I'm very glad you enjoyed this piece of music, this game Final Fantasy 14 has done so much in the world of music I'd recommend even more from the series. personally I vote for Footfalls or close the distance, but anything from that game especially in recent years is fantastic. 100% in love with this reaction by the way. keep up the great work!
Ngl. Listening to those ending lyrics. I never realized fully how much they fit with the end of the story. Like it's literally as if they knew exactly what they were going to write 10 years before it happened.
@@TNTspaz They have mentioned that they didn't have all this fully planned out, so instead I would say that the writers did a phenomenal job of taking the pieces that were already placed down and making it fit into a story that felt like they had planned from the very beginning. I do feel like that is an even far greater achievement too. Hearing Answers especially in Shadowbringers and then in Endwalker and hearing the lyrics and coming to understand them more and more felt really good.
Not only does this play in the final 1.0 cutscene but somehow they managed to incorporate it 10 years later into the story again but with a completely different meaning and context. To me this isn't just the best song from FFXIV but one of the best in all of video games due to it's importance to the story.
Seeing a particular cutscene in Endwalker (you know the one!) while this is in the background and the lyrics are lining up so well… WOW. I have no idea if they planned that far ahead or were just clever enough to mold things to fit the song, but either way, it was fantastic.
@@madpolitico we know almost for sure that they did not play this before shadowbringers! They took these super lame villains, the ascians and made them incredibly layered and complex RETROACTIVELY! It's so cool.
Agreed. It's one of the best video game stories I've ever seen. I started playing a few months before Endwalker released, so basically I played through the whole story in one go. It was incredible, and the music at various points was way better than I expected from a MMO.
This piece is context immortalized. It came with a cutscene that played when the servers for the game's original launch shut down. Narratively, it was the Bad End and an Armageddon the player characters had failed to prevent. But the context of the lyrics changed with the most recent expansion as a result of new insights about the setting and its origin. It was a prayer to Hydaelin asking why life was suffering, and interestingly enough, a decade later, you actually get the answer in the game's storyline.
The game's context aside, this song speaks to me on a painful level. When I started playing this game about 4 years ago, I was in a dark place and questioning my reasons for living. Why was I given live, only to suffer? What is it all for? What are my reasons for living? Why endure this pain? Then this song comes around and just slaps you firmly in the face with all these reasons to live. To make promises. To witness beauty. To feel emotions. To hear music. To listen to the tales of my elders. To follow in the footsteps of those before me. To wander the earth in search of something new. To stumble, make mistakes, and learn. To teach what I have learned to others. To whisper sweet nothings to a loved one. To value a gift I was given. To hope that tomorrow will be better. To ponder a fascinating topic. To welcome new people to my family. I could go on and on and on. I can't hold all these reasons for living, Hydaelyn, pls calm down.
Lol trying to type through my tears but I wanna let you know how much I appreciate you o’ stranger on the internet. I am beyond words and overjoyed to share these feelings and experiences with you. I’m so glad this “game” exists and that it’s …just… I don’t know. The words are gone. God I love it and what the creators have given us. Thank you Yoshi P and team.
I know it sounds cringe to some people but I had the same epiphany as you. The game taught me about the things that are worth living for, and I was really down bad back then. It probably saved me tbh
I'm glad this comment resonated with people, but I want to caution people that it's not that this game cured my depression or something, that's not how that works. But it DID change my perspective from "I wouldn't mind if a truck hit me rn" to "Actually, I probably would mind a bit." Even among deepest despair, my friends, there can be joy. Good luck out there.
The FFXIV OST is a can of worms that no one on music reaction UA-cam is prepared to open. Uematsu's torch for this game was passed to Masayoshi Soken, a man who takes every genre of music as a challenge to surmount. His genre is "Yes." Uematsu you've got orchestral pieces and rock pieces. Off the top of my head, Soken's work on FFXIV includes those, punk, ska, electronic, metal, industrial, surfer rock, what I can only describe as 'whimsical Disney music', hip hop and probably a ton of other genres I'm forgetting. Every content drop for this game is a treat not just for the story that comes with it, but because we're always unwrapping a mystery box of "What has Soken decided this thing's theme should be?" He writes one of the game's most beautiful and powerful pieces while in the hospital with cancer, ad then at Fanfest after he recovers, he runs up on stage with an otamatone and then sings one of the game's songs so horrendously off key that another of the game's composers who was playing piano for this has her chin attempt to withdraw into her neck out of horror. The man is a chaotic mad genius.
So very much this! Uematsu is a master and Soken is a gift. The music is a HUGE part of why I play FFXIV. (I'm stealing the 'genre is "yes"' line, btw, too good :D)
The song by itself is great but the foley and other sound effects from the original video really enhances the song, in my opinion. The dragon roar, the shields hitting each other, the giant fire ball getting closer, everything. The song is also altered a bit to fit with the drops in the original cinematic, so I can understand why, as a musical analysis channel, you would prefer to breakdown the pure song version, but you do miss a bit of the impact the original cinematic has.
as someone that came in to this game at 2.0 ARR and heard this anytime i went afk and with the trailer, i 1000% percent agree. without the background noises it doesnt hit home . but it still a amazing ost and i love it. FFXIV music is soooo good. i listen to it on its own alot.
"No more shall men have wings to bear him to paradise. Henceforth, he shall walk." The one single sentence that immortalised this song, along with FF14, into the gaming Hall of Fame
Literally one of the best writing in the last decade. The fact they made this song 10 years before they even knew where they were taking the story and incorporated it into one of the greatest moments in media blows my mind still.
6:18 Susan Calloway (The female singer, and 'voice of Hydaelyn' in this song) is Answering the choir. 15:00 It's actually the reverse here. It's the choir answering to Susan. to Hydaelyn, the very world they call home. That second part, is the people's answer to Hydaelyn. That even through this chaos, this unparalleled destruction. They WILL find a way to go on.
Spoiler free context: Answers is a dialogue between Hydaelyn, the Goddess of Eorzea, and the people that live there. With their lives being rife with suffering, the cry out for answers to the question, "Why, given life, are we meant to suffer, to die?". Hydaelyn's answers are her faith in mankind to seek light in darkness, joy in sadness, and in the deepest despair, fund hope, everlasting.
"In the same fleeting moment, thou must live, die, and know". I absolutely love that line so much, it's such a perfectly ominous yet thought-provoking line to end such an intense piece of music with. One thing I really love about Answers (along with a lot of other music from FFXIV, for that matter), is that you don't really need any lore or story context to be able to appreciate their lyrics. They're open-ended enough to where a person who knows nothing about Final Fantasy can listen to it and interpret meaning behind them. The lyrics play more into the themes and morals behind the game's story, rather than the specifics of the story itself. You can figure out without any prior knowledge that this song is a lament of life itself. The suffering that it necessarily includes, the death that it inevitably ends with, and questioning the reason or point behind all of it. Why do we even live if our lives are destined from the start for suffering and death? The name "Answers" is not referring to the song actually answering these questions; it's the people of a world demanding answers from whatever higher power may or may not even be listening, and finding none of the answers they beg for. FFXIV seems pretty lighthearted and whimsical from the outside, but it tackles a lot more dark and heavy themes than you'd probably expect.
And i feel like its so with most of the games story, sure there is plot and its fictional story. Its open ended, the player feels, hears, seeks and finds answers. Probably their own answers and so it shall be. Its amazing song in so many ways, but there were circumstances that lead to its existance. Tldr i agree, i just really appreciate the whole package. Also i remember i listened to this song way before i even knew of ff14's existance and yes i was mesmerised. And in my experience it just got amplified when i got into the game and saw the cutscene years after hearing the song alone. (Maybe i am just biased for fantasy worlds)
All FF has a dark side. It wouldn't be proper writing without it. But Ishikawa turned out to be a bloody master at it. From the DRK quest line, which is just psychotherapy, to Shadowbringers and Endwalker, there's not been an FF that has been so dedicated to not just telling a story and teaching hard truths, but also to provide hope, meaning, therapy and even ... Answers.
