if I could do an official request, I would in a heartbeat.
Don’t worry Gavin there’s some ori coming
I'm glad the music is getting you to consider going back to the series. I know it's a big time investment and all, but I feel it's worth it.
You're pretty close Amalthus basically put himself on a pedestal he's the acting good because he sees himself as above others but then we fight and we prove he isn't the god he isn't the fate of this world Rex and the Aegis is
XC2 is easily in my top 5 gaming soundtracks.
YES MY FAVORITE
You really need to react to "Counterattack" from Xeno 2 as well it is for me one of the best songs in the game it's very good
If he’s played 30 hours, he’s definitely heard it. It plays in a cutscene near the end of the first chapter.
I can still hear Malos’ and Pyra’s lines as the the main theme comes in (mainly because of how frustrated I was with how close it was to living up perfectly with the music)
I would like you to react to "Malos" from Xenoblades Chronicles 2 : Torna the Golden Country after this one. It would be interesting to see your reaction for the song.
Ballin
You should listen to Zanza the Divine and The God Slaying Sword from Xenoblade Chronicles 1
I was not a huge fan of XC2 story, but man the music in all 3 games is phenomenal.
You should listen to azuras song from fire emblem fates
That’s “Lost in Thoughts All Alone” right? ‘Cause that song is engraved in my brain from Smash Bros. Ultimate World of Light (story mode). The number of Fire Rmblem-related fights that use that song is ridiculous
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is the best videogame ever.
I highly recommend Maelstrom from Xenoblade 2 as well. Especially if you like themes that evoke roiling waves.
0:08 Did you play 1? Because if not I would recommend playing Definitive Edition and then 2.
I played a bit of 1 but I keep confusing it with 2
"In a way it feels like we're in a storm. [sings the motive from Kushala Daora's theme from Monster Hunter]" Actually surprised there haven't been any MH tracks here yet (or I've missed them), come to think of it.
they're on the way actually.
@@MarcoMeatball Cool!
Ah yes, The God Smurf
I think you gotta look up the pronunciation of praetor too
I did! Sadly it was wrong
If you want some insane stuff to react and analyze... I'd say you should look at the different main themes from Final Fantasy XIV (14) and ESPECIALLY to the one of the Heavensward Expansion, I don't thave the titles in mind, but IF you feel interested I'd gladly go and gather them.
sorry for posting it twice under videos, but I wasn't careful and didn't see the date under God Shattering Star until it was too late.
Will someone please recommend Shiro Sagisu to this man!
If you don't mind XC2 spoilers... here's what this song is. Amalthus is like the world's religious leader, and is extremely powerful politically. He also kind of hates himself and life in general. You can probably see where this is going.
He believes himself to be the servant of God (the architect), and does everything to serve him. He uses this to justify horrible crimes.
Near the end of the game, Amalthus almost loses his mind, and becomes an ultra-powerful almost-diety like being.
This is the song that plays when you fight him in this crazed state
It's one of my favorite battles in the game.
Could you do the song that they sing in the city Plainsong in Horizon: Forbidden West?
Hello Marco, i love your videos, have you though to react retro game ost, there is a few song than got remastered, even orchestrated, Zero Two Kirby Boss fight for example.
Keep it up with the XC2 and FE3H songs, i love them. Bye
Yup :)
Please react to Zanza the devine and God slaying sword from the first Xenoblade game next.
You’re weak, the weakest of us all.
Zeke (one of the playable characters) to Praetor Amalthus
This theme is a more exciting climatic version of the theme "Past From Far Distance" which uses a choir as its main element. Befitting the religious themes of that part of the game. th-cam.com/video/tvpLYZg5LO4/w-d-xo.html.
That’s coming soon
Cool analysis. I'd say, do yourself a favor and play both games. XBC2 has a lot of, as you said, roaming through the countryside. Perhaps one of its not-best things is that the "epicness" and true exquisiteness doesn't build until late in the game, so on those 30+ hours you probably only lived the more light and casual of the story. The first title is good from the get go to the very end, which in my opinion was better management of the story development.That said however, both are great games.
Marco plis reacts to Aria of the soul of Persona 5
Yup! Coming!
One day you will make evry Xenoblade music.
Plz make X music or maybe not because it's with lyrics.
Can you react to penetrator theme from demon souls remake
Please, consider continuing playing the game after this break. It will definitely blow your mind! The music, the Lore, everything about this game is amazing! Amalthus, in his interior, was just a kid missing his mother, he is that kind of villain that you can simpathize with. His hatred for the world, and humans brought him to corruption, and the moment that this music plays is the moment he reaches Apotheosis. But in the end, he is reunited with his long lost mother, and it was up to Rex, to bring Malos down.
Man, don't you see you're spoiling him?
Please, consider continue playing the game after this break. It will definitely blow your mind! The music, the Lore, everything about this game is amazing! Amalthus, in his interior, was just a kid missing his mother, he is that kind of villain that you can simpathize with. His hatred for the world, and humans brought him to corruption, and the moment that this music plays is the moment he reaches Apotheosis. But in the end, he is reunited with his long lost mother, and it was up to Rex, to bring Malos down.
Saying it twice won't make him play the game faster XD.
DMC 5 bury the light and devil trigger is a certified hood classic you should listen, great music.