In the wake of the release of The Primals’ Forge Ahead: FINAL FANTASY XIV Arrangement Album, the in-house FFXIV band has been putting out music videos of singles from the album. The latest single to get the music video treatment is emotionally-charged "Close in the Distance", backing track to the tear-jerking finale of Endwalker.
The usual Primals lineup of Michael Christopher Koji Fox, Eikichi Iwai, Masayoshi Soken, Tetsuya Tachibana, and GUNN is joined by vocalist Jason Charles Miller, for this heavier, more intense rendition of "Close in the Distance". Miller’s vocals have always been the emotional crux of this track, but the new music video brings further weight to the song and echoes the final sequence of Endwalker, showing ethereal visions of Warriors of Light running past the band.
You’d expect that heavier bass, drums, and guitar might take away from the emotion of this crushing ballad, but the new version is just as intense. In fact it’s reopening some old wounds, according to members of the FFXIV subreddit. Reddit user TTB-Kun reposted a classic FFXIV: Endwalker meme from the original release of "Close in the Distance", while u/Mayda asked “is there a reason for this or are they just farming tears? *cries internally*.”
Well, the reasoning behind this may have something to do with Endwalker’s second anniversary, which is just days away. The FFXIV: Endwalker expansion first released on Dec. 3, 2021 and for most, just a few days later, they would experience "Close in the Distance" and the emotional quests that go along with this soundtrack.
The Primals timing on this release couldn’t be better to reignite the same feelings that players felt the first time they played Endwalker two years ago. And it’s almost impossible to not feel something listening to this remarkable rendition of Endwalker’s most iconic song.
