Tsukasa Masuko pushed the SNES hardware darker than the first game and you can feel it immediately. Shin Megami Tensei II Sound Relation collects the full score from a sequel that went harder on the cyberpunk dystopia angle.
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The Battle theme is faster and more aggressive than SMT1's, and that Mid-Boss Battle track has a desperation to it that the Super Famicom renders with surprising grit. Club World and Casino inject these weird funky moments into an otherwise oppressive atmosphere.
Passage to Subterranean World just drips with unease. The alignment themes for Law, Chaos, and Neutral each hit differently depending on which path consumed your playthrough. If you thought SMT1's SNES soundtrack was bleak, this sequel said hold my Magnetite.