Safe to say, today is going to be anything but boring. Square Enix is digging into its archives to fix one of the most egregious omissions from its streaming catalogue. On August 28, the Japanese publisher is shining a spotlight on one of its most iconic—yet often overlooked—JRPG series: SaGa.
Starting today, you can find the first three volumes of Romancing SaGa Re;univerSe, the soundtrack to the latest entry SaGa Emerald Beyond, and the score for the remake of Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven across all major music services. These albums were almost entirely composed by legendary composer Kenji Ito—though eagle-eyed listeners will spot a guest appearance from none other than his fellow video game music icon, Nobuo Uematsu. A new, 10-tracks bonus album for SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered by Masashi Hamauzu has also been released, along with the "Revival Disc" for SaGa Frontier.
Earlier this month, Square Enix released the fourth volume of the Romancing SaGa Re;univerSe soundtrack on physical CD, available to purchase here. Following the publisher's usual release playbook, this new volume should land on digital streaming platforms next summer.
Kenji Ito's music stands out for its acute theatrical flair and exhilarating orchestrations that evoke a true sense of adventure. Like many of his peers, Ito isn't afraid to dive into bombastic, hard-hitting rock to pack a real punch during battle sequences. A knowledgeable musician, Ito frequently incorporates unexpected instruments like the accordion into jazz-fusion tracks, crafting a soundscape as intricate as it is distinctive. It's a genuine treasure trove of video game music, well worth discovering—or revisiting—on your preferred streaming service.