I wasn't ready for Answers either the first time I heard it. Still utterly stirred in spirit every time I hear it, even more so thinking of the memories of the game itself.
@@mccoyrj452 I just started down the End Walker path and with the main story I'm like why did I see it heading this way. It make me feel kind of like Sherlock Holmes from the BBC TV series where you see it coming and you like they are going to do this. Then you get the cutscene showing what you knew was going to happen then they throw in one little twist. Then your like there is always one thing just like Sherlock.I figured the whole thing was just the result of the fight between Hydalin and Zerg, or however you spell his name sorry, I called it a fight between mommy and daddy. Daddy took the Ashians and Mommy took the rest. Did not figure them to be the first and oldest Summoned Primals, should have from the fact that they are being praied to all the time but you know hind sight and all.
Big Endwalker spoilers: It makes it really cool when you think about it in the context of: We got the Answers before the game had even launched. We've had them the whole time, from the very beginning. Endwalker was the journey of us finally coming to understand the question.
Oh man, Tony, you just opened a can of worms. Prepare for the FFXIV requests to Flow. Important context about the vocals is that they represent a prayer. The people petition their goddess, asking why life is only hardship. She responds, telling them they must decide. The first call and response features the male vocals lamenting over their woes while she responds with things they don't understand. But, progressively, their prayer becomes more positive, and they begin to live with more conviction, upon which they reach a unanimous conclusion with their goddess. In the second verse, the goddess speaks from her perspective, regarding her own hardships. Only once the people understand the value in their lives can they be receptive to what she needs from them. The second call and response flips the vocals, such that the people have achieved the conviction to answer their own question. Thus, they harmonize to deliver a conclusion: That only in life and death--rapture and sorrow, but also the dreams and conviction that come with them--may you find the answer to existence.
Flow is beautiful but I think it hits harder when you know about Answers and understand the context. That 10-year later callback is why it makes so many people cry. Edit: and, of course, Amanda's vocals are absolutely insane (Flow).
Whats even more impressive that they took this complete masterpiece and started writing the plot based on the themes of the song. So this song both began and ended a story told over 10 real time years. You can break a ff14 player by just singing to them: "thou must live, die and know" Oh and now you have opened a box of a decade of incredible music you can make videos on. Personal favourites "Scream" and "Dragonsong".
I legitimately like Civilisations (aka La-Hee). And don’t forget A Long Fall (from The Twinning). Although some of my favourite tracks are The Warrens (Snowcloak) and A Land Long Dead (The Burn).
Uematsu didn't directly work on that much music in XIV but DEFINITELY left his mark on the legacy of the game. So much of the OST is just references or arrangements of his previous works, and Answers gets referenced constantly in Endwalker. The man, the myth, the legend.
@@sehrverrueckt3358 yeah, I know Uematsu composed Answers. I was just mentioning how much of his legacy is respected in XIV's OST. I was agreeing with their comment.
Man, this is one of my absolute favorite songs. I struggle to actively listen to it, without being almost moved to tears. Nobuo Uematsu is an absolute master of his craft. There is so much about this song that I adore that I can't put it all into words, but I just love its deep connection to the game. The story of A Realm Reborn, of the development, that is, less so the one of the actual game, is one of my favorite stories, and this song just represents it so beautifully. The men's choir at the start is the people of Eorzea, begging for answers, wondering why they have to suffer so, and then the rest of the song is sung by Hydaelyn, the Goddess of Eorzea. It's such an interesting song, since you start playing the game, and you have that song in mind, and slowly connect things to it, and then the game goes on and on, and it actually gets recontextualized a few times. Especially towards the end of Shadowbringers and then in that one scene from Endwalker, which is one of my favorite scenes out there, due to this song. What a beautiful piece of music. Thank you for your perspective on it.
The cutscene in Endwalker where this song plays hits me harder than I think anything I've ever experienced in a game. It's such wonderful storytelling.
This song was always pretty heavy, even back in A Realm Reborn. That said, what they did with it in Endwalker.... wow, just wow. They made this song just so much more impactful with the added context.
I'm a notorious skipper - last scenes I actually watched were the story bits of the coils like 10 years ago - I do love the song though - do I need to play the whole endwalker story to get what the comments here are talking about, or is there one cutscene I could go watch and "get it"?
@Kenzi0815 Endwalker is a culmination of themes in all the other stories, and the payoff to a decade of storytelling. Skipping to endwalker is like only watching avengers endgame: sure, it'll still be pretty good, but you'll miss out on most of the impact of finally getting full payoffs to individual character's decade long story arcs.
I had the pleasure of hearing this song live during the last Final Fantasy Distant Worlds tour. It completely changes the experience of listening to this song. I cried hearing it live, feeling the energy in the room and the emotion of pouring the last 10 years into this game. I cry almost every time I listen to the song now--just totally overwhelmed by the emotions it carries. Her voice is something else and this song carries so much meaning and memories. The song selection is a surprise every time they do Distant Worlds, so I had no idea that this would be the song she sang, but I'm so glad that it was. I'm so glad that I got to witness this live.
I consider "Answers" to be the most important song ever written and a part of our cultural heritage, it's a true masterpiece. The lyrics are a testament to that, especially the last 5 verses. The song perfectly describes humanity, what it means to be human, the trials and tribulations, but also the hope, the effort, the beauty, the future. We are here but for a "fleeting moment", might as well make the most of it. "Thou must live, die and know". Certainly was an awesome surprise to see you react to it. Here's some other songs from FFXIV to check out: "Flow" (on the same level of importance as Answers) "Dragonsong" "Dedicated to moonlight" "Return to oblivion" "What angel wakes me" "In the balance" "Scream"
This song laid the groundwork for the story that evolved over 10 years... They did not even have a concept for the 10 year story but crafted one that in the end made you go back, listen to this song and you could honestly believe that they planned everything out based upon this one song. At the end of the 10 year story, this song hit everyone like a ton of bricks!!!
@@JButterZJIf this makes you not want to hear the rest, then you probably shouldn't. The game isn't for everyone. But check back in 20 years and you might get it.
I was a 1.0 player. Before the servers shut down, the usual music in the cities went away and this played instead, female vocals only, in a distorted echo. We couldn't really understand it but we tried to get what we could from the distorted stuff... Then in the final days before shut down, the GMs and devs flooded the servers with monsters, and not even the cities were safe any more. And then at shutdown, they had this cutscene play. (They gave us a UA-cam link too so we could rewatch it.) Susan Calloway's raw, anguished voice near the end brings me to tears every time. This song is called "Answers" and as others have said, the lyrics give us an answer to why we should live on even though living hurts sometimes. (Or in the case of the players of XIV, why we should continue playing the game even though 1.0 was kind of bad. Paying for XIV Legacy was one of the better financial decisions I ever made)
I heard this sung live at a distant worlds concert. It's one thing hearing it in game, it's another thing to listen to the woman herself, Susan Calloway sing it in person. Holy crap did it send shivers down my spine.
This song has an insane amount of meaning for the FF14 community. Not only was it used at the end of 1.0 and for the intro trailer of ARR, it was recontextualized in one of the hardest hitting cutscenes I've seen in the game 10 years later in the expansion that concludes the story started in 1.0.
You have no idea what kind of beacon you just lit, hahaha. There’s a whole fandom about to break down your door looming. Myself included! Names you’ll see are Nobuo Uematsu and Masayoshi Soken a bunch with this one.
One thing I love about Answers is the part that's like "Walk (Think)" because the first grouping of it has the male vocalists do the first word and the female vocalist do the parenthesis, but the second group of it does it in reverse.
When I got to see this at a live Final Fantasy concert event with Susan singing, it's probably one of the most chilling and beautiful things I've heard in terms of music. It's amazing that no matter if it comes from a soundtrack from a video game or a more commercial piece of music. If it's good you will get a feeling!
Hearing this performed live is a transcendental experience, as someone who was there when FF14 originally shut down and then back for ARR until now there is so many feelings that come up with this song.
Thing with FF14 music, a lot of these pieces are specific to events in the story and carry an emotional connection for those that play and experienced that moment which makes the music even more so meaningful.
