Xenoblade Chronicles 2/3 - Drifting Soul / Kaleidoscopic Core / Toward The Heavens | VGM Reaction!
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- Опубликовано: 19 окт 2024
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#XenobladeChronicles3 #XenobladeChronicles2 #Reaction #DriftingSoul
The only mistake you can make in a Xenoblade game is not playing it sooner.
And not doing the billions of side quests
@@tylercoon1791 can’t miss out on the crucial game lore from random furry potato people!!
@@tylercoon1791 Especially in X
Or playing them all and complete the trilogy along with the dlcs, and then feel empty and depressed afterwards....(in a good way?)
@@extinctbaryonyx No that's just part of the Experience.
"I feel like I should be sad right now "
Every XC2 fan shedding tears of joy
"NIA!!!!!!"
For me this song is always associated with Vandham. "Rex, don't go dyin on me here! You gotta make it to Elysium!"
@@wazow6281 Same. Vandham was the best!
‘Just go, Rex! Remember to fight your war!’
@@wazow6281 That's fair, but consider, why would the theme we now associate with Nia be playing over Vandham's sacrifice? While Rex is up there, taking the blame and calling himself an idiot, a young girl is standing in the background, knowing that the responsibility is actually hers. "Lives were lost, because I was afraid."
I read that in Malos’ voice lmao
@@melles1097 True, it still hurts me now that I know she could just have saved him at this moment. I don't think keeping her secret in this situation was worth his life. Probably the only criticism I'll always have toward Nia but the story wouldn't have been the same otherwise.
Hearing Drifting Soul in 2 during this great scene was an emotional moment, and then they made it into a friggin battle theme in 3 that you hear by having a post-game exclusive character in your party. Hearing the battle theme almost made me cry the first time.
For full context.
"Drifting Soul" is one of XC2's major scene songs, and plays during a massively important moment in Nia's development.
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"Towards The Heavens" is Nia's theme in XC3.
And "Kaleidoscopic Core" is her Hero BGM for after you recruit her in XC3's postgame events.
@@CenturyXII I would argue that her presence in trailer material kinda spoils her presence, but you do have a point. I changed it.
@@DarthLocutus0 Cheers, not trying to hound ya or anything but as someone who avoided the trailers myself I woulda been disappointed if a comment tipped me off. Then again it's been out for like a year so eh.
@@DarthLocutus0 The majority of fans did not even understand that was Nia, as she was wearing a mask, same as Melia. Mostly because many years passed between the games' release dates and also because the vocal effects.
@kaz7886 Huh. I thought both queens' voices were pretty blatantly obvious right from the first teaser, even with the vocal distortions. Guess that was just me.
@@DarthLocutus0 I mean, it was the impression of most dedicated fans but.. you never know, could be clones, could be fakes, could be similar people, xenoblade always surprises you.
That vocal solo in Toward the Heavens is actually sung by a _boy,_ believe it or not; part of a choir that has performed for other songs in the series.
First time you hear this Drifting Soul in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is quite the moment!
You won't be able to guess the context of the scene from the music.
well, you kinda can if you listen to the lyrics but you already have to be on a certain wavelength even if you read the lyrics lol
The context these all play in for the first time in each respective game is just…..PAIN.mp3. I bawled my eyes out to these songs so much. You have no idea…
One of the rules of Xenoblade, when the vocal tracks come out it's time for pain.
every time theres a song with vocals i have to brace myself
I was not ok during the prison scene in 3.
*hears vocals*
Oh hell no.
You couldn't be more wrong. You'd know that if you played Xenoblade Chronicles X.
@@thenonexistinghero ok, _mainline_ Xenoblade.
If you want a track from Xenoblade 3 with a bass listen to "formidable enemy"
Was going to say that. That song has all the bass you could want lol.
Yeah that song is like ALL bass
Bass and drums carry hard there, such a banger
You gotta give a listen to “Aurora Shelf” and “New Battle!!!” from the DLC! They go so hard it’s not even funny
Aurora Shelf daytheme is a banger, how can one disagree?
