Battle Bards

While Square Enix's Final Fantasy XIV is enjoying rousing success here in the west, its other MMO -- Dragon Quest X -- never made it across the Pacific. Today, the Battle Bards assemble to examine the soundtrack to this overlooked fantasy game and see how it holds up by itself and in comparison to the Dragon Quest franchise. Episode 161 show notes Intro (feat. "Bright Horizons," "Soprano of Blue,"...

For the first time since Episode 50, the Battle Bards crew returns to the theme of cover songs of MMO tracks. Several extremely musicians tackled their favorite MMORPG tunes to our delight, taking us on a breathless tour of their spin of these classic tunes. Since we want to give all of the artists full credit, you can find links to their full tracks in the show notes -- give them a listen! Episod...

It's a return to a soundtrack that, over the past couple of years, experienced a lavish remastry. This week, the Battle Bards explore the wild notes of Black Desert, a soundtrack that relishes its situational and ambient tracks. It might not be the most memorable soundtrack, but enjoyable? Yes, we'd advocate that. Also, Steff finally snaps and tells her co-hosts off. Draaaaamaaaaa! Episode 159 sho...

Do you feel a little... frozen this winter season? Winter is something amazing to behold, especially when video game composers attempt to capture its unique magic in their songs. Today, let the Battle Bards warm up your bones and your ears with tunes from the snowy vales and icy wastes of MMORPGs! Episode 158 show notes  Intro (feat. "Another World (Winter Journey)" from Aion,  "The Long Winter" ...

An odd, offbeat, and short-lived MMO, Chronicles of Spellborn hardly registered on most of the gaming community's consciousness. However, this fantasy title has not escaped the attention of the Battle Bards, especially with Assassin Creed's Jesper Kyd composing most of the score. It's a strange score, with plenty of otherworldly tunes, but just perfect for this team to tackle! Episode 157 show not...

Is blue a color? An emotion? A song? An overused alien skin tone? One thing is for certain: Blue shows up an awful lot in MMORPG soundtrack, which is why the Battle Bards have mined their music libraries for the bluest of blue tunes to share. Will they come to a conclusion as to what "blue" means? And will Steff ever let go of a grudge? Probably never, but it'll be a fun listen even so! Episode 15...

Welcome to the "Cursed Episode" of Battle Bards, where you'll be risking bad luck and poor RNG rolls just by hearing it! But it is totally worth it, because this week the trio is tackling the astounding Shadowbringers soundtrack and it's impressive addition to the FFXIV music library. Also, if you listen very, very carefully, a certain "la-HEE" might make a cameo! Episode 155 show notes Intro (fea...

Do you remember what Halloween looked like when you were a kid? What about what it sounded like? In today's special edition of Retro Reprise, Syp returns to the Halloweens of the past to listen to some of the best themes from horror video games. It might not all be scary, but don't let your guard down too quickly -- your doom might lurk just around the next note! Retro Reprise Episode 19: The musi...

Get an early jump on Halloween with the Battle Bards, as they grab the nearest shovel and start unearthing all sorts of morbid and macabre tunes from MMORPGs! In this grim grinning episodes, Syl, Steff, and Syp explore the musical side of the afterlife in online games. Listen to it... at your own peril. Episode 154 show notes Intro (feat.  "Paths of the Dead" from Lord of the Rings Online,  "Grave...

Gryphons, Elves, and gobs and gobs of singing people -- that's Elder Scrolls Online: Summerset for ya! The Battle Bards return to Tamriel to rate and review the second expansion soundtrack from ESO. Aside from practically non-stop choral contributions, the Bards quite enjoy this trip to a high fantasy land full of wonder and power. Episode 153 show notes Intro (feat. "Even Paradise Has Shadows," ...

Back for a third round, the Battle Bards examine a slew of main themes from MMORPGs! Considering how essential these themes are in making a strong first impression upon players, Steff, Syl, and Syp run these tracks through their paces to see which hook them on a first listen... and which put them to sleep. Episode 152 show notes Intro (feat. "Knights of the Fallen Empire Main Theme" from SWTOR, "M...

It's an MMORPG you've never heard of. It's an MMO soundtrack you've never heard, period. But as intrepid explorers of the musical unknown, the Battle Bards are here to unearth this tiny indie title and its score. Minions of Mirth may have died an ignoble death in 2017, but its soundtrack lives on -- and now it's immortalized in the 151st episode of this podcast! Episode 151 show notes Intro (feat....

