Video game-themed concerts, including Video Games Live, The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses and Pokémon Symphonic Evolution celebrates the music and legacy of their respective games while keeping the franchises relevant. That said, Square Enix has its own special showcase, paying tribute to its ongoing Final Fantasy series.
The publisher recently announced the return of the Final Symphony, a show that has been a success with sell-out shows across both Europe and Japan, and also led to the release of a best-selling album that has become a downloadable hit across the globe. And there’s no better place for the tour to make its return than at the San Diego Comic-Con, which kicks off in a few weeks.
The show, which features music from a number of Final Fantasy games, will begin its tour on July 21 at the Copley Symphony Hall at the Jacobs Music Center. Fans won’t just hear melodies from the main games from the franchise, but also “Symphonic Fantasies” selections from other Square Enix titles, such as Kingdom Hearts, Secret of Mana and Chrono Cross/Trigger.
In addition, to help further promote the legacy of Final Fantasy, Square has brought back producer Hironobu Sakaguchi, the man responsible for many of the earlier titles in the series. He will serve as a host for a special pre-concert presentation that’s free for all those that attend the show.
“Final Symphony doesn’t just indulge fans by evoking memories of the game world and the accompanying excitement. Instead, we created a concert to celebrate the sounds of the Final Fantasy series by delivering a definitive piece of pure orchestral music—a true Final Symphony,” said Final Fantasy composer Masashi Hamauzu about the tour.
The Final Symphony tour is expected to make several stops this year, including Baltimore, Auckland, San Francisco and London. This, coinciding with the forthcoming A New World: Final Fantasy tour, should assure that the series’ legacy will continue to be celebrated in all the right way.
The tour comes at the right point in time when it comes to promotion, as Square Enix will give the Final Fantasy series a huge push leading up to this fall’s release of Final Fantasy XV, which is expected to arrive on September 30th for Xbox One and PlayStation 4. The company promoted the game heavily at E3, and hosted a special 3-hour Uncovered event a few months ago, with a number of reveals for the game.
