The composers of this OST are japanese, Keiichi Okabe being the director (the same person who directed Nier: Automata's OST). Interestingly enough, this song is used in a boss battle, as well as the song "Grandma" which half the song is just piano and vocals, I really recommend you listen to that one whenever you can!
The song as a boss battle has even more impact in the game since it's another version of two calmer songs (one for each sister, with only one voice), who you fight at once in this battle. I always assumed the two singing voices were supposed to be the sisters.
@@xenotypos In Nier Replicant/Gestalt there's a side quest where you get Devola and Popola to sing together in the Tavern, and they sing the song together. Also the Song of the Ancients is played in the main village, and when you get near Devola the lyrics fade in and out depending on distance from her. So it's definitely the Twins singing the song.
@@xenotypos I don't remember about the original, but at least in the newer version of Replicant, the song changes from both voices to just one at the appropriate moment of that boss battle. It's incredibly powerful.
Video game is the ultimate art that congregates all the previous artistics expressions and adds the interaction as a form of compenetration with the artistic product itself
The story for all of Yoko Taro's games are proof that video games can be art. He uses the video game format to tell a story in a way that only a video game could and ultimately tells extremely impactful stories with themes of nihilism and existentialism brilliantly scattered throughout each game.
Better idea, all of the albums from both games. Cause they deserve it. My favorites are Song of the Ancients (obviously) /Atonement. The Crumbling Lies. Shadowlord's Castle. Sound of the End. All versions of Weight of the World and all versions of City Ruins.
Hey man thanks a lot for taking a listen to Nier! It was a pleasure to hear your reaction. If you EVER revisit Nier again and you can only listen to one more song, please listen to Shadowlord. It is quite different from Song of the Ancients and will definitely catch you by surprise (I also have heard you say during reactions you LOVE organs, and you're in for a treat with organs if you listen to this track). Thanks for picking my suggestion and have a good day!
@@AtlasBenighted shadowlord is actually the intro of the game (+ profanity from Kaine)... there is a really interesting music and game development from Yoko Taro (game director) and Keichi Okabe (composer) they started to colaborate in nier and then developed a whole lot of things, in drakengard 3 there is way heavier music and they even made remakes from the first drakengard tracks (which are... interesting to say the least), and also have really epic tracks from the gacha game sinoalice (which actually follow the original plot of nier and follow the diferent structures from nier automata making dinamic arragements for diferent circumstances like prelude/unison/anthem of showdown).
It gave me shivers just seeing someone listen to this masterpiece for the first time. I get goosebumps from it all the time, but knowing you listened for the very first time is just so special.
Yeah, the reason this song isn't a stereotypical "epic" boss theme is because it is basically impossible to feel like you're really the good guy for this particular battle...
@@ilikefud1984 exactly. Neither NieR, The Shadowlord, or Devola and Popola are necessarily evil, they are all just doing what they have to do. That is what I love about this game.
@@asherc2809 That's the point where most people should at the very least be questioning where everything stands. The story is just differences in opinion. What's "right" for one isn't "right" for another side and that's something that's happened in most conflicts throughout history. "I'm right and they're wrong", yeah? As an outside observer, sure, Nier's clearly "wrong" int the bigger picture kind of way (as proven in Automata) but he doesn't know what we or even Kainé know so to him "I need to save my sister/daughter" is very much right. I think a lot of people would do the same, especially if they don't have all the information.
it's nice to see someone appreciating Nier's music, it's just a shame you haven't played the games because each tracks has sooooooooo much more meaning and emotion once you know what they represent. I can't listen to the soundtrack of this game without crying each time.
Hope you'll check out "Final Song" from Drakengard 3, with the same composer (and game director) as the Nier series. The song comes from the, um . . . final boss of the game, if it can be called that, and while the boss is controversial, the song is a really great ride, and ties in elements from the entire game.
Well, Nier and Drakengard is two different universe? Dimension? though albeit the world in NieR become like that because of event in Drakengard so they have cause-reaction relationship with each other despite being different world.