The night theme too so good
19:44 Xenoblade actually has a huge variety of songs across multiple genres, including a number of devastating emotional tracks and whimsical pieces. The reason why you have this impression of Xenoblade is because people tend to recommend to you the most hyped songs, impactful ones that get your blood pumping, and those tend to be dramatic cutscene tracks or battle themes. Some of the Xenoblade series’s most popular and beloved tracks are actually area themes or emotional themes-Gaur Plains, Satorl Marsh (Night), and Drifting Soul are all good examples.
I would give Xenoblade's environment themes GOAT status. They blow through every nostalgia glasses I have, and I've been playing JRPGs since the NES.
Torigoth (Night) is one of my low-key favorites. It's got such a calm--even country--vibe, especially with that slide guitar.
@@brayoungful Absolutely. Very few "misses" across all three (heck, four) games, which is incredibly impressive given the sheer number of areas in every game.
Torigoth (Night) thoroughly deserves all the love it gets. That track is excellent. Torigoth (Day) doesn't slack, either.
Every xenoblade has at least one "Wait... so is this a sad or a happy song?"
And the answer is always "Yes."
Drifting Soul starts out as a very sad, heartfelt, song which only grows and gains more over the course of Xenoblade 2. The song itself never changes, but the plot adds more layers to it thus giving it a nice natural progression from "sad" to "hopeful", which evolves the song over the course of the game. This progression ties directly into Kaleidoscopic Core in Xenoblade 3.
You noted it (Kaleidoscopic Core) sounded very "Full" and "Energetic", and that's for a good reason as, for the character it represents, it very much represents that. The character now has a very full, happy life, and this tracks upbeat, vibrant, pace represents a character who is now free of the shackles of their past. That past is still very much important for them, but they will no longer let their past control their life.
Towards the Heavens, likewise, is similar in that its much more "Full" compared to Drifting Soul, but its got a more "relaxed" idea behind it. It still feels very "Free" compared to Drifting Soul, but its clear that its meant for a more "Peaceful Moment" kind of situation from its tone.
Given drifting soul has a violin version and a vocal version in 2, it would be inaccurate to say it never changes
Took 3 coming out to really drive home that it is Nia’s theme, the violin version playing first during death and awakening makes it difficult to go back later after the vocal version plays for Nia’s important moment and connect that the song even then with all that other major plot happening, was still also important for what she couldn’t bring herself to do in that first moment
@@VikTimmy Fair point. By "never changes" I meant more-so that the core of the song itself doesn't undergo as substantial of a change as Kaleidoscopic Core or Toward The Heavens. It stays Drifting Soul the whole time, and evolves over time.
You have heard 2 vocal songs in the series before, those ones being “Beyond the Sky” from Xenoblade 1, and We Are The Chosen Ones from Xenoblade 2 (that one having a choir). If you ever do get to play any of the Xenoblade games, you're in for a wild ride and I'd be excited to see that happen.
We are the Chosen Ones from XC2 as well.
@@PeachBootyPoppin ah, i’ll update the comment
And, if we're counting the other Xeno games, he has heard Small Two of Pieces from Xenogears and Kokoro from Xenosaga Episode 1
Ah this song/motif. These songs are tied to one very specific and very well loved Xenoblade Chronicles character (Which you can tell who it is by the last songs title). The final song especially hits different for me personally since in Xenoblade 3 you (in an interesting way) reunite with her after being in a new world for so long. For me it was the feeling "Getting to see a familiar face in new territory" and as someone who LOVED Xenoblade 2 especially it hit so hard for me. Cheers to the people who picked these songs! Very solid choices!!
Make a spoiler note man!!! He said he maybe wants to play the games
@@timkerkemeiker9791 I mean if He's watching the video from the same channel as the 2nd song, it literally says it all. Plus the other comments flat out say the name too.
Drifting Soul was more used in cutscenes in the 2nd game and tends to be when the party has a struggle to overcome, Kaleidoscopic Core plays with a specific character in the party in the 3rd game and just loops until the fights end, Toward The Heavens plays also during a specific cutscene in the 3rd game and was a great emotional piece for players of the second game. Also its funny you mention christmas, as it takes places in a snowy area for the toward the heavens! Jen Bird is the singer for drifting soul as well.
