Final Fantasy VI

Boss Fight Books #28

by Sebastian Deken

Terra the magical half-human. Shadow the mysterious assassin. Celes the tough, tender general. Kefka the fool who would be god. Each of the many unforgettable characters in Final Fantasy VI has made a huge impression on a generation of players, but why do we feel such affection for these 16-bit heroes and villains as so many others fade? The credit goes to the game’s score, composed by the legendary Nobuo Uematsu.

Armed with newly translated interviews and an expert ear for sound, writer and musician Sebastian Deken conducts a critical analysis of the musical structures of FF6, the game that pushed the Super Nintendo’s sound capabilities to their absolute limits and launched Uematsu’s reputation as the “Beethoven of video game music.”

Deken ventures deep into the game’s lush soundscape—from its expertly crafted leitmotifs to its unforgettable opera sequence—exploring the soundtrack’s lasting influence and how it helped clear space for game music on classical stages around the world.

Genres: Video Games, Nonfiction, Gaming, Games

44 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2021

Reviews

[Eric Mesa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a kickstarter backer on the campaign for this book

I've been waiting for this book for a while. This game, along with Chrono Trigger, was very formative in my early gaming years. The book decides to focus on one of the greatest things about Final Fantasy VI (FF3 in the original US release), the music. I can't argue with the fact that Uematsu's music is incredible - I own a bunch of Final Fantasy soundtracks. That said, my preference would have been for a few chapters on the music. Mr. Deken's work views FF6 entirely through the lens of music. It is definitely a unique lens and one that he is very well situated to opine on. It makes this book special compared to others that would tackle the same subject. It's also what you get with a Boss Fight Book - a book that is HIGHLY dependent on how the author relates to the subject - for better and for worse.

And so, I give it 3 stars which Goodreads says is "I like it"; exactly how I felt with the book. If you are both a Final Fantasy and music geek/nerd, you will love this book with its multiple pages of FF6 sheet music. If you're just a FF6 fan, I think you'll still enjoy it. If you're just a general video games fan, it may be a tougher sell.

[Tyler Barlass · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best thing about Boss Fight Books is the interesting angles each writer takes when discussing their chosen game. This time around Sebastian Deken hones in on the spectacular music of Final Fantasy VI and it's composer Nobou Uematsu. Deken dives deep into the musical theory of the game's soundtrack and as a result some of the book can be a little hard to digest. For those not well versed in reading music, the technical parts of the book (and the actual written music) won't be all that interesting. What makes this book worth picking up is when Deken gets into Uematsu's head and deciphers what he was probably thinking when he penned the massive 16-bit opera-like soundtrack. This may not be the most essential read of the Boss Fight series but fans of FF6 and Uematsu will find plenty to sink their teeth into.

[Barthélémy Beau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let's get this out of the way: this is a self-indulgent book, made for fans of FF6 and its music looking for a self-indulgent time. If you've read, are reading, or are considering reading this book, you most likely already love the game, probably grew up with it, and are interested in all sort of side-contents about it. I like that this book specifically focuses on the game's music. Back in the 90s, I was listening to MIDIs of this OST on the internet before I developed an interest in listening to actual albums by bands. To say that Uemastu's music were formative experiences would be an understatement, and Deken clearly went through the same experiences. By dissecting a lot of the game's OST, the author gives insight into how many of the tracks hold meaning that are true to the game's characters, places and themes. Deken also gives us some background on who Uematsu is, his creative process, and how he became pretty much a household name for any FF fan. The book is also interesting by adding trivia on the game itself, its marketing, and its place in the JRPG world. Reading it while listening to the OST is a must, especially putting on each track when the book talks about them. I personally would have loved for the book to be bigger, going into more details about more of the individual tracks, but I'm not reviewing this book for what it could have been, only what it is.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Earlier this year, I beat Final Fantasy 6 (pixel remaster on PS5) for probably the 4th time in my life, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of one of the best video games ever made, and to have the story fresh in my head when I read this book. I've read a couple of these Boss Fight Books and I usually knock them out in a day or two, but this one I really wanted to savor.

Much to my surprise, this book focuses almost entirely on Nobuo Uematsu's soundtrack to FF6. It's simply one of the most influential, and simply BEST video game scores ever composed, and I see that I am far from the only person who was greatly impacted by it. It does a very deep dive into the soundtrack, comparing it to a Wagnerian opera full of leitmotifs (which comes as no surprise since this was the first ever video game to actually have an opera itself within it!). There is some advanced music theory here, as well as sheet music excerpts which may go way over the head of most video game fans, but I fortunately have a lifelong love of music and have studied such things, so I was very comfortable with the content. There were some details pointed out here which I've never actually noticed before, such is how The Returners theme uses Kefka's theme but turns it around backwards, representing his enemy!

