Hey, no complaining—you guys got a break from these AMV rants last year. Now that we're back in the swing of things on this blog, sort of, it's back to business! Check out these great RPG AMVs!
CLAIR OBSCUR: EXPEDITION 33
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33: Gustave: For Those Who Come After, Right?, by Zirael
The music used is a deeper and slowed version of The Arrival of the Birds, from the soundtrack of The Theory of Everything. This is a solid, well-organized AMV tribute to Verso's character and journey, adeptly incorporating dialogue from the game that presents his personality, turmoil, and motivation. It only lightly connects to the song, but it's an elegant work all the same.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33: Tomorrow Comes, by Karinscr
The music used is The Call, by 2WEI, Edda Hayes, and Louis Leibfried. A good all-around AMV here, which pairs the quieter, heavier, and more aggressive parts of its music skillfully to the dialogue, hefty atmosphere, and action of COE33, respectively, to create a stirring representation of the epic nature of the game.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33: Verso: I'm Tired, by Zirael
The music used is the orchestral version of What Could Have Been, by Samuel Kim. As with the last, Zirael has constructed a thoughtful and dramatic tribute AMV, this time devoted to the torment, dilemma, and conclusion of Verso. It's quite a solid creation that captures the melancholy of Verso, the game, and the existence both portray. Good stuff.
DISCO ELYSIUM
Disco Elysium: Dancing Queen, by easternCriminal
The music used is Dancing Queen, by ABBA. This fan animatic video uses a peppy, positive piece of pop music that doesn’t get much play in the AMV world, and which you’d think would be too upbeat in its cadence and tone to really work with Disco Elysium. But while the heart and soul of Disco Elysium that impacts us most tends to be the heavier elements of its characters and story, there’s a lot about the game and its protagonist that’s fun, quirky, and outright feel-good, and this AMV uses this uniquely enduring bit of disco to remind us of that fact. Harry Du Bois is a tortured man trying to find himself, pick himself up from the disaster he’s made of his life, and empathetic detective of the human condition who chokes on the pain of the world around him...but he’s also a silly, curious goofball whose playful tendencies both inspire and infuriate his partner Kim, and this music video skillfully marries the appealing cinnamon-bun portrayal of Harry in the storyboard sketches of the game’s progression with the ephemeral but pure joy that ABBA sings of. And yet, the painful and violent parts of the game also are well-portrayed here, too, rather than shunned, and they somehow work just as well, leaving us in the end with a thoughtful, fun, adept tribute to an excellent game.
Disco Elysium: Liquid Nights, by Miracle of Sound
The music used is Liquid Nights, by Miracle of Sound. Miracle of Sound is at it again with another great piece that captures the heart of the game that inspired it, combining lyrics and tune to portray the delight, delirium, and despair of Harry Du Bois in a manner that’s as melancholic and groovy as the man himself. As ever with a Miracle of Sound creation, the music is the star of the show, and all the visual component really has to do is to try to keep up with it, but there’s certainly no denying that it does so with flying colors here, employing the iconic moody simplicity of DE’s visuals and its unforgettable moments and characters, to coordinate with the tribute that the music pays to the game. Darned good stuff!
FINAL FANTASY
Final Fantasy 7 Remake: Just Dance, by Temporal Guardian
The music used is Just Dance, by Lady Gaga. This is a silly, stupid video using an obnoxious song based around the dumbest part of the game.
Why is it so great
KINGDOM COME: DELIVERANCE
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 1: Monster, by All-So Productions:
The music used is Monster, by Imagine Dragons. This is 1 of those AMVs that I just don't really have much to say about—it's a simple, straightforward, classic-styled music video that does a good job at pairing music to visuals, and it feels right for the game, action, and style. It's just a good, no-frills, bread-and-butter AMV that's fun to watch.
OMORI
Omori: Hated by Life Itself, by Sweggyq
The music used is, as far as I can tell, Sou's cover of 命に嫌われている。/カンザキイオリ. Being that I don't speak (what I believe to be) Japanese, I can't really say for sure if I've got the title or credit on that right, but hopefully that's accurate. Given that the nuance of tying lyrics and visuals together is a significant part of an AMV, to say nothing of the potential of using the subject matter to interpret and explore the lyrics in new ways which require expertise, I don't usually watch AMVs that use songs written in languages I don't know, but obviously an exception can be made for special cases—and I think this warrants such an exception.
This AMV is a fan-animated summary of Omori, depicting with loving care the game's major events from its start to (true) finish, and it's a great telling worthy of such an excellent game. The animation is a collaboration of many different artists, with each one contributing a few seconds to the whole, creating a dynamic effect where the art style changes frequently. This isn't the first time I've seen a video of this nature, but this case is really notable in that the change of style is never jarring, always fluid; most collaboration videos like this jump so drastically from 1 approach to art that it winds up being distracting and even slightly disorienting, but here, there's enough cohesion and care in the flow of one style into the next, as well as the general motion of the video's events, that it comes together into a single smooth project, even as it showcases many different talents—while also remaining pleasingly true to the style and imagery of the source material, too. It's also really solid animation as a whole, fluid and natural. Lastly, while I can't judge the musical component as well as I'd like to due to the language barrier (although I do appreciate the inclusion of the translated lyrics!), the flow of the visuals and their story coordinates excellently to the tone and direction of the music—it's pretty much perfect to a beat, and I can't imagine how much skill and effort had to go into coordinating the art of dozens of collaborators so exactly to the timing set by the music, while also ensuring that the story is laid out and told correctly within the allotted time.
This is 1 of the most sincere and amazing fan works for Omori, or really any other RPG, out there, and it's daunting just to really consider what had to have gone into creating it. Honestly, if the song were in a language I could understand and really sink my teeth into, it'd probably get a rant all of its own, but even if it just misses that, it definitely earns the distinction of the best AMV we see today.
Saturday, February 28, 2026
General RPGs' AMVs 22
Wednesday, February 28, 2024
General RPGs' AMVs 21
AMVs exist and you should watch them and to facilitate that I am sharing some with you right now. Look, I’ve done 20 of these intros now, there’s no need to keep dressing this concept up.
DELTARUNE
Deltarune: Ad Infinitum, by The Stupendium
The music used is Ad Infinitum, by The Stupendium. As was made abundantly clear last year, The Stupendium’s standards for production value of his videos are absolutely sky-high, and his gift for lyrics, both their creation and performance, is nigh unmatched. This video’s another great example of this level of quality and talent as it aggressively, rapidly, darkly displays the memorable Spamton in all his sympathetic, disturbing, terrifying glory.
DISCO ELYSIUM
Disco Elysium: Detective. Arriving. On the Scene, by Oblivionblade
The music used is Intro, by Alt J. Disco Elysium’s incomparable excellence is such that even though it’s a retro-style isometric game, there’s still a decent number of people who have made AMVs for it. Music videos for video games whose visuals are not large, detailed, and animated within certain parameters (Playstation 1 era FMV or Playstation 2 era in-game graphics are generally the starting point) are a rarity, and yet, DE is simply too significant not to inspire creators. And inspire it has, because this snapshot of the compelling power this game’s scenes and intensity hold is a genuinely excellent work of editing, melding the haunting hold the game has on its audience with the smooth power and flourish of the music to form a terrific trailer-style AMV here.
Disco Elysium: Good Life, by Yellow-Py
The music used is Good Life, by Shayfer James. As with the Deltarune AMV above, this is an AMV whose visual component is fan-crafted rather than lifted directly from the game, although this time it’s a cartoon animatic. And this fanart storyboard is darned well-made, an expressive, appealing take on the characters and setting of Disco Elysium that brings to visual life the exquisite personality and emotion seen only (albeit excellently) through narration in the game itself. The music video merges its art with the beat and lyrics of the song to wonderfully portray the story of Disco Elysium, both its tangible events, and the annals of Harry’s mind, heart, and torment. It’s great all around, and the fact that someone not only merged the visuals of Disco Elysium to the song so well, but actually created those visuals, is impressive.
FINAL FANTASY
Final Fantasy 7 Remake: Enemy, by RivAyshil
The music used is Enemies, by The Score. This is one of those classic AMVs set to a piece of music that makes an argument for the need for a genre called Adolescent Edge. But what of it? It’s still a cool AMV that brings game and song together well and is fun to watch. Ain’t nothing wrong with being a good, solid meat-and-potatoes music video!
Final Fantasy 7 Remake: Madness, by RivAyshil
The music used is Madness, by Ruelle. I’ll admit that the Disco Elysium AMVs above hit me harder, but honestly, this video is kinda just flawless--it’s perfectly, minutely edited to merge music and visuals both naturally and with effects that enhance rather than distract from the experience, and both the song’s lyrics and tone just feel like the exact right thing to be playing to both this video and the game as a whole. This is just as good as an AMV can get without getting an entire rant of its own.
FIRE EMBLEM
Fire Emblem 14: End of an Empire, by LaTeddyNecto
The music used is End of an Empire, by Celldweller. LaTeddyNecto’s skill with Fire Emblem is no stranger to these rants, and while this isn’t the best of their works, it’s still worthy of notice and consideration. Does this AMV go on too long? Yes, after a certain point FE14 can’t sustain the duration of the song and its intensity. But considering that this AMV is over 7 minutes long, the fact that the overall quality of it is really good, and that it can manage to stay at least decent to its end, is a laudable testament to its creator’s abilities for scene selection and editing.
MASS EFFECT
Mass Effect Series: 10 Duel Commandments, by Warped Meaning Productions
The music used is 10 Duel Commandments, from the soundtrack for Hamilton. Look, Hamilton is obnoxious almost from start to finish and I’m not in the least bit afraid to say that a huge part of that is its garbage music, but...I must admit that this particular song is kinda fun, and uncharacteristically educational for its rather...skewed vision of the history the musical portrays. And this AMV neatly takes advantage of the quirky appeal of the song, assembling the scenes and characters of Mass Effect to amusingly bring the song to visual life. There’s not much to say here, really, this is just a very fun AMV.