The lower bass for the Xenoblade 3 songs is probably because they aren't the OST versions. The official OST releases in August.
The physical version of the ost for 3 and the trinity box should begin shipping in 2 days, just before August, if the email I got when I preordered is any indication
@@VikTimmy the site says the release date is July 29th, so we should be getting our orders shipped pretty soon
Drifting Soul is a weird song to listen to on its own because every scene it plays in is PERFECTLY tailored to it (usually when a character is about to die or having a big emotional moment) and it totally elevates each one.The cutscene direction in the Xenoblade series is unmatched
Honestly the fact that they took such an emotional song and made it such a banger in 3 is crazy
XC composers are so based when Kaleidoscopic Core is a battle theme that only plays when a certain post-game character is in your party. They didn't have to arrange this track at all, but they did.
It's insane how well someone can picture what is happening from just hearing the music! Excellent work by the composer and great talent to you identifying some of the more suitable things
(Specifically refering how the last song reminded you of winter, when it plays in an area full of snow)
@14:56 "Reminds me of Christmas"
Haha! Thank you Jesse! I will not be able to unhear this for the rest of my life now lol
The last song plays at an area at the top of a snowy region which is made from the horns of a giant reindeer. The Christmas feel is coincidentally on point 😅
This is such a good theme showing a character’s growth over multiple games.
Drifting Soul represents this character’s fears about themselves and unwillingness to be there true self in front of others.
Kaleidoscopic Core on the other hand, represents this character having finally accepted themselves and finding true companions and happiness and thus being able to face the tragedies of the world while no longer being bound by fear.
Except for the part where she's putting up an act to appear better than she is...
@@thenonexistinghero Kaleidoscopic Core only plays when Nia is in your party, which is when she’s less of a queen and more of the old Nia. I’d say she’s found happiness and accepted who she is when she’s with the party. Heck, she accepted who she was back in XC2.
@@billystokes3917 Post-game only, not canon at all.
@@thenonexistinghero not true. The post game quests ARE canon, but they’d kill the flow if they were there the first time. They wouldn’t have full cutscenes if they didn’t matter.
@@2yoyoyo1Unplugged Plenty of things that can't possibly be canon in all main Xenoblade games. The postgame quests aren't canon because it's 100% impossible for them to be canon. By the time you're endgame, there's no time in terms of plot for your characters to actually do those quests. They just go straight up to the final boss because there is a pressing situation. This goes for all XC games other than XCX where sidequesting is an integral part of the plot.
This one is my favorite song from xenoblade, its awesome to find this song back again in xenoblade 3
A little bit of an explanation about song names:
Drifting Soul - basically a theme song of a character in xenoblade 2 and refers to how she is feeling herself.
Kaleidoscopic Core - refers to specific design trait of that character
Toward The Heavens - refers to the location of the certain place in xenoblade 3 related to said character. The vocal performance I think is by Luca Brugnoli (solo) and Libera choir.
Should be pinned. Excellent descriptions without spoilers.
I love these three, especially the battle version in 3!
I love these tracks, Kaleidoscopic Core in particular for being both a banger, and for what it stands for and means to the character it represents
Drifting souls "tears flowing here" oh you have no idea how I cried when I heard this first time 😭💕
Kaleidoscopic Core, without spoilers, I was so excited to hear this ✨ Nia ✨😍 It was amazing to hear it and recognize it
The chills I got the first time hearing Towards the Heavens was unreal. Didn’t expect a call back like that. Then I had the biggest smile realizing how much this series effected me.
