Thoughts on Xenoblade music
One of Xenoblade's most recorded strengths is its music and while I agree it is mostly incredible to listen to, that's not entirely the full story. It's only one element of an entire franchise, after all, and the way it's incorporated into the game is simply part of a grander goal. This is the case for every track in the game. I could sit here and break down every detail of a track, recommend you seek the mp3s out and have a nice listen to them, however that would be missing the point. Games are made up of parts and music is one of those very parts. They all come together to form something even greater than the sum of those parts. That's where Xenoblade excells especially with its soundtracks, they are more often than not a strong contributor towards the experience of playing them.
Take Gaur Plains as an example. It's a beautiful swelling melody that sets the mood for exploring a vast area perfectly but it also serves a function. It's especially long for an overworld theme but that's because you spend a good portion of time in said area. Having music to set the atmosphere without becoming tiring to listen to was its ultimate goal. Players are meant to enter one area after another with as few loading screens as possible and while this goal couldn't fully be made, this emphasis on lengthy field music was a part of it.
Xenoblade's world takes place atop two titans, one made of metal and the other made of earth. Maybe this is enough to imagine this is an allegory of nature and technology being at odds with each other but I'd say the composition of the game's soundtrack plays a significant role in this as well. It's certainly no coincidence that the main battle theme on the Bionis is more classical while on the Mechonis it's a rock theme, but the definitive evidence for me is this promotional video Nintendo uploaded on their channel to promote the New 3DS version of Xenoblade. Notice how deliberate the set up of this band is. To the right there's a miniature orchestra with violins, a piano, and vocals, while to the right is a band with more electric instruments, and in the centre of it all, the Monado. The theme they're performing is Engage the Enemy, which is usually the theme that plays during some tragic moment in the story, and it works amazingly at underscoring a powerful moment but above all it conveys this theme of nature vs technology with man caught at the centre of it all, perfectly, which is essentially what happens whenever the characters suffer in the middle of a conflict greater than themselves. As you listen to the song, there's the sense that two sides of the band, the nature side and the metal side, are battling, meanwhile in the game you're just stuck in the middle of it all. That is the true strength of Xenoblade's music, its commitment to serving the game and the story, right down to how it's composed and listening to the music on its own isn't enough to convey the feelings of actually experiencing every moment the music shows up during the game.
