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Ace Combat 2 Original Sound Invitation :: Review by Chris
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Album Title: | Ace Combat 2 Original Sound Invitation |
| Record Label: | Sony Computer Entertainment | |
| Catalog No.: | SCEG-765 | |
| Release Date: | December 20, 1997 | |
| Purchase: | Buy at eBay |
Overview
The PlayStation's Ace Combat 2 is an exception among the series' titles in that it received no true soundtrack release. In some respects, this is unfortunate since the game marked the crucial point when the music for the franchise transitioned from primitive Arcade music to more ambitious console sounds. That said, the music sounded very different to the orchestral sound now associated the series, with a focus placed on upbeat rock and funk fusions instead. The Ace Combat 2 Original Sound Invitation features arrangements of three of the themes from the soundtrack using live instruments.
Body
The opener "Invitation to Ace Combat 2" reflects many of the flaws once again. Right from the start, Hiroshi Okubo and Tetsukazu Nakanishi focus on getting a strong rhythm going using rocking rhythm guitar riffs; however, the riffs actually sound quite rhythmically stale in part due to their excessive repetition and cheesy implementation. The funk guitar lead only adds to the very dated sound given the instrument used and the generic pseudo-elaborate improvisation. The second track "Night Butterfly" is a very simple variation on these ideas, once again using rock backing and semi-acoustic funk leads. Nobuhide Isayama seems to bring nothing new to the theme and just offers a pale imitation of an already dubious idea.
That said, these arrangements have a couple of things going for them. For one, "Invitation..." is a little catchy at times even though most of the ideas fall flat. The melody from the 0:55 mark is particularly enjoyable and nicely supported. In addition, both arrangements offer development, each lasting till the 5:30 mark. The saving grace of "Night Butterfly" is an acoustic guitar solo from the 1:20 mark that brings a lot of warmth and humanity to an otherwise aseptic track. There are also some sections with a little more rhythmical edge and a subtle rumba influence is apparent in some places. While "Invitation..." largely repeats the core ideas again, there are some decent improvisation sections about half way through and various funky twists later in the development.
At least Tetsukazu Nakanishi offers a prelude to the style he would develop in Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere with "A.C. Revolution". After a progressive funk introduction, he transitions into a tense section dominated by bubbling electronic synth lines and infiltration voice-overs similar to those in Internal Section. The electronic forces gradually predominate over the funk forces and the result is quite enpowering. While the core ideas are good, they're all the more enhanced with the extensive development sections that occur from the 2:30 mark. The eventual coda leaves the album on a warm note with piano backing while the electric guitar solos help to bring the score with stylistic nods to the two preceding tracks. It is by far the best track on the album and probably the only reason to check it out.
Summary
Ace Combat 2 Original Sound Invitation does not represent a convincing transition of the series' music to consoles. Although the arrangements are well-developed, they otherwise represent little progression on what was offered on the barely passable Air Combat and Air Combat 22 scores for Arcade. With the exception of "A.C. Revolution", everything is cheesy and clumsy funk-rock that sounds completely out-of-place on the PlayStation. While the full original score isn't bad, this album doesn't do it justice. Overall, this album represents the crippling end of the old Namco days rather than a brave new direction. Check out the Electrosphere score for more of Nakanishi's electronic direction or Shattered Skies for a more representative rock fusion sound to the series.