The biggest thing about the entire song is encapsulated in the final line: "Thou must live, die, and know." When we got the original FFXIV ARR trailer with the song, it was like "This is an AWESOME song." Nearly 10 years later, when you finish the last few main scenario quests of Endwalker, you're sobbing openly as you listen to the song once more, understanding exactly what all the lyrics were telling us so long ago. You have to hand it to Square Enix, when they play the long game, they play the L-O-N-G game and the payoff has brought almost every player that does "the walk" near the end of Endwalker, and then the realization of exactly what Hyedalyn was telling us a decade ago (yes, that was the planet singing the song)... masterpiece of RPG storytelling that took 9.5 years to pay off.
First video I have seen and been suggested(which make sense that it's this video because it's one of my favourites). Sadly I didn't play Final Fantasy XIV when it came out so I was unaware of any of this sort of content until years later, I don't know why but this song seems to evoke intense emotions for me and I can't really put my finger on why. Perhaps it's that I am very interested in the story, perhaps the lyrics have a sentimental meaning but this is an absolute masterpiece in my opinion. The folk who put it together, the haunting singers and everyone involved did such an amazing job. Thanks for the breakdown.
Trust me when I say Final Fantasy 14 has one of the best soundtracks you will ever hear. There are so many tracks that fit so many different moods and genres. Soken's work is nothing short of incredible.
This song was so powerful back then, and it only became that much more so with it's use in Endwalker. That one simple line, Answer together, took on so much meaning.
i swear, everytime i listen to this piece. i pick up words and phrases from it that they managed to use in the current / new patches of the game and it makes me break down sobbing when i tie down those connections :(( and i gotta love that church organ ugh. you cannot listen to this piece once and expect same stuff. there are times id watch it to grasp the cinematics. there are times i wanna just enjoy the instruments and music itself. there are times i pick up pieces for the lore. ugh brilliant ;w; i saw this on my youtube front page and i loved how you broke down the whole thing and explained things :3
8:57 "To me its off-center like this, and not perfectly lining up." -- That is actually intentional..... the 'deeper story' of the song, as it relates to the game's story itself, is that its about "people" asking "life" "why must we suffer in life" and "Life" is answering back "because you need to Hear, Feel, Think, Learn, Listen..." that section of the song is essentially a 'conversation' between Man and Life.
Those of us who played ARR and did Coils feel much different when listening to Answers. You hit T13 and listening to it while trying to prog the fight and then suddenly the crescendo kicks in and the entire Sony carries you through the raid. The entire raid had a bitter sweet feeling. My group were excited about clearing the fight but there was always moments of silence as people were rocking and the music would just be playing. Damn it still hits hard even to this day.
The way you described the lyrics falling through the cracks and not lining up, when you go through the story of ffxiv and in your adventure quests you start learning more and more and filling up the spaces. Such a beautifully woven story with amazing music that when you listen to each song, they take you back to every part you experienced and the goose bumps mixed with tears and laughter. I just love ffxiv T_T
This song has been a foundational one for me. In the beginning I wasn’t a huge fan of this song, having been around since 1.0 launched, of course it was emotional and what’s happening in the FMV is incredibly evocative…however at a certain point in my life I came back to this song and found that it literally was an anthem for how we adventurers must press through the life we are given. By the end of the game this song never fails to bring me to tears, and “Your Answer” as the follow up is just the icing on the cake. I got to hear Susan Calloway perform this live in Nashville, TN and well it was like Hydaelyn herself was speaking to us. The hope, the pursuit of Answers, followed by Your Answer as the powerful decade long response to will we survive, will we fight? A resounding YES with that charged up battle hymn. It’s so glorious… Please do more Final Fantasy XIV, Uematsu, Hamauzu, and Soken are the three wise men of Final Fantasy OSTs so I will be here for it.
Thank you for covering this Tony. FFXIV has a special place in many peoples heart.. especially after the last expansion. My only hope after seeing you cover this is that you could experience why singing the last line "In the same fleeting moment, thou must live, die, and know" would bring so many people that have played the game to literal tears. So i hope one day you will be able to play this game all the way to endwalker. It is.. a journey.. one that is worth it. :) Thanks again! Oh and, please do flow.. same game. :)
I was there for this. Having played since the Beta of FFXIV 1.0, I never imagined where this game would take us. Every time I watch/hear Answers I get goosebumps. Still a great MMO to this day, and the music has never failed to impress.
MAN I LOVE THIS PIECE. The algorithm sent me here and I'm glad it did. The cinematic blows my mind every time I see it. As a musician and gamer, I am so happy when my worlds cross like this
I would recommend the free trial up to Shadowbringers. ARR or 2.0 as he puts it is a slow burn, but that's because there's an entire world with fleshed out characters to build. Everyone is willing to help, so don't be afraid to ask. You might find a few assholes, but they're rare. The music is ok in ARR but once you get to Heavensward, the music and writing start to sparkle. And it just gets better. They give you a good long while to decide if you want to buy the game or not.
It's absolutely insane. This song was always special to me but after EndWalker it literally puts the entire song into complete context. Now when I listen to it, I always end up crying since it was basically our story being told 10 years in the making since the very start. Absolutely outstanding work from Soken on this masterpiece. He legitimately put the lines "Look to those, who walked before, to lead those who walk after" into full meaning with Endwalkers.
As a FFXIV player since 1.0, this game has meant so much to me. This piece of music move me every time I hear it. It is amazing the ranges of emotions you can feel from one piece of music. Thank you for this video and breaking it down!
Having only gotten into this game last year, i can say this is one of my FAVOURITE pieces from the entire game. Especially when paired with the cutscene of Dalamud's fall. Its a genuinely soul shattering moment that is quickly filled with this sense of hopeful optimism for better days. Its awesome. I suggest looking at the song To The Edge next btw. Its absolutely stellar.
For real, I think I’ve been in it for about a month now, and hitting this song at the end of ARR had me openly sobbing. The way the chant is delivered, I instinctively reflect on tragedy after tragedy that people have dragged themselves through in recent years. It’s one of the few pieces ‘about humanity’ that’s felt honest to me, and not oversimplified. On top of that, I first heard Spiral in Palace of the Dead. Instantly mesmerized by it. Once I hit this song, I realized Spiral is a techno remix of Answers, which just made me love both songs more. Why did I avoid this game for so long?
god i love this song so much. I listen to it all the time and whats better yet is that the song is given an entirely new meaning after the most recent expansion, tying the whole story together. Its great music writing and ties into the great story writing too. Theres some really great pieces from this game.
So for reference for those that don't know. This song was used on the rebirth of the game, a highly successful return. the song is centred around a cataclysmic event. This signalled the destruction and rebirth. Its just an opening song. Yet it was reused 8 years later at a finale stage of the hardest fight they ever made at the time. A fight that takes 15 minutes to reach its peak that can only be done with a group of people working together at their peak. Its detail that wont matter to most, but god damn does it hit hard! Those that know, know.
As someone who's played through every Final Fantasy, Answers is certainly the most cohesive letter to the fans of one of Square's worlds. I loved the technical dissection of the first half, it's nice seeing the work receive the praise it demands with each passing year on YT.
This piece honestly stands strong even outside of the context of the game, it's haunting even ten years later, and is both heavy with sorrow and hope. It really stays with you and I'm hoping to hear it live in concert someday! Answers is heavy but always worth the suckerpunch to the feelings.
The ffxiv big songs tend to be 'sung' by characters in the game, in answers case the single female voice is the goddess hydaelyn the chorus is the solders on the ground.
I have always seen Answers as a cry to a mother, first the children are crying out for help with a world they don't understand, the mother answers them and gives them the nurturing they need to grow. They then start to grow and learn to live, the mother encouraging them and then the children have grown into their own and can stand side by side with her. Finally they grow old and think back on their life and take up the mantle to keep that cycle alive for those who come next. Such a beautiful song that perfectly captured the rebirth the game was about to go through.
This is the song/trailer that first got me into FF14 in the first place. Susan Calloway's performance of both Answers and Dragonsong are enough to move one to tears. As a long time fan of Nobuo Uematsu, he really hit this one out of the park; I'm a huge fan of electric organ used well and Nobuo is a madlad with the electric organ in several of his compositions.
