@@JasonCharlesMiller Forever the voice of my main man Raubahn! Thanks again for everything you do, JCM, and for being a gentleman through it all. Much respect and gratitude. o7
Thank you both so much! I don't know if you've had a chance to see it yet, but if you want to check out what this song has helped to inspire, check out the FFXIV Community Sings Close in the Distance rendition uploaded by Alex Moukala Music. 1000 FFXIV Community Members, 14 Special Guests. It's a version I can't help but break down into tears every time I hear it. Especially the chorus at 2:14.
@@JasonCharlesMiller Thank you for your amazing delivery of the song's sentimental prowess, it brings me back to warm memories and the feeling of loss.. Losing loved ones I still held dear in my heart. It helped me remember them fondly. Amongst Endwalker's Songs, this one struck me deep.
This song unlocks layer-by-layer as you progress through the end. Now everytime you go to Ultima Thule, it plays, and it NEVER fails to catch you unguarded, right in the chest.
this song hits harder then a bus.. when I got to the area i cried for 30 mins not because of how the current story might end but brought back memories of loved ones i lost, and so forth.
Definitely an amazing song and a great way to end an amazing expansion that closes out the main story arc, 10 years in the making. It hits in all the best ways and if there is one thing I could say against it... is once you beat the story the final zone has this song playing non-stop so it very much wears out its welcome to the point I've stopped going to the final zone.
@@dragoon666 If I could get the instrumental music back, I would probably do the same. Since I cannot... I much prefer the Sharlayan theme as my chill out point.
Ultima Thule is one of those things that is a perfect marriage of gameplay and music that makes me glad to be a gamer. (Spoilers below the jump) The area itself is at the edge of the universe, the nest of a being singing a song of oblivion for the universe. It's a place shaped by emotions and takes the form of remnants of dead planets, inhabited by the shades of the long dead, trapped in a moment where they not only welcome death but yearn for it. The music starts out very ambient, just a few kind of droning notes as you explore the blasted out husk of a planet. As you confront the shades of the dead and force them to confront their despair and that there are better days on the horizon, you begin to lose party members, each sacrifice opening the way one step forward. Each time, another instrument joins the song. Until the entire party is gone, you're left alone, forced to take the last steps of the journey by yourself. That's when the vocals kick in. You're forced to walk, given the buff "Endwalker" which has the description "The weight of a thousand thousand worlds weighs on your shoulders, and yet you walk on." And as you walk, the game hits you with moments of memories from across the journey to get there until you're face to face with the being trying to end all life so as to end suffering. And then it's a moment of compassion, not rage or righteous indignation, that breaks her facade, reveals she's just as scared but doesn't know anything else. And that's when the tables start to turn in your favor. So yeah. It's... yeah.
Spoilers Thats a bit inaccurate, the vocals kick in before the "Endwalker" moment. Specifically when a certain cat opens a path with robots. It's when you hit that moment that the song hits the hardest.
The last bit about her being scared was so true. My head canon was the character, as the hero, was going to save the universe, but her personal goal was to give a little birb a hug and save her little heart.
Not too long ago, it was revealed that the song is a message from someone who entrusted their hopes and dreams to the Warrior of Light, aka the player, which makes it hit even harder.
My fav part of this song is the “no time for mourning rises on a land reborn from the ashes” the usage of mourning as morning for the following line is so good and it’s so satisfying every time
Yes! This! I know it’s not a huge thing but it’s such a nice transition. Like a little lyrical artistic flare that is just chefs kiss cherry on top to an already great song.
Bawling my eyes out as I slowly walk forward, hearing the voices of old friends and wondering what's going to happen next. All while this song plays in the background, amplifying all of those emotions even more. This is THE song of Endwalkers MSQ for me.
Not just that, but the entire time in the zone, hearing the song a bit more clearer and clearer as you become more and more isolated….it’s so opposite, yet the same in many ways, as the radio piece in Garlemald’s zone.
I remember seeing the version of this song by Alex Moukala featuring 1000+ community members, including the singer of Answers and Dragonsong. I legit cried watching it.
I cannot adequately describe how much this song means to us FFXIV players and its impact. Thanks for giving me something to have satisfying quantities of feelings at on a Friday morning :D
Jesse, thank you for this reaction and the dedication to my friend, Naressa. I completed Endwalker shortly before her passing and it's like the game's story, and its music, was preparing me for it. I listened to this song (as well as its instrumental version) on repeat for hours during my initial grieving and it was a source of comfort. I'm glad that you enjoyed it, and am glad to see in the comments how much it meant to others.
The day Endwalker Early Access started, my brother's wife died. When I reached this part of the MSQ and listened carefully to the lyrics, I sobbed like a baby for hours with it on repeat.
For me, this song is like a Pavlovian response songs. The second I hear the guitar, I get goosebumps...by the time the singer sings "whispers", I am crying like a baby. I have friends that goes to Ultima Thule just to listen to the song.
I hang out a lot by Base Omicron or the flower patch by the dungeon just because of the music and the stunning view. Some might find the place depressing, but to me it’s a call to not give in to despair
Some Jason Charles Miller facts: - Has an industrial rock band named Godhead - He's also been a voice actor in a good amount of animation and video games (that kind of speaks to his vocal range as well) - Before he did singing in any FFXIV songs, he had done voice acting for the game. He was the original English voice actor for the Raubahn, though from the first expansion onward that character was later recast with a different voice actor. - You've now heard the three XIV songs he did vocals in: "Shadowbringers", "To the Edge", and now "Close In the Distance"
You're spot on with the linguistic breakdown. Ultima is the feminine form of ultimatus which means farther or last in latin, thule is an old name for a legendary island in the greco-roman era thought to be the northern most point of the world. Ultima thule in FFXIV is a place at the farthest edge of the universe where emotions dictate reality and is where the final scenes of Endwalker take place. I'm not sure how much weight the song has by itself, but the context it plays over is definitely one of the most emotional parts of the story for many.