Casting The Illusive Man as Aaron Burr is an atrocity, though.
THE OUTER WORLDS
The Outer Worlds: Payday, by Miracle of Sound
The music used is Payday, by Miracle of Sound. As 1 of the only guys whose talents for original fan music (and AMVs to go with it) rival The Stupendium, Miracle of Sound has given us a good, solid view of the memorable setting and concepts of The Outer Worlds that deftly emphasizes his music’s tough, appealing tune and lyrics. This is a type of music that Miracle of Sound excels at, and this one’s particularly in line with the soul of the work that inspired it, with some groovy retro background sci-fi sounds to coalesce with the color and artistry of The Outer Worlds, even while the music itself seems to feel aligned to the rustish frontier tint of the game’s visual depiction of its civilization and industry. All this video has to do to be a damn fine AMV is to simply keep apace with its song, and it undeniably does so with great skill, bringing the grit and weary common man’s frustration of the music back to the game built upon it.
Tuesday, February 28, 2023
General RPGs' AMVs 20
You know what I realized last year, when I was making the music list rant about the remixes and original fan songs and whatnot? A lot of composers of original fan songs actually go to the trouble of making an accompanying music video to go with their tunes. So, like, why wouldn’t I also count those as RPG AMVs? That being the case, expect to see a bunch of these original RPG AMVs in the next couple of these rants. There’ll still be plenty of “normal” AMVs, too, though, no worries.*
FALLOUT
Fallout 4: Some Things Never Change, by Miracle of Sound
The music used is Some Things Never Change, by Miracle of Sound. The perfect video to accompany Miracle of Sound’s beautiful, haunting, weary love song to Fallout 4, this AMV displays the singular beauty and tragedy of the Fallout setting with sweeping, unhurried treks through the post-apocalyptic Commonwealth, perfectly in tune with the music. Tributes to a game’s setting are difficult to make a great AMV for, particularly for landscapes that emphasize quiet and emptiness, but when they work, they work damn well, and this is a great example of that.
FINAL FANTASY
Final Fantasy 7 Remake: Warriors, by RivAyshil
The music used is a cover of Warriors, by Imagine Dragons. The cover itself is done by 2WEI. This AMV is strong overall, a good match of song to game in terms of atmosphere and gravity, but it’s especially notable, I think, for the great timing of the game footage to the music. The powerful and pervasive percussion of Warriors is matched at every point by the movement and actions of the visuals to create a single, flowing entity of sound and sight here. I especially love the part right before the minute mark where the audio’s far-off marching is matched to characters’ steps in the game--it’s a small detail, but it shows off the skill and effort that went into this AMV as a whole very well. Great stuff.
FIRE EMBLEM
Fire Emblem 16: The Storm, by Ramona BadwolfTM
The music used is The Storm, by TheFatRat. This is a pretty neat AMV--the creator has picked an interesting song that, when paired to the game’s footage with such precise and artful timing, demonstrates Fire Emblem 16’s characters and conflicts, their relationships and their pain in a way that’s refreshing and compelling. Let’s face it, after a certain point, there are some games whose AMVs tend to start to blur together, and Fire Emblem titles definitely seem to be examples of this phenomenon--but this music video manages to make the story and its cast feel new again, somehow. It’s an interesting case of the AMV being genuinely fun to watch, even if it’s got enough gravity and sincerity that I wouldn’t call it a “fun” AMV, if that makes any sense.
NIER: AUTOMATA
Nier: Automata: Mercy Mirror, by Rail
The music used is Mercy Mirror, by Within Temptation. You know, I hadn’t really thought about it before, but between A1 and 2B, Devola and Popola, the splintering of N2’s consciousness, the duality of the machines and the androids as a whole, and just a whole lot of moments from the game’s narrative, there really are a lot of examples of mirrors in Nier: Automata, huh? An interesting realization I wouldn’t have had without this high quality AMV calling attention to it with its smart choice of scenes to coordinate with the song’s lyrics and tune, and interesting exploration into the theme of mirrors within the game. This is a solid work with a neat thematic focus!
THE OUTER WORLDS
The Outer Worlds: The Fine Print, by The Stupendium
The music used is The Fine Print, by The Stupendium. I love this one--the song’s a strikingly perfect and ingeniously written representation of The Outer Worlds’s setting, theme, and lore, and the video that goes along with it is excellently tailored to emphasize and enhance the music, giving us a great set of visuals from The Outer Worlds to pay it proper tribute, while staying contained and sparse enough that the video never distracts from the song and its message. The Stupendium’s own role is played perfectly as he sings, and his background, visual effects, costume design, and overall presentation and progression are all excellent, engaging, and in complete sync with the source material. I legitimately don’t think that a better tribute to and representation of The Outer Worlds could be made than The Fine Print--hell, I might even go as far as to say that this AMV is superior to the game itself, even on the game's own terms!
SUIKODEN
Suikoden 1 - 3: SuikoPath, by Squall583.
The music used is Path, by Apocalyptica. There’s very little to say on this one--it’s a blast from the past, possibly older than some of you reading this, and a prime example of a classic, good, basic AMV that gets the job done and is enjoyable to watch. It’s also a bit noteworthy for managing to maintain a cohesive, strong music video from start to finish, in spite of having very little to work with (given how few cinematics the initial trilogy of Suikoden possessed)--granted, some scenes are reused in this, but the way they fit so well into the chorus effectively disguises this as an artistic choice rather than a limitation. Good stuff!
TALES OF
Tales of Berseria: A Demon’s Fate, by Ard1n LC
The music used is A Demon’s Fate, by Within Temptation. This one’s a solid, well-constructed AMV that skillfully brings the visuals and lyrics together in a song that works well with the source material; there’s not much to say about it beyond that it’s a good work all around.
Interestingly, this video also continues with a second AMV for Tales of Zestiria, done to a different song. It’s a fine enough music video, but not great in and of itself. It is, however, kind of a neat thing that the author did this, as ToZ takes place in the far future of ToB’s world--it makes it so that the AMVs sort of set up their own narrative. Nice touch.
UNDERTALE
Undertale: Way Deeper Down, by The Stupendium
The music used is Way Deeper Down, by The Stupendium. It’s a pretty simple video, obviously more about the music than the visual component (which is fair, since this is meant to be the release of The Stupendium’s new song first and foremost), but Way Deeper Down is nonetheless a fun and serviceable AMV. Even if the clever and fun lyrics of this song about Undertale’s iconic undead are clearly the star of the work, the appealing, simple art nonetheless help bring them to life. The Stupendium is a darned fun creator as a whole, and this AMV is certainly on-brand for him.
* Yes, I know no one was actually worried about this.
Monday, February 28, 2022
General RPGs' AMVs 19
Another year, another look at a good handful of high-quality AMVs! Let’s see what we have this year.
FIRE EMBLEM
Fire Emblem 16: Everything Black, by Dilatory
The music used is Everything Black, by Unlike Pluto. Great scene selection, spot-on timing, an interesting mix of game to music that brings new meaning to the song...this is already a great AMV even before you count in the excellent use of Fire Emblem 16’s own audio. Everything Black is a great song for its adaptability to the front or background of the sound landscape, and Dilatory takes advantage of this with deft, pleasing precision, letting the music take its place in the foreground when it needs to, and then letting the sound effects of FE16’s scenes cut through it to help bring its beat to life. It’s a far too rare occasion for an AMV creator to have the courage and/or innovation to let the game’s own audio be part of the work, and for them to accomplish this so well. Superb AMV, here.
Fire Emblem 16: Heritors of Arcadia, by SBG Lucina
The music used is Heritors of Arcadia, from Fire Emblem 15. I don’t usually count it when an AMV uses the game’s own music, but I guess music from a different game is fair even if it’s from the same series. SBG Lucina’s displayed a good bit of skill with this video for pairing scenes of the game to the lyrics, and the game itself to the song. I haven’t played Fire Emblem 15 yet, so I can’t speak from a knowledgeable position, but I can’t help but suspect that SBG Lucina has proven, with this work, that Heritors of Arcadia is a more emotionally and narratively fit song for Fire Emblem 16 than it is for the FE it was created for.
Fire Emblem 16: Nemesis, by LaTeddyNecto
The music used is Viper, by Brand X Music. This is awesome. There is nothing more than can or should be said. Elaborating would only be circling this fact, ineptly fixing needless other terms onto a truth that stands by itself. Awesome.
HORIZON
Horizon 0 Dawn: Brave, by Matthew Fritsche
The music used is Pearl, by Kari Sigurosson. This is another of those tribute-style AMVs, primarily focused on Aloy and her story through the events of Horizon 0 Dawn. It’s grand, moving, personal, and edited well, bringing together the gentle quiet and high fury of both game and music to skillfully tell Aloy’s story to us and laud both her and the work as a whole. Solid stuff!
THE LEGEND OF ZELDA
The Legend of Zelda Series: Get Evil with Ganondorf, by LaTeddyNecto
The music used is Let’s Groove, by Earth, Wind, & Fire. This? This, my friends, is perfection, and we are all blessed to be alive to see it.