Answers is such a good piece, cool to hear it here, and I just noticed on the sidebar a video of yours on Dragonsong, definitely gonna watch that next :D Im pretty sure Answers can draw a tear from anyone who has played FFXIV for any period of time. Not only that bit about the servers getting shut down and rebooted that you heard about in the request but they also use it in other places to tie things back to that event and there are a couple different mixes of the piece but when it plays during a fight its the most amazing thing ever!
This was one of Nobuo Uematsu's best works, I believe. I been a FF fan since the OG 7, but played all of them up to the current gen, and his work still outshines even most of the new items (with the exception to Soken, who does most of the music now for FFXIV.) Answers was just a song that hits in ways that you would never think, and then it continues to hit even after you think it's done. He is a legend in the FF music space.
Good video :) Answers is so good, there's a clip of a live version where the delivery of "Walk free" section even hits me harder, look for "Answers - 25th Anniversary Celebration in Chicago 2012" in youtube, it's beautiful despite the recording quality.
I heard this in concert where Susan Calloway was there to reprise it, and man, it was impressive and amazing! This music is some of my favorite to come back to over and over. And as a long time 14 player, I appreciate this!
I had to drop what I was doing when I saw this video show up in my feed. Amazed you haven't reacted to this one yet because the FFXIV music community is very passionate lol. Looking forward to watching!
This music, the videos that accompanied it, the story surrounding it, and the events that required their creations are all masterpieces of human craftsmanship and passion.
For me, this was one of those songs I listened to over and over when I first heard it and I just couldn't hear it enough. Every time I restarted it, I heard something that I missed the last time. Haven't heard it for years and it was really cool to hear you go through it!
Being a 1.0 - present player having experienced the entire story this song holds a special place in my heart. I always have to stop myself from crying as the song conjures memories of friends that have come and gone touching monents and even heartache. Thank you for this video may you always walk in the light of the Crystal.
@@AIopekis 1.0 got better as Yoshi P. took over technical issues aside. But I was there at Cartenau when the servers shut down on 1.0 that battle was somethin else.
It's been over 10 years that i've first heard this song, and to this day i can't listen to it without tearing up. It blew me away back then but after playing the game for over a decade all the additional story context created an even deeper emotional connection for me. I just LOVE it, easily one of my favorite pieces of gaming music ever.
One thing I love about FFXIV is there is a deep meaning behind the lyrics. A lore there that tells a story. If you want a dive into it, The Eorzean Archives on here has videos that go over the lyrical lore. The Meaning of Answers 2.0 - FFXIV Lyrical Lore if you want it for this song. Like how the opening cries out, asking why with all of Hydaelyn's power and will, why must man suffer, what is man to do where is man to go when every path seems to end in doom. Then she answers, she begs they look to those who came before them to help guide their path. In the end, it is WE who answer back to her, that we bear the weight of our own sins of the past, and must continue forward. It is not in the course of life that we alone bear the burden of joy and sorrow, it is side by side that we feel and suffer, we teach and we live, dream and answer this question together. Life is to live, and to live means we suffer to find our way forward, to find hope. To shape what we have for the next generation that follows after us. That in our short lives on this world, we live, die, and know.
This video just earned you a new subscriber. Answers has been very close to my heart for years, and I cry every time. I knew it was well written, but it's nice to hear a professional break it down in a way most people can understand it. I always had an interest in music theory, but I always end up just feeling the music instead of analyzing it 😂
Answers always hits hard. Every time I hear it, it just takes me back to when I first started xiv, first time hearing it. Never gets old. Great video, man
Answers is my favorite track from XIV - I have favorites from all the expansions (Dragonsong from Heavensward and Tomorrow and Tomorrow from Shadowbringers are examples), but Answers still tops them ALL. I get shivers and chills each time I listen to it, which sometimes isn't good because it plays during the final fight in the Coils of Bahamut raid series AND during the Bahamut phase in Unending Coils of Bahamut (Ultimate), but it still stays.
I still have my day 1 collectors edition and birth certificate from release. I was a beta tester for the original. 11 years on XI earned me the spot. We tried to tell them it was lacking. They ended up letting us play it for a very long time free while they fixed it. Still playing now.
I just was searching if you had covered "Answers" like a week ago, glad i didn't have to wait long i knew you'd love it lol. It is what i pretty much expect to hear in heaven
![Incredible Tribute to Endwalker [300 Musicians!]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/OZP3uvvwPLg/mqdefault.jpg)
Thank you Robin for the patreon request!
i dont know if i wanna ask but can you react to dusttrust phase 3? i would love you to react to it!
I'm very glad you enjoyed this piece of music, this game Final Fantasy 14 has done so much in the world of music I'd recommend even more from the series. personally I vote for Footfalls or close the distance, but anything from that game especially in recent years is fantastic. 100% in love with this reaction by the way. keep up the great work!
You should do XIV's Endwalker - Footfalls! plz
@quicknugg you guys might want to check if he's done footfalls already before you recommend it lol, besides in the balance is better
Bold of u to assume we aren't here already.
the ffxiv community will come, it is only a matter of time
this is just another huge rabbit hole
You may accept this fate, or defy it, but you cannot deny it.
We’ve arrived
@@ultraboy971 :)
We are here!
I'm a simple man.
I hear Answers, I cry and I like.
Thank you. I cry. Every. Single. Time.
Bro fucking same, this song makes me fucking weep.
Ngl. Listening to those ending lyrics. I never realized fully how much they fit with the end of the story. Like it's literally as if they knew exactly what they were going to write 10 years before it happened.
@@TNTspaz They have mentioned that they didn't have all this fully planned out, so instead I would say that the writers did a phenomenal job of taking the pieces that were already placed down and making it fit into a story that felt like they had planned from the very beginning. I do feel like that is an even far greater achievement too.
Hearing Answers especially in Shadowbringers and then in Endwalker and hearing the lyrics and coming to understand them more and more felt really good.
Any dislikes on this video are probably people who missed the like button because their eyes were too wet
Not only does this play in the final 1.0 cutscene but somehow they managed to incorporate it 10 years later into the story again but with a completely different meaning and context. To me this isn't just the best song from FFXIV but one of the best in all of video games due to it's importance to the story.
For reference, since that scene 10 years later, I literally can't hear this song without crying. It was this good of a moment.
@@NibelungJ i'm out of that phase but that was me for some months after endwalker too xD
Seeing a particular cutscene in Endwalker (you know the one!) while this is in the background and the lyrics are lining up so well… WOW. I have no idea if they planned that far ahead or were just clever enough to mold things to fit the song, but either way, it was fantastic.
@@madpolitico we know almost for sure that they did not play this before shadowbringers! They took these super lame villains, the ascians and made them incredibly layered and complex RETROACTIVELY! It's so cool.
Agreed. It's one of the best video game stories I've ever seen. I started playing a few months before Endwalker released, so basically I played through the whole story in one go. It was incredible, and the music at various points was way better than I expected from a MMO.
This piece is context immortalized. It came with a cutscene that played when the servers for the game's original launch shut down. Narratively, it was the Bad End and an Armageddon the player characters had failed to prevent. But the context of the lyrics changed with the most recent expansion as a result of new insights about the setting and its origin. It was a prayer to Hydaelin asking why life was suffering, and interestingly enough, a decade later, you actually get the answer in the game's storyline.
"No more shall man have wings to bear him to paradise. Henceforth, he shall walk."
@@evandavis5223 And by walking he will become stronger. by being weaker individually they will become stronger collectively!
@@evandavis5223Such an incredible line. 😭
@@evandavis5223I teared up just reading that 😭
@@evandavis5223 One of the hardest lines in any game
The game's context aside, this song speaks to me on a painful level. When I started playing this game about 4 years ago, I was in a dark place and questioning my reasons for living.
Why was I given live, only to suffer? What is it all for? What are my reasons for living? Why endure this pain?
Then this song comes around and just slaps you firmly in the face with all these reasons to live.