This song was a crowning jewel in what will be (and honestly continues to be) one of the most unforgettable experiences i've ever had in gaming, or honestly in any form of storytelling. Plus I was bawling my eyes out most of the zone this plays in lol. It was not bearable at times xD.
It isn't the end of FFXIV, it is the end of the first story arc. The end of 10 years of build up. After this they have started an entirely new story arc. Also you got it right in that Ultima Thule is the last area in the game and this is the zone theme. This theme starts off very empty, pretty much nothing but ambience, then slowly adds as you go on. Near the end of the zone it becomes this full song. Also the pronunciation is Ul-tea-ma Thu-Ul,
Not just this one story Arc but actually the entirety of FFXIV to this point, all characters, all expansions, everything... The song and the game at that stage will trigger you to remember all your past experiences with the game, all the lost friends along the way, but also the good memories. That makes it hit is so hard
The name of the song has a dual meaning. Close in the distance, as your journey is coming to it's conclusion. But also, Close in the distance, your friends are taken from you one by one, but they stay with you in spirit, to see it through. The way the song is used in game, the way it ramps up, starting as a ghostly murmer, then the percussion, then the strings, the melody clears, and then... when you think you've lost everything, the way is opened with a bridge of light, and the vocals kick in, to remind you that you're never alone, even in deepest despair. Everything about it is thoughtful, reverent, and moving. Both somber, and uplifting at the same time. It hits me in the gut, and makes me smile through tears.
the way this song progressed along with the story beats, and the final progression will be a moment that can never be done with the impact it had again. a perfect gift for a 10 year journey
Jesse! This was an awesome reaction/review - Now that you've heard this version, you should check out the community compilation Alex Moukala put together for this, tons of people came together for it.
What really gets me is the 2nd verse name-checking all the game's prior iterations from ARR through Shadowbringers. Really made the song feel like it was the devs singing it to the players, that players hanging in coming with them on the journey they designed is what gives it meaning for them - "through you we live tales of loss, and fire, and faith"
It honestly took me an entire half hour just to do the “walk” when this main story came out. Between the song lyrics and everything that was going on I most definitely ugly cried…I still choke up every time I listen to this song. There’s another “side quest” storyline that was just released and they finished it with Close in the distance. Needless to say I ugly cried again lol.
i remember my build up to this moment. i was already suspecting what was gonna happen in the story (im not gonna say in case spoilers for scrollers) and i was saying no, not this, not alone. and then the song kicks in as you are already emotionally raw and i legit sat there sobbing for so long.
Oh man this song HITS exactly the way you think it does, I've played the game for about 6-7 years now (I started in heavensward) and that song represents the end of a long, long journey that pieces everything together in what I believe is one of the best media experiences to be had. It felt like I was a part of something great that .... you had to be there to understand.
find the beauty in hurt, and turmoil. you basically nailed it. a lot of what the XIV EW expansion drew upon was to savour lifes joys and sorrows, you cannot have one without the other, to have a meaningful life. Close in the Distance is now just one of those songs where my throat tightens just a little bit when I hear it now. I may even cry, if I'm feeling particularly emotional. this was great and thank you for the musical insight
arguably the second most impactful song in the entire game, after Answers ofcourse. ten beautiful years, of time at home, storytelling, adventure, laughs and tears, both happy and sad. and we hope for another ten more, if they are even half as good, we will be happy.
Dammit, it wasn't the all variations version That version shows the progression of all 4 versions of the song From a drowned out radio sounding melody, to a clearer melody, to very clear + synths, to adding the drums and the vocals It's so SO good
For me, this song is to honor the ones in my heart, who passed away. the first time MSQ brought me to this moment with the shoadows, playing this song in the background, i was already sobbing hard. When the first shadow spoke, it opened my floodgates. i was out for hours, just crying, all my lost persons that i miss so much came back to my mind, so many wonderful memories, it was just too much to handle at this point. i was just broken for a moment. now, this song stands for my personal "thank you... for everything" to every single one of them. I miss them so much. i still think a LOT about them. and i love them.
Jason Charles Miller gives this song his all. It's not his usual metal singing but still he sings so powerfully that of many covers of this song that I have listened to, none could even closely match the same power and emotion as Miller gives to this song with his voice alone. That's why even though it has many great covers, the original version is by far my favorite version of this song.
It's honestly such an incredible song and used so incredibly well. Throughout the zone it builds, going from only a little of the instrumental that's barely discernable, at an emotional story beat it builds into a partial instrumental, and at a third emotional story beat it shifts into the song you listened to. It's such an a emotional gut punch, still gets me emotional, and I love it. I would recommend listening to "Echoes in the Distance" and the "instrumental" even just on your own. I think that honestly one of my favourite bits of the lyrics is how a word's meaning is changed mid-lyric from talking about despair to hope in the "no time for mourning->morning rises on the land reborn from the ashes" line.
when this song played in the MSQ I started bawling my eyes out because of not only how good the song was but because of the EMOTIONAL DAMAGE i was taking during the story. I just broke down till the end but, im glad i experienced this beautiful masterpiece of a song
This is definitely a special one. I just hope one day you change your mind about playing the game. Hearing them with no context and just listening is one thing, but to play in the moment when these beautiful songs drop on you, is like...eating the whipped cream on top of a sundae, on a Sunday afternoon. The song being the crowning element on top of the wonderful story(sundae) underneath. With all that said, it's quite amazing how utterly spot on you are with the "feeling" of the song. And this one is no exception. I am glad you finally reacted to this one. :)
**Commenting before watching** Oh man Jesse's reacting to the most emotional song in the entire game, I'm not gonna cry, I'm not gonna cry, I'm not gonna cry ;___; After watching edit - Just wanted to add that each of FFXIV's expansions update the game's title screen to show the name of the expansion and also plays the expansion's main theme. Endwalker uses the start of the chorus "Tales of loss, and fire, and faith" which is such perfect lyrical writing that I always listen to it in full every time I start up the game. I'm seriously going to miss the Endwalker title screen when it's replaced eventually
Going through this area playing through story had me in actual, sobbing, chest heaving tears. Its so intense and emotional plotwise that i can now sit in Ultima Thule for HOURS just listening to this echo in the background and months later i havent tired of it yet.
