Star Ocean: The Second Story is a fantastic game that too often gets lost among the horde of other similarly great JRPGs from that era. Not only was it a great game, but it had a few memorable songs that have stuck with me over the years, none of them more so than it’s main overworld theme, Field of Expel.

Like many JRPG overworld themes, Field of Expel is grand and epic. It’s bombastic in a way that speaks of pure adventure, and does a great job at representing the game’s mostly medieval setting. There’s a royal pomp to the horns and flutes that carry the main melody, which does a lot to define the game’s general tone. This is a pretty straightforward fantasy tale full of swords and sorcery, and the central plot revolves around your grand quest to save the world and its people from their fate. Field of Expel captures that essence and runs with it, though things cool off a little around the second half. The blaring horns and crashing symbols take a brief respite to allow for a more subdued tone. This is a nice, quieter section that I appreciate, even if that’s mostly because of the way it allows the song to build back up again. The intensity of that ramp up is probably my favorite part of the entire song. It’s the boiling point that brings all of its instrumentation and motifs together for one last exciting hurrah, before looping back to the beginning to start it all over again.

There’s nothing terribly complex about Field of Expel, which is just as well, because Star Ocean: The Second Story never becomes terribly complex itself; at least when it comes to its narrative aspects. Sure, there’s a weird sci-fi slant to things at times, but for the most part you’re dealing with very medieval fantasy happenings, and that is all represented nicely in this awesome song. Field of Expel is just a great, memorable overworld theme to accompany you on your epic journey in Star Ocean: The Second Story, and is a personal favorite as a result.

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I hadn't heard that in ages! It's an inspiring piece. Thanks for the reminder of this singular game. I doubt the game would hold up for me now, but the music does just fine.

@Unmada: I played it a little bit a few years ago, some parts of it hold up well... other parts not so much. Fortunately the music does! Glad you enjoyed it!