The Legend of Zelda Series: Kriptonita, by Toretilo
The music used is Kryptonite, by 3 Doors Down. Well, it may be a bit arrogant for Toretilo to claim in the title that this is the best TLoZ AMV, but there’s no denying that this is a pretty awesome one. From the opening with the Majora’s Mask forms playing instruments appropriate to the song right through to the finish, this AMV does a great job of matching its visuals to the tone (and lyrics, when they come in) of the music, and serves as a fun, endearing, and well-constructed tribute to the series as a whole. You gotta respect it for the breadth of its scope alone--sure, the video focuses primarily on more aesthetically pleasing and mainstream installments in the series, but it makes it a point to include the older and more obscure ones, too, and makes sure they’re just as relevant and well-placed as all the rest of the clips. I mean, my goddess, they’ve got the infamous Japanese commercial in there, even! I also like that it serves not only as a tribute to the series as a whole, but also to the bond between Link and Zelda, too. I wouldn’t call this the greatest TLoZ AMV I’ve ever seen, but I think it’s at least got a good shot at being the best tribute AMV to the series, and either way, it’s a darned fine piece of work.
MASS EFFECT
Mass Effect 2 + 3: Bonds, by Jedi21366 and/or CT-N7
The music used is Dead Island, by Giles Lamb. I know, it’s another tribute piece for Mass Effect, but damn it, it’s just a game where this kind of music video works, and works well. Heartfelt, solemn, reminiscent, Bonds is exactly what you know it’ll be: a great AMV exploring and lauding the connections of Shepard and his comrades, that signature element of Mass Effect that more than anything else makes it unique and wonderful, and reminding the watcher of just how great a story it was.*
THE WITCHER
The Witcher 3: Stand My Ground, by Maestro GMV
The music used is Stand My Ground, by Within Temptation. In spite of having some typography AMV elements, this video is a solid work, 1 of those good, basic AMVs that brings together a fun, cool sampling of the game to a song whose style and lyrics enhance it. Good stuff.
* Besides the ending. Which was horrible. And should always, always be corrected.
Sunday, February 28, 2021
General RPGs' AMVs 18
It’s that time of year again! Yes, that annual moment that no one but me really likes all that much: AMV Rant Day. Well, tough lentils; it’s my blog so nyeh on you. Besides, AMVs represent an important phenomenon in internet history--Cr1t1kal himself has made a compelling case for why Youtube owes its existence to them. Least we can do is honor a few good ones annually, in my opinion.
DEUS EX
Deus Ex 3: Augmented Icarus, by Nostromo
The music used is RoadGame, by Kavinsky, and a remix of RoadGame, by F.O.O.L. This is a slick, smooth, exciting AMV that plays to the visual and spiritual strengths of DE3 very well, both through its choice of visuals (including a refreshing and effective use of gameplay footage to complement the standard cutscenes and trailer material) and its use of music, creating a really cool homage to the game and its protagonist. A great way to start off today’s AMV rant, no doubt about it!
Deus Ex 3 + 4: I Am Machine, by Brigi Bodnar
The music used is I Am Machine, by Three Days Grace. I daresay this song might be 1 of the most perfectly suited pieces of music in existence to be matched to these games, but Brigi Bodnar didn’t just let the song do all the work--the video moves with the song, meshing with the hard tune and its lyrics. The creator of the video coordinated the power of both game and song, rather than letting the natural connection do all the work, and the result is pretty rad.
FIRE EMBLEM
Fire Emblem 14: Broken Crown, by PastelClark
The music used is Broken Crown, by Mumford & Sons. The versatility of FE14’s story and cutscenes is on display once more with this simple, well-made AMV, which uses adept scene selection to lean into the emotional weight of the song’s tune and use it portray Corrin’s personal turmoil in her/his quest. It’s not something we haven’t seen before in these AMV rants, but it’s still darned good, well worth another go.
Fire Emblem 16: Lean On, by LaTeddyNecto
The music used is a slowed version of Lean On, by Major Lazer. I'm not currently aware of who made the slowed version. The sad fact of the matter is that the visuals of FE16's cutscenes hold nowhere near the compelling quality that FE14's seemed to so effortlessly possess, but that hasn't stopped hundreds of AMV creators from doing their best to work with it. Finally, 1 such individual has made a breakthrough with this video. First of all, the timing of the visuals to the lyrics and beats of this song are so captivating in their synchronization to the song that you could almost swear that FE16's cutscenes were designed to go with the song. Adding to that is an honestly surprising marriage of the heavier soul of this song's remixed version to the events and cast of FE16 so well-suited that it's hard to know whether the song becomes more significant because of the conflict and story that FE16 lets it depict, or whether the game becomes meaningful with the weight of the song to frame it. This is an AMV with great foundations in the hands of a creator who can fully realize that potential...and this isn't even LaTeddyNecto's best FE16 AMV! We'll see that one in next year's AMV rant. (Although if you can't wait, leave a comment asking, and I'll happily link you to it).
LUNAR
Lunar 1: The World of Alex and Luna, by Honou Productions
The music used is Two Worlds, by Phil Collins. This is a pleasant treat--a blast from the past using an RPG not commonly utilized for AMVs, at least not for quite some time. I’ll be honest: while Lunar 1 had an impressive quantity of anime FMVs for its day, there is not, realistically, a whole lot of material for an AMV creator to work with, a problem not improved by the fact that what’s there is sometimes pretty basic and/or slow (how much animation budget was wasted on Luna’s boring little boat song?). So the fact that Honou Productions manages to relevantly tie this AMV’s visuals so tightly to the song’s lyrics to create not only a functional and enjoyable representation of the song’s story, but also a very authentic tribute to Lunar 1 as well, is quite impressive. Not every AMV holds up after 20 years--but this one definitely does.
NIER
Nier: Automata: [E]nd of a World, by Moenochrome
The music used is Goodbye to a World, by Porter Robinson. This is a truly spectacular AMV, as good as such a video can get without quite qualifying for a rant all of its own. Moenochrome has made a perfect marriage between game and song that epitomizes each in style and idea, but not sat on his/her laurels after doing so--this AMV is full of visual effects that serve to recall Nier: Automata’s own use of meta visual effects to sell its AI protagonists’ perspective, as well as many that enhance the song’s rhythm, notes, and mood. This is a truly magnificent tribute to Nier: Automata that captures the beauty and sorrow of its emotional side, whose construction, right down to its very title, clearly shows Moenochrome’s deep love and passion for the game. Superlative stuff.
Nier: Automata: Skydweller, by Miss Gard
The song used is Skydweller by Rave the Reqviem. You know what? I get too wordy with these descriptions sometimes, and this is a great opportunity for me to avoid that for once. Watch this AMV because it’s made well and it’s really damn cool.
TALES OF
Tales of Berseria: Poseidon, by SongBird431
The music used is Poseidon, by Whitesand. This is 1 of those AMVs where the music is mostly relegated to background, as the video takes center stage to explore and pay tribute to a game or character (in this case, the story of Velvet’s creation, hatred, and vengeance), and it’s effective at what it does, giving us a neat, tidy, and strong view of what led to the fall and demonization of Velvet Crowe. It’s good stuff!
...Holy crap, that’s 3 AMV rants in a row in which I haven’t had to put a 30 Seconds to Mars video up. Could the long nightmare finally be over?
Friday, February 28, 2020
General RPGs' AMVs 17
FALLOUT
Fallout 4: Freedom, by Pandamic
The music used is Launch, by Really Slow Motion. This AMV is a thoughtful, epic tribute to the Railroad faction of Fallout 4, showing off the Railroad’s morality, its philosophy, its personal connection to the Sole Survivor, and the path through which it saves an entire race of people during the game’s events, as well as the haunting conflict that doing so creates within the Sole Survivor. Edited beautifully, sequentially excellent, including perfectly-timed sound effects from the game footage, utilizing the music and dialogue superbly to create a stirring, compelling work representing that which made the story of Fallout 4 so great...this is a truly great AMV.
FINAL FANTASY
Final Fantasy 8: How Far We’ve Come, by YuniX2
The music used is How Far We’ve Come, by Matchbox Twenty. As always, YuniX2 provides a great match of lyrics and sound to game visuals, that somehow manages to use this crappy game so well that the AMV creates a narrative of sorts that actually embodies the game’s characters and events in a positive, satisfying light. YuniX2 never fails to please; I just wish she still made these things--this one’s an oldie of hers.
FIRE EMBLEM
Fire Emblem 14: Another Fates AMV, by Shey Black
The music used is Breath of Life, by Florence and the Machine. Good old Florence and the Machine, they rarely disappoint. Shey Black skillfully selects scenes to reflect and coalesce with the weight of Florence’s lyrics and vocals in a natural marriage of game and music, with each half of the AMV positively affecting the other. Good stuff.
Fire Emblem 14: Bad Wings, by Shey Black
The music used is Bad Wings, by The Glitch Mob. 2 in a row from this creator! Once more, Shey Black uses the inexplicable yet undeniable versatility of FE14’s visuals to make use of the song’s weight and create an AMV with enough gravity to draw in the audience, in spite of its relative simplicity. It’s a solid work.
NIER: AUTOMATA
Nier: Automata: Falling Inside the Black, by Max-Ter
The music used is Falling Inside the Black, by Skillet. From what little I know of Skillet, I have a feeling that you’d have a hard time finding any of their songs that wouldn’t fit Nier: Automata pretty well, but that doesn’t lessen the fact that this AMV’s creator has done a worthy job of matching this song’s emotional desperation, in both tone and lyrics, to the game’s visuals, creating a fine video that nicely shows and describes this excellent game.
Nier: Automata: The Sound of Silence, by Imagine Maker
The music used is a cover The Sound of Silence, by Simon and Garfunkel. The cover itself is done by Disturbed. Oh wait, did I say Skillet’s music was a natural fit to Nier: Automata? Sorry, THIS is the natural fit to Nier: Automata, right here. This is a powerful force of a piece of music, and even Nier: Automata seems to almost be swallowed up within the music, where it would otherwise generally dominate the direction and tone of the AMV with practically any other piece. Nonetheless, NA is a great fit to The Sound of Silence, able to keep up with this somber dance partner quite well, due in no small part to Imagine Maker’s knack for pulling the right scenes and events from the game to coordinate with each heavy lyric and thoughtful set of notes. It’s a moving AMV to watch: moving because the music is powerful, moving because the game is powerful, and moving because the music and the game are powerful together.