To make promises. To witness beauty. To feel emotions. To hear music. To listen to the tales of my elders. To follow in the footsteps of those before me.
To wander the earth in search of something new. To stumble, make mistakes, and learn. To teach what I have learned to others. To whisper sweet nothings to a loved one.
To value a gift I was given. To hope that tomorrow will be better. To ponder a fascinating topic. To welcome new people to my family.
I could go on and on and on.
I can't hold all these reasons for living, Hydaelyn, pls calm down.
Lol trying to type through my tears but I wanna let you know how much I appreciate you o’ stranger on the internet. I am beyond words and overjoyed to share these feelings and experiences with you.
I’m so glad this “game” exists and that it’s …just… I don’t know. The words are gone. God I love it and what the creators have given us. Thank you Yoshi P and team.
This game is free therapy of the best kind.
I know it sounds cringe to some people but I had the same epiphany as you. The game taught me about the things that are worth living for, and I was really down bad back then. It probably saved me tbh
I'm glad this comment resonated with people, but I want to caution people that it's not that this game cured my depression or something, that's not how that works.
But it DID change my perspective from "I wouldn't mind if a truck hit me rn" to "Actually, I probably would mind a bit."
Even among deepest despair, my friends, there can be joy. Good luck out there.
@@veradrost9654 excellent disclaimer 👍✨
The FFXIV OST is a can of worms that no one on music reaction UA-cam is prepared to open. Uematsu's torch for this game was passed to Masayoshi Soken, a man who takes every genre of music as a challenge to surmount. His genre is "Yes." Uematsu you've got orchestral pieces and rock pieces. Off the top of my head, Soken's work on FFXIV includes those, punk, ska, electronic, metal, industrial, surfer rock, what I can only describe as 'whimsical Disney music', hip hop and probably a ton of other genres I'm forgetting. Every content drop for this game is a treat not just for the story that comes with it, but because we're always unwrapping a mystery box of "What has Soken decided this thing's theme should be?" He writes one of the game's most beautiful and powerful pieces while in the hospital with cancer, ad then at Fanfest after he recovers, he runs up on stage with an otamatone and then sings one of the game's songs so horrendously off key that another of the game's composers who was playing piano for this has her chin attempt to withdraw into her neck out of horror. The man is a chaotic mad genius.
Soken is a treasure. Because of him.....
We all know La Hee! ;)
"His genre is 'Yes'.
Perfect 😂
So very much this! Uematsu is a master and Soken is a gift. The music is a HUGE part of why I play FFXIV. (I'm stealing the 'genre is "yes"' line, btw, too good :D)
All I gotta say is "LA-HEE!!"
This :D .. Genre: 'Yes' ... its perfect :D
The song by itself is great but the foley and other sound effects from the original video really enhances the song, in my opinion. The dragon roar, the shields hitting each other, the giant fire ball getting closer, everything. The song is also altered a bit to fit with the drops in the original cinematic, so I can understand why, as a musical analysis channel, you would prefer to breakdown the pure song version, but you do miss a bit of the impact the original cinematic has.
Think this the theatrythmn version on the 3ds... haven't seen it on switch one yet
I agree, the trailer adds so much to the emotion. Bahamut's roar really sells "you're screwed"
100% agree, This is an ok version, but the original cut scene version really really adds more impact. The live Distant Worlds version is also stunning
as someone that came in to this game at 2.0 ARR and heard this anytime i went afk and with the trailer, i 1000% percent agree. without the background noises it doesnt hit home . but it still a amazing ost and i love it. FFXIV music is soooo good. i listen to it on its own alot.
The sound design in the full flame of truth video for this is fucking phenomenal
"No more shall men have wings to bear him to paradise. Henceforth, he shall walk."
The one single sentence that immortalised this song, along with FF14, into the gaming Hall of Fame
"From that temptation...I sunder us."
Literally one of the best writing in the last decade. The fact they made this song 10 years before they even knew where they were taking the story and incorporated it into one of the greatest moments in media blows my mind still.
That scene gave me the chills. It gave Answers suddenly a different context.
It's incredible how biblical this track actually is..
That whole cutscene was amazing and made her my favourite Final Fantasy character. Well, she's tied with Zenos.
6:18 Susan Calloway (The female singer, and 'voice of Hydaelyn' in this song) is Answering the choir.
15:00 It's actually the reverse here. It's the choir answering to Susan. to Hydaelyn, the very world they call home.
That second part, is the people's answer to Hydaelyn. That even through this chaos, this unparalleled destruction. They WILL find a way to go on.
I went through the comments to make sure someone had named her as the singer. Such an amazing voice!
Spoiler free context: Answers is a dialogue between Hydaelyn, the Goddess of Eorzea, and the people that live there. With their lives being rife with suffering, the cry out for answers to the question, "Why, given life, are we meant to suffer, to die?". Hydaelyn's answers are her faith in mankind to seek light in darkness, joy in sadness, and in the deepest despair, fund hope, everlasting.
Hydaelyn: "Fuck if I know, we messed up."
"In the same fleeting moment, thou must live, die, and know". I absolutely love that line so much, it's such a perfectly ominous yet thought-provoking line to end such an intense piece of music with.
One thing I really love about Answers (along with a lot of other music from FFXIV, for that matter), is that you don't really need any lore or story context to be able to appreciate their lyrics. They're open-ended enough to where a person who knows nothing about Final Fantasy can listen to it and interpret meaning behind them. The lyrics play more into the themes and morals behind the game's story, rather than the specifics of the story itself.
You can figure out without any prior knowledge that this song is a lament of life itself. The suffering that it necessarily includes, the death that it inevitably ends with, and questioning the reason or point behind all of it. Why do we even live if our lives are destined from the start for suffering and death? The name "Answers" is not referring to the song actually answering these questions; it's the people of a world demanding answers from whatever higher power may or may not even be listening, and finding none of the answers they beg for.
FFXIV seems pretty lighthearted and whimsical from the outside, but it tackles a lot more dark and heavy themes than you'd probably expect.
And i feel like its so with most of the games story, sure there is plot and its fictional story. Its open ended, the player feels, hears, seeks and finds answers. Probably their own answers and so it shall be. Its amazing song in so many ways, but there were circumstances that lead to its existance.
Tldr i agree, i just really appreciate the whole package.
Also i remember i listened to this song way before i even knew of ff14's existance and yes i was mesmerised.
And in my experience it just got amplified when i got into the game and saw the cutscene years after hearing the song alone. (Maybe i am just biased for fantasy worlds)
All FF has a dark side. It wouldn't be proper writing without it. But Ishikawa turned out to be a bloody master at it. From the DRK quest line, which is just psychotherapy, to Shadowbringers and Endwalker, there's not been an FF that has been so dedicated to not just telling a story and teaching hard truths, but also to provide hope, meaning, therapy and even ... Answers.
I wasn't ready for Answers either the first time I heard it. Still utterly stirred in spirit every time I hear it, even more so thinking of the memories of the game itself.
And now after Endwalker it stirs up emotions even more in a new way.
@@mccoyrj452 Extraordinarily so
@@mccoyrj452 I just started down the End Walker path and with the main story I'm like why did I see it heading this way. It make me feel kind of like Sherlock Holmes from the BBC TV series where you see it coming and you like they are going to do this. Then you get the cutscene showing what you knew was going to happen then they throw in one little twist. Then your like there is always one thing just like Sherlock.I figured the whole thing was just the result of the fight between Hydalin and Zerg, or however you spell his name sorry, I called it a fight between mommy and daddy. Daddy took the Ashians and Mommy took the rest. Did not figure them to be the first and oldest Summoned Primals, should have from the fact that they are being praied to all the time but you know hind sight and all.
The fact this song was 10 years old and the way it was utilised in the most recent expansion is actually peak. Ff14 has an amazing story
Big Endwalker spoilers:
It makes it really cool when you think about it in the context of: We got the Answers before the game had even launched. We've had them the whole time, from the very beginning.
Endwalker was the journey of us finally coming to understand the question.
Oh man, Tony, you just opened a can of worms. Prepare for the FFXIV requests to Flow.