Then hearing Kaleidoscopic Core was just icing on the cake. How could I not just pause the battle and listen to it a few times
@@gamekiller64 yeah same, I only just realized you could pause during battles when I got the 2 (almost) postgame heroes and really wanted to hear them without all the noises and voices lmao
We need Jessie to experience these games. Heres to hoping a potential playthrough🙏
Xenoblade has a couple ballad songs. Xenoblade 2 has drifting soul, One Last You, and Moment of Eternity. Xenoblade 3 having A Step Away, and Where We Belong
Monolith Soft and the composers they get to work on the music are masters of emotional storytelling. They ask you to give them you eyes', ears', and heart's full attention and then proceed to take you for a wild ride that you don't always know where it's gonna go and then out of the blue they're able to just take your heart and pound it into billions of pieces, then put it back together, and do it all over again later.
I really do hope you you'll play the Xenoblade Chronicles "Klaus trilogy".
Oh dang! Just last night I got on a real kick of listening to various versions of this song, and then when that continued into tonight, you post this! Time to go on another channel binge.
Oh, you gotta check out the music from Future Redeemed, Xenoblade 3's DLC story. The whole soundtrack is lit. Personal favourites of mine are the battle theme (forgot the precise name), Aurora Shelf, Black Mountains and Prison Island (both day and night versions).
Also, if you ever decide to play the games (you'll need a lot of time for that), I'd recommend playing them in order. Stuff hits you more that way.
A lot of people underestimate Xenoblade Chronicles. Thats why the sales numbers are still relatively low for such a great and high quality production.
It is so fitting and for a sci-fi set up for Xeno to always have ballads as lyrical themes for each title. There's a sense of melancholy and probably what is also used in post apocalyptic medias.
most Xenoblade songs you've done have indeed been battle themes but this series got it all
"I feel the presence of tears"
..yea very much so lol
25:33 yes they are. They are for a Character called Nia as in the third title. She originated in Xenoblade 2 and Drifting Soul played in emotional scenes for the whole party. In Xenoblade 3 it was converted to be just Nia’s theme. Toward Heaven when you encounter her (she is a Queen of one Nation in 3) and Kaleidoscopic Core when she is traveling with you and it becomes the normal battle theme as long she is in party.
While Drifting Soul could somewhat apply to multiple other characters such as Pyra or Mythra, the times it and the instrumental version play are pivotal Nia moments and the lyrics fit Nia best. The remixes in 3 basically demonstrate that Nia is now a fulfilled person no longer full of doubt.
Your reaction to this post-XC2 would be fascinating
7:06 goddamnit how did you know?!?!? lmao
3 has some good bass, they just haven't showed themselves yet lol. "Formidable enemy" in particular is a really bassy battle theme and it's so good 🤤
I'm so glad someone bought you a Switch! I hope you'll be able to play these gems at some point! I'm sure you'd like it and mostly the music (is there even any bad Xenoblade track guys)
The Xeboblade community is chill and passionate (we also have quite some memes.....)
there is not, in fact, a bad xenoblade song may it be ambiant or fight music
@@julien827 Well, when you hear only the menu theme from 3, you know you're on for a ride haha
My favorite songs in xc are actually the slower map themes
Eryth Sea (day) is my favorite. Gotta hear it in game though
Just for the context in kaleidoscopic core, its a character specific battle theme that is relevant to 2. So if you have that character in your party, you hear that instead of the main battle theme.
"Maybe it's boss (battle)". Yes it is. And we are that boss.
Kaleidoscopic Core had been living rent free in my head for like the last year
Some other people mentioned that it’s a teenage (or almost teenage, not sure) boy singing during that last song. I was always fascinated by the use of minimal vibrato on the part of the vocalist in “Nia, Toward the Heavens”, but now I’m realizing he probably hasn’t even developed his vibrato fully yet lmao. Still, amazing vocal control, regardless
Love you thoughts on these tracks and you views in general. For context around some of your thoughts/comments:
- the mixed feelings these songs invoke is intentional, they're the motif for a particular character who's experiences and feeling tie very well to the mixed emotions that are portayed.
- the reduced base within Xenoblade 3 is across the board, and i've interpretted it to tie back to worldbuilding explicitly. The world is less bombastic in 3 due to story reasons, so the mix is more top heavy to match the worldstate.
