Board 8 > Final Fantasy Music Contest (FFMC) Day 3: Ft Zanarkand Ruins v Force Your Way RK

(+) Yeah! (+)

Note: I've altered the rules in the event of a tie (which hasn't occurred yet, thankfully!)

Full bracket (we're currently in the 'Upper' section): https://www.bracketmaker.com/tlist.cfm?tid=475177

Rules:
-You may vote for one track in each match.
-You do not have to vote in every match, and you do not have to vote all at once.
-Please make your votes clear.
-Please familiarise yourself with both of the tracks in a match before voting.
-You can vote based on any metric you wish, as long as it is about the music.
-The matches will last 24 hours from the posting of this topic.
-The track with more votes in each match moves on, the other is eliminated.
-If a match is tied after 24 hours, that match will remain open until one more new vote is cast.
-No alts, no rallying, no trading votes, no deleting posts.
-Please do not provide any updates to the scores.
-Have fun!

Match 1:

(1) Zanarkand Ruins (X-2)
Composed & Arranged by Noriko Matsueda & Takahito Eguchi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00CDYYBMKJA
v
(16) Force Your Way (FFRK Version) (Record Keeper)
Original game: Final Fantasy VIII
Composed by Nobuo Uematsu
Arranged by Masaya Tsunemoto
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZ1VNj3Uf3c

Match 2:

(8) APOCALYPSIS NOCTIS (XV)
Composed by Yoko Shimomura
Arranged by Yoko Shimomura & Sachiko Miyano
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcbZYBqjRNg
v
(9) The Extreme (XIV: Shadowbringers)
Original game: Final Fantasy VIII
Composed by Nobuo Uematsu
Arranged by Daiki Ishikawa
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NAmrTUeo5U

Match 3:

(5) Save the World (Legends 2)
Composed & Arranged by Nobuo Uematsu
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nb1IB58jH14
v
(12) Unseen Abyss (XIII-2)
Composed by Mitsuto Suzuki & Naoshi Mizuta
Arranged by Mitsuto Suzuki
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKmZ7Uw76qI

Match 4:

(4) Kuon - Memories of Waves and Light (AKA Eternity) (X-2)
Composed & Arranged by Noriko Matsueda & Takahito Eguchi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9ee_Ez6tFk
v
(13) A Contest of Aeons (X)
Composed & Arranged by Junya Nakano
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0acOGr8Hdxg

You can listen to all of today's tracks together here (17-24): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00CDYYBMKJA&list=PLFj0gJtesYY_F4VpWk2KONwsFBVgt6X1w&index=17

Easy vote form (Delete as appropriate):
Zanarkand Ruins / Force Your Way RK
APOCALYPSIS NOCTIS / The Extreme XIV
Save the World / Unseen Abyss
Kuon / A Contest of Aeons

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Force Your Way RK
APOCALYPSIS NOCTIS
Unseen Abyss
Kuon

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Zanarkand
Extreme
Legends 2
Decisive

yeah extreme ffxiv has exactly the same issues as the original it didn't change it meaningfully at all

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BlackDra90n posted...

Force Your Way RK
APOCALYPSIS NOCTIS
Unseen Abyss
Kuon

canceled

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Zanarkand Ruins
APOCALYPSIS NOCTIS
Unseen Abyss
Kuon

Zanarkand Ruins and Kuon are two I liked enough to keep listening to every so often since the nominations, so easy matches for them. Noctis just barely edges out Extreme in round two. Round three I thought I didn't like either at first, but Unseen Abyss really won me over about three minutes in.
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actually nvm swap legends for abyss

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NFUN posted...

Decisive

Pls clarify this, A Contest of Aeons is not Decisive Battle! (I know that will be what you meant but you gotta get somewhere near the actual track title >_>)

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andylt posted...

