Blue Reflection Tie Official Soundtrack

Gust's follow up to the original Blue Reflection, Blue Reflection Tie (localized as Blue Reflection Second Light for the West), is a pretty good game in every regard: gameplay has been improved over the original in areas of combat, exploration, character interactions and story. One element that I personally felt was, arguably, a stepdown from the original is the soundtrack.

Allow me to elaborate, the soundtrack is still perfectly fine and it fits the game well; with Asano Hayato returning as the sole composer, there is nothing wrong with the style or composition. However, I can't help but feel like it doesn't hit the same highs as the original. Tie's soundtrack ops for more subdued and quiet tracks that compliment the levels, while preserving the upbeat and fast combat themes. Boss tracks this time around aren't as memorable and they no longer operate in a multi-stage arrangement like the originals did. There is nothing glaringly bad about the composition, mind you, I simply feel that it doesn't quite match the original when put side by side, and as a result, I can't recommend it to anyone who isn't a fan of the games already.

Ultimately, it should come down to personal taste I believe, and the soundtrack on its own is still a fine work of art.

Regarding the packaging (referring to the jewel case and NOT the package delivered by playasia), you can refer to my review of the first game's soundtrack since the packaging is identical, for a TL;DR: it's thin and flimsy, it could be better, but it isn't a deal-breaker.

Likewise for the audio quality, it's on par with the previous album.

If you have enjoyed the game series on your own, you will absolutely enjoy this soundtrack on its own as well.

I hope my review helps anyone reading make an informed decision. Thanks for reading and have a good day.