Nobuo Uematsu, the composer celebrated for his work on the Final Fantasy series, has criticised what he sees as the growing uniformity of video game music.
Speaking during a roundtable interview for the upcoming JRPG Eternal Anima, Uematsu said developers increasingly look for composers able to deliver film-style scores with the intensity associated with Hollywood productions. He argued that the games industry has pursued the scale and impact of Hollywood cinema, creating pressure for music to sound “robust and substantial”.
According to Uematsu, this approach can limit the space available for composers to express their own musical identities. He said that creating game music is no longer simply a matter of writing whatever style the composer prefers, as professionals must also understand current trends and orchestration to progress in their careers.
Uematsu added that orchestral music built around intensity can easily resemble a Hollywood soundtrack. As a result, he believes it has become more difficult to distinguish one work from another based solely on its overall feel.
His comments come as Final Fantasy approaches its 40th anniversary. Square Enix has announced Final Fantasy 40th Anniversary: The Crystal Vinyl Edition, a collection featuring songs from every mainline entry in the series. The record is available to pre-order through Square Enix Japan and is expected to ship at the beginning of 2027.
Square Enix has also announced a Distant Worlds orchestral concert tour celebrating four decades of Final Fantasy and its music. The tour begins in March and will feature the work of composers including Uematsu, Masashi Hamauzu, Naoshi Mizuta, Hitoshi Sakimoto, Yoko Shimomura and Masayoshi Soken.
Sources: NME.