I’ve been playing Final Fantasy XIV for years and absolutely love Masayoshi Soken’s music — almost every track in the game’s soundtrack hits the mark for me. Because of that, I assumed most Final Fantasy fans appreciated his work, but after seeing some mixed opinions regarding his role in the upcoming Final Fantasy XVII, I’m curious about the broader community’s views. Especially from players who are more familiar with games like Final Fantasy XVI and might have different feelings. What are your general thoughts on Soken as a composer and his future in the series?
5 Answers
Honestly, I loved the soundtrack of XVI too, but if we’re talking about future mainline entries, I’d personally like to see composers like Hamauzu return or maybe the fresh sound from Keiichi Okabe. Also, I prefer the classic main FF theme and prelude to be reserved mostly for credits rather than woven through scenes like in XVI — gives more room for new, original music to shine.
I’ve thought Soken has some great tracks, but for XVII, I’d be okay if he stuck to XIV and let someone else step up. Given Uematsu isn’t interested anymore, I get why Soken is the logical pick, but it could be nice to see some fresh talent take a shot. Mitsuto Suzuki, for example, has done some consistently amazing work and might be worth a chance as lead composer.
I love Soken’s music overall, especially his XIV work which really lets him stretch his wings with diverse styles — from powerful raid tracks to chill night themes. XVI’s soundtrack was good but seemed a bit restrained; maybe the direction limited some of his usual genre bending. But he’s definitely top tier and I’d be excited if he delivers a fully creative soundtrack for future main titles.
As a longtime XIV player, I generally trust Soken’s work a lot. His skill with leitmotifs and stylistic variety really stands out in XIV’s music. Even if some people don’t vibe with all his pieces, his strengths in emotional depth and genre-blending are really impressive.
Soken is absolutely fantastic! I really admire his work on XIV, and I think his range and creativity there are unmatched. Still, I think it’d be cool if he focused on XIV and another composer like Ishimoto got to take the reins for XVII. Keeping things fresh by mixing composers can bring new vibes to the series.