@@HadeaRin what have I read is that the final boss in drakengard made a teleportation and appear on tokyo, which the boss body been killed it emits some sort of bacteria or virus alike and got into human which the beginning of nier events. it may look like different dimensions and not connected, which actually it does
There Are a lot of game OSTs i would like to see, So here Are few of them. Shadowlord (Nier:Gestalt) Kaine - Salvation (Nier:Gestalt) Emil - Sacrifice (Nier:Gestalt) Cold Rain (Nier:Automata) Slave Knight Gael (Dark Souls 3) Abyss Watchers (Dark Souls 3) Sister Friede (Dark Souls 3) Sir Alonne (Dark Souls 2) Burnt Ivory King (Dark Souls 2) Great Gray Wolf Sif (Dark Souls 1) Lady Maria (Bloodborne) Laurence (Bloodborne) Tokichiro (Nioh 2) Madara Naotaka (Nioh 2) Maiden Astrea (Demon Souls) God Shattering Star(FireEmblem TH) Twilight of Gods (Fire Emblem SoV)
I love how the devs of this series like mulltiple endings like Nier: Automata is sequel to one of the endings of Nier Gestalt/Replicant, and it itself is sequel to one of the endings from the Drakengard series.
To add to the recommendations in that comment: Gods Bound By Rules from Nier Gestalt, and I have to second that Shadowlord recommendation. God, it's good.
I really enjoyed your reaction to this song. Huge fan of the series as well. I wanted to give some context in regards to the breakdown segment where you talk about the repetition and layering. This song is a boss fight and as such the song does loop until you defeat the boss. Great reaction and explanation of the different elements and how they come together. Thank you for giving the Nier series a chance.
Fun fact about Song Of The Ancients. There are about seven different variations of the song for the characters and Automata. They have the SotA (Devola) as well as SotA (Popola), and SotA (Atonement), SotA (Fate), and many more versions.
There's something about Nier and Nier: Automata that just resonates and reverberates every string of our humanity. Funny, considering that the messages conveyed within the series are precisely that: what _makes us_ human. It's one of few games that I have gotten purely for symbolism and music alone, however the game(s) are fantastic themselves in the way they play as well. Nier Automata specifically took my breath away when I first started the game and got to the City Ruins and its theme started playing. I kid you not, I stood there with the artificially generated sunlight beaming down on my characters for a good solid 10-15 minutes listening and immersing myself in the music and the world, and then a further 10 minutes when I found the jukebox. Absolute masterpiece of a game that makes me really question myself in the best way possible.
Anyone who played Replicant/Gestalt would ever felt depressed from listening to the track Oh and I hope you'll one day tackle every Drakengard 3 player trauma, 'The Last Song' from ending E. Legend has it that those who suffered the pilgrimage can hear the sound of the bell even if there isn't one there.
I started and completed the game last summer... And I must say I've never related that much with a comment. Though it was worth it in the end, a really rewarding experience!
Well, if you think this version of the song is not bombastic or epic enough, you can still check out in your own time the Nier Automata version called "Song of the Ancients - Atonement".
I would ask that you please take a listen to the song Shadowlord from the NieR Gestalt soundtrack. It's one of the songs that didn't get reused and reworked into the Neir Automata soundtrack and it has a very powerful place in the original game. It's an incredibly powerful song with a lot of emotion in it, especially if you've played the game and reached the point where the song is used.
Got my first ending in NieR Replicant just now. I'm ready for more. I got the first ending in NieR Automata right before starting NieR Replicant (I kept putting Automata off, even though I started it in 2018. It was only just recently I got an ending in that game). My plan right now is to finish all of NieR Replicant (get all of the endings) then move on to finish off Automata (and get all endings in that as well. Plus because I put it off for some time, I forgot nearly everything from the beginning of Automata, so heading into Route B with the knowledge of NieR Replicant as well will most likely heighten my experience).
