Interview: How Hitoshi Sakimoto composed the score of Final Fantasy XII
If you’re reading this story, chances are you’ve already heard the work of Hitoshi Sakimoto. His larger-than-life orchestral scores breathe life into the world of Ivalice — the setting of games like Final Fantasy Tactics and Final Fantasy XII — and are just as tied to these games’ identities as the characters within them.
In celebration of Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age joining the PlayStation Now library this month, I had the rare opportunity to ask Sakimoto-san about his work on the legendary JRPG franchise, as well as his philosophy on composing for games and where he thinks the medium is headed. Read on for the full interview, then load up Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age to hear a master at work.
PlayStation.Blog: If I were to describe the music of Final Fantasy XII in a single word, it would be “grand.” What was your approach when envisioning the overall sound for the game all those years ago?
Hitoshi Sakimoto: If I were to add a few other words, I think it could be described as dazzling, or vivid. For the overall direction of the game, the aim was to create an orthodox entry in the main Final Fantasy series.
Speaking more specifically about the music, I centred on chord progression and orchestration that felt bright and colorful right at the heart of the compositions and tried to make sure that the layers of the songs wouldn’t stray too far from this focal point. The theme song for Final Fantasy XII that is used during the opening movie where Rasler dies in the war between Archadia and Dalmasca demonstrates these characteristics best.
Additionally, I tried to avoid negative emotions overall. For parts where those negative emotions had to be included, I made sure to intentionally build in some “pathways to
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