https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F505EWB8DPA

(Note that this link shows all the tracks from the game rather than the OST proper since too many tracks were missing)

Breath of Fire II is a distant sequel to Breath of Fire I – the “seeds” left by Tyr will eventually develop into Deathevn, or Evans, the God of St. Eva. I played that game first so I always think that it is superior, both for graphics and for music. Although it does not have the “Final Fantasy touch” – complex, realistic arrangements – it is still quite interesting.

01. The Destined Child

What you hear before pressing start (both when turning on the SNES and after the intro). It is a good track to introduce a game. It starts with violins going into a crescendo, going very loud to announce a very epic adventure.

02. A Voice Calling From The Darkness

What you hear after naming the main character. It sounds extremely dark and creepy, fitting for this strange eye that wants you to give yourself to God. After a low-tone string intro, the theme has dark violins playing while a sound in the background gives you the creep as you see that eye on the screen.

03. Please God

The theme inside any St. Eva church. It consists of a genuine-sounding church organ that is very beautiful. When he first heard it, my husband even thought it was “Christmas music.” I guess you could say that too.

04. My Home Sweet Home

The theme inside any peaceful village. This is an excellent village track; it sounds very peaceful and welcoming. The main flute give the welcoming beat while the piano (?) in the background sets the tempo right.

05. Memories

The Mountain of the White Dragon before the demons are released. The name is very fitting; you really feel you are in a dream. After a lullaby-style intro, loud strings give the track a very magical feel, perfect for relaxation. The flute in the background adds to the magic.

06. There's Something Here

The most common dungeon music. It sounds mysterious and dark, all right. The violin arrangements are perfect for that, while a few bass notes in the background add the right touch of mystery while the drums set the tempo. However it loops a little too quickly to be a “memorable” theme.

07. Critical Moment

The “major boss battle” theme. Although it loops so quickly this is one of my favorite. The electric guitar is very dominant from the intro, while the bass in the background adds a good tempo. Finally the flutes add a creepy atmosphere to the fight against your worst nightmare.

08. No One Knows

The song that concludes the intro of the game (and goes into your adulthood). The violins sound very dark, highly appropriate for Ryu’s life since he is all alone in the world (the people in Gate could not even remember him). After a few seconds of silence, the violins start again leading to the track you hear at the very beginning before pressing start (in the game). However, after doing the game’s speedrun I find this part to be too slow.

09. We're Rangers!

The first overworld theme. It sounds epic as an overworld theme should, and its length is appropriate (although the drums tend to get annoying). The core of the loop is played by strings that have epic arrangements, while a flute in the background adds a good sense of mission.

10. Hide-and-Seek

The hunting theme. The title is very appropriate since the game you want to hunt is always trying to hide and flee. It sounds like a circus almost, with animals doing silly tricks. I find the track annoying because it is repetitive, but it is nevertheless appropriate.

11. Wanderer

The mountain theme. This track has an interesting “Eastern” feel no 16-bit game has been able to reproduce with its… Japanese harp? The flute makes the theme sound like you are going to escalade Mount Everest in a way with its good epicness. Finally the drum beat in the background sets the tempo right.

12. Cross Counter

The first battle theme. Once again you can notice the heavy electric guitar arrangements. I honestly prefer violins and trumpets from Final Fantasy, but this is nevertheless good.

13. Treasure Won

The victory fanfare. It sounds very triumphant; after a loud trumpet intro, loud violins and brass quick it to conclude the loop. The drums remind us that this was a victory from a fight.

14. Grab The Tail

The “spy” theme, when trying to infiltrate a base or a house. The main wind instrument used gives the track the right “spying” feeling while the battery give the track a jazzy beat I like.

15. Colosseum

Self-explanatory. You can hear and feel all the valiant fighter in this arena thanks to the louds and triumphant trumpet all through the track. The bass used in the background was better than the usual drum beat we usually hear. Towards the end of the loop, you and hear xylophone and strings that sound equally triumphant.

16. Creeping Shadow

You usually hear that theme after an “agent” of St. Eva reveals himself and his dark plan. Too bad the intro was much longer than the core of the loop. It started so well (a little like track #2) with loud violin and drums.