Id like to make a request, the NieR series is actually only half of a larger series named Drakengard, it's very complicated to explain but basically they are closely connected series that expand on eachother's stories. The requested song is "Last Song: Black Song, White Scales". It's absolutely my favourite song of all time and I would love to see you hear more of Okabe's music :) great video!
I'd like to suggest you check out the soundtrack of Bravely Default. Specifically, the themes of the four main characters: "You Are my Hope" "Windward" "Baby Bird" and "The Vagrant of Love", before topping it off with the final boss theme: "Serpent Devouring the Horizon" / "Serpent Eating the Ground" But if you want something different, more akin to NieR's "A Beautiful Song", and this video, I'd suggest you check out "The Final Song", from Drakengard 3. It's very relevant to the NieR songs, not only thematically, but because Drakengard directly causes the events of NieR, with NieR being a sequel series of sorts. While most of the vocals in "The Final Song" are in the "chaos language" of NieR you've heard before, the beginning and end are in Japanese, so having some translated vocals to refer to might be a good idea.
Song of the Ancients... the way it's composed, how it sounds, it just touches on something somewhere _way too deep_ inside my head or heart or stomach or wherever - I just can't listen to any version of it without tearing up a little.
With today's power that consoles have you can easily put full orchestrated music in games which are beautiful to listen to but I also enjoy going back to basics when it comes to video game music and enjoy myself with some music from the NES era of games when the capabilities to make good music were very limited and the composed music had to stand out by using strong melodies. Since the NES was the console where games started to get soundtracks that were more than 2 to 3 songs being rpeated over and over I would love it if you would react to some good old NES soundtracks, the era where video game music started to flourish. Here's some of the soundtracks I suggest; - Megaman 2: Wily's Castle 1 - Castlevania 1: Vampire Killer - Ninja Gaiden 1: Unbreakable Determination - Journey to Silius: Title theme - Batman - Return of the Joker: Stage 1-6 - Battletoads: Turbo Tunnel - Kirby's Adventure: Green Greens - DuckTales: Moon theme - Solstice: Title theme - Silver Surfer: Stage 1
Can't wait for the remake of Neir. The original combat sucked, but the story was amazing. The Neir soundtracks worked so well with the games, that I still get emotional just from the music. As for the strings being melodramatic, I agree. But I think that's because both Neir games are melodramas that explore emotion imo.
I def recommend double, triple, or whatever dipping their nier soundtracks. Such beauty in their songs. In an extremely crowded field of game soundtracks for the year it was released(persona 5, botw was same year iirc) it often came out on top as the best soundtrack, and for very good reasons.
the layers in which you hear song of the ancients canonically is beautiful. at the start of the game. it's simple and modest and slower. it's devola singing in the village square alone with her lute. then as she moves into The village tavern you get a side quest to loosen popola up to singing with her sister again. so you get dual vocals backed up with piano and lute and flute. but then, without spoiling. this song plays at a very emotional junction of the story. the drums beat to give it an intense war like feeling. and each version layers into the story thematically
Please react to something from Chris Christodoulou's (don't try to pronounce it) highly acclaimed Risk of Rain soundtrack, like "Coalescence". His works are influenced by different styles of rock like psychedelic and progressive, which will be a change of pace from the largely orchestrated works that have been suggested. "Coalescence" is undoubtedly his most well-known work and from his most highly praised soundtrack, but its popularity is largely because of the context of where it's placed in-game, specifically how it juxtaposes the area it's in, which is a context you will not have. Still very good though. Also, its name gives a very good hint into what its composition is like, and it's something you said you like in compositions in this video.
As amazing as the original Nier's soundtrack is, I wouldn't discourage him from listening to more Automata's OST as well, they're both 10/10 in different ways.
Hey Atlas, great video. I'd love for you to do a review on a song from the Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater OST called Debriefing. Such an amazing OST overall, but this song is just so powerful on a few levels. Not overly intricate or complicated, but man it hits me in the gut everytime. The trumpets and percussion and of course the famous MGS melody. It really wraps up the game so perfectly. It's just amazing how the emotions you are feeling at that point in the game are conveyed perfectly through song. Don't want to spoil too much, but I know you love your brass and percussion, so I feel you will enjoy it nonetheless!