Towards the Heavens does play in a snowy area but it’s due to the elevation not the season
There's similar vibe Xenoblade 1 song that you listen last year, it's called Beyond the Sky... it's also had female vocal by Sarah Alainn... I don't blame you for not remembering it, because there's so few XC songs with this kind of vibe, usually just 1 or 2 for each installment of the trilogy
I can't listen to drifting souls without crying it's plays at the saddest moments in the game like 3 or 4 times
You finally getting a Nintendo Switch? That's fantastic!
You're gonna have to try out all the games that you've listened to all this time and experience the music in full along with the gameplay and the story!
The order is important. Drifting Soul is first, Towards The Heavens second and Kaleidoscopic Core last. Doesn't matter as much given no context, but this is the order in the game.
Spoilers ahead:
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You are right about being sad during Drifting Soul. It plays during a couple cutscenes when someone dies or almost dies in battle. During XC2 it's mostly about character growth in general. A sad moment when someone must change their view on the world so it won't happen again. "This is awful, but I will go out stronger".
Drifting Soul is for the death of someone important, as their soul drifts onwards to the heavens.
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(Nia) Towards The Heavens in XC3, around the 3/4 mark of the game after XC2, is when the full context of Drifting Soul drops and you didn't even know there was more to it. It plays during a cutscene knowing what is about to happen: you go to meet Nia who is a character from XC2. You feel sad because Drifting Soul is playing and to that moment Drifting Soul was a sad song, but now it's hope, Nia is there to help you and she is your best hope. You are located at where is probably the highest elevated point in the game and going up stares into a castle in the sky even higher, hence the name. Towards The Heavens mostly tells you: "This is actually Nia, right there at the end of the stairs!" when you are at the moment. Only after it hits you that Drifting Soul was never about the death or near death of someone. It was about Nia, the greatest healer in the world who is strong enough to revive people from the dead, failed to save someone's life out of fear (this is another story). Drifting Soul is not XC2's theme anymore, this is now Nia's theme, about a soul drifting in Nia's reach. Nia BTW appears in the image for Drifting Soul, the cat girl next to the white lion.
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Kaleidoscopic Core is Nia's battle theme in XC3. It replaces the regular battle theme if you have her as your extra hero in the party. Kaleidoscopic Core represents Nia's full potential in all it's glory. She is now here fighting with you and no one can stop her. She isn't scared of anything anymore, fangs and claws are out, and "thrashing these goons" as she says.
The name comes from Nia's "core crystal", something in XC2 which is too much to explain in a RUclips comment. In short: she has what is called a "core crystal" on her chest which at the time the type of core was considered taboo, practically marking her for doing something very controversial in the past and which she is ashamed of. She was hiding it for most of XC2 even from the rest of the party. "Kaleidoscopic Core" means that this type of core is right there in the open and she isn't ashamed of it. Nia accepted who she is.
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In short: these three songs together represents Nia's growth as a character: her shames, fears, failures, overcoming them, and embracing them to better herself.
Drifting Soul is pretty much a certain character that's lost and realizing that she needs to make a change.
Towards the Heavens is when we meet that character again after she's made the change.
Kalaedoscopic Core is the battle theme that plays when she's jamming in the field. It's a more literal title that describes a part of the character's body.
11:44 now nobody should underestimate Yasonuri Mitsuda and their choices for music, I think music is as ambitious as the games themselve, Takahashi and every part involved in the franchise are aiming for where people cant imagine, coming from an independent studio that almost got extinct, I think even Nintendo dont know how far they can get.
love your reaction dude, and also love this game franchise so much specially XC2. Electric Guitars are godlike
For the last theme i think they used both an irish men's and boy's choir.
Also there is a purely instrumental version of drifting soul in xenoblade 2 that adds a couple more instruments to differentiate it making the total versions of this one theme 4 and not 3
I really appreciate sets like this because you get to see at least pieces of how xenoblade employs leitmotif all over the place.
