Final Fantasy VII Remake was officially released on 10 April 2020, right around the time lockdown restrictions started to be introduced around many parts of the world. This meant that Square Enix allowed brick and mortar retailers to release the game earlier than the official release date. (I had the game a good seven days before the official release date by visiting my local JB Hi Fi store.)
For many longtime fans, Final Fantasy VII Remake brought back so many memories of the game and even impressed us with the new additions, including fleshing out minor characters and even introducing interesting side characters, sets and scenarios. The music for the game was recomposed by the legendary Uematsu Nobuo with some help from some rising talents within the game music industry.
With no new games to add to the impressive list of music for the franchise, the Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy orchestral tour, which normally focuses on the whole main titled series, took a back seat to the Final Fantasy VII Remake Orchestra World Tour, which focuses solely on incredible soundtrack for Final Fantasy VII Remake (which spans over a hundred songs. It is a huge catalogue).
Arnie Roth helms the tour with his vibrant and enthusiastic introductions as the orchestra’s conductor. If you have ever been to a Distant Worlds or A New World concert, you will know that Arnie really makes the interludes between songs interesting and fun. There was a slew of tour dates for the Final Fantasy VII Remake Orchestra World Tour in 2020 to align with the release of the game, but these tour dates have been pushed back to early 2021. Fortunately, we can get a taste of the music (so get your sound studio setup) and enjoy from the comfort of your home.
The soundtrack has a small track list, but it is same size as all the other Distant Worlds soundtracks, usually 11 tracks per CD. Like Distant Worlds, if you attend the live event, I would expect the Final Fantasy VII Remake Orchestra World Tour to perform around 22 to 23 tracks. I suspect this CD is only the first of many Final Fantasy VII Remake Orchestra Arrangements.
In terms of the music, to distinguish from the game soundtrack of the same title, each of the songs were recorded with the full array of orchestra tunes and have introductions and outros (since the game versions need to be able to play in a continuous loop). Also, each song has been recomposed so that it flows better in a setting where the audience is solely there for the music and, if you are music connoisseur, the rearrangement should allow you to sit back and visualize the scenes that go with the music in your mind. I recommend listening in solitude, or with good company, and I think you will love this collection of tracks.
I think the track ‘Tightrope’ is a strong addition to the list. It is an original soundtrack to Final Fantasy VII Remake and the iteration on this soundtrack is very well composed. The intensity and build up for the track is really good. The track well represents the ‘remake’ in the game’s title.
The Final Fantasy VII Remake Orchestral Arrangement contains the following 11 soundtracks:
- The Prelude – Reunion
- Opening Medley
- Flowers Blooming in the Church
- Tightrope
- Tifa’s Theme – Seventh Heaven
- Let the Battles Begin! – Battle Medley
- Shinra’s Theme
- The Arsenal
- Arbiter of Fate – Singularity
- Main Theme of FFVII
- One-Winged Angel – Rebirth
The booklet inside the case contains some interesting comments from the various composes.
You can purchase the CD at CDJapan for 3,500 yen (+ tax) by clicking here and it can delivered worldwide, including to Australia.
The Final Fantasy VII Remake Orchestra World Tour dates and locations, as well as links to purchase tickets, can be accessed by clicking here.
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