TALES OF
Tales of Berseria: Hurts Like Hell, by Autumn Boze
The music used is Hurts Like Hell, by Fleurie. This AMV is an at times almost overpowering tribute to the singular and amazing Velvet Crowe, taking a song that’s simply raw with sorrow and pain and through it describing her with heartrending accuracy. Hurts Like Hell is a natural companion to the story of Velvet Crowe, but by no means does that lessen Autumn Boze’s contributions to this product--the scene selection and timing are of such skill as to use the song and game scenes to their utmost potential. Powerful, compelling stuff.
Tales of Berseria: The Plagues, by Buckets42 TheBadLuckCharm
The music used is The Plagues, from The Prince of Egypt. It’s an unexpected pairing of music to game, but this actually works quite well, and while I’m not sure whether it’s an AMV about Velvet, Artorius, and Laphicet using the fated conflict of Moses and Ramses to describe them, or an AMV about Moses and Ramses using the tragedy of Velvet’s family to illustrate them, the end result is a thoughtful music video either way.
Thursday, February 28, 2019
General RPGs' AMVs 16
BORDERLANDS
Borderlands 2: Paper Planes, by UFets
The music used is Paper Planes, by M.I.A. It’s kind of hard to imagine there ever being a better AMV for the Borderlands series than this one. Simply put, this is a masterful coming together of the perfect song for the perfect game. Paper Planes’s unsettling whimsy and energy is an absolutely flawless companion to the Borderlands series’s style, and UFets takes full advantage of that fact, creating a fun, active AMV that manages to be a tribute to the game, and yet also kind of just a likable engaging mess of noise and violence--which essentially makes it even more of a tribute to Borderlands 2. By far my favorite aspect of this AMV is that it replaces the various sound effects of the original Paper Planes (notably the gunshots), and replaces them with various sound effects from Borderlands 2. It’s a fun and creative quirk, and it makes this all the more great a tribute to the fun and madness that is signature to Borderlands 2. This one’s definitely the best AMV of today’s bunch.
FALLOUT
Fallout 4: Happiness, by Pandamic
The music used is Final Frontier, by Thomas Bergersen. This is a tribute AMV for the first half of Fallout 4’s main story, showing us the story of the Sole Survivor’s search for Shaun. It’s extremely well done, giving us a neat, tidy narrative of voice-overs and visuals that leads us along, but doesn’t over-explain, the protagonist’s journey to find her/his son, and effectively underscores the major ideas and themes of Fallout 4’s first half, most notably that of loss--of family, of purpose, of a life and world, of happiness, and of control. This is 1 of those videos that uses its short time well to crystallize the higher ideas of a game’s narrative, making clear the greatness of the game’s writing in a condensed way that might be too diluted over the long period of the actual gameplay for some players to have really come to appreciate. And while the music does not interact much with the visuals, it’s still a skillful AMV (or cousin to an AMV, however you count a tribute video) in that the music is well-chosen to convey the epic nature of Fallout 4’s story. This is a great offering that every Fallout 4 player should see, in my opinion.
FINAL FANTASY
Final Fantasy Series: Monsters, by YuniX2
The music used is Monsters, by Matchbook Romance. YuniX2 never fails to please, even when making a crossover AMV which incorporates a few clips from that horrific trash Final Fantasy 10-2. While this video is, by the creator’s own admission, not up to her usual standards, it’s still a damned solid, well-compiled music video that coordinates the tune and atmosphere of the music skillfully to the visuals of Final Fantasy 7, 8, 9, 10, and 10-2, and it serves as a good tribute to the villains of the FF series. Fine work once more from this AMV artist.
FIRE EMBLEM
Fire Emblem 14: Novacaine, by Phoenix of Nohr
The music used is Novacaine, by Fallout Boy. Although this video doesn’t really connect to the lyrics of the song in any particular way, this is nonetheless a well-made AMV for its ability to work Fire Emblem 14’s visuals to the pace and tune of the song, creating a fast, energized music video that catches you up with it from start to finish. It’s simple but strong AMV all-around.
KINGDOM HEARTS
Kingdom Hearts Series: A Ballad From a Dream, by Retro Raider
The music used is A Ballad From a Dream, by Retro Raider. Yeah, this is quite an interesting little AMV specimen, in that its creator is also the composer of the music within it! Apparently, Retro Raider created the music with the Kingdom Hearts series in mind, as a musical tribute/representation of it, much in the same way as Miracle of Sound has made dozens of original songs in tribute of various video games and movies, and bronies have composed hundreds of original songs based on characters, scenes, and ideas for My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. It’s a rather cool new branch of fandom that has some pretty great creations, and this song is 1 of them--it’s quite lovely.
As far as the actual AMV goes, it’s quite nice. Which is not very surprising, since I imagine the process of thinking about a game while composing and capturing that which you love about it is probably a lot like creating an AMV in your head, so there’s already a natural synergy to be found between the game and the song.* This AMV doesn’t really excel in any particular aspect, but it comes together as a whole to be a calm, lightly epic tribute to the Kingdom Hearts series, worth checking out.
THE LEGEND OF ZELDA
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess: To an End, by Pixaa Maana
The music used is Carnivore, by Starset. This is an AMV that exists in a rather rare niche, as fan music videos go: it relies frequently on special effects and typography, but it actually manages to use them sparingly, effectively, enhancing the visuals and emphasizing the song rather than just clumsily overshadowing them. A frequent annoyance of mine with special effects in AMVs, and especially with typography in AMVs, is that these bells and whistles often become the overwhelming focus of the work, obscuring the actual subject matter and basic foundations of a music video. It becomes like a meme so full of text that you can’t actually see the image behind it, or a picture so saturated with Photoshop lens flare effects that you can’t actually tell what it’s supposed to be.
So the fact that this AMV actually uses effects and typography in a way that increases its quality instead of utterly nullifying it is pretty damn great to me. I mean, it’s not some brilliant masterpiece in this regard, but it’s competent and enjoyable. The AMV also does well with pairing the darker visual style of TLoZTP to the music’s tone, and, of course, a song about a carnivore has a natural cohesion with a game about transforming into a wolf--although there are plenty of other aspects to the song’s lyrics that are well-characterized through the scenes’ visuals in this AMV, too. Good stuff.
THE WITCHER
The Witcher 2 + 3: Will of Thousands Wolves, by Ariyerd
The music used is Until We Go Down, by Ruelle. This AMV is characterized by impeccable editing, as the creator follows and coordinates each beat of the song with the visuals. Few AMVs are able to so organically meld and synchronize the video and audio to this degree, making the AMV as a whole feel like a single living entity. Spectacular editing talent makes this a high quality music video, plain and simple.
The Witcher 3: Geralt of Rivia Tribute, by Larvayne Yuno
The music used is Center of His Universe - Redemption, by Thomas-Adam Habuda. This is a really good AMV that serves as a tribute to Geralt of Rivia, and the Witcher series as a whole, primarily using the Witcher 3’s expansions to do so. It’s heartfelt and adept, and definitely fulfills Larvayne Yuno’s intentions as a poignant goodbye to the Witcher trilogy. I can think of few better fan works to experience after completing the trilogy than this video.
* Although, funny enough, I would have to say that I can imagine quite a few RPGs that I feel are actually better characterized by this song’s feel, style, and pace. The KH series definitely works for it, but I feel like the song’s elegance and tone could find closer matches. In my frank opinion, Kingdom Hearts is simply unworthy of such a good song born from a fan's heartfelt devotion as this.
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
General RPGs' AMVs 15
FINAL FANTASY
Final Fantasy 8: Final Devotion, by Lunarstudios: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1My5qRNntQ
The music used is To the Moon and Back, by Savage Garden. This is 1 of those AMVs that’s so damn good that it’s really just barely shy of deserving its own rant. The timing and scene selection is excellent, perfectly following both the mood and rhythm of the song, and its lyrics. And the latter is a real accomplishment, because this is a long song, and it’s 1 of those songs whose focus is on telling its story, making the act of following along with said story much more challenging. The only flaw I can say this video really has is the fact that it’s kind of hard to sustain a roughly 6 minute song with FF8’s FMVs alone, particularly when they’re so carefully restricted to coordinating with the song’s nearly always present lyrics...but even as it gets a little old, it’s still really good. Really, this is just an expert AMV from start to finish; that’s all there is to say about it.
It’s a shock to me that this isn’t the best AMV of today’s lot, actually, but I suppose that really just emphasizes how truly excellent All About Us one further below really is.
Final Fantasy 8: Mentos, by Jimbo Studios Entertainment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWPQ6t4uQXw
The music used is from a Mentos commercial, by who the hell knows. There’s nothing to say about this. It’s just glorious.
Final Fantasy 9: Demons, by Argol: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYdb5DJzV_4&
The music used is Demons, by Imagine Dragons. This is a really well-made AMV that consistently matches the scenes of Final Fantasy 9 to the lyrics of the song extremely well, and has a good eye and ear for keeping the visuals of the AMV appropriate to the tone of the song, as well. It’s one of those cases where it’s more the game being worked to fit the song, rather than the song fitting to the content of the game, but there’s still plenty of synergy between them that goes both ways. Overall, this is just a really strong AMV.
FIRE EMBLEM
Fire Emblem 14: Believer, by TheHeroStainedRed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhafaABIVdc
The music used is Believer, by Imagine Dragons. This is a solid AMV that shines for how well it pairs the game’s footage and action to the heavy, powerful beats and tone of the music. I hadn’t really noticed just how much of FE14’s cinematics were devoted to pain, death, and heavy movements, but apparently there’s enough there to adeptly coordinate with this entire song.
