Etrian Odyssey II Secret Character Revealed: Tetsujin Masaharu Morimoto! (Review)

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Okay, not really, but the recently released Sekaiju no MeiQ² *shoou no seihai* SUPER ARRANGE VERSION album does feature a track that sounds similar to the music used in the classic Japanese television show Iron Chef. Maybe the game will feature an Iron Chef-inspired cooking mini-game?

The album as a whole sports some impressive production values thanks to Norihiko Hibino and his company, GEM Impact, who contribute extensively to the track list alongside an all-star cast of composers who tackle Yuzo Koshiro’s original score for Etrian Odyssey II. Who are these culinary—I mean… musical masters, you may ask?

Find out after the jump!

The track I’ve been referring to comes courtesy of Gem Impact’s own Yoshitaka Suzuki, titled “Town – Those Who Will Carve their Name in Legends,” featuring a grand orchestral sound with marching percussion. Norihiko Hibino himself follows up with beautiful acoustic guitars and piano in the blissful “Labyrinth I – Woodland Ruins.” Kenichiro Fukui of The Black Mages takes on “Battlefield – The First Campaign” with blazing synth and bass lines which lead into a rockin’ guitar solo midway through. SEGA composer H. serves up some big band jazz with “Battlefield – The First Campaign,” treading on Hibino’s territory with impressive results.

The emotional side of me really digs Rebecca Evans’ serene vocal work on “Labyrinth IV – Cherry Tree Bridge,” arranged by GEM Impact’s Takahiro Izutani. The Outer Rim band member Jeff Curry delivers fast and furious rock on both “Battlefield – Inspecting the Resounding Weapons” and “Battlefield – Shiver,” while Yuzo Koshiro himself orchestrates the final battle theme. The final challenger to join the fray is Motoi Sakuraba with “Battlefield – Scatter About” with his classic progressive rock/orchestral fusion style, closing the album with a bang.

Whether you prefer orchestral, jazz, rock, or ballads, there is something here for everyone. I invite everyone to join me in determining whose composition reigns supreme. The album is available at CD Japan ^[2] and Play Asia ^[3].  Does anyone have any idea why Western game composers can’t get themselves organized enough to put together awesome projects like this?