[Hugo Gomez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whoever's idea it was to have a musically versed person as the author of the Final Fantasy 3(VI) book in the Boss Fight series is a genius. As much as I delved into every nook and cranny of this game, to have someone do music interpretation on the score opened this game up in a totally new way. It's a shame that he admits to never listening the the operatic revisions of the opera scene. He would have found that it was not Draco who gets the girl, but Prince Ralse.

I don't agree with the author's conclusion that Shadow suicides at Kefka's tower at the end. Sure, it might be against the odds to survive the tower, but you're assuming Shadow didn't make it to the airship because he's not shown on the deck of the Falcon at the ending credits. But neither is Interceptor. Remember that the credits have to make allowance for a player leaving Shadow behind the first time. And the words that he speaks are not the words of a person giving it all up. There words of hope and a new start. Take the imagery of the doves at Barren falls cast in shadow and turning white, with each following scene backtracking to some of themes and scenes Shadow was part of.

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was made for me. I love music, and FFVI's soundtrack was one of the first video game soundtracks I bought, and I return to it at least every other year, more than twenty years after I first acquired it. This book breaks down some of the whys and hows of Uematsu's compositions, and links some leitmotifs and structures that have even escaped my ear these many years. While I wanted more analysis of the game, the focus on just the music made it a singular "love it or hate it" book, and for me, I love it. I hope that Sebastian analyzes other game scores in the future, as I would read those as well.

[E.B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so good! And not just if you're into video games! Deken can write in a way that makes Final Fantasy VI accessible even to someone like me who played Mario Kart once. The way he writes about music is moving and thoughtful and with such care. Seriously, I have never thought so deeply about something so easily taken for granted as a video game soundtrack but now it is all I can think about. LOVE THIS BOOK! Buy it for every gamer, music nerd, soundtrack listener, human in your life!

[Joseph · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting look into Final Fantasy VI that mostly examines the game through its music, and how it informs the player. Characters are discussed with what we learn about them in game, and then what the music can tell us about those characters. Reoccurring musical themes are pointed out and discussed to help us understand how they're tying together various parts of FFVI. If you like FFVI, especially the music, you'll enjoy what Sebastian Deken has done.

[Jay Slayton-Joslin · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, I haven't played FF6 and I'm not hugely into music, especially classical and composition. So it's easy to say that this book isn't for me and that I probably shouldn't have read it. But I love BFB and wanted to see the author's approach.

I will say that Deken wrote beautifully and accessably, for someone who knew nothing about the game / music I came away with a much better understanding of music and games in the 90s. A real testament to the writing here.

[Edward Rathke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this examination of the music of Final Fantasy VI. Things kind of fell apart for me in the final section, which I think did not work well.

I don't have much to say about it. Not knowing really anything about music theory, I do feel like I learned a lot here, which is pretty neat.

Anyrate, definitely interesting book about a great game.

[TheManSG · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you want an analysis of a video game via its music, then this is the book for you. The author seems to be classically trained and is able to describe the major musical moments of FF6 and also tied is to a lesson in classical music particularly Opera ( iykyk)

[Sydney Kjerstad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too much summarizing of the story of the game, and not enough analysis and interpretation of the music and game itself. Neat facts and moments of history about the game, it’s history, and other related moments, but too much unnecessary fluff.

Still worth the read if you’re a long time FF fan.

[Hans · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read half. Music analysis was limited to basic descriptions of the songs and surface level "connect the dots" style interpretations. The most interesting part were the historical and biographical elements of the development of the game and Uematsu's style.

[Thomas Maluck · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was told to quit humming songs from FF6 in the fourth grade. Take my word for it: Sebastian gets it.

[Pascal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not what I expected but I really liked it.

Analyzing FF6 from a musical perspective.

[fm.juan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Las reflexiones musicales son interesantes

[Cameron Adcock · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well-written but surprisingly didn’t resonate with how much copy was committed to classical music discussion

[Dan Seitz · Rating 2 out of 5]

How much do you care about the music of the Final Fantasy franchise? If you said "A LOT!" ignore my rating. Everyone else, this is a book about the music of the Final Fantasy franchise.

[E.B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so good! And not just if you're into video games! Deken can write in a way that makes Final Fantasy VI accessible even to someone like me who played Mario Kart once. The way he writes about music is moving and thoughtful and with such care. Seriously, I have never thought so deeply about something so easily taken for granted as a video game soundtrack but now it is all I can think about. LOVE THIS BOOK! Buy it for every gamer, music nerd, soundtrack listener, human in your life!