Fire Emblem 14: Hey Brother, by Artishe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4DJTP8ApLY&
The music used is Hey Brother, by Avicii. Alright, in fairness, when it comes to making a Fire Emblem 14 AMV, pretty much half the job is already done for you the moment you get a song primarily about brothers and sisters. Still, this is a skillfully made AMV which competently takes advantage of the automatic connection between song and game, and ties them together into a solid video about the focal point of Corrin’s character and motivations: her family. The tone of the song is pretty well connected to the scenes shown, too, which is also nice.
Fire Emblem 14: This is War, by Hawkscape: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYVobQRsY2o
The music used is This is War, by 30 Seconds to Mars. Again. Ugh. Okay, so this is a very strange AMV, because its first half is such a creative, thoughtful, and well-executed take on the lyrics of This is War that it actually makes the song seem fresh and interesting again. Awesome! And then...the AMV transitions into the second half, skipping to the end of the song and the end of the game, and it’s just boring. I mean, the scene and actions in it fit to the song well enough, but overall you’re just watching an almost unaltered video of the end of FE14, to a song which sucks. It’s baffling, honestly; this boring section is by the same guy who actually managed to breathe new life into the song in the first half of the AMV?
As it stands, the first half’s quality still outweighs the second half’s lack of originality or skill, to me, so I’m still sharing it here. But what started out looking to be a truly excellent AMV turned out to just be a fairly okay one, and that’s pretty disappointing.
KINGDOM HEARTS
Kingdom Hearts Series: Wide Awake, by Sarady: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axl1xw3SD_c
The music used is Wide Awake, by Katy Perry. Kingdom Hearts has a natural resonance with certain types of songs, and that’s definitely present here; Wide Awake definitely holds the kind of tune and lyrics that really just meld well with the game. That’s not to say that Sarady deserves no credit for this combination, however. To the contrary, this AMV’s creator has skillfully used the song and game footage to glimpse at the stories of the Kingdom Hearts series’s protagonist Sora, and 2 semi-protagonists Roxas and Aqua, and the result is a high-quality AMV that’s engrossing from start to finish.
THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU
The World Ends with You: All About Us, by Digital Surgeon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfxe24iut1M&
The music used is All About Us, by t.A.T.u. Ugh, t.A.T.u. What is this, 2002? I thought I was done having to listen to this duo’s shitty music after my sister moved out for college. I guess I should just count my lucky fucking stars that Digital Surgeon didn’t go with All the Things She Said.
Okay, well, regardless of my at this point arguably lifelong dislike of t.A.T.u, this here is a damned good AMV. The tone of the song coordinates nigh perfectly with the style of The World Ends with You, both in terms of its art style and its sequential-art-esque animations, and the AMV’s creator does a spot-on job of coordinating scene changes so that almost all the actions and scenes shown are matched to not just the lyrics, but the beats themselves of this energetic, aggressive song. I just freakin’ love the part from 0:59 - 1:10, for example. The chorus...the obnoxious, incessant, so-repetitive-that-level-grinding-in-The-7th-Saga-is-starting-to-look-fresh-and-interesting-by-comparison chorus...obviously works very well conceptually with this game, a game all about finding the value in bonds with other people. This is one of those cases where you almost don’t know where the game ends and the song begins, because they’re fitted together so well that you can’t tell which is supposed to be the one supporting and emphasizing the other.
My one complaint is that the video uses a few lines of dialogue from the game, which should be a plus (why do AMV-makers shy away from this so much?), but unfortunately, the music isn’t adequately subdued during these moments, and so everything said is completely lost in the noise. It’s too bad, because a few well-placed lines from TWEwY would have doubtless been solid gold for this AMV. Even with this flaw, though, this is a really great music video.
Thursday, May 18, 2017
General RPGs' AMVs 14
FALLOUT
Fallout 3, 4, and New Vegas: Electric, by Lacryna: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gxludF5r98
The music used is Electric Worry, by Clutch. It’s not an amazing AMV, but it’s punchy and fun to watch, a good example of a song that captures an aspect of a game that’s been used appropriately. The action and attitude of the Fallout series works well with the music, and that’s all there is to it--it’s good.
FINAL FANTASY
Final Fantasy 7: Tales of Fantasy VII, by ZackFairZakkusuFea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUZcmV6S8_U
The music used is Karma, by BUMP OF CHICKEN, which is the opening song for Tales of the Abyss. I’m not sure if this really counts as an AMV so much as it does a fan animation, but it’s cool, so I’m sharing it anyway. This is basically a near identical recreation of the opening anime video to Tales of the Abyss, except using characters, concepts, and plot elements from Final Fantasy 7, instead. It’s all hand-drawn art that looks great, and it’s really cool how close it is to the source video (you can find it here if you want to compare: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yzTJYM4p-s). Very fun, well-made piece of fan work, this.
Final Fantasy 10: The Sound of Silence, by DiDiChii: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4G3UaX_Dz1k
The music used is a cover of The Sound of Silence, by Simon and Garfunkel. The cover itself is done by Disturbed. The nature of Final Fantasy 10’s story lends itself well to a quiet, slow, and powerful song such as The Sound of Silence, and this AMV does well to capitalize on that, emphasizing the more somber, quiet, and so often tragic moments and characters of the game. The video raises its visuals’ intensity as the song does, but, like the song, never loses its poignancy. Powerful stuff.
FIRE EMBLEM
Fire Emblem 14: Demons, by WolfBeil: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVpB75D1d1A
The music used is Demons, by Imagine Dragons. There’s not much to say about this, besides that it is a simple, well-done AMV which matches the game’s scenes up very appropriately to the lyrics of the song. Very nice job here.
Fire Emblem 14: Who Am I Living For?, by Shinta Kakumei: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IG1Cvfrumyc
The music used is Who Am I Living For?, by...Katy Perry? Wait, that can’t be right. When did Katy Perry start making music that didn’t suck? Why wasn’t I informed that the end times had begun?
This is...well, it’s just an excellent AMV. Seriously, top-notch. It was really hard for me to choose the FF10 Sound of Silence AMV above as today's best video over this one. The song’s lyrics and ideas match to Fire Emblem 14 perfectly, allowing this video to tell the story of Corrin’s dilemma of her/his warring families and emphasize how much she/he loves them, to the echoing question of “Who am I living for?” The tone of the song ends up working surprisingly well with the visuals of FE14, too, which I would not have expected...yet the style that FE14 has of often (more often than you’d probably notice, in fact) switching between real time and slow motion makes it mesh very well with the slow throb of the song’s tempo. Really, it’s almost like Katy Perry wrote this song with FE14 in mind, it matches so well, or at least, it seems to after watching this quality AMV. This is a skillfully executed AMV that doesn’t settle for simply being a good tribute to the game, as most AMVs do, but rather uses its song to help tell a portion of the game’s story. Really great stuff!
KINGDOM HEARTS
Kingdom Hearts 2 + 365/2 Days: My Name, by La Habana Inc.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rciYhPBHdE
The music used is My Name, by Shinedown. This AMV explores Roxas through the song, and it works darned well, the lyrics coordinating with his character as naturally as the footage is matched to the melody and changes. The simple effects used here and there are effective and never distracting, and ultimately, everything lines up to create a really good character-dedicated music video.
Kingdom Hearts Series: Call to Arms, by NekoKitkat25hug: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsH9aI5Lixo
The music used is Vox Populi, by 30 Seconds to Mars. Fucking 30 Seconds to Mars again? At least it’s not This is War this time. This is a straightforward, well-made AMV that enjoyably recalls the KH series to us in a fun way. The pace of the song is matched well with the cinematography, and I like the overall package of this. I think it probably will mean a little more to me once I finally get around to playing that KH Birth by Sleep game, but even without knowing all the over complicated drama of Aqua and her friends, I still find this a solid AMV.
Kingdom Hearts Series: Maps, by Alexxis5954: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQ3EsTZCP_o
The music used is Maps, by Maroon 5. Can’t say I think much of the song, but the AMV that’s been made out of is pretty darned good. There’s not a lot that really jumps out at me about it to speak of here, it just works well. The lyrics are pretty good at telling a story of Sora and Kairi seeking each other, and the video is well coordinated with both the song’s lyrics and its overall tune and changes. This is just your textbook case of a good, well-made AMV.
Thursday, February 18, 2016
General RPGs' AMVs 13
FINAL FANTASY
Final Fantasy 10: This is War, by Argol: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlxZ5RdJSs0&
The music is This is War, by 30 Seconds to Mars. Oh God, 30 Seconds to Mars...by this point, this crappy song by this crappy band may be the most overused AMV tune ever. Ugh. At least overused Linkin Park songs are actually good songs; this stupid song was crap the first time I heard it, and hundreds of repeat listens does not improve it. Nonetheless, I have to say, this is one of those nearly unheard of instances where a This is War AMV is actually good. The editing is good, the video keeps up with the music adequately, everything matches up to the song well, and the selection for which characters represent which person mentioned in the song is actually creative and thoughtful...which is not at all common for a 30 Seconds to Mars AMV, let me tell you. This is basically the AMV that all the other This is War AMVs want to be.
JADE EMPIRE
Jade Empire: Last Ninja 3, by KlosterKatt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3L0wz-_uO_c
The music used is from the soundtrack for Last Ninja 3. Nothing amazing here, but still quite decent. The game footage works well with the feel of the music, the scene selection generally keeps up with the tone of the song, and overall this is fun to watch.
