Iblard: Laputa no Kaeru Machi (PS1, 1997)

Game info: GameFAQs, Lunatic Obscurity
Listening: soundtrack album, YouTube

Info

This is an interesting and slightly janky PS1 adventure game, set in a fantasy world created by painter Naohisa Inoue. It was recently fantranslated a few months ago under the name Iblard: The City of Hatching Laputa, and I just finished playing it. Enjoyable game! Moving around doesn’t feel super great, hitting things with the boomerang is a constant struggle, and the puzzles are all very basic, but the vibes are immaculate.

This is the first thing I’ve ever heard by the composer Naoaki Jimbo, so I don’t know anything about him that you won’t find out yourself by looking at his page on VGMdb or MobyGames or something. The soundtrack is all synthy new age music that sets a nice, relaxing atmosphere to explore some fantasy mazes to. I wouldn’t say it’s compositionally the most exciting soundtrack in the world, but there are definitely a bunch of interesting moments in the writing and, like the game as a whole, the vibes are immaculate.

Recommended tracks:

  • Forest Railway” is literally just a bunch of synth chords mixed with environmental noises, and you know what, that’s all you need in a piece of music

  • Quiet Forest” is the only track featuring sitar and tabla and has a powerful-feeling tempo shift halfway through

  • Megezo” has some very, very pretty interweaved wind parts

(track titles are unofficial translations from the fantranslation)

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