Poor Vandham getting no recognition in these comments lol
I mean the official games cutscene viewer gives him zero respect too, since the scene where this plays involving him in that game is called "exit vandham, enter mythra"
Probably one of the main reasons for these songs to be requested are the lyrics of Drifting Soul. Without understanding them, it's still a beautiful, melancholy piece with just a little bit of hope, but the meaning of those lyrics, even without the additional context of the game, add a lot to the song. It's a powerful message that's relatable to many (especially the trans and gay communities). The way the songs evolves into a calm and comforting song (Toward the Heavens) and into an energetic and confident song (Kaleidoscopic Core), hits far harder than the songs can individually.
And best of luck with Xenoblade. These games have tons of tracks that are loved by many. Xenoblade 2 especially has an issue where most of the soundtrack could be considered iconic. It's the problematic one for all reaction channels.
Xenoblade is peak fiction and has peak music
Drifting soul. Ah yes the Switch Joy-Con theme
The biggest difference from 2 to 3 is your reaction at the end where you go from thinking "Poor Nia," to "Welp, girl, he said what he meant and meant what said."
The remix is so gooooood.
Thank goodness someone getting you a switch. You gotta play these in order
Hearing kaleidoscopic core in xc3 was sweet.
It comes out of left field when you hear it. Gave me goosebumps the first time i heard it. It really just celebrates the whole franchise especially xenoblade 2
Yes, it is a battle theme but its only under specific circumstances.
The third song is the same way except it feels incredibly nostalgic especially because it wasnt entirely expected and also a sense of finally realizing the anticipation
Regarding high energy, with the Xeno Series OST I have jumped like crazy as well as cried until getting dehydrated
I have been waiting for this
He should check engage the enemy / counterattack / carrying the weight of life and in this order
hoping we can see you play xenoblade now. already played devil may cry, one of my favorite games. Hopefully you decide to play through another one of my favorites.
I love you and all you guys!
Basically it's for the same character the character from 2 returns in 3 in a different form/appearance
I’d been waiting for this, only reason I never suggested it myself was to wait and see if the dlc for 3 went and remixed it again to give yet another version to listen to, but alas, it was not to be.
Also, it would be worth giving a listen to the violin version of drifting soul, maybe not for another video but on your own, you can appreciate the battle version in 3 more after hearing that
Lyrics like that are typically reserved for the "Big emotional moment" of the story, and the end credit themes
And yes, Kaleidoscopic Core is an alternative battle theme you unlock after you beat the game, when Nia actually joins your party.
Drifting Souls is a great song, but I really dislike people only remembering this as "Nias development song" and completely forgetting Vandhams sacrifice.
That’s because that’s what it is. It plays in Exit Vandham Enter Mythra because a big part of that scene is Nia asking herself if she should revive Vandham at the risk of outing herself as a blade- a flesh eater no less. It has always been hers. Except when it plays in Torna. Because it plays for Mythra there.
Ah yes, the triade of endless tears
xenoblade 1: ~100 songs, xenoblade 2: ~120, xenoblade 3: ~190 songs
So uh song context and yes i am the big sad listening to these /j:
-Drifiting souls: its used as a big emotional story point song and iirc is played at 3 different points. Honestly while xeno 3 tied it to a certain character my favorite use is at the end of the game as the monolog during it is phenomenal.
- kaleidoscopic core: (uh xeno 3 vague spoilers) you unlock a character in the post game and slotting them in the party changes the normal battle track to this. It caught me so off guard but man I love that track.
- final track: its used as a cutscene that absolutely emotionally destroyed me as it was a reminiscing moment of xeno 2 past.
also if i remember correctly nia toward heavens plays during the credits
At this point you would probably end buying a Switch 2.
And its not a bad thing if it willresult to be retro-compatible.
Xenoblade hell yeh
the xenoblade 2 song imo.
You need to listen the consouls cover
The friendzone theme. I mean... It appears in a huge moment of XC2 and in someway, even epic
Spoiler:
Not friendzone anymore... xD
@@missyume_Wife, Mother, and Queen.
The 3 one goes so hard but its only because you have a catgirl in your party😂
Kaleidoscopic core is a big spoiler title for who didnt played xenoblade 2
Easily one of my favorite songs in the entire series.