Pls clarify this, A Contest of Aeons is not Decisive Battle! (I know that will be what you meant but you gotta get somewhere near the actual track title >_>)

my mistake

aeons

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Force Your Way RK
The Extreme XIV
Save the World
A Contest of Aeons

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Force Your Way RK
The Extreme XIV
Save the World
Kuon

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Force Your Way RK
APOCALYPSIS NOCTIS
Save the World
A Contest of Aeons

Force Your Way
FF14 The Extreme
Unseen Abyss
A Contest of Aeons

FF14's version is not as good as 8's, but I consider 8's Extreme to possibly be my favorite FF track so it's a tough act to follow.

Contest of Aeons > The Extreme > Unseen Abyss > Force Your Way > Kuon > Save the World > Zanarkand Ruins > Apocalypsis Noctis

Force Your Way RK
The Extreme XIV
Unseen Abyss
A Contest of Aeons

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Force Your Way RK
The Extreme XIV
Save the World
Kuon

---

Zanarkand Ruins
The Extreme XIV
Unseen Abyss
A Contest of Aeons
---

Force Your Way RK
The Extreme XIV
Save the World
A Contest of Aeons

---

Zanarkand Ruins
The Extreme XIV
Save the World
Kuon

It's funny, usually I use X-2's music as "I dont like this soundtrack" but I somehow neglect all the ones that aren't pop.

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Zanarkand Ruins
The Extreme XIV
Save the World
Kuon

there is a LOT of really intense music today lol

It's not really a surprise that I like Save the World so much - I'm a sucker for intense chiptunes like that.

Force Your Way RK
The Extreme XIV
Unseen Abyss
A Contest of Aeons


---

Zanarkand Ruins
The Extreme XIV
Save the World
Kuon
---

Force Your Way RK
Apoc Nocty
Save the World
Memories of Lightwaves

itunes is dumb and i refuse to bow to their dumb names.
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Zanarkand Ruins
The Extreme XIV
Unseen Abyss
Kuon
---

Zanarkand Ruins
APOCALYPSIS NOCTIS
Save the World
Kuon

Easy choices for me today. Really not feeling the RK version of Force Your Way, and Extreme XIV is such a downgrade from the original imo.

rwlh posted...

there is a LOT of really intense music today lol

This division is full of intense battle music but the top 4 seeds are all chill! It'll be interesting to see how it pans out.

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(16) Force Your Way (FFRK Version) (Record Keeper)
(9) The Extreme (XIV: Shadowbringers)
(5) Save the World (Legends 2)
(4) Kuon - Memories of Waves and Light (AKA Eternity) (X-2)
---

Zanarkand Ruins
The Extreme XIV
Save the World
Kuon

itunes is dumb and i refuse to bow to their dumb names. [2]

everything rly good today and my upper bracket side finalist is today and probably going to get stomped (kuon) lmfaoooo

Force Your Way RK
APOCALYPSIS NOCTIS
Save the World
Kuon

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Force Your Way RK
The Extreme XIV
Unseen Abyss
A Contest of Aeons

---

Zanarkand Ruins
The Extreme XIV
Unseen Abyss
Kuon
---

(16) Force Your Way (FFRK Version) (Record Keeper)
(9) The Extreme (XIV: Shadowbringers)
(5) Save the World (Legends 2)
(4) Kuon - Memories of Waves and Light (AKA Eternity) (X-2)
---

Force Your Way RK
The Extreme XIV
Unseen Abyss
Eternity

fantastic day right here. first match isn't quite as good but still decent.

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Force Your Way RK
APOCALYPSIS NOCTIS
abstain
Kuon

---

Force Your Way RK
The Extreme XIV
Save the World
Kuon

---

Side note despite voting for both the FFVIII remixes I kinda prefer the original FFVIII tracks in both cases. Quality close since they don't change a ton but they seem a little too busy now I guess? Do I need choral singing in everything not really

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Force Your Way RK
The Extreme XIV
Save the World
Kuon

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(1) Zanarkand Ruins (X-2)
(8) APOCALYPSIS NOCTIS (XV)
(5) Save the World (Legends 2)
(4) Kuon - Memories of Waves and Light (AKA Eternity) (X-2)

