Part 24: Bonus Update 4

Artwork

A Small Master
Time between Sisters
The Aloof Alchemist
The Place of Beginnings
Water Festival
Lord of Water's Memories


Herb Garden
Faav Village
Ruins of Frozen Time
Geofront
Heaven's Vine
Altar of Spirits


Katla A
Katla B
Albert A
Albert B
Teokhuga A
Teokhuga B
Linca A
Linca B




Music:

Illusions Shown by the Corals
This one was ridiculously difficult. I lost count of how many times I walked my characters through this field without any sound at all... Thanks to that, I memorized it before we even started debugging. (Yanagawa)

It's kind of related to the above comment, but I have great respect for composers of all stripes. Think about it: guys like Yanagawa have to write hundreds of songs, they all have to sound relatively different (of course, it'll have his style), and they also can't infringe on any other known melodies. It can't be easy work, and it's a testament to his ability he can continue to write video game songs.

Sleeping Vines
I added the theme for the herbal gardens found in Ayesha and Escha & Logy. The meaning behind the lyrics in the chorus are a secret. It was also fun playing the flute for this track. (Yanagawa)

Sanctuary of Water
The lyrics for this are a secret as well. I can say that they're based on a certain book of laws. Regardless, the synthesized choruses are really realistic lately. (Yanagawa)

Primordial
This also contains the herb garden theme. I really enjoy tracks that combine the repetition of a simple phrase with a melody that slowly builds up, so this was pretty fun to compose. (Asano)

If I had to choose just one song on Shallie's OST as my absolute favorite, this one would definitely be up there, maybe even as my favorite. I absolutely love this song, and the image it evokes in my head. When I listen to this song, I feel like I'm staring out at a vast, sparkling ocean. When I was first going through Shallie's OST to see what I liked and what I didn't, I have absolutely no idea why I didn't care for this one.

In the Old Road
I composed this track intending for the melody to sound familiar in the Dusk Series. Themes for new lands in the Dusk World always have a "four-on-the-floor" image to me. (Yanagawa)

Stella -3-
I was asked to make this sound somewhat serious, so I chose rock as the base. The guitar here was also played by Shimizu. Maybe we can go drinking together again! (Asano)

Sweep -3-
This battle theme is based on Lotte's determination to reach the end. This version was the basis for all the arrangements. (Yanagawa)

Octopunch
Theme for the octopus battle. I asked Shimizu to play the guitar for this. The cutting and solo are all fantastic! Whenever I see a tentacle boss, I think about Totori and Sterk for some reason. (Yanagawa)

Oh, I can furnish an explanation for that one. Though, the less said about that particular scene, the better, I think. Goddamn the Arland thread feels so long ago, even though I only finished it about 2 and a half years ago.

Um, er... I think
This is for situations beyond not knowing what to do. Like when you can't even think. The title was a devastating line I heard during a certain experience recently. (Achiwa)

Bursting March
I crated this while imagining Shallotte being chased around by sheep, but in this world, god only knows if it'll be used for such a scene in the finished game. (Achiwa)

It kinda did...but Lotte was actually surrounded by sheep, not getting chased by them.

Darkness of Oblivion
A shocking truth! And then you expect to see a boss fight? I guess it's something like Carmina Burana. (Achiwa)

The Twilight and the Hourglass
This is an arrangement of "Two Shallies"... Or so you might think, but this was actually completed first. I wonder if anyone recognizes the reference for the title? (Achiwa)

Automata Song
We used certain seiyuu for the vocals. I think the use of a human powered vocaloid really helps strengthen the feeling of automatons. (Yanagawa)

Gotta say, that is a good decision on Yanagawa's part. You don't want the automatons to sound too natural, after all.

FJ: Secret Arts
Wilbell's Ultimate finishing jingle. It was almost comedic in the last game, but since her ultimate in this game looks a bit cooler now, I decided to go with a more serious tune. (Yanagawa)

Wilbell's Ultimate move, of course, is the only one in the game not earned through leveling.

Kawaki no Rinkaku (Contours of Thirst) (Commentary for Game version)

Theme for the Lord of Water battle. We brought ACRYLICSTAB back from the last game to create another hard song to heat up this boss battle. While the theme may be the Lord of Water, there's actually a hidden theme too... (Okamura)

(commentary for full version)

The hidden theme is related to Wilbell. While she's grown (kind of) over the last 3 entries in the series, we don't have any plans to make her the main character at the moment. (Okamura)

An interesting comment there, but it does not likely mean anything. 'Course, I've been wrong about this series before, and I'll be wrong again about something. Anyway, this is personally one of my favorite songs in the game.


Bonus Videos

Bonus 1
This scene takes place after the scene where Stera and Lotte talk to Perriend about where Keith is. This scene is Lotte-side exclusive, so that's why it wasn't in the update.


Bonus 2
Much more elaborate. As long as you get the scene where Kortes, Stera, and Lotte talk about the Water Festival, this should pop up without any problems. It normally happens between Chapters 8 and 9, and the reason I didn't cover it was the story update for Chapter 9 was *plenty* long enough without something like this.