17. Clean Hit

The “ally boss battle” theme. By that I mean that the person is, deep down inside, an ally so it sounds less dramatic than Critical Moment, from which it is inspired. However it is still a boss fight so it does have drama with its synth arrangements – the drum is very upbeat and perfect to set the mood.

18. Pincer Attack

You hear that track when Tiger taunts you into fighting him, but also when Rand is stuck between walls. There is a feeling urgency in that track that is perfect thanks to the very quick drums. The violins played sound very dramatic, almost like a sudden-death match.

19. Fly Pudding

Simafort Theme. It has an interesting Renaissance feel with the harpsichord and the violins playing a waltz in the background.

20. I'll Do It!

The regular boss battle theme. Once again, you can hear the electric guitar abundantly. The drums in the background give the track the proper quick tempo, quicker than Clean Hit in fact.

21. Fishing Man

The fishing theme. It sounds nice and relaxing, as if simply trying to fish for leisure rather than survival. The drums play in a fun jazzy manner while the main arrangements makes you feel no rush to catch your fish.

22. A Whale La-La-La

When riding Grandpa the whale. This sounds better than most boat themes I have heard until the 16-bit era. There is a feeling of exploring something large and wide-opened (the ocean) I just love. The first part of the loop has nice flute arrangements that are slow, while the second part has very epic violin arrangements. You could even swear you can hear Grandpa shouting in the background!

23. Trouble Sleeping

Strange title… This is the track when you go to sleep. It is short as it should be, and the last part of the loop is very quiet so you can actually sleep.

24. Kingdom

The music inside a castle. The trumpets really sound regal, better than the FF if I daresay. The second part has the trumpet playing flat notes, and then has violins kick in with epic arrangements.

25. Left Unspoken

The theme of sadness, usually think to a painful reminiscence of the past. It is not my favorite track but the arrangements are highly appropriate. The guitar used sounds very sad while the piano adds even more sorrow to the heavy feeling of the track.

26. Clumsy Dance

The theme of Tunlan. I prefer this version to the one in BOF I, which almost sounded like a giant concert. BOF II has the town of music sound more like “minstrel” music with guitar in the background while flutes in the main track give it a nice light atmosphere. Violins at the end of the loop make the theme sound more epic, but not exaggeratedly so.

27. Century Of The Patriarch

The theme of Windia, and the best one until Breath of Fire IV (I never played V). It sounds so… grand and epic with the main violin track and the drums. The strings in the background give the theme a solemn mood, so we still stay firm on the ground.

28. Cold And Dark

The music inside the well in Township, but also the intro to the bad ending. This is one of the most intriguing tracks ever composed. It sounds dark and mysterious, but not creepingly so like A Voice Calling From The Darkness. It is perfect for this mysterious high-tech well.

29. Let Me Sleep So I May Dream

Inside the World of Dream in the old tree’s mind (outside the Memory Tower). You really feel like you are in a dream the way the flute is played (you can even hear some harp). The arrangements in the background are a little monotonous but quiet enough so they do not disturb your sleep.

30. Dying Corpse

The second battle theme, after Spar shares with you your new mission. It still features electric guitar, but it sounds more… intriguing – not as lively as the first theme. The drum in the background is very upbeat though so we know this is still a fight.

31. Gimme A Chance

Game over music. I heard this one a few times as BOF II was one of the first RPGs I ever played. The arrangements are too loud for my taste, but they sound sad as they should. And they are quite elaborate compared to FF.

32. Don't Even Think About Dying

A track I like to call “The past comes back to you.” When you hear the track you will unavoidably have to face your past, willingly or not. The flute is played in such a way that I feel I have a ray of hope that will help me in the near future.

33. Sandy Slumber

The fusion theme (with the Shaman) and inside the Thieves’ Tomb. It is more appropriate for the latter; the violins both in the main and background tracks sound very dramatic, warning you about all the traps that surround you.

34. Our Journey

The last and most epic overworld theme of the game. It starts with loud and very epic violin arrangements, while the main flute used reveals a sense of something grand that is going to happen, namely your investigating St. Eva more closely.

