Dear me, I was...
Satoshi Okubo
" The music by Satoshi Okubo is soothing and dramatically serene music "Written by Joep de Bruijn - Review of the download only release
Dear me, I was... (オリジナルサウンドトラック) is a 2025 video game made by Arc System Works available on Nintendo Switch 2 and soon on the Switch 1. It is not even a one-hour-long 'interactive' experience in the life of an unnamed woman, with all the everyday life dramatic decisions, from a young girl to a woman of old age; essentially a vintage Japanese approach in the (wordless) slice-of-life category. Taisuke Kanasaki, the art designer from game titles such as Another Code and Hotel Dusk, perfects his intent through aesthetic use of watercolours and the rotoscope technique for this new game for a different developer. Satoshi Okubo, composer of the same aforesaid titles, also 'returns' for Dear me, I was...
The game plays like a scrapbook of someone's life, turning another page, being entirely wordless in storytelling and focusing on the graphical and emotional engagement, with little actual decision-making as a gamer, unless choosing your meal is considered vital gameplay.
The music by Satoshi Okubo is soothingly dramatic, dominated by an endearing piano solo theme, enriched by predominantl subtle strings, a deeper felt use of cello, a solo woodwind, and small portions of synthesisers (the cliché glistering star effect even makes a few appearances) and chimes. The score is perhaps best described as simplified slice-of-life dramatic music, nothing to offend anyone, but it captures everything, from lesbian failed love to casual but deeply immersive accents on all universally recognisable aspects that matter throughout life.
As a standalone experience, the fade-outs of all cues reflect this concept of turning a page in the game. Highlights include cues such as Remnant Gift and Crossroads. Then again, there is no relevance in the Strange Journey song renditions of the original score, both sung in Japanese and English.
Just in 2025, not actively searching for this type of score, it took no effort to come across about 30 very similar Japanese scores. The music to Dear me, I was... is wonted but has convinced me, especially in the context of the game, that it is one of the better yearly efforts in the slice-of-life category.
Tracklist
01 Dear Me, 3:24
02 With love 2:21
03 Bookmarks 4:33
04 Footsteps Beside Me 4:15
05 Beneath Familiar Skies 4:02
06 Remnant Gift 4:22
07 The Same Day as Always 3:14
08 Echoes of You 4:15
09 Step by Step 1:48
10 Shadow of You 4:33
11 Twilight 4:07
12 Under the Quiet Sea 3:39
13 Ebb and Flow 4:00
14 Sleepless Tide 2:43
15 The Greeting Waltz 1:56
16 Crossroad 6:36
17 Swing By 3:31
18 Reflection 2:39
19 Strange Journey (Arrange) 3:42
20 Strange Journey (Piano Arrange) 3:42
21 Strange Journey 3:42
Disc length 77:04
(23-10-2025)
The game plays like a scrapbook of someone's life, turning another page, being entirely wordless in storytelling and focusing on the graphical and emotional engagement, with little actual decision-making as a gamer, unless choosing your meal is considered vital gameplay.
The music by Satoshi Okubo is soothingly dramatic, dominated by an endearing piano solo theme, enriched by predominantl subtle strings, a deeper felt use of cello, a solo woodwind, and small portions of synthesisers (the cliché glistering star effect even makes a few appearances) and chimes. The score is perhaps best described as simplified slice-of-life dramatic music, nothing to offend anyone, but it captures everything, from lesbian failed love to casual but deeply immersive accents on all universally recognisable aspects that matter throughout life.
As a standalone experience, the fade-outs of all cues reflect this concept of turning a page in the game. Highlights include cues such as Remnant Gift and Crossroads. Then again, there is no relevance in the Strange Journey song renditions of the original score, both sung in Japanese and English.
Just in 2025, not actively searching for this type of score, it took no effort to come across about 30 very similar Japanese scores. The music to Dear me, I was... is wonted but has convinced me, especially in the context of the game, that it is one of the better yearly efforts in the slice-of-life category.
Tracklist
01 Dear Me, 3:24
02 With love 2:21
03 Bookmarks 4:33
04 Footsteps Beside Me 4:15
05 Beneath Familiar Skies 4:02
06 Remnant Gift 4:22
07 The Same Day as Always 3:14
08 Echoes of You 4:15
09 Step by Step 1:48
10 Shadow of You 4:33
11 Twilight 4:07
12 Under the Quiet Sea 3:39
13 Ebb and Flow 4:00
14 Sleepless Tide 2:43
15 The Greeting Waltz 1:56
16 Crossroad 6:36
17 Swing By 3:31
18 Reflection 2:39
19 Strange Journey (Arrange) 3:42
20 Strange Journey (Piano Arrange) 3:42
21 Strange Journey 3:42
Disc length 77:04
(23-10-2025)