The genius with this to me is how they unveil the song. it's a zone music that unlocks as you go through the zone. (spoiler warning) it starts silent, then the background music start playing as you experience loss and sacrifice. and with each sacrifice, then with the next one, the piano start, and at the peak of that, the singing starts, punching you in the gut as you're at lowest.
so a little on Jason Charles Millers, he is a voice actor and is the lead vocalist and guitarist of the band Godhead. his stuff is great, its very southern gothic rock and alternative metal. his other stuff is def worth checking out
Thule was the name of the farthest-north location known to the ancient Greeks and Romans, and Ultima Thule a theoretical point beyond it. Over the ages, it's become something of a literary metaphor for points at or beyond the edge of known human experience. The location in FFXIV specifically is at the far edge of the universe, and doesn't operate on the normal established laws of physics. Also, Jason Charles Miller has released some albums of his own, you should totally check him out.
This song was truly something special for the players. It was the song that played when you were forced to LITERALLY walk towards the end of endwalker. It was.. rough for lack of a better word. But so good
im sure everyone else has said it, but this song just hits you every time. I watched other peoples reactions to the scenes and i think this sectino just tore into people in a "good way". Just hjearing the chorus still gives me chills
It's interesting one of the things you said... finding beauty in sadness or loss is kind of one of the main messages in Endwalker itself. Curious to hear you pull that just from analyzing one of the more emotional songs from it.
I doubt any FFXIV expansion will ever hit the same as Enwalker has. and this song can't not make me tear up. it means so much more than just the story. FFXIV has been my favourite game since 2013, almost half my life now. And this is the game where I met my friends, kept in touch with my sister and made countless memories. Together with a story that has been in the making for as long as these many years it has so much emotion behind it. I feel a lot of nostalgia for the way I was and played back then. I felt sad for not having what I once had, which is the entire point of this storyline, as well as feeling excited that while this is the end of this story, another one lies ahead of us
As someone that’s been playing FFXIV for 10 years, this song was everything I never knew I needed. It’s the finale of the story so far and it hits every emotion in the process. Jason was an absolute perfect choice because it provides an amazing bookend too because he was one of the voice actors for a main character in the beginning of the game.
I just discovered your channel and have been binge watching your videos since yesterday, thank you so much for sharing your reactions! As a huge FFXIV fan, I have to say your analysis of the songs are really often exactly spot on, that's amazing. I look forward to seeing more of your reactions from this masterpiece of a game ^^
Thank you for covering this song, Jesse. I've been waiting for this. Back in December I was right in the middle of a severely toxic relationship and this helped me through a lot of my negative feelings at the time. This will always remind me of my darkest points, but also how I slowly crawled my way out of them. Thank you Jesse for reacting to it, thank you to Soken and the FF14 team for making this song, and all of the songs that make me ball my eyes out and all that shit. Endwalker is basically the end of ""Chapter One"" (The first decade or so) and they're starting to set up the next major storyline for FF14.
I am glad I found your channel by looking for Close in the Distance. You're clearly so knowledgeable about music because you hit all the right notes despite not having played the game. You put into words what I struggle to comprehend whenever my emotions stir to this tune.
My sister and I just finished base Endwalker a couple days ago. As soon as this started playing in game, the waterworks began haha. I just started bawling
As someone who's played FF XIV since the relaunch I love this song and vid so much it brings back so many happy and sad memories, friends that I have made thru out my time in XIV
It's not so much that we enjoy pain, but when we see, hear, feel someone else in pain, we feel seen and feel allowed to feel our own pain. This feels good, as we learned to suppress most emotions, especially those which make other people feel uncomfortable. This goes way back to our childhood.
Close in the Distance plays in Endwalker's final area. You are 100% correct about it representing "A story coming to a close". The lyrics in the second verse reference each expansion from the game. It's about the journey of both the players and our characters have gone through over the years playing the game.
the song played at a place, where the main cast basically goes to outer space, at edge of universe, landed unknown empty dead and depressing planet. this explain the musical tone of this song. to find a path foward, one by one each of party member sacrifice their life to forge a way for main hero to move ahead and, they actually still there, fade in the wind, silently watching the hero. this explain the lyric: Whispers, falling silently drift on the wind, But I hear you. Our journey, now a memory fading from sight, But I see you. Unbroken promises we made so long ago. You're still here. and this song actually come in 3 phase, with first phase merely ambience song, second grow with more musical and next with this full song with vocal. the phase is progressed slowly and morphed into this variation based on the story and journey progression at this place with each of party member "fall" one by one. also check out the primal band version of this song.
You guessed amazingly, as always :) Endwalker is the end of a 10 year long story arc. (But also the beginning of a new one! We're not done yet hehe) There are a lot of flashbacks in the video, which yeah, only a player can understand, while the rest shows Ultima Thule, the final area, and you remembered right, it means something like "the farthest point" something so far to reach, the utter limit of one's journey. In game, it's literally the edge of the universe to save said universe. Our character has never traveled so far before! Plus, our companions sacrifice themselves as we progress, allowing the area to be walkable, breathable, etc, each time they sacrifice themselves (magic lore stuff). So you as walk to the End, there are less and less people to your side , until it's just YOU. All alone. And instead of seeing it as sad and tragic, it is hopeful, from all the lessons your character's journey been through in 10 years. You hear many voices of the past as flashbacks as you walk towards the final battle, you know, to make you cry even more LOL And yeah, this song plays. It was mentioned that this song unlocks step by step, at first it's literally only faint and distorted, no voices, then as you progress there's more instruments, it's clearer, etc, until the voice finally gets unlocked, all by progressing the story. I myself didn't recognize it during the first version, it's honestly well done that it's not that recognizable. Then when more instruments kicked in and I had a full stop "OH WAIT" realizing the genius that was about to happen. So I was bracing myself for the voices to come later on, and no matter how much I expected it, it still hit me like hell!
