Square Enix’s epic Final Fantasy XV “Uncovered” event took place a few hours ago, and we’ve got a lot of ground to cover, so let’s get right to it…
Florence Welch of Florence + The Machine can write a bombastic-sounding song in her sleep (just listen to “Dog Days Are Over,” “Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up),” “Drumming Song,” “Heavy in Your Arms,” “What Kind of Man,” and “Ship to Wreck” for proof). But what happens when Square Enix asks her to produce a cover of one of the most famous songs of all time? In that case, you get Noctis riding a Chocobo and looking sad with his comrades/bros while Welch belts out the chorus to Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me.”
The musician talked about her contribution to Final Fantasy XV’s soundtrack in the video embedded above.
“I’ve always seen Final Fantasy as mythical, beautiful and epic,” said Welch. “’Stand by Me’ is one of the greatest songs probably of all time and you can’t really improve on it, you just have to make it your own. For me it was just about bringing the song into the world of Florence and the Machine and the world of Final Fantasy.”
Final Fantasy XV will be released for the PS4 and Xbox One on September 30. You can more of Florence + The Machine’s cover in the game’s “Reclaim Your Throne” trailer.