KINGDOM HEARTS
Kingdom Hearts 1 + 2: Pompeii, by Mimi-Chan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Sc12LWSlJY
The music used is Pompeii, by Bastille. There’s not a lot to say on this one. It’s basically the sort of video you think of when you think of a standard, but well made, AMV. Good editing that works with the music and video, scenes that coordinate well with the lyrics and/or tune of the song, not really any depth or meaning to convey but an overall enjoyable experience that reminds you pleasantly of the game and its characters.
Kingdom Hearts: 368/2 Days: The Lonely, by xXBethanyFryeXx: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8NfRtpdJAM
The music used is The Lonely, by Christina Perri. While this song goes on longer than the footage can really maintain interest for, and it’s pushing a less than sensible romantic pairing, this is generally a good AMV that connects the song well to Xion. In fact, as far as characterizing Xion and making her a minimally appealing character, I’d say that this AMV does a hell of a better job than the actual game did...not that that’s saying much. All the same, it’s good enough to check out.
Kingdom Hearts Series: A Light That Never Comes, by Fleur-dRhae: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-Hr3B06xZE
The music used is A Light That Never Comes, by Linkin Park. Kingdom Hearts and Linkin Park: the most overused video and audio components of RPG AMVs ever. But, well, overused or not, this is a darned good AMV (the song itself is one of LP’s newer ones, I’m told, so it’s not actually overused yet, anyway). The scene selection and editing is high quality, the video works darned well with the music on several levels, and everything just feels smooth and natural together. Good stuff!
THE LEGEND OF ZELDA
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword: Combat Ready, by Siphano: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZkLD8mBqJk
The music used is Musique au Piano Nostalgique, by Herboristerie, and then Combat Ready, by Extreme Music. TLoZSS makes a better match to the heavy Combat Ready than you might think, and the AMV creator knows how to really capitalize on both the game and the music, matching pulses and tone skillfully to the game footage to make a pretty awesome trailer-styled AMV that makes Skyward Sword out to be pure, epic badassery.
THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU
The World Ends with You: XXI, by Antifrost: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfUCazmOfc4
The music used is XIX, by Slipnot. This kind of music doesn’t usually make for particularly good AMVs (proportionately speaking, I mean; bad AMVs drastically outnumber good ones no matter what music genre you look at), but when combined with The World Ends with You’s bare animations and sequential art format, the heavy, nearly discordant notes and vocals are absolutely perfect. The song also connects very well to the game’s visuals and the story behind them, and the general feel of the music is a great match to the urban setting and style of the game. Great stuff; I actually considered making this AMV a rant all on its own.
(Also, it should be mentioned that the title, XXI, is not a typo of the song name (XIX). As explained in the video description, which I don’t know if everyone always reads, XIX = 19, which is an anagram for XXI, XXI = 21, and there are 21 days in The World Ends with You. Neat!)
XENOBLADE CHRONICLES
Xenoblade Chronicles 1: This is War, by Alf Productions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWRbLZQhMYk
The music used is...sigh. It’s This is War, by 30 Seconds to Mars. Again. Trust me, no one is more annoyed with this than myself. I’m so damn tired of this overused piece of garbage. And twice in the same AMV rant! Damn it, people, use your talent for GOOD music! Or at least music that sucks less! Oh, well...anyway, this is, unfortunately, a very solid AMV, and I can’t ignore that. The editing is done well, the match between visual and lyrics is skillful and actually works...it’s just a case where the AMV creator thought about the song as a whole, not just which characters to match up to which group the song mentions, and that consideration paid off with a strong, well made video.
Saturday, February 28, 2015
General RPGs' AMVs 12
FINAL FANTASY
Final Fantasy 10: Invincible, by Armada: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tl5ldoqADf0
The music used is a cover of Invincible, by Borgeous. The cover itself is done by Celani. Man, I hate dubstep, even its relatively less awful forms such as this song, but this AMV uses it damn well. The real draw of this AMV is just how well edited it is; Armada uses scene skips, slow downs, fast forwards, scene changes, and flashes perfectly to tie the video to the erratic pulse of the music. Beyond the technical aspects of connection, the feel of the game footage connects well with the emotion of the music, and the end result is a very strong and enjoyable AMV.
Final Fantasy 10: SINH, by Mordekhay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vG_a8T9yS_w
The music used is Rain of Light, by Two Steps From Hell. A little different from the usual AMV, but this is just excellent. It’s slow, quiet, yet so incredibly powerful. I would go so far as to say that this is profound. All I can say is that I love it.
JADE EMPIRE
Jade Empire: Tribute, by Armaan Sandhu: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ty63zwzJQY
The music used is Idyll's End, Red Warrior, Ronin, and Taken, from The Last Samurai’s soundtrack. Clocking in at roughly 15 minutes, this is definitely the longest AMV I’ve exhibited in these rants. This music video isn’t perfect, and there are some moments which don’t seem to match up as well as they might to the music, but overall, this is an impressive work, telling the story of Jade Empire from start to finish to the compositions of the ever masterful Hans Zimmer. There are some moments in the video that don’t match up perfectly to the music, and it’s not a perfect telling of the game’s story--you wouldn’t understand it all if you didn’t already know the game--but it’s still solid and does the job well for any Jade Empire fan (who are really going to be the only people who watch it anyway). And frankly, any AMV that can manage to stay interesting, coherent, and skillful to any degree, let alone as well as this one does, during its entire 15 minute run, is definitely worth checking out.
KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC
Knights of the Old Republic 1 + 2: Star Wars of the Old Republic, by Fightwish: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwPMBr12yeQ
The music used is Blow Me Away, by Breaking Benjamin. Not sure if that’s meant to actually be the title or whether it’s just titleless, but either way, it’s a rare treat to see a KotOR AMV, let alone one of quality. Good use of KotOR’s limited footage to go with the song’s lyrics and tone, combined with competent editing in general, make this a darned decent AMV. Maybe a little heavy on the battle footage, but it’s never so much that it’s tiresome, and everything else is generally very well done.
MASS EFFECT
Mass Effect 2 + 3: In My Remains, by Aethe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeyeKS16ajM
The music used is In My Remains, by Linkin Park. It really does say something about a game series when the vast majority of AMVs people make for it are meant as tributes, doesn’t it? This is another of the many I’ve shared here, and it does its job well, glorifying Commander Shepard, and reminding the audience of the greatness of the game and setting its tone well with music and video connecting as one entity. This is nothing new, really, but it’s still great.
SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 and 4: Bad Persona, by...uh...刈割放送部員, I think?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qS6wxm3p9s
The music used is Bad Apple, by Alstroemeria Records (I think). This is rather neat. Fans of the Touhou series are probably familiar with the original Bad Apple video, which is an artsy, well-animated black-and-white animation using the silhouettes of many Touhou characters. It’s very creative and neat to watch, even if you don’t know anything about Touhou (as is the case for me). Here’s the original video, if you’re interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3C-VevI36s. The original spawned a few adaptations (I thought the MLPFiM Bad Harmony version was terrific), and Bad Persona is one of those adaptations. It’s not animated as smoothly as the original, but come on, let’s not expect more than is reasonable from fans working in their free time. There’s not much to say here about Bad Persona; it’s neat and interesting much as the original Bad Apple is neat and interesting, and it’s worth watching.
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona Series: Lucky Star OP Parody, by 2k11nichirin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43JksCRaPM8
The music used is the opening theme for the anime Lucky Star. Huh, 2 Persona adaptations of another video style in the same rant...strange coincidence. This is an odd little video that basically takes the opening for the anime Lucky Star, and makes it about SMT Persona instead, using the Persona characters and settings instead of the Lucky Star bunch (it also, for some reason, uses Nemissa, who is from Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers, not one of the SMT Persona games...and yes, I realize that pointing that out is entering dangerous territory). I’ve never watched Lucky Star so I don’t have a goddamn clue what all is supposed to be happening in this video (and honestly, the opening’s so fast and crazy that I have to wonder if people who HAVE watched the series really could have any better idea than I do), but regardless, this is an impressive bit of fan animation, and damn fun to watch.
XENOGEARS
Xenogears: Mechanical Emotions, by Jan Kusunagi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwXuLxCtX1E
The music used is Break Me Shake Me, by Savage Garden. Good Xenogears AMVs are hard to find (hell, it’s hard to find any Xenogears AMVs, period), so this is a pleasant surprise. Extremely effective editing with highly skillful use of visual techniques like overlays and scene flashes combine with scenes that match the song’s lyrics and tone well to make this a natural, intense AMV that brings the game and the song so well together that it’s almost like the two were made for one another.
Monday, August 18, 2014
General RPGs' AMVs 11
Anyway, on with the rant.
Yes, it’s that disappointing time again--time for me to cop out of writing a real rant and instead share some AMVs with you. Suck it, people who actually like this blog! As always, if you do happen to go watch any of these, and do happen to think they’re pretty decent, then please Like the video and leave a comment on it. Reward those that put some effort into their creations, yeah?
FINAL FANTASY
Final Fantasy 8: Does the Lion City Still Roar?, by YuniX2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwlsKIYPwZY
The music used is Does the Lion City Still Roar?, by Less Than Jake. Another visual-audio pleasure by YuniX2, this AMV uses scene changes and zooms to perfectly keep the visuals up with the fast pace of the song, while also using flawless scene selection to keep all the scenes a great match to the lyrics, in ways both literal and metaphorical. This AMV really transforms Final Fantasy 8’s limited FMVs into a perfect expression of the song, and it’s always neat to see an uncommon song for AMVs used so well as this one is. Very good stuff.
Final Fantasy 9: Hanging by a Moment, by Zoeyfreeze: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paYvo1iJk1Y
The music used is Hanging by a Moment, by Lifehouse. What can I say? This is just a solid FF9 music video, an AMV focused on Dagger that explores her well through its music and uses simple but competent editing to pull the whole thing together. It’s good, plain and simple, and if you like Square’s second greatest masterpiece, then you should watch this.
