When the Final Fantasy 7 Remake was originally announced, Nobuo Uematsu's name was conspicuously absent from the returning staff list. Does 'It's Difficult to Stand On Both Feet, Isn't It?' still have its comedic horn blasts? Will 'Stolen Materia' use actual flutes? It's all a mystery for now. It makes me excited to hear what other tracks from the score are like in the remake. It can linger in the background, while still offering a melody to get stuck in your head. Where JRPG soundtracks used to be bombastic because, in truth, they were the only sound communicating the mood and how characters feel in a time before voice acting was a thing, in Final Fantasy 7 Remake, the music doesn't need to do that heavy lifting anymore. It feels as if it's been toned down as to not overpower the light banter between Barrett and Cloud, among other conversational moments.
Gone are the swells that made the original so memorable, but somehow, it works anyway. The Mako Reactor music, which appeared in both demos, was the most striking to me.