35. White Wings

When you fly Mina. Even today this is one my favorite tracks ever. The “xylophone” arrangements are played in such a … magical way. I think of this track when it snows over Old Quebec City. You really feel like you are flying.

36. God Of Decadence

The theme inside the St. Eva cathedral. For some reason, this theme sounds even better when played consecutively with the previous 2 tracks. Anyway, this is another of my favorite tracks; the organ played sounds both majestic (for such a large church) and scary (when the ultimate evil resides).

37. No Way Out

I only remember this one from when Petape gets mad after the cook after not recognizing the Gold Fly pudding. Yet again, this is a good dramatic track that suffers from looping too quickly. The violins sound even more dramatic than Creeping Shadow, and the cymbals add even more, but there is so little variety in the arrangements that I just skip it.

38. The World Is Trembling

The track inside the room where Spar is held prisoner. This is another dramatic violin track, but it is not enjoyable; they are much too loud all through the track that you just can not wait for it to finish.

39. Crooked Ladder

The theme of Dologany, the village of the dragons. The arrangements in the background give the track a good magical feel, where the last remaining warriors of the Dragon are hanging out. The battery is played in a way I never hear before, and I like it. The flute at the end sounds like a ray of hope you are bringing to them and to the world.

40. Approach

The theme of the demon but also of the “bad ending.” In the latter case, despite a short loop it sounds absolutely perfect especially when seeing Deathevn and all his minions looking at you in a nightmarish image where “time will be froze forever. The violin track is a little monotonous, but the arrangements in the background make the track sound very scary.

41. Nightmare

The music inside Infinity, the last dungeon. The first part has dramatic violins playing, while their more staccato notes in the second part add to the drama. The bass in the background (and the occasional cymbals) also make for an excellent Final dungeon theme.

42. What It Takes To Be A Hero

You hear this both after you bring Bo to township to protect him and when you dash towards Evans to kill him. The track is actually appropriate for both. On the first hand, you have a heroic track where your best friend gets wrongfully accused of theft. On the other hand, you have a heroic theme where the main character, against all odds, was able to withstand torture from God and kill him in the end.

43. Lethal Dose

The Final boss fight. It does not have the FF epicness, but it still sounds appropriate. For once there is no electric guitar. Instead there are heavy synth arrangements played at a slow tempo that create the right drama. The background noise has an extremely low tone that give the theme ever more drama.

44. Daybreak

After Valerie sacrifices herself to open the gate to Infinity. It is quite the opposite from Memories; it sounds very sad and tearful. After all, the protector of the village is gone, and so is your mother. The end of the loop, with its loud violins, even sounds dramatic as if wanting to make you cry even more. One of the best such themes ever.

45. The Closing Of The Dragon's Eye

The first part of the conclusion, when the heroes go back to the surface. As with many other games, I usually do not care about such theme. It sounds nice and grand, a more joyful version of Memories, but I just skip it.

46. Last Impact

When Ganer uses Township to “crash” on the last dungeon so you will not transform into a dragon like you mother. It (repeatedly) uses the first measures of What It Takes To Be A Hero but in a more dramatic fashion. I listen to this and be like… Meh.

47. Breath Of Fire

The second overworld theme, and upgraded version of the first overworld theme in BOF II. This version definitely sounds better thanks to better arrangements. It also sounds more heroic and perfect for the context, i.e. you just caught the real thief from Home Town and can now save Bo from his hiding.

48. Thank You, Everyone

The end credits. That is all I have to say; I never really listened to the track when I played.

50. La, La, La...

The few notes you hear when you see the Capcom logo in the intro. If ever you play the game, you will see that the notes match the apparition of the logo and its “shining” at the end.

51. New Ally

When someone joins your team. It sound triumphant as it should as does not sound artificial like many tracks.

52. Victory

When having a major “victory” in the game, like capturing Patty and clearing Bo’s name. The arrangements are at a higher pitch than most such themes, but it sounds good nonetheless.

53. Unpleasant Surprise

Self-explanatory. It happens, for example, when someone you thought good reveals himself as evil of when you can not get out of Evrai. This is indeed what an “unpleasant” surprise should sound like.

Final diagnosis: I highly recommend this game, both for its excellent soundtrack than for its surprising scenario what will surprise you more than once.