Noriyuki Iwadare steps away from Grandia and Lunar to score tri-Ace's action RPG, and the result is way jazzier than you'd expect. Radiata Stories on PS2 gets this eclectic mix where "Struggle I" kicks off battles with bluegrass-tinged energy, complete with whistles and harmonica over driving percussion.
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Then "The White Town of Deception" flips to something atmospheric and wistful. The town themes are where Iwadare really shines, layering warm acoustic textures that make you want to just wander around talking to all 177 recruitable NPCs.
Some ambient pieces drag without the game context, sure. But tracks like "Colosseum" bring genuine swagger. If you want a PS2 RPG score that refuses to sound like every other PS2 RPG score, this one zigs constantly.