Overview

Aware of its appeal to cult audiences, Sega continued the Virtual-On series in 2001 with an Arcade exclusive, Cyber Troopers Virtual-On: Force. Returnee Kentaro Kobayashi and newcomer Yuko Iseki developed the series' music further on this instalment — determined to inject it with new life while still maintaining a familiar aura. The results of their efforts were released in two official albums — a one disc album called 'Ver. 7.5' and a two disc album called 'Marsinal'. The latter reviewed here is probably the better release overall. Fans of the series should note that the game is being re-released for Xbox 360 and the limited edition version of the game will feature a six disc box set featuring all four soundtracks to the Virtual-On series.

Body

Kentaro Kobayashi made a much more pronounced attempt to make the music for Cyber Troopers Virtual-On: Force more elaborate than its predecessors. This is immediate evident by the arrangement of the introduction theme "Transition '01 ~ Force"; once little more than a series of heavy drum beats, Kobayashi attempts to vary it with some jazzy interjections this time. Another familiar theme, "High On Hope" from Oratorio Tangram, is remixed and resynthed to achieve a much fuller sound topped off by some particularly fulfilling guitar work. There are also arrangements of "In the Blue Sky", "The Wind is Blowing", and "Soldier Blue" exclusive to this full soundtrack. Though not all are definitive improvements of their originals, it is delightful to be able to revisit these melodies at last.

In addition to arrangements of past titles, there are numerous original compositions, the most notable of which are used as stage background music. "Conquista Ciela" is an excellent start with its delightful light-hearted melodies and extensive development and decoration. That said, it is almost exactly like the opening stage themes for the past two Virtual-On titles with its verse-chorus structure, anthemic synth melodies, and array of electronic and drum beats. Some would argue that 'if it's not broken, why fix it?', though arguably the approach here sounds too familiar and needed to be shaken up. That said, there are a number of themes that divert from the norms of the series, including "Kirisute Go-Men!" with its traditional Japanese infusions, "Baby's On Fire" with its tropical vibes, and "No Cold Heart" with its Arabian-influenced tonality.

As ever, there are some darker tracks on Cyber Troopers Virtual-On Force Official Sound Data Ver. Marsinal. Kobayashi takes the rock influence of the series up a notch with "Black Minalouche"; this track has a more dangerous and gothic vibe than its predecessors, both due to the higher definition of the electric guitar and the integration of the pipe organ. Things take an even darker turn on "Crystal Ovary", a dense, uncompassionate track blending orchestral elements and more organ work, and "Destructive Happiness", with its blistering distorting synth work and pulsating beats. The album surprisingly ends with a jolly synthetic arrangement from Holst's The Planets. There is, however, a large amount of filler tracks on the journey there, particularly on this two disc release. Sometimes the successions of bright fanfares or tracks with robotic voice samples can be infuriating.

Summary

Evidently, the music for Cyber Troopers Virtual-On: Force is mostly a continuation of the style and mood of the earlier two soundtracks in the Virtual-On series. However, it still improves on its predecessors with more developed and elaborate tracks, greater stylistic diversity, and slightly superior synth. While this album features more filler tracks than its one disc counterpart, it exclusively features many of the best tracks — whether classic arrangements, cultural experiments, or climactic entries. It is therefore best to skip the one disc release in favour of this full one, 'Marsinal'. It is the best soundtrack in the series to date.