KINGDOM HEARTS
Kingdom Hearts Series: Castle of Glass, by YuniX2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbUqyoSGlAY
The music used is Castle of Glass, by Linkin Park. If I have a hero when it comes to AMV creators, it’s got to be YuniX2. This is just 1 more in a long line of utterly excellent RPG music videos from her. What can I say here that I haven’t already said about her AMVs, multiple times? The editing’s great, flashy but never distracting and never excessive. The music choice is great and her use of it, her connecting of the game and footage to the music, is terrific. Scene selection is great, everything fits together, it’s a pleasure to watch and listen to, and there’s a sense of purpose to it. Love the little touch of having the Sorcerer’s Apprentice cartoon clip at the beginning, too. And while this isn’t all that important, I like anyone who can use KH footage in an AMV in a way that doesn’t seem tired and commonplace to me; I have mentioned that Kingdom Hearts music videos are about as common as, I dunno, air molecules, right? YuniX2 even uses KH: 365/2 Days footage so well that I almost forget what a completely pointless, snore-inducing waste of time that game was. This is definitely a real winner of an AMV, make no mistake.
MASS EFFECT
Mass Effect Series: Cassandra, by Dmli1023: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQMqSP6BQ18
The music used is Cassandra, by Two Steps From Hell. For fun, and because there are enough to do so, today’s Mass Effect AMVs will all be ones made by a single artist, going by Dmli1023. The guy’s absolutely great, as this video clearly shows. This is put together skillfully, keeping the video and music well-coordinated and making a very fittingly touching and epic tribute to the terrific love story of Shepard and Tali.
Mass Effect Series: Hope, by Dmli1023: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iY5tb8qYIiE
The music used is Prologue - Birth, by Audiomachine. Another of the many tribute AMVs to Mass Effect 3, this one is both a tribute to the whole series, and, more importantly, to Commander Shepard him/herself. It’s put together very well--the music is mostly background, but on occasion Dmli1023 assigns certain patterns in the tune to certain types of scenes and dialogue that connect the audio and video well and help the music bring out the inspiring feeling the tribute is meant to create. I love the way that this AMV flawlessly switches back and forth between Male and Female Shepard, creating a proper tribute to the character as a whole, and the selection and placement of the characters’ dialogue is perfect to build up the message of Commander Shepard as an icon of hope. Just a darned great job on this tribute, all said.
Mass Effect Series: The Fighter, by Dmli1023: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyWq2wEEnXk
The music used is Above and Beyond, by Audiomachine, Imperatrix Mundi, by Jo Blankenburg, and Life Chronicles, also by Audiomachine. Another damned great tribute to the Mass Effect series, doing much as the last one did in terms of skillful video editing, synchronization with the music, and just generally creating a fantastic monument to the epic excellence of Mass Effect. Once again Commander Shepard is represented in both genders, and once again the tribute is perfect for him/her, this time building up and emphasizing the overarching conflict of the series, and the difficulty that Shepard faces--and overcomes--throughout the entirety of the amazing trilogy. I love the way this video highlights the friendship and support of Shepard’s comrades, and uses it to show just how terrific a hero Shepard is. This here is about as close as an AMV comes to getting a full rant dedicated to it, without actually crossing that threshold, and it’s nice to see someone other than YuniX2 who can put forth such quality pretty consistently.
THE WITCHER
The Witcher 2: War, by Felix Schroder: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2pUh7HVMvM
The music used is War, by Poets of the Fall. I’ve recently discovered there are rather fewer really good Witcher AMVs than I’d been expecting of the games; it seems like prime music video territory, but mostly you just get a few subpar offerings mixed in a sea of half-assed videos where someone just runs the first game’s intro, puts a song on, and has the delusional gall to call it an AMV. This one, though, is a shining gem in a bucket of dull rocks. The video meshes quite well with the song’s lyrics and tone, and Mr. Schroder skillfully manipulates his scenes to keep pace with the music’s strength to create a very solid music video. This is a strong work from all sides, no question.
THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU
The World Ends with You: New Divide, by DarkRoxas97: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfxJmfdyaGo
The music used is New Divide, by Linkin Park. I think I’ve mentioned this in a previous Legend of Zelda AMV, but I’m always a little harder on Linkin Park AMVs than I am on most others. Still, this is a really good music video. The scene selection often perfectly matches the song’s notes and tone, the use of simple effects and scene changing is great, the meshing of lyrics and video is skillful...this is just solid work, plain and simple.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
General RPGs' AMVs 10
Wow, 10 of these rants. That’s some kind of milestone, right? I guess? Well, whether it is or not, I’m sure as hell not gonna do anything special anyway. Business as usual, people, either ignore this and wait for the next, more interesting rant (as I suspect most of what few readers I have do each time I make one of these), or watch these videos and give them a Like and a Comment if they please you.
FINAL FANTASY
Final Fantasy 8: Full Moon, by Elessar1985: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5BgLyCLqts
The music used is FullMoon, by Sonata Arctica. While there are parts where this AMV kinda drags itself along (it’s a fairly long song), overall this is a pretty textbook case of a good AMV. The scenes match well to the lyrics, the song’s tone, or both, they’re cut together to follow the song’s direction smoothly, overall everything comes together in one neat, enjoyable package.
Final Fantasy 10: Yuna, by Zaon08: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5TBKC_4eKU
The music used is Primavera, by Ludovico Einaudi. Simple, quiet, deep, and lovely, this AMV does a very nice job of giving the viewer a short but poignant summary of Yuna’s journey that fits the tune well.
KINGDOM HEARTS
Kingdom Hearts 1 and Chain of Memories: Stars, by InvertedJabberwocky: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3s4-JDOZ1ac
The music used is Stars, from Les Miserables (the musical, not the sub-par movie). Not much to say about this, it’s just a decent AMV. The music’s doing the lion’s share of work in this one, with the KH visuals just sort of keeping up with it and working with its lyrics, but it does so adequately, and makes for a decent watch.
Kingdom Hearts Series: I’m Home, by FoolishNoob1337: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdA_QnEcfIs
The music used is Alex on the Spot, from Madagascar 2. This song’s strange mix of upbeat pop with a kind of beautiful desperation works really well with Kingdom Hearts’s visuals, and the visual edition and scene selection is just effortlessly streamlined and perfect. This is a great Kingdom Hearts AMV and really effectively conveys Sora’s desire to be able to return home to Destiny Islands with the people he loves. This is a damn fine AMV, and from now on I’m going to associate this song far more strongly with Kingdom Hearts than with Madascar 2.
MASS EFFECT
Mass Effect 3: Into the Nothing, by Taylor Smith: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFq7_xcB-Rw
The music used is Into the Nothing, by Breaking Benjamin. This is a great AMV, with great scene-to-music coordination that not only matches the song’s lyrics and tune nigh perfectly, but also all comes together to use the song as a description and tribute of the game. The one criticism I have (besides Taylor’s atrocious taste in love interests for Shepard, that is) is that there’s just too many scene changes too often, although I have to admit that they’re done very well all the same. Still, great AMV here, no question of it.
Mass Effect 3: My Way, by Garaman257: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoG8LB8QKWg
The music used is My Way, by Frank Sinatra. You know, with all the hundreds of AMVs out there that just use the same songs by Evanescence, Linkin Park, 30 Seconds to Mars, and so on over and over again, it’s refreshing to see someone effectively use something a little more unconventional. Putting Shepard’s journey and finale to Sinatra’s proud song of recollection works damn well, and makes for an AMV both fun and satisfying.
Mass Effect Series: Breathe Me, by Xeriana11: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlbhAawBlBU
The music used is Breathe Me, by Sia. Xeriana11’s the one who made that awesome Mass Effect AMV about the Illusive Man which I did a special rant for a little while back, and she’s back with another solid offering this time. The music’s used effectively and meshes well with the visuals to set the mood and tell the story, if I’m interpreting it right, of a female Shepard who’s contemplating the things she’s done, showing us both the regrets she harbors and the love she has for her friends, the ones who she’s sacrificing herself for. A well made and emotional AMV, to be sure.
TALES OF
Tales of the Abyss: Dist the Rose Spins Around, by 2ndIgnition: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDM1paIb4I8
The music used is You Spin Me Round, by Dead or Alive. Okay, maybe this one is only an AMV in the very strictest, most technical sense, but come on, cut me some slack--this is awesome.
Friday, June 28, 2013
General RPGs' AMVs 9
Same deal as always--if you watch it, and like it, please hit the Like button, and better yet, leave a comment for the creator. It seems nearly all the really good AMVs go almost entirely without recognition, and that bothers me greatly.
FALLOUT
Fallout 3: Radioactive, by Pastel Ink: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faDiWXtP8Kk
The music used is Radioactive, by Imagine Dragons. Quite frankly, this AMV just tears me up inside. There’s really no doubt that it’s a good video--the scenes’ actions and changes match very well to the music’s flow and tone, and several scenes work nicely with the lyrics. But...this could have been an absolutely INCREDIBLE music video, and it hurts to see it fall short of the potential. I mean, the skill with editing is there, the creativity for connecting the song and visuals is there, it just...it doesn’t do enough with it. So many times there are lyrics going in the song that would fit beautifully to scenes and characters from Fallout 3 (and other Fallouts, but the third game is what seems to be focused on here), and instead all the AMV shows is more slow-mo kills. I mean, don’t get me wrong, a healthy dose of those in this AMV is required to convey the feel and weight of the song and game, but just using that stuff for the filler parts of the song would have done the trick, leaving so many of the more important parts of the song free for a stronger selection of scenes. The creativity to really work it all to its most effective is there, it is, you can see it several times, like at 0:40 to 0:42, when the camera’s focus on the guy’s Power Armor helmet and the camera’s rise and fall combine flawlessly with the singer’s exaggerated breath. But it just...doesn’t show up save for at a few key moments. I mean, don’t get me wrong, this is definitely a solid AMV, it just...it could have been legendary. Still, it’s enjoyable, and worth some recognition.
