A Collection

Composer Yoko Shimomura’s soundtrack for the 2016 fantasy role-playing video game <i>Final Fantasy XV</i> captures both dusty highway vibes and the feeling of epic battles between good and evil. Created over a 10-year span, it includes swelling numbers built around violin (“Somnus”) and piano (“Sorrow Without Solace”) that add to the grandeur the series has always delivered. Yet Shimomura also mixes in more playful, country music-inspired cuts featuring harmonica (“Broken Down”) and electric guitar (“Bros on the Road”), with textures adding greater depth to the album.