Dark orchestral swells crashing into intense battle themes from the first note. Knights in the Nightmare on Nintendo DS dropped this Symphony of Souls soundtrack in 2009, going incredibly hard for a handheld game. "The Approaching Nightmare" sets the tone immediately, all dread and urgency.
Read more
"Angel of Blinding Darkness" and "Angel of Blinding Light" play off each other like two sides of a coin. "Ultima Ratio Regum" brings Latin grandeur to a DS strategy RPG and somehow pulls it off. The Dept. Heaven series always had ambitious music, and this might be the peak.
Every boss theme feels like a final boss theme. Tracks named "Immortal Damnation" and "Lord of Oblivion" and they actually earn it. If you want proof that the DS could deliver a soundtrack with real orchestral weight, start here.