Important context about the vocals is that they represent a prayer. The people petition their goddess, asking why life is only hardship. She responds, telling them they must decide. The first call and response features the male vocals lamenting over their woes while she responds with things they don't understand. But, progressively, their prayer becomes more positive, and they begin to live with more conviction, upon which they reach a unanimous conclusion with their goddess.
In the second verse, the goddess speaks from her perspective, regarding her own hardships. Only once the people understand the value in their lives can they be receptive to what she needs from them. The second call and response flips the vocals, such that the people have achieved the conviction to answer their own question. Thus, they harmonize to deliver a conclusion: That only in life and death--rapture and sorrow, but also the dreams and conviction that come with them--may you find the answer to existence.
I see what you did there.
Flow is beautiful but I think it hits harder when you know about Answers and understand the context. That 10-year later callback is why it makes so many people cry.
Edit: and, of course, Amanda's vocals are absolutely insane (Flow).
Man. Listening to this gave me the same chills I had in that part in Endwalker.
Tahnk you for posting this. it is the same thing I was going to post and say.
@@guzhenn This wasn't Amanda. This was susan calloway. Amanda replaced her.
Whats even more impressive that they took this complete masterpiece and started writing the plot based on the themes of the song. So this song both began and ended a story told over 10 real time years.
You can break a ff14 player by just singing to them: "thou must live, die and know"
Oh and now you have opened a box of a decade of incredible music you can make videos on. Personal favourites "Scream" and "Dragonsong".
I'm seeing a lack of "And Love You Shall Find," "In the Balance" and... *ahem* "La Hee."
I legitimately like Civilisations (aka La-Hee). And don’t forget A Long Fall (from The Twinning). Although some of my favourite tracks are The Warrens (Snowcloak) and A Land Long Dead (The Burn).
@@TheWickedWizardOfOz1Don't forget "Close in the Distance."
@@ConManAUCivilisations was my most listened to song on Spotify in 2022. So I'm there with you.
You know...la hee?@@TheWickedWizardOfOz1
This is why Nobuo Uematsu is revered as one of game OST's legends. Completely immortalized through his compositions in FF.
Uematsu didn't directly work on that much music in XIV but DEFINITELY left his mark on the legacy of the game. So much of the OST is just references or arrangements of his previous works, and Answers gets referenced constantly in Endwalker.
The man, the myth, the legend.
@@ZephWraen I think they said that in reference to Answers which was composed buy Uematsu
@@sehrverrueckt3358 yeah, I know Uematsu composed Answers. I was just mentioning how much of his legacy is respected in XIV's OST. I was agreeing with their comment.
@@ZephWraen My misunderstanding then, carry on.
Uematsu paved the road so Soken could run
Man, this is one of my absolute favorite songs. I struggle to actively listen to it, without being almost moved to tears. Nobuo Uematsu is an absolute master of his craft.
There is so much about this song that I adore that I can't put it all into words, but I just love its deep connection to the game. The story of A Realm Reborn, of the development, that is, less so the one of the actual game, is one of my favorite stories, and this song just represents it so beautifully.
The men's choir at the start is the people of Eorzea, begging for answers, wondering why they have to suffer so, and then the rest of the song is sung by Hydaelyn, the Goddess of Eorzea. It's such an interesting song, since you start playing the game, and you have that song in mind, and slowly connect things to it, and then the game goes on and on, and it actually gets recontextualized a few times. Especially towards the end of Shadowbringers and then in that one scene from Endwalker, which is one of my favorite scenes out there, due to this song.
What a beautiful piece of music. Thank you for your perspective on it.
The cutscene in Endwalker where this song plays hits me harder than I think anything I've ever experienced in a game. It's such wonderful storytelling.
@@SomeCallMeAku "We will find our way, Venat"
OMG right in the feels! @@rosariofloridia6882
It's one of those songs where you listen to it and you're like, this is amazing, then you beat the game and now you cry every time you hear it.
Every. Time.
@@aelithmackinnon8656 I know I do. I am a grown ass man, nearly 40, this song murders me every. single. time.
every.single.time
I get teary eyed listening to it and I haven't beat endwalker yet. I'm in for some emotional damage aren't I...
@@ryandesjadon2861 yep 🥲
Oh no, we’re doing Answers? Getting the popcorn ready
This is at 69 likes. Out of respect, i will not like. Nice.
@@agntzeroness You're getting popcorn? I'm getting tissues bro
Don't forget the tissues
This song was always pretty heavy, even back in A Realm Reborn. That said, what they did with it in Endwalker.... wow, just wow. They made this song just so much more impactful with the added context.
I'm a notorious skipper - last scenes I actually watched were the story bits of the coils like 10 years ago - I do love the song though - do I need to play the whole endwalker story to get what the comments here are talking about, or is there one cutscene I could go watch and "get it"?
@Kenzi0815 Endwalker is a culmination of themes in all the other stories, and the payoff to a decade of storytelling. Skipping to endwalker is like only watching avengers endgame: sure, it'll still be pretty good, but you'll miss out on most of the impact of finally getting full payoffs to individual character's decade long story arcs.
I had the pleasure of hearing this song live during the last Final Fantasy Distant Worlds tour. It completely changes the experience of listening to this song. I cried hearing it live, feeling the energy in the room and the emotion of pouring the last 10 years into this game. I cry almost every time I listen to the song now--just totally overwhelmed by the emotions it carries. Her voice is something else and this song carries so much meaning and memories. The song selection is a surprise every time they do Distant Worlds, so I had no idea that this would be the song she sang, but I'm so glad that it was. I'm so glad that I got to witness this live.
I consider "Answers" to be the most important song ever written and a part of our cultural heritage, it's a true masterpiece. The lyrics are a testament to that, especially the last 5 verses. The song perfectly describes humanity, what it means to be human, the trials and tribulations, but also the hope, the effort, the beauty, the future. We are here but for a "fleeting moment", might as well make the most of it. "Thou must live, die and know". Certainly was an awesome surprise to see you react to it.
Here's some other songs from FFXIV to check out:
"Flow" (on the same level of importance as Answers)
"Dragonsong"
"Dedicated to moonlight"
"Return to oblivion"
"What angel wakes me"
"In the balance"
"Scream"
Shadowbringers.
To The Edge
Good king moggle mog xii 😈
This song laid the groundwork for the story that evolved over 10 years... They did not even have a concept for the 10 year story but crafted one that in the end made you go back, listen to this song and you could honestly believe that they planned everything out based upon this one song. At the end of the 10 year story, this song hit everyone like a ton of bricks!!!
"Dragon Warrior."
And with that, Tony proved he was indeed from the old school.
It's true
It took THIS long for Answers to be requested?!
That's shocking
Footfalls was reacted to first saddly lol plus this song has been copy struck before.
bro i watched this video and it made me not wanna listen to the ff xiv soundtrack
@@JButterZJIf this makes you not want to hear the rest, then you probably shouldn't. The game isn't for everyone.
But check back in 20 years and you might get it.
I was a 1.0 player. Before the servers shut down, the usual music in the cities went away and this played instead, female vocals only, in a distorted echo. We couldn't really understand it but we tried to get what we could from the distorted stuff... Then in the final days before shut down, the GMs and devs flooded the servers with monsters, and not even the cities were safe any more. And then at shutdown, they had this cutscene play. (They gave us a UA-cam link too so we could rewatch it.)
Susan Calloway's raw, anguished voice near the end brings me to tears every time. This song is called "Answers" and as others have said, the lyrics give us an answer to why we should live on even though living hurts sometimes. (Or in the case of the players of XIV, why we should continue playing the game even though 1.0 was kind of bad. Paying for XIV Legacy was one of the better financial decisions I ever made)
That is so cool. What a moment
I heard this sung live at a distant worlds concert. It's one thing hearing it in game, it's another thing to listen to the woman herself, Susan Calloway sing it in person. Holy crap did it send shivers down my spine.
This song has an insane amount of meaning for the FF14 community. Not only was it used at the end of 1.0 and for the intro trailer of ARR, it was recontextualized in one of the hardest hitting cutscenes I've seen in the game 10 years later in the expansion that concludes the story started in 1.0.