I would LOVE for you to react to Alex Moukala's rendition of this! He did a version with over 1000 singers from the FFXIV community and it's truly incredible!
i'll never forget the moment when i reach this area first time. it just "dead", thats basically it, everything just dead, desolate, alone, whatever depression feel you can think of. surprisingly when you keep progressing you notice some hope still clinging here and there. until you reach the final point and break it, then this song start.... boy those feeling at that time.... it just "magical" the area still the same, dead desolated, but thanks to this song, something is a bit different now
Literally cried when this song caught me. It’s such a powerful moment in the story and it’s so bittersweet. I won’t say what happens in case anyone hasn’t gotten there but I just say down in the area and listened to the song while taking pictures of the zone from the top of the area.
This song has so much meaning for me especially. A month after beating the MSQ for endwalker, I lost 2 very close family friends each within a week and then got covid 4 days after my second friend passed from a stroke. Listening to this on repeat at work kept me collected and helps me remember them as well as my journey through endwalker
This song broke me. It plays during a very emotional moment where you hear the voices of many characters you meet throughout the game, some that are gone. I must have gone through a whole box of tissues xD
50th reaction of a xiv song and still barely scratched the surface. there are so many from "Good King Moogle Mog" to "From the Heavens" from Omega 12 Savage, to even "Agent of Inquiry" Hildebrand's theme. this game is a true musical experince
Jason also did the vocals for To The Edge and his vocal range in that one is also inspiring! I know you’ve reacted to it already but it’s easy for the details to get buried over time. (: This is definitely my favorite contribution of his to the XIV tracks. I hope you listen to the community cover Alex Moukala organized of this song. It’s truly incredible.
i love that the game went from this.. to in about an hour later to a song called "The Final day" Which mixes songs like we call Big Fat Taco with other from other expansions less then an hour later and slowly after a cutscene turns into another song "With Hearts Aligned" to finish the fight.
This was a song that I was looking forward to seeing you review. I figured there would be countless requests for it from the FFXIV community and it sounds like that was the case lol
![[FF14] Close in the Distance THE PRIMALS ver. 歌詞あり](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/F1d8Xq1Kv3k/mqdefault.jpg)
Thanks for the kind words, Jesse!
Love your stuff man!
@@JasonCharlesMiller Forever the voice of my main man Raubahn! Thanks again for everything you do, JCM, and for being a gentleman through it all. Much respect and gratitude. o7
Thank you both so much! I don't know if you've had a chance to see it yet, but if you want to check out what this song has helped to inspire, check out the FFXIV Community Sings Close in the Distance rendition uploaded by Alex Moukala Music. 1000 FFXIV Community Members, 14 Special Guests. It's a version I can't help but break down into tears every time I hear it. Especially the chorus at 2:14.
You're a legend
@@JasonCharlesMiller Thank you for your amazing delivery of the song's sentimental prowess, it brings me back to warm memories and the feeling of loss.. Losing loved ones I still held dear in my heart. It helped me remember them fondly. Amongst Endwalker's Songs, this one struck me deep.
“I heard pain in his voice”
This right here - you nailed it.
That is the absolute magic of Sokens music. You don't need context to understand it's meaning. But if you know the context, it hurts 10x worse.
This song unlocks layer-by-layer as you progress through the end. Now everytime you go to Ultima Thule, it plays, and it NEVER fails to catch you unguarded, right in the chest.
Great explanation of it hitting you right in the chest. The building of this song is pure genius with the combination of what’s going on in the story.
If you activate a NEW GAME+ that plays before that part your Area music in Ultima Thule will go back to the creepy version 1 music.
@@laurad4046 Especially when you realize the song is your friends with you to the end, each one who leaves making it richer.
Personally I got tired of it. Heard it was too much. It is good, but it gets tiring.
Still makes me cry lol!
You are correct in saying this is a sentimental song. For people who've played through the whole story, this song hits hard.
this song hits harder then a bus.. when I got to the area i cried for 30 mins not because of how the current story might end but brought back memories of loved ones i lost, and so forth.
@@dragoon666 Wish I could experience Endwalker again for the first time. Ultima Thule was rough, what a buildup to the finale!
Definitely an amazing song and a great way to end an amazing expansion that closes out the main story arc, 10 years in the making. It hits in all the best ways and if there is one thing I could say against it... is once you beat the story the final zone has this song playing non-stop so it very much wears out its welcome to the point I've stopped going to the final zone.
@@MythagoWoods I don't think so.. when I'm feeling down or want to get away I go to Thuel and sit down and let emotions, thoughts etc melt away.
@@dragoon666 If I could get the instrumental music back, I would probably do the same. Since I cannot... I much prefer the Sharlayan theme as my chill out point.
“The sorrow of a thousand thousand worlds weighs heavy. And yet, you can walk on.” 😢
If you need a push, I'll be right there behind you.
@@aechean Do not despair! You are not without allies.
Stay strong. Keep the faith. At journey's end, we will meet again
i won't stop praying until i know they're safe
@@darksimonfx8355 Strong are thou, mortal
:')
Ultima Thule is one of those things that is a perfect marriage of gameplay and music that makes me glad to be a gamer. (Spoilers below the jump)
The area itself is at the edge of the universe, the nest of a being singing a song of oblivion for the universe. It's a place shaped by emotions and takes the form of remnants of dead planets, inhabited by the shades of the long dead, trapped in a moment where they not only welcome death but yearn for it. The music starts out very ambient, just a few kind of droning notes as you explore the blasted out husk of a planet. As you confront the shades of the dead and force them to confront their despair and that there are better days on the horizon, you begin to lose party members, each sacrifice opening the way one step forward. Each time, another instrument joins the song. Until the entire party is gone, you're left alone, forced to take the last steps of the journey by yourself.
