Here’s a real oddity of our modern digital times: Square Enix has released a free app on PlayStation 4 in Japan that includes a live performance of the Piano Collections – Final Fantasy XV: Moonlit Melodies album, but it’s only fully functional for PlayStation Plus subscribers, and it will disappear after March 1st, 2018.
This is much more elaborate than the other soundtrack apps that have been released on the PlayStation Store so far. The 3gb download opens with a 3D interface, an original theme song, and a “daily login” unlock system. Basically, each day you load it up a sample of another song is unlocked for non-PlayStation Plus subscribers. If you are a subscriber the entire concert is available immediately and on the final day you’ll unlock a PlayStation 4 Home Screen theme. A small gift for your patience.
The Moonlit Melodies album was released in February but the live performance on this app comes from a concert held in Osaka on June 2nd that was produced by the game’s composer, Yoko Shimomura. I was expecting the songs to be accompanied by a simple slideshow of screenshots but you actually get direct video from the concert. It’s a well edited, multi-angle production with subtle lighting and projection effects that runs for about 40 minutes. Another bonus is an exclusive interview with Shimomura where she talks about choosing the venue, her love of the piano, the importance of concert settings, and more. Bonus bonus, it has English subtitles!
But once again, the whole thing will become inaccessible on March 1st, 2018, presumably leading up to a longer Blu-ray release of the full performance. Since it’s such an ethereal experience — Japan only, digital only, and soon to be shut down — I thought I’d record a video to show it off to those that don’t have the time or means to access it. You can check it out above or on OSV’s rejuvenated YouTube channel.
FYI: If you want to try it out for yourself you’ll first need a Japanese PlayStation Network account. Once you’ve got that set up you can download the app via this link. I can confirm, if you subscribe to PlayStation Plus on your main account and load up the app you’ll have instant access to the full concert and interview video. There’s no need to sign up for PS+ in Japanese. Convenient!