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Zanarkand Ruins
APOCALYPSIS NOCTIS
Unseen Abyss
Kuon - Memories of Waves and Light

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Force Your Way RK
The Extreme XIV
Unseen Abyss
Kuon

---

Zanarkand Ruins
The Extreme XIV
Unseen Abyss
Kuon

two great ff8 arrangements today but neither quite manages to top the originals (given the lofty standards they have to compare to, that's hardly a slight against them). brutal ffxiv raidboss extreme gets the benefit of being an arrangement of a slightly better base song and being an arrangement i have very little to criticise and it also just gets an easier matchup (no offense to apocanoctis lypsis but it's just a little outclassed)

i tend to forget that gb sagas have some legit chiptune stuff in them (that should otherwise be/is memorable enough to deserve to be considered iconic). it's too bad it's facing up against one of what i've only now really been coming to terms with as unfortunately many examples of ff13-2's kind of revolutionary soundtrack (look i listened to it in full when it came out but most of the time now i just get reminded of it through talk on crazy chocobo or that big bridge arrangement). unseen abyss is a song made possible through some guy otherwise mainly known as a parasite eve composer (ok he was on ff11 too) and another guy they'd dragged away from (early) bemani and shmup stuff who also happened to be suitable for parasite eve. like shit man that's a dangerous team to have for non-mmo mainline final fantasy. 13-2 may have taken a """"safe"""" approach in many ways by tackling issues people had with the original head on but that philosophy clearly wasn't applied to the music... and yet, damn did it work.

speaking of ambitious songs, aeons. aeons is... yes. aeons has had a lot of goodass arrangements that are excellent in their own right but nothing has really managed to fully beat the original at its game. this is an evil match though where it's up against something that almost inexplicably cannot stop pulling at my heartstrings. i want aeons to win but i also want eternity to advance more. it's a feeling alright. i blame feelings

Force Your Way RK
The Extreme XIV
Save the World
A Contest of Aeons

not much to say today beyond "I love music from Final Fantasy VIII"

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Zanarkand Ruins
APOCALYPSIS NOCTIS
Unseen Abyss
A Contest of Aeons

---

Force Your Way RK
APOCALYPSIS NOCTIS
Unseen Abyss
Kuon

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Zanarkand Ruins
The Extreme XIV
Unseen Abyss
Kuon

---

Force Your Way RK
The Extreme XIV
Save the World
Eternity: Memory of Lightwaves

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Force Your Way RK
The Extreme XIV
Save the World
A Contest of Aeons
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Zanarkand Ruins
The Extreme XIV
Unseen Abyss
A Contest of Aeons

the epic choir voices are working overtime today ...

jesus christ how am i more familiar with the tekken 7 version of apocalypsis noctis. match 2 close. think i prefer the original extreme tho.

match 4 is also really close!!! but i feel aeons a bit more today.

Force Your Way RK
APOCALYPSIS NOCTIS
Unseen Abyss
Kuon

Apocalypsis Noctis was my fav XV song for a while, not sure if it still is... I remember being excited to hear the live rendition at a Distant Worlds concert and well, they botched it so bad I think about that every time I hear the actual song now, lol

"Memories of Lightwaves" as I knew it back then, man... some of these songs really do take me back in time. Right when it starts playing I'm transported right back to what, November/December 2003? The crisp feel of fall in the air... 18 years ago now, damn. Anyways, it's probably my fav of this 8-pack, also a tough break for Contest of Aeons which would've voted for had it been in the non-Noctis matches

(16) Force Your Way (FFRK Version) (Record Keeper)
(9) The Extreme (XIV: Shadowbringers)
(12) Unseen Abyss (XIII-2)
(13) A Contest of Aeons (X)

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Zanarkand Ruins
The Extreme XIV
Unseen Abyss
A Contest of Aeons

difficulty: 3>>4=2>>1

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Zanarkand Ruins
The Extreme (XIV)
Unseen Abyss
A Contest of Aeons

Force Your Way RK
The Extreme XIV
Unseen Abyss
Kuon