That's when the vocals kick in. You're forced to walk, given the buff "Endwalker" which has the description "The weight of a thousand thousand worlds weighs on your shoulders, and yet you walk on." And as you walk, the game hits you with moments of memories from across the journey to get there until you're face to face with the being trying to end all life so as to end suffering. And then it's a moment of compassion, not rage or righteous indignation, that breaks her facade, reveals she's just as scared but doesn't know anything else. And that's when the tables start to turn in your favor. So yeah. It's... yeah.
Spoilers
Thats a bit inaccurate, the vocals kick in before the "Endwalker" moment. Specifically when a certain cat opens a path with robots. It's when you hit that moment that the song hits the hardest.
A cool thing about that moment, if you use shout I'm chat no one will be able to see what you said and you can't see what others are saying.
@@ajver19 Damn, didn't know that! They really thought about tormenting us players in so many ways on Ultima Thule.
The last bit about her being scared was so true. My head canon was the character, as the hero, was going to save the universe, but her personal goal was to give a little birb a hug and save her little heart.
when she finished her journey she got more than a flower... We gave her an entire field with flowers showing the color of hope.
Not too long ago, it was revealed that the song is a message from someone who entrusted their hopes and dreams to the Warrior of Light, aka the player, which makes it hit even harder.
My fav part of this song is the “no time for mourning rises on a land reborn from the ashes” the usage of mourning as morning for the following line is so good and it’s so satisfying every time
Yes! This! I know it’s not a huge thing but it’s such a nice transition. Like a little lyrical artistic flare that is just chefs kiss cherry on top to an already great song.
Mine is the reference to how they want to keep improving the Game/story.
"Unbroken, promises we made so long ago,,, you're still here"
Bawling my eyes out as I slowly walk forward, hearing the voices of old friends and wondering what's going to happen next. All while this song plays in the background, amplifying all of those emotions even more. This is THE song of Endwalkers MSQ for me.
Not just that, but the entire time in the zone, hearing the song a bit more clearer and clearer as you become more and more isolated….it’s so opposite, yet the same in many ways, as the radio piece in Garlemald’s zone.
Do not Despair! You are not without Allies!
“If you need a push…I’ll be right behind you…” Don’t think I didn’t start crying the moment my boy Ardbert showed back up…
I remember seeing the version of this song by Alex Moukala featuring 1000+ community members, including the singer of Answers and Dragonsong. I legit cried watching it.
and Revolutions, the better Dragonsong!
Same. I love this community so fucking much.
@@Noki_Kelevra No other game has a community like this.
I cannot adequately describe how much this song means to us FFXIV players and its impact. Thanks for giving me something to have satisfying quantities of feelings at on a Friday morning :D
It killed me as we walked up the hill…and now I listen to a cover on a playlist a heck of a lot
Been playing since 2016 and this song doesn't mean shit to me, I thank Endwalker for that.
Jesse, thank you for this reaction and the dedication to my friend, Naressa. I completed Endwalker shortly before her passing and it's like the game's story, and its music, was preparing me for it. I listened to this song (as well as its instrumental version) on repeat for hours during my initial grieving and it was a source of comfort. I'm glad that you enjoyed it, and am glad to see in the comments how much it meant to others.
The day Endwalker Early Access started, my brother's wife died. When I reached this part of the MSQ and listened carefully to the lyrics, I sobbed like a baby for hours with it on repeat.
If this is too much let me know and i'll delete this but just remember that one line in this song "Through you we live"
The weight of all our sorrows weighs heavy on our shoulders and yet we find the strength to walk on.
Sorry for your loss .
Sorry for your loss. I can't even imagine what you went through.
For me, this song is like a Pavlovian response songs. The second I hear the guitar, I get goosebumps...by the time the singer sings "whispers", I am crying like a baby. I have friends that goes to Ultima Thule just to listen to the song.
i have to mute bgm or i'll cry in between gathering nodes
I have friends that refuse to teleport into Ultima Thule because it's „too soon“ :“)
@@MizukiYumeko Haha, same. Gathering 2k ore with the BGM would break me. xD
I've put off gathering in Ultima Thule just because the song + the location is like reopening a wound that's still healing lol
I hang out a lot by Base Omicron or the flower patch by the dungeon just because of the music and the stunning view. Some might find the place depressing, but to me it’s a call to not give in to despair
Some Jason Charles Miller facts:
- Has an industrial rock band named Godhead
- He's also been a voice actor in a good amount of animation and video games (that kind of speaks to his vocal range as well)
- Before he did singing in any FFXIV songs, he had done voice acting for the game. He was the original English voice actor for the Raubahn, though from the first expansion onward that character was later recast with a different voice actor.
- You've now heard the three XIV songs he did vocals in: "Shadowbringers", "To the Edge", and now "Close In the Distance"
You're spot on with the linguistic breakdown. Ultima is the feminine form of ultimatus which means farther or last in latin, thule is an old name for a legendary island in the greco-roman era thought to be the northern most point of the world.
Ultima thule in FFXIV is a place at the farthest edge of the universe where emotions dictate reality and is where the final scenes of Endwalker take place. I'm not sure how much weight the song has by itself, but the context it plays over is definitely one of the most emotional parts of the story for many.
8 months ago I heard this song for the first time. At that moment, I sobbed. 8 months later I still cry when I hear it.
This song was a crowning jewel in what will be (and honestly continues to be) one of the most unforgettable experiences i've ever had in gaming, or honestly in any form of storytelling. Plus I was bawling my eyes out most of the zone this plays in lol. It was not bearable at times xD.
It isn't the end of FFXIV, it is the end of the first story arc. The end of 10 years of build up. After this they have started an entirely new story arc.
Also you got it right in that Ultima Thule is the last area in the game and this is the zone theme. This theme starts off very empty, pretty much nothing but ambience, then slowly adds as you go on. Near the end of the zone it becomes this full song.
