Overview

The Genso Sangokushi II Original Soundtrack accompanies the soundtrack to the Chinese developed Genso Sangokushi II. Like its predecessor, this was composed by UserJoy Technology as opposed to Falcom Sound Team J.D.K. In the vein of the original, does it feature more Chinese focused compositions and does UserJoy Technology manage to create a more memorable experience this time around?

Body

As with its predecessor, the soundtrack offers a couple of vocal themes that open and close the album. "Theme Song: Frontier" is a pretty awesome rock theme that fuses rock and oriental flavors with Chinese lyrics. It's a nice melodic theme that features an awesome guitar solo and the chime effects are dramatic but welcome. The ending theme, "Interlude: Feelings," is a ballad. Featuring a piano, acoustic guitar, and strings melody, it offers a soft and subtle atmosphere signifying the end. I prefer the opening theme more but the piano and acoustic guitar instrumental bridge is a very nice addition.

While this album suffers from the problems its predecessor had in terms of short track times, this album also features improved compositions. While most is still nothing to write home about, there were a few themes that I really enjoyed. "Earth Map: Far Away from the Target" is a nice bombastic piece that fuses a militaristic soundscape with more subtle Chinese woodwind instruments. In the end, it develops wonderfully and really engages. "Village of the Summoners: Dawning Wind," despite its brevity, is a nice playful woodwind piece that has a great melody and a beautiful atmosphere.

"The Moon Forest: A Deep Forest in Clear Moon" is a woodwind and piano piece that provides a great atmosphere. It's not the most complex piece, but its simplicity is its strength. "Luo Yang: Autumnal Frost" is a beautiful Chinese inspired piece that masterfully mixes strings and piano together to create an elegant, yet mysterious, theme. It's easily one of my favorite instrumentals on the album. Lastly, "Sho'hai: Spring Scenery" manages to captivate with its exquisite use of woodwind and traditional Chinese instruments. It features a lovely melody that definitely manages to engage with its playfulness.

Summary

In the end, the Genso Sangokushi II Original Soundtrack is better than the first one, but I still wouldn't consider purchasing it. There are too few themes I enjoy, but the use of Chinese instrumentation really helps capture the essence of the game. As before, others who enjoy Asian inspired soundtracks may want to give this a listen, as it does utilize a good variety of traditional instruments.