I don't play that much RPGs (save for a certain few like Xenogears), but I've butted heads with recent installments of the Final Fantasy series to get a gist of how things go down in those games. Back in the PS1 era, Final Fantasy VII pretty much made Japanese RPG games mainstream, and with the acclaim and praise it has received as a result of its success, it spawned into a lucrative franchise that saw side stories and heck even a sequel movie made to appease fans craving for more Tifa, Aerith, and yes even silent emo protagonist Cloud Strife.
While the main game was pretty much a fun excursion, I found its prequel side story, Crisis Core, to be much more engaging. Telling the untold tale and past of Zack Fair, Cloud's friend, and the origins of their infamous weapon, the Buster Sword, helped bridge gaping holes in the main FFVII game, as well as flesh out more moments between Zack's short-lived romance with Aerith. I also liked the fact that it wasn't just your typical RPG, but rather an Action RPG, favoring a linear story setup and mixing it in with free flowing action gameplay, as well as a random "slot machine" type system called the "Digital Mind Wave". With that in mind, I guess I can rule down my favorite song from the Crisis Core soundtrack to "Encounter", which plays during the opening Wutai mission arc and during certain stages when "Combat Mode" is engaged. It's solid rock and action music, as only Takeharu Ishimoto can deliver.