FINAL FANTASY
Final Fantasy 9: Elevation, by Fellow Hoodlum Inc.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hdum57uAOLQ
The music used is Elevation, by U2. Not much to say about this one--it’s just plain good. It does a great job matching scenes to the lyrics and shifts in the music, and overall the whole thing winds up being quite exceptional.
Final Fantasy 12: You Belong With Me, by Monkeypants06: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3OJDocviwU
The “music” used is You Belong With Me, by (blurrrrgh) Taylor Swift. But don’t let that stop you from watching this, because it. Is. Glorious.
THE LEGEND OF ZELDA
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker: You Were Born for This, by Abzifun: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7dQXkYOhQY
The music used is You Were Born for This, by Epic Score. Well, in all honesty, with a song like this, all you’ve gotta do as an AMV maker is try to keep up with it, and it’ll make what you’re doing look pretty awesome almost on its own, but Abzifun definitely does keep up with the tune and matches the scenes to the music well, creating a kickass tribute to the game.
MASS EFFECT
Mass Effect 2: Mass Relax 2, by Neko9: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csP9m4OvWvE
The music used is The Legacy, by John Serrie. You may recall Neko9 as being the creator of the very first AMV I ever looked at in a rant, the Parasite Eve 1 AMV, Send Me an Angel. I’m always so pleased when a good AMV creator keeps making their videos, because the really good AMVs are just so damn rare. Anyway, this one’s pretty different; I wasn’t even really sure to count it as an AMV at all. But it’s showing game scenes to a song, so I reckon it qualifies. This video is everything it wants to be--relaxing, beautiful, tranquil, and somehow, even inspiring. Just showcasing the backgrounds and scenery of Mass Effect 2 to the music is more than enough to calm me down in the best of ways, and even to remind me a little of the cosmic beauty that Mass Effect used to so effectively embody. Very lovely.
Mass Effect 2 + 3: Ghost of Love, by ITaliZoraFan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nm4JfXfTf20
The music used is Ghost of Love, by The Rasmus. At this point, it’s getting hard for me to come up with new ways to say the same thing about many of these AMVs--this is another music video that is just plain very solid. Put together well, effectively and entertainingly conveys its purpose, uses and meshes the game and music well. It’s fun to see a Shepard x Tali video that’s not your typical really sweet and tender take on them (although I enjoy those very much, if they’re done well), and the creator very skillfully takes advantage of this song’s passion, pain, and power.
Mass Effect 3: Some Peace, by Julciczka: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yv5LdfVtlSk
The music used is This Night, by Black Lab. With so many Mass Effect AMVs being upbeat and inspiring (and with good cause; don’t get me wrong, that’s what Shepard’s all about), it’s refreshing to see the heavier, bleaker perspective on Shepard and his journey, and this video exploits the song and Shepard to their full potential, giving us a sober reminder of Shepard’s difficulties and regrets, and that which he has to leave behind, give up on, at his adventure’s finale. The video really provides and explores a great take on Shepard, and tells its story through great and appropriate scene selection.
SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner Raidou Kuzunoha 1 + 2: Raidou Shall Open Your Heart, by MargueriteProduction: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agLUpcxxeXU
The music used is Open Your Heart, from Sonic Adventure 1. This one does an adequate job of following the tune of the music with the game scenes, but it does really well with coordinating the visuals to the song’s lyrics, well enough that the end result is that this AMV makes the song work better for Raidou than it probably did for the actual game it was made for--I can’t claim to know that for a fact, since I’ve never played Sonic Adventure 1, but I’d think it were a safe bet. Unfortunately, it’s a little hard to tell some of the lyrics; the song’s music kinda overpowers them at times, but MargueriteProduction has helpfully put the lyrics up on the screen, so the viewer can properly appreciate the connection of game to music. Non-Persona SMT AMVs are sadly uncommon, so it’s always a treat to find a well-made one like this.
Saturday, May 18, 2013
General RPGs' AMVs 8
As always, if you find any of these videos pleasing, be decent enough to hit the Thumbs Up button, and/or even better yet, leave a positive comment. The world has more than enough terrible, clumsy, careless AMVs, and we must cherishingly encourage and gently cradle those few, precious fans capable of creating something worthwhile.
FINAL FANTASY
Final Fantasy 8: I Just Wanna Run, by YuniX2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1GYJosKZjM
The music used is I Just Wanna Run, by The Downtown Fiction. This one’s kind of odd, really. YuniX2 crams this AMV full of visual effects (it’s obvious she’s experimenting), and a lot of the time these effects make the video rather neat where it wouldn’t actually be particularly engaging. At the same time, though, like most AMVs containing an overabundance of cinematography and editing tricks, they get to be a little much at times, being distracting or even a bit annoying. And yet, she’s skillful enough at following the music’s beats and flow and matching them to the visual element of the AMV that most of this problem is largely reduced. Ultimately, I think the end product is pretty good, and does deserve some praise.
Final Fantasy 9: I Still Remember You, by SirMichaelValentine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXyrnj2dMPo
The music used is I Still Remember, by Blackmore’s Night. Although it starts to weaken toward the end, this AMV uses the song quite well, letting its soulful tune and singing meld well with the ever-powerful visuals of the game. Nothing to really say beyond that; this is just a generally good video.
Final Fantasy 9: Viva La Vida, by YuniX2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLahbRSo_L4
The music used is Viva La Vida, by Coldplay. More good stuff from YuniX2, this video has her characteristic ability to match scene actions and scene changes very well to the song’s lyrics and tune, used to great effect to make the character of Kuja into an avatar of the singer. This time around it’s basically a video using FF9’s footage to tell the story of the song, and it all works surprisingly well to this effect--Kuja’s actions and expressions and so on work very well with the words and emotions of the deposed ruler whom the song is about, sometimes predictably because Kuja’s generally a good fit since he’s haughty, arrogant, and regal in a self-styled fashion, and sometimes surprisingly because the scenes weren’t really meant to imply what the song does but still work for it nonetheless. While I feel that the latter half of this AMV doesn’t have quite the strength and relevance in its scene selection as the video’s first half, this is a neat, interesting, and of course well-made AMV through and through.
KINGDOM HEARTS
Kingdom Hearts Series: Song of Storms, by Maddy Jayde: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RO2vt_FRdys
The music used is a cover of Song of Storms, from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The cover is performed by LilyPichu, found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKHsN1Nr97E. You may notice I don’t really ever put up any KH AMVs in these little rants. The reason for that is that I generally don’t watch them. Not because they’re never good (although that’s very close to true), but more because of the sheer number of the things--there’s probably twice as many KH AMVs in existence as there are for every other RPG I’ve played put together. But this one happened to show up during my reviewing The Legend of Zelda AMVs (because of the song used), and I find it pretty impressive. It elegantly uses the song to go with its visuals, and the words that Maddy Jayde puts to this tune are very elegant, even beautiful, and they enhance the use of the song with the visuals. This is an AMV that’s actually very good to watch twice--once to take read the lyrics along to the music, and then to watch the video for itself with those lyrics known.
MASS EFFECT
Mass Effect Series: N7, by FatalFrameStudio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gN2W7AGuF98
The music used is Event Horizon, by I am Waiting for You Last Summer. Simple, quite, elegant, powerful, and epic--the song matches Mass Effect very well, and FatalFrameStudio makes the scenes match the song just as well. This is a tribute AMV that captures the events and heart of the Mass Effect series very well, and is a real pleasure to experience.
Mass Effect Series: The Call, by Tales2TellU: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDekS9XtuWo
The music used is The Call, by Regina Spektor. While I can’t say I feel particularly strongly one way or another about the pairing of Female Shepard and Kaiden, this video is a pretty decent one. It’s a little slow and over-emotional, but then so is the song, and overall it does what it intends to, which is to showcase the (potential) love between Kaiden and Shepard, fitting them to the song and fitting the song to them.
VALKYRIE PROFILE
Valkyrie Profile 1: Jar of Hearts, by SarcasmYAY: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvmXduUHePg
The song used is Jar of Hearts, by Christina Perri. This is a very small one, but I think it accomplishes the feeling and ideas that it sets out to, and it cuts from the song well, so it doesn’t leave you feeling like it’s supposed to continue. The creator works well with the slow, heavy tone of the song, knowing how to effectively let the game’s video run its course, but also employing good scene selection when necessary, and there’s no denying that the lyrics fit well with the characters shown and backstory of Valkyrie Profile 1. It’s very rare to find such a brief AMV that doesn’t feel like it’s missing something, AND has some skill and meaning to it, but SarcasmYAY’s given us a great example of the term “short but sweet” with this one.
THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU
The World Ends with You: Fooled by Your Emptiness, by Yodizzle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iifyQqI3RCE
The music used is a remix of Room for Happiness, by Kaskade. The remix is also done by Kaskade. While I am reluctant to give credit to any individual who willingly calls him- or herself “Yodizzle,” this is a definite winner. The song coordinates with the visuals well, lending and combining its meaning and emotion with that of the game itself, and the scene editing helps to emphasize this connection. Yodizzle adds to the theme with dialogue taken from the game, emphasizing the meanings of the song, the game, and the amalgamation that is this AMV, and does so expertly, inserting the dialogue in when it can have great impact, while at the same time carefully avoiding letting it distract from or drown out the song. Good, good stuff, and it’s a nice change of pace to have a quality AMV whose song is slow and gently takes its time.