Mom (Hydaelyn) was everything I ever wanted out of a MMO Christ analogue.
@@highlyeducatedtruckerOh, same. She's in my top three favourite characters of FFXIV.
You have no idea what kind of beacon you just lit, hahaha. There’s a whole fandom about to break down your door looming. Myself included!
Names you’ll see are Nobuo Uematsu and Masayoshi Soken a bunch with this one.
One thing I love about Answers is the part that's like "Walk (Think)" because the first grouping of it has the male vocalists do the first word and the female vocalist do the parenthesis, but the second group of it does it in reverse.
When I got to see this at a live Final Fantasy concert event with Susan singing, it's probably one of the most chilling and beautiful things I've heard in terms of music. It's amazing that no matter if it comes from a soundtrack from a video game or a more commercial piece of music. If it's good you will get a feeling!
Hearing this performed live is a transcendental experience, as someone who was there when FF14 originally shut down and then back for ARR until now there is so many feelings that come up with this song.
Thing with FF14 music, a lot of these pieces are specific to events in the story and carry an emotional connection for those that play and experienced that moment which makes the music even more so meaningful.
The biggest thing about the entire song is encapsulated in the final line: "Thou must live, die, and know." When we got the original FFXIV ARR trailer with the song, it was like "This is an AWESOME song."
Nearly 10 years later, when you finish the last few main scenario quests of Endwalker, you're sobbing openly as you listen to the song once more, understanding exactly what all the lyrics were telling us so long ago. You have to hand it to Square Enix, when they play the long game, they play the L-O-N-G game and the payoff has brought almost every player that does "the walk" near the end of Endwalker, and then the realization of exactly what Hyedalyn was telling us a decade ago (yes, that was the planet singing the song)... masterpiece of RPG storytelling that took 9.5 years to pay off.
That moment when you realize the song that haunts your dreams *was the entire point of the story all along.*
Been a ffxiv player for 10 years, this song and Close The Distance make me cry every time
First video I have seen and been suggested(which make sense that it's this video because it's one of my favourites).
Sadly I didn't play Final Fantasy XIV when it came out so I was unaware of any of this sort of content until years later, I don't know why but this song seems to evoke intense emotions for me and I can't really put my finger on why. Perhaps it's that I am very interested in the story, perhaps the lyrics have a sentimental meaning but this is an absolute masterpiece in my opinion. The folk who put it together, the haunting singers and everyone involved did such an amazing job.
Thanks for the breakdown.
The shivers everytime I listen to this piece, especially the line "Walk free, walk free, walk free, believe". I can't get enough.
Trust me when I say Final Fantasy 14 has one of the best soundtracks you will ever hear. There are so many tracks that fit so many different moods and genres. Soken's work is nothing short of incredible.
Nobuo Uematsu and Susan Calloway. Such an amazing piece.
whatching the cutscene with the sound effects of what going on in the back. with the song on top. gives it alot more shivers. its a awsome piece
The Distant Worlds orchestra recording of this is also incredible and has even more interesting lyrical and melodic lines.
You can't be disappointed with a FFXIV song :D Can't wait for the reaction
Certified hood classic right here
This song was so powerful back then, and it only became that much more so with it's use in Endwalker. That one simple line, Answer together, took on so much meaning.
"Thou must live, die, and know." 😭
Absolutely chilling.
Such a powerful line
i swear, everytime i listen to this piece. i pick up words and phrases from it that they managed to use in the current / new patches of the game and it makes me break down sobbing when i tie down those connections :(( and i gotta love that church organ ugh.
you cannot listen to this piece once and expect same stuff. there are times id watch it to grasp the cinematics. there are times i wanna just enjoy the instruments and music itself. there are times i pick up pieces for the lore. ugh brilliant ;w; i saw this on my youtube front page and i loved how you broke down the whole thing and explained things :3
8:57 "To me its off-center like this, and not perfectly lining up." -- That is actually intentional..... the 'deeper story' of the song, as it relates to the game's story itself, is that its about "people" asking "life" "why must we suffer in life" and "Life" is answering back "because you need to Hear, Feel, Think, Learn, Listen..." that section of the song is essentially a 'conversation' between Man and Life.
Those of us who played ARR and did Coils feel much different when listening to Answers. You hit T13 and listening to it while trying to prog the fight and then suddenly the crescendo kicks in and the entire Sony carries you through the raid.
The entire raid had a bitter sweet feeling. My group were excited about clearing the fight but there was always moments of silence as people were rocking and the music would just be playing.
Damn it still hits hard even to this day.
As soon as the woman starts to sing, i start to cry and get goosebumps. Everytime
Hell ya! Thank you Robin for the request.
And it comes full circle when this song plays again in The Cutscene™ almost 10 years later. It's amazing.
The way you described the lyrics falling through the cracks and not lining up, when you go through the story of ffxiv and in your adventure quests you start learning more and more and filling up the spaces. Such a beautifully woven story with amazing music that when you listen to each song, they take you back to every part you experienced and the goose bumps mixed with tears and laughter.
I just love ffxiv T_T
This song has been a foundational one for me. In the beginning I wasn’t a huge fan of this song, having been around since 1.0 launched, of course it was emotional and what’s happening in the FMV is incredibly evocative…however at a certain point in my life I came back to this song and found that it literally was an anthem for how we adventurers must press through the life we are given. By the end of the game this song never fails to bring me to tears, and “Your Answer” as the follow up is just the icing on the cake. I got to hear Susan Calloway perform this live in Nashville, TN and well it was like Hydaelyn herself was speaking to us. The hope, the pursuit of Answers, followed by Your Answer as the powerful decade long response to will we survive, will we fight? A resounding YES with that charged up battle hymn. It’s so glorious…
Please do more Final Fantasy XIV, Uematsu, Hamauzu, and Soken are the three wise men of Final Fantasy OSTs so I will be here for it.
Yeah, this one is special for a lot of reasons!
Great video, dude!
This song is a testament to Nobuo Uematsu’s genius as a composer. One of my favorite songs in all video games
Thank you for covering this Tony. FFXIV has a special place in many peoples heart.. especially after the last expansion. My only hope after seeing you cover this is that you could experience why singing the last line "In the same fleeting moment, thou must live, die, and know" would bring so many people that have played the game to literal tears. So i hope one day you will be able to play this game all the way to endwalker. It is.. a journey.. one that is worth it. :) Thanks again! Oh and, please do flow.. same game. :)
I was there for this. Having played since the Beta of FFXIV 1.0, I never imagined where this game would take us. Every time I watch/hear Answers I get goosebumps. Still a great MMO to this day, and the music has never failed to impress.
With the context of the original and then endwalker, I can't help but become emotional whenever I hear this song.
MAN I LOVE THIS PIECE. The algorithm sent me here and I'm glad it did. The cinematic blows my mind every time I see it. As a musician and gamer, I am so happy when my worlds cross like this
This song literally brings a tear to my eye when I think about 2.0 and its launch.
I've never played Final Fantasy XIV, but this song somehow always makes me cry
I would recommend the free trial up to Shadowbringers. ARR or 2.0 as he puts it is a slow burn, but that's because there's an entire world with fleshed out characters to build. Everyone is willing to help, so don't be afraid to ask. You might find a few assholes, but they're rare.
The music is ok in ARR but once you get to Heavensward, the music and writing start to sparkle. And it just gets better. They give you a good long while to decide if you want to buy the game or not.
Been playing FFXIV for a few years now. Can't listen to that song without tearing up.
It's absolutely insane. This song was always special to me but after EndWalker it literally puts the entire song into complete context. Now when I listen to it, I always end up crying since it was basically our story being told 10 years in the making since the very start. Absolutely outstanding work from Soken on this masterpiece. He legitimately put the lines "Look to those, who walked before, to lead those who walk after" into full meaning with Endwalkers.
Prepare for more FF14 song requests!
As a FFXIV player since 1.0, this game has meant so much to me. This piece of music move me every time I hear it. It is amazing the ranges of emotions you can feel from one piece of music. Thank you for this video and breaking it down!
