So here's why Ishgard is based on a Dark Moor album (conspiracy theory time)

[Marisa]

Because I strongly suspect that power metal is secretly responsible for everything awesome in the world, I've spent a lot of time thinking about the similarities between Ishgard, and Dark Moor's 2002 album, Gates of Oblivion. 

 

 

Now, anyone who's big on both fantasy and metal has at least a passing familiarity with Dark Moor. Meaning at least one person on the dev team is probably fanatical about them. So I guess we should start with the most obvious connection, the album cover.  

 

 

That's more than a coincidental similarity. That's somebody at Square Enix going "Oh. My. God. This is the best. Make this!" 

 

So what's on this album? Uh, just a bunch of harpsichord and pipe organ music about templars and stars and dragons n' stuff. How about a few samples: 

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At this point I'm willing to bet Heavensward will contain at least one weapon called Starsmaker or Eibereth, but I guess we'll find out. I mean, I suppose this could all be one big coincidence since both are based heavily around gothic fantasy... BUT WAIT, WHY IS VISHAPS THEME THE SAME THING AS CITADEL OF LIGHT?

 

 

HZtBCnhlDUU

SytqpkaRUS4

 

 

\m/ I want to believe.

[Arter Wood]

But the mountain on the right?

 

 

4-mm8FumurM

 

[Zelmanov]

I recommend looking into Dream Evil's Dragon Slayer Album

 

one its about killing dragons and two the lyrics are very Ishgardian. I present one of my favorites: Chosen Ones.

 

MM_c_avPlx4

[TheLastCandle]

Haha. Intentional or not, it is quite fitting! For my part, I plan on blasting Nightfall in Middle-Earth while leveling DRK.

 

[Caspar]

If the game is as inspired by YAZZ's team from Ogre Battle/Tactics Ogre/Vagrant Story, then music references are a given. I would not be surprised if this is true.

[Aaron]

ISHGARUDOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[CallmeYahweh]

I love Blind Guardian so much. They got me into power metal as an angsty teen.

 

More on topic though, realistically, the imagery of knights and churches and dragons is drawn from biblical imagery (iirc) which was used in fantasy which power metal emulates, so it's all a super cyclical process.

 

After hearing some of Sokken's tunes though, I bet you he's a fan of more than a few power metal bands.

[TheLastCandle]

Oh, no doubt. Garuda's theme is flower power metal as fuck. I love most genres of metal, from NWOBHM to death to black metal, but power metal is my go-to for Final Fantasy for the reasons you just specified.

 

[Leomoon]

So Ishguard is fucking metal? I like it.

[TheLastCandle]

So Ishguard is fucking metal? I like it.

 

Ishard is made 100% of metal and stone ROCK

[Lost River]

I am cool with this. METAL