REVIEW: ‘SINoALICE OST’ is a Musical Journey That Haunts and Mesmerizes (iOS)

SINoALICE OST is the official soundtrack for SINoALICE, an upcoming RPG for mobile devices, published by Square Enix, and developed by Pokelabo, Inc., and led by its creative director, acclaimed game developer Yoko Taro. Square Enix has seen some solid success recently in the mobile market. I personally enjoyed War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius. I’m hoping this latest endeavor will follow suit. And while I’m excited to play the game come July, today we are talking about the music.

SINoALICE is about a fractured world of storybook characters. These characters seek to revive their authors. But in order to do this, all the other characters must be slain. This setup lays out a fairly bleak, and dark twist to the classic fairy tale characters we all know. And while the dark twisted versions of classic storybook characters isn’t a new concept, I can’t imagine a better game creative to bring a new twist to it than Taro. But, a dark fantasy game will need a suitably dark, and haunting soundtrack. SINoALICE OST delivers this in spades.

With the lead for this album being none other than legendary game composer Keiichi Okabe(Nier series), my expectations for this latest album were extremely high. Okabe’s s trademark powerful use of vocals, and magnificent range of emotion is evident on this collection of tracks. From up-tempo fight music to somber, bittersweet melodies, everything a dark fantasy RPG could ask for from a score is present in this collection. I want to just highlight a few of the stand out tracks on this album.

SINoALICE OST opens up with the track “The Book of Lies and the Universe”.  This serves as a perfect entry point for all the works to come. It’s a nice middle ground between the more energized pieces and the most somber melodies. It eases the listener into this world. While creating a foreboding sense of the pain that seems sure to follow.

“Banquet of Massacre” is the first track that captures a more powerful tone in its voice. Highlighted by strong vocal performances, this piece sounds like the backdrop for an epic confrontation. Or possibly some manner of escape. The fast beat drives the energy of this piece, making it impossible to sit still to.

With “Limbo of Rebirth” SINoALICE OST sinks into a more depressive tone. Crafting images of a great loss or bitter defeat, this piece serves as one of the deeper pieces on this album. A mournful melody that leaves me curious to see where it falls in the game’s narrative.

Another piece deserving of mention is the track “Bitter Memories”. With a light string filled beginning which is slowly accompanied by an ever-growing vocal chorus, this piece stands out to me as the one that most screams Okabe. Listening to it instantly takes me back to several of my favorite pieces from Nier: Automata’s legendary soundtrack. It is equal parts beauty and sorrow. Enchanting, enrapturing, and soul-crushing all in one.

The last track I want to mention here is “Battle Anthem”. The most likely to be the fight music, this track is a strong entry that balances its passionate tones, without overdoing it. Which is why I suspect it’s the fight music. It’s strong, but it won’t be overbearing when you hear it over and over.

While these tracks are just a few of the highlights among SINoALICE OST‘s 28 tracks, there is plenty more to discover within its gorgeous pieces and melodies. I don’t think anything could more effectively hype me for this game than this soundtrack release. I was going to play(review) SINoALICE regardless, but now I must play it simply to discover where all these amazing pieces of orchestral perfection fit into this game.

SINoALICE OST is available now.