Having only gotten into this game last year, i can say this is one of my FAVOURITE pieces from the entire game. Especially when paired with the cutscene of Dalamud's fall. Its a genuinely soul shattering moment that is quickly filled with this sense of hopeful optimism for better days. Its awesome. I suggest looking at the song To The Edge next btw. Its absolutely stellar.
For real, I think I’ve been in it for about a month now, and hitting this song at the end of ARR had me openly sobbing. The way the chant is delivered, I instinctively reflect on tragedy after tragedy that people have dragged themselves through in recent years. It’s one of the few pieces ‘about humanity’ that’s felt honest to me, and not oversimplified.
On top of that, I first heard Spiral in Palace of the Dead. Instantly mesmerized by it. Once I hit this song, I realized Spiral is a techno remix of Answers, which just made me love both songs more.
Why did I avoid this game for so long?
6:42
This track moves me every time. I’m always shedding tears by the end of it 😅🥲💙
god i love this song so much. I listen to it all the time and whats better yet is that the song is given an entirely new meaning after the most recent expansion, tying the whole story together. Its great music writing and ties into the great story writing too. Theres some really great pieces from this game.
So for reference for those that don't know.
This song was used on the rebirth of the game, a highly successful return. the song is centred around a cataclysmic event. This signalled the destruction and rebirth.
Its just an opening song.
Yet it was reused 8 years later at a finale stage of the hardest fight they ever made at the time. A fight that takes 15 minutes to reach its peak that can only be done with a group of people working together at their peak. Its detail that wont matter to most, but god damn does it hit hard!
Those that know, know.
As someone who's played through every Final Fantasy, Answers is certainly the most cohesive letter to the fans of one of Square's worlds. I loved the technical dissection of the first half, it's nice seeing the work receive the praise it demands with each passing year on YT.
This piece honestly stands strong even outside of the context of the game, it's haunting even ten years later, and is both heavy with sorrow and hope. It really stays with you and I'm hoping to hear it live in concert someday! Answers is heavy but always worth the suckerpunch to the feelings.
Song brings me tears every time. So glad you got to experience this :D
The ffxiv big songs tend to be 'sung' by characters in the game, in answers case the single female voice is the goddess hydaelyn the chorus is the solders on the ground.
I have always seen Answers as a cry to a mother, first the children are crying out for help with a world they don't understand, the mother answers them and gives them the nurturing they need to grow. They then start to grow and learn to live, the mother encouraging them and then the children have grown into their own and can stand side by side with her. Finally they grow old and think back on their life and take up the mantle to keep that cycle alive for those who come next. Such a beautiful song that perfectly captured the rebirth the game was about to go through.
this song always brings chills down my whole back, its crazy specially remembering all my moments in game.
This is the song/trailer that first got me into FF14 in the first place. Susan Calloway's performance of both Answers and Dragonsong are enough to move one to tears. As a long time fan of Nobuo Uematsu, he really hit this one out of the park; I'm a huge fan of electric organ used well and Nobuo is a madlad with the electric organ in several of his compositions.
Answers is such a good piece, cool to hear it here, and I just noticed on the sidebar a video of yours on Dragonsong, definitely gonna watch that next :D
Im pretty sure Answers can draw a tear from anyone who has played FFXIV for any period of time. Not only that bit about the servers getting shut down and rebooted that you heard about in the request but they also use it in other places to tie things back to that event and there are a couple different mixes of the piece but when it plays during a fight its the most amazing thing ever!
This was one of Nobuo Uematsu's best works, I believe. I been a FF fan since the OG 7, but played all of them up to the current gen, and his work still outshines even most of the new items (with the exception to Soken, who does most of the music now for FFXIV.) Answers was just a song that hits in ways that you would never think, and then it continues to hit even after you think it's done. He is a legend in the FF music space.
this song got a whole new interpretation in the Endwalker expansion.
and knowing that its so much sadder than one would think
Good video :) Answers is so good, there's a clip of a live version where the delivery of "Walk free" section even hits me harder, look for "Answers - 25th Anniversary Celebration in Chicago 2012" in youtube, it's beautiful despite the recording quality.
Yes was going to comment the same! The live version cuts you even harder! Susan Calloway has some real pipes on her.
I heard this in concert where Susan Calloway was there to reprise it, and man, it was impressive and amazing! This music is some of my favorite to come back to over and over. And as a long time 14 player, I appreciate this!
I had to drop what I was doing when I saw this video show up in my feed. Amazed you haven't reacted to this one yet because the FFXIV music community is very passionate lol. Looking forward to watching!
This song hits me in the feels EVERY TIME!!!
And the full video with the sound effects takes it to a whole different level!
If you like Answers, then Tomorrow and Tomorrow is one to listen to.
Absolutely!
"our souls soaked in sin..."
This music, the videos that accompanied it, the story surrounding it, and the events that required their creations are all masterpieces of human craftsmanship and passion.
Now that you’ve finished 86 I think it’s time for the LilaS reaction!
For me, this was one of those songs I listened to over and over when I first heard it and I just couldn't hear it enough. Every time I restarted it, I heard something that I missed the last time. Haven't heard it for years and it was really cool to hear you go through it!
You're gonna get swarmed with FFXIV requests now lol. Not that it's a bad thing, Nobuo and Soken are geniuses.
Being a 1.0 - present player having experienced the entire story this song holds a special place in my heart. I always have to stop myself from crying as the song conjures memories of friends that have come and gone touching monents and even heartache. Thank you for this video may you always walk in the light of the Crystal.
@@AIopekis 1.0 got better as Yoshi P. took over technical issues aside. But I was there at Cartenau when the servers shut down on 1.0 that battle was somethin else.
oooh shit dude this is gonna be good
It's been over 10 years that i've first heard this song, and to this day i can't listen to it without tearing up. It blew me away back then but after playing the game for over a decade all the additional story context created an even deeper emotional connection for me. I just LOVE it, easily one of my favorite pieces of gaming music ever.
I can understand looking at the lyrics version, but the original version is sync'd up MUCH better music to visuals and it makes a HUGE difference.
One thing I love about FFXIV is there is a deep meaning behind the lyrics. A lore there that tells a story. If you want a dive into it, The Eorzean Archives on here has videos that go over the lyrical lore. The Meaning of Answers 2.0 - FFXIV Lyrical Lore if you want it for this song.
Like how the opening cries out, asking why with all of Hydaelyn's power and will, why must man suffer, what is man to do where is man to go when every path seems to end in doom. Then she answers, she begs they look to those who came before them to help guide their path. In the end, it is WE who answer back to her, that we bear the weight of our own sins of the past, and must continue forward. It is not in the course of life that we alone bear the burden of joy and sorrow, it is side by side that we feel and suffer, we teach and we live, dream and answer this question together. Life is to live, and to live means we suffer to find our way forward, to find hope. To shape what we have for the next generation that follows after us. That in our short lives on this world, we live, die, and know.
This video just earned you a new subscriber. Answers has been very close to my heart for years, and I cry every time. I knew it was well written, but it's nice to hear a professional break it down in a way most people can understand it. I always had an interest in music theory, but I always end up just feeling the music instead of analyzing it 😂
Answers always hits hard. Every time I hear it, it just takes me back to when I first started xiv, first time hearing it. Never gets old. Great video, man
Answers is my favorite track from XIV - I have favorites from all the expansions (Dragonsong from Heavensward and Tomorrow and Tomorrow from Shadowbringers are examples), but Answers still tops them ALL. I get shivers and chills each time I listen to it, which sometimes isn't good because it plays during the final fight in the Coils of Bahamut raid series AND during the Bahamut phase in Unending Coils of Bahamut (Ultimate), but it still stays.
I still have my day 1 collectors edition and birth certificate from release. I was a beta tester for the original. 11 years on XI earned me the spot. We tried to tell them it was lacking. They ended up letting us play it for a very long time free while they fixed it.
Still playing now.
I just was searching if you had covered "Answers" like a week ago, glad i didn't have to wait long i knew you'd love it lol. It is what i pretty much expect to hear in heaven