Also the pronunciation is Ul-tea-ma Thu-Ul,
its not only the final zone, its literally the edge of the universe the corner of existance so to say
This song is our "You're not alone" from IX , but in XIV. It's the song that resume all of this story Arc, such a good theme.
Not just this one story Arc but actually the entirety of FFXIV to this point, all characters, all expansions, everything... The song and the game at that stage will trigger you to remember all your past experiences with the game, all the lost friends along the way, but also the good memories. That makes it hit is so hard
@@StriKe_jk Thank you for paraphrasing.
We just finished this story arc of XIV.
The name of the song has a dual meaning. Close in the distance, as your journey is coming to it's conclusion. But also, Close in the distance, your friends are taken from you one by one, but they stay with you in spirit, to see it through.
The way the song is used in game, the way it ramps up, starting as a ghostly murmer, then the percussion, then the strings, the melody clears, and then... when you think you've lost everything, the way is opened with a bridge of light, and the vocals kick in, to remind you that you're never alone, even in deepest despair. Everything about it is thoughtful, reverent, and moving. Both somber, and uplifting at the same time.
It hits me in the gut, and makes me smile through tears.
This song represents the culmination of an incredible 10 year journey.
the way this song progressed along with the story beats, and the final progression will be a moment that can never be done with the impact it had again. a perfect gift for a 10 year journey
Jesse! This was an awesome reaction/review - Now that you've heard this version, you should check out the community compilation Alex Moukala put together for this, tons of people came together for it.
I absolutely agree and I will always be honored that I was so allowed to be a part of that with this amazing community!
@0:00
*sees thumbnail of our best bro in our direst time of need*
don't even have to listen to the song, and i already teared up.
I can't hear this song without tearing up. One day I hope to hear it live at a Distant Worlds performance
What really gets me is the 2nd verse name-checking all the game's prior iterations from ARR through Shadowbringers. Really made the song feel like it was the devs singing it to the players, that players hanging in coming with them on the journey they designed is what gives it meaning for them - "through you we live tales of loss, and fire, and faith"
Having “misery” and “happiness” side by side ad you said is really a HUGE point there. Thats exactly what SHE wanted for us.
It honestly took me an entire half hour just to do the “walk” when this main story came out. Between the song lyrics and everything that was going on I most definitely ugly cried…I still choke up every time I listen to this song. There’s another “side quest” storyline that was just released and they finished it with Close in the distance. Needless to say I ugly cried again lol.
i remember my build up to this moment. i was already suspecting what was gonna happen in the story (im not gonna say in case spoilers for scrollers) and i was saying no, not this, not alone. and then the song kicks in as you are already emotionally raw and i legit sat there sobbing for so long.
No matter how many times I hear this song, I’ll always be in tears. His vocals are amazing 😢
Oh man this song HITS exactly the way you think it does, I've played the game for about 6-7 years now (I started in heavensward) and that song represents the end of a long, long journey that pieces everything together in what I believe is one of the best media experiences to be had. It felt like I was a part of something great that .... you had to be there to understand.
find the beauty in hurt, and turmoil. you basically nailed it. a lot of what the XIV EW expansion drew upon was to savour lifes joys and sorrows, you cannot have one without the other, to have a meaningful life. Close in the Distance is now just one of those songs where my throat tightens just a little bit when I hear it now. I may even cry, if I'm feeling particularly emotional. this was great and thank you for the musical insight
Was looking for this comment!
“If you need a push I’ll be right behind you”
arguably the second most impactful song in the entire game, after Answers ofcourse.
ten beautiful years, of time at home, storytelling, adventure, laughs and tears, both happy and sad. and we hope for another ten more, if they are even half as good, we will be happy.
One thing I absolutely love about this is that Answers hit so much harder now that we know the story
Dammit, it wasn't the all variations version
That version shows the progression of all 4 versions of the song
From a drowned out radio sounding melody, to a clearer melody, to very clear + synths, to adding the drums and the vocals
It's so SO good
Or the big fan collab version
@@Ladywizard I don't think anyone's ready to relive that one again lol
Yeah when you first arrive and listen to it - it sounds so alien and creepy and i loved how it unfurled as the story progressed
For me, this song is to honor the ones in my heart, who passed away. the first time MSQ brought me to this moment with the shoadows, playing this song in the background, i was already sobbing hard.
When the first shadow spoke, it opened my floodgates. i was out for hours, just crying, all my lost persons that i miss so much came back to my mind, so many wonderful memories, it was just too much to handle at this point.
i was just broken for a moment.
now, this song stands for my personal "thank you... for everything" to every single one of them. I miss them so much. i still think a LOT about them. and i love them.
This is such a monumental song, I tear up every time. It's such a fantastic look back at all we've been through.
In Rich Campbell's words "Oh no, they're getting turned into a soundtrack"
Then proceeds to have a midlife crisis and complete breakdown
@@roxas4 its a mood tbh
Jason Charles Miller gives this song his all. It's not his usual metal singing but still he sings so powerfully that of many covers of this song that I have listened to, none could even closely match the same power and emotion as Miller gives to this song with his voice alone. That's why even though it has many great covers, the original version is by far my favorite version of this song.
It's honestly such an incredible song and used so incredibly well. Throughout the zone it builds, going from only a little of the instrumental that's barely discernable, at an emotional story beat it builds into a partial instrumental, and at a third emotional story beat it shifts into the song you listened to. It's such an a emotional gut punch, still gets me emotional, and I love it. I would recommend listening to "Echoes in the Distance" and the "instrumental" even just on your own.
I think that honestly one of my favourite bits of the lyrics is how a word's meaning is changed mid-lyric from talking about despair to hope in the "no time for mourning->morning rises on the land reborn from the ashes" line.
when this song played in the MSQ I started bawling my eyes out because of not only how good the song was but because of the EMOTIONAL DAMAGE i was taking during the story. I just broke down till the end but, im glad i experienced this beautiful masterpiece of a song
We all had that "Fuck this song and it making me feel things" moment.