It may not be the most sexy or exotic of biomes, but plains tend to pop up in pretty much every MMORPG -- and they always have music to adventure by! In this episode of the Battle Bards, the crew evaluates music from steppes, savannahs, and the great, great plains. Is it all dull atmospheric tunes? Far from it, as you'll soon discover. So join this eclectic team for a grand 150th episode spectacul...

Is Istaria more than just "that game where you can play a dragon?" If it is, the answer might lie in its hidden repository of soundtrack tunes! The Battle Bards once again assemble to apply their dragonish wit, tenacity, and fire-scathing critiques to a largely undiscovered score. It's more fun of an experience than you might expect, so come along for the ride! Episode 149 show notes Intro (feat....

On a special theme episode of Battle Bards, acclaimed composer Inon Zur is given the spotlight, especially for his contributions to several MMORPG soundtracks such as RIFT, TERA, and EverQuest II. If you've only known Zur as "The Fallout Guy," then prepared to be pleasantly illuminated as to the wider body of his work! Also, the crew takes in an orphaned music track and gives it the name "Steve."...

Bring on the heavy makeup, electric guitars, and MMO groupies, because the Battle Bards are rock and rolling their way into Continent of the Ninth Seal (aka C9). It may not be a game -- or soundtrack -- that most know, but does that mean that there is a musical treasure trove waiting to be discovered? Listen to this episode to find out! Episode 147 show notes Intro (feat. "Innocence RunersVill" an...

In another theme sequel, the Battle Bards return to the notion of vocal tracks in MMORPGs. Does singing hold a special place in online games, or is it immersion breaking? In some cases, it can be both. Join Syl, Steff, and Syp for a romp through a widely diverse array of sung tunes -- and beware the pigs! Episode 146 show notes  Intro (feat. "Singing" from Elder Scrolls Online, "Song from the Wood...

It's Bard vs. Bard vs. Bard in this show, as the trio of MMO video game music lovers take sides in the Dark Age of Camelot debate! This tri-realm PvP game is rather unique for having published an "inspired by" album featuring music not in the game at all in addition to the actual soundtrack. So why not review both? Syp, Syl, and Steff are more than up for the task! Episode 145 show notes Intro (fe...

Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet: Combined, these forces create the awesome power of Roy G. Biv -- otherwise known as the rainbow! In today's experimental episode of the Battle Bards, Steff, Syl, and Syp attempt to find MMORPG music tracks to go with each of the seven colors that shine over a rainstorm or in a particularly oily puddle. It's a daunting mission, but these three ar...

It may see itself as an "old school fantasy MMO," but Rappelz' soundtrack is a great mixture of old and new, traditional and experimental. In this episode, the daring and ever-courageous Battle Bards plumb the depth of this score and see what can be brought out of obscurity and into the light! Episode 143 show notes (show page, direct download) Intro (feat. "A New Epic," "Breeze of Old Forest," an...

In MMORPGs across the world, days are beginning and days are ending -- and with them come the catharsis of the sunrise and sunset. The Battle Bards draw together in this special stillness to discuss some of the in-game tracks devoted to these moments. So from sunrise to sunset, here are the melodic moods that accompany our journeys online. Episode 142 show notes Intro (feat. "The Flag at Dusk" fro...

Fans of retro video game music have heard all of the same classics over and over again, which is why in today's episode of Retro Reprise, Chaos Constant and Syp dip into the more unknown titles of the Sega Genesis library for tunes that you may have overlooked! From the tense atmosphere of Warsong to the futuristic music of Pulseman, this show might have your new favorite track waiting to be disco...

The Battle Bards take to the sky to investigate the somewhat obscure Riders of Icarus and see if the lofty visuals can be matched by the music -- or if this soundtrack has been grounded for good! "Surprisingly rich" and "theatrical" are review terms that the Battle Bards are willing to license out to the studio to put on the soundtrack cover. Episode 141 show notes Intro (feat. "Character Creation...

It's one of the most powerful and versatile of musical instruments, and now the piano is getting its own featured show here on Battle Bards! The crew re-assembles, not to avenge, but to uplift beautiful, striking, and moving piano themes from MMORPGs. So tickle the ivories with Syl, Steff, and Syp as they listen to today's signature tracks. Episode 140 show notes Intro (feat. "Breezewind Park" fro...

They might not have been the AAA-budget titles of the 1990s, but shareware games were perhaps even more well-known due to the proliferation of these demos. Studios such as id, Epic, and Apogee made their mark with these titles -- and the simple but memorable tunes from each got lodged into our brains. Joining Syp today is Chaos Constant from Occasional Hero , who is a self-professed retro game mus...