Honestly any music that is in a Yoko Taro game is automatically beautiful. Give the final song from Drakengard 3 a listen (I forgot what it’s called but it’s from Branch D’s final boss) Absolute beautiful piece of work
PLEASE react to Kingdom Hearts 3 OST - Dearly Beloved and Oscurita di Xehanort. They’re very different tracks but they are each beautiful in their own ways.
the context within the game is that this song is played during one of the final boss fights where you fight against the two people that the player considers to be his family, however it is discovered that they had manipulated you from the start all to guide you to this point. the two that you fight are a pair of twin sisters and the song is a duet sung by the two, the song appears in the game multiple times at other points and this version is called ‘fate’ because coming to this place was the players fate in a sense. this songs original version is sung to you at the start of the game and the songs lyrics detail a quest that a hero must go on to save the world, setting in motion the players journey to do exactly that.
Ah damn. I loved this very much but I also wish you had a chance to listen to the Popola and Devola versions of this song first to give more context to it. The Popola and Devola versions are in 3/4 with one vocal and they combine to give us the duet in 4/4 in Fate
Many people often miss what makes this song so special. As it is a made up language as well as impossible to translate, you cannot reach the audience with words as with songs in genuine languages like English or German. It's a bold move but what this song does is rely completely on conveying emotion itself through tone of voice and instruments. And somehow it works. It should not but it does which is, spectacular. It's the same with Kaine Salvation. You don't understand what exactly is sung but the emotions carried by the song are just next level.
Late to the party on this video, but yeah, Japanese pop and orchestral music often has a focus on countermelodies in the string section to add movement/carry momentum to the next phrase. Okabe's in particular are in my opinion are some of the most impressive, to the point that there are several that play without the main melody at points and you'd be hard pressed to feel like something was actually missing (Emil's theme and Song of the Ancients - Atonement for example).
Wish I caught this video when you uploaded it. Even if you don't make videos of it, I suggest listening to other versions of Song of the Ancients. Across Drakengard & NieR, this song is a damn chameleon that fits into whatever structure, scene, or theme wherever you find it. It has that iconic dramatic mood that is easily recognizable like FF7's One-winged Angel, but is pervasive & timeless as the Final Fantasy franchise's Main Theme.
A really good set of games for reactions like this is the halo series. A few good specific ones are Halo 3 Ost: Greatest Journey, Halo Reach OST: Winter Contingency, and Halo 3 OST: Behold a pale horse. Most of the songs from 3 are just 5 minutes, but reach's are typically longer. Anyways thanks for the videos, they're really enjoyable, especially compared to most reaction channels
i love nier automata songs but most of all i love your videos if you are still not tired of nier automata you should check out luna park great job as always
I have two things to say here. First, I'm super glad you had a look at a NieR song. I love the NieR series to death, it's absolutely my favorite video game series. I wish you'd do more, and I know this comment is late but still. Secondly, you look way sexier without facial hair.