I can also tell you the exact moment too.... The walk.
@@BWA85 the walk was what broke me brooo I was on higher before that w the primal speeches that gave me goosebumps and tears
It's a masterpiece. Now I need the Zodiark, Hydaelyn and Endsinger Themes.
This is definitely a special one. I just hope one day you change your mind about playing the game. Hearing them with no context and just listening is one thing, but to play in the moment when these beautiful songs drop on you, is like...eating the whipped cream on top of a sundae, on a Sunday afternoon. The song being the crowning element on top of the wonderful story(sundae) underneath. With all that said, it's quite amazing how utterly spot on you are with the "feeling" of the song. And this one is no exception. I am glad you finally reacted to this one. :)
You should totally do the version with the ffxiv community singing it. Over 1000 ppl! It's stunning
**Commenting before watching** Oh man Jesse's reacting to the most emotional song in the entire game, I'm not gonna cry, I'm not gonna cry, I'm not gonna cry ;___;
After watching edit - Just wanted to add that each of FFXIV's expansions update the game's title screen to show the name of the expansion and also plays the expansion's main theme. Endwalker uses the start of the chorus "Tales of loss, and fire, and faith" which is such perfect lyrical writing that I always listen to it in full every time I start up the game. I'm seriously going to miss the Endwalker title screen when it's replaced eventually
Going through this area playing through story had me in actual, sobbing, chest heaving tears. Its so intense and emotional plotwise that i can now sit in Ultima Thule for HOURS just listening to this echo in the background and months later i havent tired of it yet.
god damn feelswalker.......this song allways gets me.
The genius with this to me is how they unveil the song. it's a zone music that unlocks as you go through the zone.
(spoiler warning)
it starts silent, then the background music start playing as you experience loss and sacrifice. and with each sacrifice, then with the next one, the piano start, and at the peak of that, the singing starts, punching you in the gut as you're at lowest.
Such a sad part of the game I actually cried
One of the hardest hitting tracks in FF14, so many feels. Almost makes me tear up hearing it again, and I haven't even played the game in months
so a little on Jason Charles Millers, he is a voice actor and is the lead vocalist and guitarist of the band Godhead. his stuff is great, its very southern gothic rock and alternative metal. his other stuff is def worth checking out
Ok, didn't expect to cry hearing this song 8 months later
Song mentioned in this video;
America - Tin Man
ua-cam.com/video/GQ3cYhl2uHs/v-deo.html
Bro i havent heard this song forever thanks for reminding me it exists!
Thule was the name of the farthest-north location known to the ancient Greeks and Romans, and Ultima Thule a theoretical point beyond it. Over the ages, it's become something of a literary metaphor for points at or beyond the edge of known human experience. The location in FFXIV specifically is at the far edge of the universe, and doesn't operate on the normal established laws of physics.
Also, Jason Charles Miller has released some albums of his own, you should totally check him out.
Me choking up with tears in my eyes "oh shit here we go again"
Worth mentioning, Jason Charles Miller is the vocalist for Godhead
No Time For Mourning, Raising ...... the vocal change of his range accompanied by the music crescendo. Best point in the song.
Jason Charles Miller is an absolutely insane musical talent. He's completely out of this world.
This song was truly something special for the players. It was the song that played when you were forced to LITERALLY walk towards the end of endwalker. It was.. rough for lack of a better word. But so good
im sure everyone else has said it, but this song just hits you every time. I watched other peoples reactions to the scenes and i think this sectino just tore into people in a "good way". Just hjearing the chorus still gives me chills
It's interesting one of the things you said... finding beauty in sadness or loss is kind of one of the main messages in Endwalker itself. Curious to hear you pull that just from analyzing one of the more emotional songs from it.
LETS GOO!!! I've been waiting for this for almost a whole year!
謝謝！
Out of context, it's a beautiful song. In context, it is crushing, every time we return to the area,
I doubt any FFXIV expansion will ever hit the same as Enwalker has. and this song can't not make me tear up.
it means so much more than just the story. FFXIV has been my favourite game since 2013, almost half my life now. And this is the game where I met my friends, kept in touch with my sister and made countless memories. Together with a story that has been in the making for as long as these many years it has so much emotion behind it. I feel a lot of nostalgia for the way I was and played back then. I felt sad for not having what I once had, which is the entire point of this storyline, as well as feeling excited that while this is the end of this story, another one lies ahead of us
Literally can't listen to this song without tearing up. FFXIV's use of music to both enhance and tell the story is nothing short of masterful.
"You gather pieces of happiness, precious and fragile, only to lose them. Then start again."
As someone that’s been playing FFXIV for 10 years, this song was everything I never knew I needed. It’s the finale of the story so far and it hits every emotion in the process. Jason was an absolute perfect choice because it provides an amazing bookend too because he was one of the voice actors for a main character in the beginning of the game.
I just discovered your channel and have been binge watching your videos since yesterday, thank you so much for sharing your reactions!
As a huge FFXIV fan, I have to say your analysis of the songs are really often exactly spot on, that's amazing. I look forward to seeing more of your reactions from this masterpiece of a game ^^
Between this song and Flow this expansions music breaks me emotionally.
I cry to this song every time 😢
Thank you for covering this song, Jesse. I've been waiting for this. Back in December I was right in the middle of a severely toxic relationship and this helped me through a lot of my negative feelings at the time. This will always remind me of my darkest points, but also how I slowly crawled my way out of them.
Thank you Jesse for reacting to it, thank you to Soken and the FF14 team for making this song, and all of the songs that make me ball my eyes out and all that shit.
Endwalker is basically the end of ""Chapter One"" (The first decade or so) and they're starting to set up the next major storyline for FF14.
