Anyone who has walked to the end in Final Fantasy 14’s latest expansion (opens in new tab) will be all too familiar with the song Close in the Distance. It’s melodic and emotional, a perfect encapsulation of the journey leading up to hearing the song for the first time. It’s become an iconic song for the game, and music producer and YouTuber Alex Moukala has managed to wrangle around 1,400 people to sing it together.
Moukala put together the arrangement along with fellow composer Husky By The Geek and features a lovely mixture of players, content creators, and artists who have lent their voices to the game over the years. Final Fantasy singers Amanda Achen, Susan Calloway, and Paolo Andrea Di Pietro are featured, plus J’Nique Nicole who sings a handful of songs in Nier: Automata.
Popular Final Fantasy 14 streamer Zepla also makes an appearance, along with YouTubers like Studio Nicktendo, Lollia Rose, and FamilyJules. We get to hear a little bit of the featured guests individually before the final minute zooms out to all 1,400 people singing in unison.
It’s rather lovely in a way I wasn’t expecting, and I’m sure anyone else who has experienced all of Final Fantasy 14’s story will feel the same way. The accompanying video by Denmo Mcstronghuge also gave me all the feels, though beware of watching it if you’ve yet to finish Endwalker.
Moukala called the project a “love letter,” thanking both the soloists and everyone who submitted their voices for the video. “It’s safe to say this game has changed so many lives,” he continued. “It wouldn’t have been possible without you all.”