I've been racking my brains for ages on this and though I'll probably think of a million things as soon as I hit post, I think it's got to be in Final Fantasy 6.
I know it's a popular moment in that game but the opera scene blew me away. I had never seen anything like it before.
It starts with you onstage as Celes, choosing the right lines so you don't mess up the performance. Moves onto cutscenes showing the typical opera story of lovers torn apart by war, and the Evil Baron™ trying to move in on it. Then controlling Locke, you have to stop Ultros, the big purple octopus hiding in the rafters, from dropping an anvil on Celes and killing her.
It's the way it the music ties it all together onstage, offstage and even into later in the game. The song Celes sings becomes her and Locke's theme. When Locke's rushing to defeat Ultros, there's a battle onstage complete with panicky music that suits both situations. When Locke and Ultros fall onstage, knocking out the protagonist, they start improvising and then fight. The orchestra follow suit and belt out Ultros' battle music.
At the time, it was amazing. First time I saw that videogames could be about more than just hitting people, even if all you're doing is hitting people. I saw how the graphics and music and gameplay can come together into something that perhaps resembled art.
Also want to highlight the whole Floating Continent into The World of Ruin section, where everything just gets absolutely fucked out from under you. I think it's mainly the music that does it. Nobuo Uematsu is a genius. His work puts an emotional force behind the characters that wouldn't necessarily be there without it. The way he makes things that sound so grand and intimate at the same time.
Maybe it's because this one was the first Final Fantasy I ever played, but I still reckon it kicks the arse out of FF7. |