Been waiting for this reaction 🤩
I am glad I found your channel by looking for Close in the Distance. You're clearly so knowledgeable about music because you hit all the right notes despite not having played the game. You put into words what I struggle to comprehend whenever my emotions stir to this tune.
Here's the gist: After so many years of this story going on and on, this song plays as you - *literally* - _walk_ to its _end._
loved your thoughts as usual, had a very cathartic cry at the very end. special song.
My sister and I just finished base Endwalker a couple days ago. As soon as this started playing in game, the waterworks began haha. I just started bawling
As someone who's played FF XIV since the relaunch I love this song and vid so much it brings back so many happy and sad memories, friends that I have made thru out my time in XIV
Jason Charles Miller had a bit more involvement with FFXIV. He was the VA for Raubhan Aldynn in ARR.
It's not so much that we enjoy pain, but when we see, hear, feel someone else in pain, we feel seen and feel allowed to feel our own pain. This feels good, as we learned to suppress most emotions, especially those which make other people feel uncomfortable. This goes way back to our childhood.
Close in the Distance plays in Endwalker's final area. You are 100% correct about it representing "A story coming to a close". The lyrics in the second verse reference each expansion from the game. It's about the journey of both the players and our characters have gone through over the years playing the game.
Ive been waiting so long for you to do this one!
I dedicated this song to my grandfather when he died. I still cry when I listen to it...
god this song makes me emotional
Masayoshi Soken is a pure musical genius.
the song played at a place, where the main cast basically goes to outer space, at edge of universe, landed unknown empty dead and depressing planet. this explain the musical tone of this song.
to find a path foward, one by one each of party member sacrifice their life to forge a way for main hero to move ahead and, they actually still there, fade in the wind, silently watching the hero.
this explain the lyric:
Whispers, falling silently drift on the wind,
But I hear you.
Our journey, now a memory fading from sight,
But I see you.
Unbroken promises we made so long ago.
You're still here.
and this song actually come in 3 phase, with first phase merely ambience song, second grow with more musical and next with this full song with vocal. the phase is progressed slowly and morphed into this variation based on the story and journey progression at this place with each of party member "fall" one by one.
also check out the primal band version of this song.
I recently finished Endwalker so I can finally watch this video. ❤
You guessed amazingly, as always :) Endwalker is the end of a 10 year long story arc. (But also the beginning of a new one! We're not done yet hehe) There are a lot of flashbacks in the video, which yeah, only a player can understand, while the rest shows Ultima Thule, the final area, and you remembered right, it means something like "the farthest point" something so far to reach, the utter limit of one's journey. In game, it's literally the edge of the universe to save said universe. Our character has never traveled so far before! Plus, our companions sacrifice themselves as we progress, allowing the area to be walkable, breathable, etc, each time they sacrifice themselves (magic lore stuff). So you as walk to the End, there are less and less people to your side , until it's just YOU. All alone. And instead of seeing it as sad and tragic, it is hopeful, from all the lessons your character's journey been through in 10 years. You hear many voices of the past as flashbacks as you walk towards the final battle, you know, to make you cry even more LOL And yeah, this song plays.
It was mentioned that this song unlocks step by step, at first it's literally only faint and distorted, no voices, then as you progress there's more instruments, it's clearer, etc, until the voice finally gets unlocked, all by progressing the story. I myself didn't recognize it during the first version, it's honestly well done that it's not that recognizable. Then when more instruments kicked in and I had a full stop "OH WAIT" realizing the genius that was about to happen. So I was bracing myself for the voices to come later on, and no matter how much I expected it, it still hit me like hell!
Not ready to cry again
I would LOVE for you to react to Alex Moukala's rendition of this! He did a version with over 1000 singers from the FFXIV community and it's truly incredible!
i'll never forget the moment when i reach this area first time. it just "dead", thats basically it, everything just dead, desolate, alone, whatever depression feel you can think of. surprisingly when you keep progressing you notice some hope still clinging here and there.
until you reach the final point and break it, then this song start.... boy those feeling at that time.... it just "magical"
the area still the same, dead desolated, but thanks to this song, something is a bit different now
Literally cried when this song caught me. It’s such a powerful moment in the story and it’s so bittersweet. I won’t say what happens in case anyone hasn’t gotten there but I just say down in the area and listened to the song while taking pictures of the zone from the top of the area.
jason can do this stuff too! he did the vocals for "to the edge" (ffxiv again) which is not really aggressive, he's great there too.
I believe I did that too a long time ago
@@JessesAuditorium i love how you reply to every comment jesse 😭.
This song has so much meaning for me especially. A month after beating the MSQ for endwalker, I lost 2 very close family friends each within a week and then got covid 4 days after my second friend passed from a stroke. Listening to this on repeat at work kept me collected and helps me remember them as well as my journey through endwalker
This song broke me. It plays during a very emotional moment where you hear the voices of many characters you meet throughout the game, some that are gone. I must have gone through a whole box of tissues xD
THis song hits my tear ducts like a truck lol
50th reaction of a xiv song and still barely scratched the surface. there are so many from "Good King Moogle Mog" to "From the Heavens" from Omega 12 Savage, to even "Agent of Inquiry" Hildebrand's theme. this game is a true musical experince
So glad I happened to be on UA-cam shortly after this was uploaded. I fell in LOVE with this song
Jason also did the vocals for To The Edge and his vocal range in that one is also inspiring! I know you’ve reacted to it already but it’s easy for the details to get buried over time. (:
This is definitely my favorite contribution of his to the XIV tracks. I hope you listen to the community cover Alex Moukala organized of this song. It’s truly incredible.
This song ALWAYS hits me right in the Estinien feels.
i love that the game went from this.. to in about an hour later to a song called "The Final day" Which mixes songs like we call Big Fat Taco with other from other expansions less then an hour later and slowly after a cutscene turns into another song "With Hearts Aligned" to finish the fight.
This was a song that I was looking forward to seeing you review. I figured there would be countless requests for it from the FFXIV community and it sounds like that was the case lol