Square Enix has exhibited a tendency to exploit the Latin language — their new marketing campaign consists of utilizing such words in their compiliations and productions. But by attaching the Latin word "Dissidia", meaning "conflict" or "disagreement", to the well-known Final Fantasy brand, Square Enix emphasizes the mythological depth of the game's plotline, as well as its genre-bending status as a "Dynamic Progressive Action Role-Playing Game". "Dissidia", a game developed in celebration of the Final Fantasy saga's 20th anniversary, features extremely high production values, and by revisiting characters and music from throughout the series, the game feels tightly linked to the entire Final Fantasy heritage. These aspects have led to a warm reception in the Japanese market; it was ranked fifth place in the all-time ranking of most purchased PSP games in Japan — not a small feat! If we add the two disc original soundtrack, influenced by the creative minds of ex-Square-icons like Nobuo Uematsu or Hitoshi Sakimoto, it becomes evident that this title is well-rounded in almost every aspect.
Due to the game's aforementioned nature, the Dissidia Final Fantasy Original Soundtrack is filled with new arrangements and original versions of pieces, mainly battle themes, that come from every released part of main Final Fantasy series (so unfortunately, the themes from Final Fantasy Tactics are nonexistent here). Of course, brand new compositions are present as well, but they're definitely in the minority. Takeharu Ishimoto, the soundtrack's main composer and arranger, gained a lot of respect for his work on a soundtrack for Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII. Other significant Square Enix employees Mitsuto Suzuki and Tsuyoshi Sekito lend their talents to the music as well. Suzuki is currently working with Masashi Hamauzu on Final Fantasy XIII while Sekito has arranged Final Fantasy music for The Black Mages' studio albums and the Final Fantasy II remake soundrack. It would seem that such a strong team simply could not let the fans down. While the album is by no means a failure, one's opinion of the work is strictly dependent on subjective inclinations and personal expectations. Additionally, one's view may vary depending on the music's context — the soundtrack's function in-game is vastly different from the feelings evoked when listening to the soundtrack as a separate album.
The Dissidia Final Fantasy Original Soundtrack starts out as dramatically as the game itself. The work of percussion and violins in "Dissidia -opening" is an admirable musical illustration of the game's opening cutscene. Due to its splendor and power of expression, that intro has become one of the best opening movies ever created for any PSP game. The musical themes within this piece, featuring an epic clash of good and evil forces, will be audible many times in the various game menus. Despite the fact that not all of them keep the same high level of intensity (for example, the kettledrums in "Quickening" disturb, instead of supporting the main melodic line), Takeharu Ishimoto has met expectations in his composition of new works.

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