check out march of the empire from freedom fighters - its slow, steady and bit intimidating track OR compilation of halo music called Flood suite, perhaps check some lore about the ..Flood at the same time
SPOILER ALERT FOR NIER GESTALT/REPLICANT: Atlas, if you haven't already heard the context of this song then I will inform you. Many people consider this song and it's many variations to be one of the greatest tracks in gaming. Here's why: 1. The acoustic (devola) variation with a solo vocalist is played constantly throughout the game. It is used in the starting village. despite the insanely difficult battles, decisions, and losses the player and character must suffer through, Devola is always waiting back home with her song. Players are trained throughout the game to associate the vocals of song of the ancients as a symbol of peace, rest, hope, and it becomes a melody that shines so bright in the games darkness infested world. In addition to this, a special acoustic duet variation of the song can be earned by completing an insanely difficult and monotonous quest line. (probably the hardest in the game) the new vocalist is popola, devolas twin sister. Popola is also the primary guide figure for the player/character. Popola and devola are essentially adoptive parents for the player and also the leaders of the players village. Needless to say, the twins are loved very much by the main character, his sister, and to the player become living embodiments of the aforementioned symbols the song of ancients became. 2. The premise of the game is that the players beloved and sickly younger sister is kidnapped by the main villain, the lord of the shadows. Nearing the end of this quest, the player must fight his way through the shadowlords castle. After an hour of deadly fighting, deep inside the final darkest and most deadliest dungeon, the player has reached the final door before confronting the shadowlord. In front of it, stand none other than the twins: devola and popola. The main character is confused, but the players is, unfortunately, able to assume what is about to happen. It's revealed devola and popola have been working for the shadowlord this whole time. Their mission was to develop you and bring you and your sisters bodies to the shadowlord. The players character is unable to understand what is going on, he only really cares about protecting his family. (his sister, his party, and devola and popola as well.) 3. Next, devola and popola attack the player. Song of the ancients fate starts to play. The player throughout the fight states he doesn't want to fight, he doesn't want to hurt popola or devola. Players feel the same way. Everyone is hoping for a story decision that will allow the twins to survive. Deep down, however, we all know what has to happen. The MCs sister is behind the door that popola and devola are currently blocking. It's a gruesome choice to either leave and let his sister die, or kill the twins (parent figures) who've raised him and save his sister. All this without fully understanding why any of it is happening in the first place. As the song plays, the melody which served as a beaocn of hope for all players is turned into a relic of triumphant despair. Our hope (song of the ancients, devola) is shattered, killed by our own two hands. The twin sisters attack in two phases. Song of the ancients fate only plays in the first phase. In this phase, devola attacks the player while popola supports her. The player can only attack devola as popola is out of range. When devola is killed, a sad cutscene plays. Popola rushes to devola, who dies in her arms after saying a last I love you. Popola starts crying. The player then says a pretty stupid line. After murdering devola (self-defense, but still), the player says "Popola.... Let's just stop this fighting" Popola, is infuriated by the audacity of the players suggestion. She starts screaming in tears of rage about how it's far too late to stop (obviously). Then she let's out a finally cry overshadowing any other yells "no one stops!!!!!!!!!!!!" in the middle of the words "stops" song of the ancients (popola) begins playing. This is the same acoustic variant but it's just popola voice instead of devolas. This is the song that plays as you now have to die or end the life of the second half of the twins. 4. The thing here is that both parties involved are doing what they think is right. From the players perspective, he must save his sister no matter what. From the twins perspective, their sole purpose for the last 1000 years was for this day, and the player is the last step to finally completing their work. Also note that they are working under orders, so morality doesn't exist as the liability is their ruler. Regardless, both parties are fighting for, in their eyes, just causes. Despite this, the result of the battle will be despair regardless of the winner. Both parties clearly care for each other but now must fight to the death. The song of the ancients has many variations for a reason. The song and the vocalists are one in the same. The variations portray the development of not only the song, but of the characters who sing it. Devola and popola variations are played during the time of peace. The duet when we see them both together. And fate, played when the vocalists fate is determined and exacted. END SPOILER AND CONTEXT I don't know of any other song that does this. Truth be told, there's alot that goes in to why players feel this song is the best of all time. I think it really comes down to the human mind associating both the song and the twins as the same. In that regard, all the experiences with both are likely grouped as one whenever we attempt to judge or rate the song by itself. Without playing the game and experiencing the context, the song probably sounds much different. I feel its really only able to be a good song because this song, unlike any other, is literally developed and raised in the mind of the player by the game itself.
Now that you reacted to the OST of the Original game, will you react the revisions on the remake/remaster? Or... Could you react to one of my favorite songs of the remake/remaster? The song is "Fleeting Words -Outsider-" I recommend you that ver and If you like to listen you can also listen the Vocal Ver which is a Magical Experience too.
