Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin took some liberties in its depiction of Jack, swerving from an overly-serious tone by way of its protagonist. With Final Fantasy 16's heavy medieval influences and gritty narrative conceit, it feels that the title might fall on the opposite end of the spectrum.
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin left fans bewildered after its teaser trailer revealed some interesting decisions in regard to its dialogue and character design. Jack Garland, the game's protagonist, felt already out-of-place with his ordinary clothing amidst his heavily-armored sidekicks, but his obsession with the word 'chaos' was what stuck with fans, quick to make memes out of the character. His line delivery and unabashed edginess made it so that the game felt like it was leaning toward joke territory, whether intentional or not.
Final Fantasy 16 Appears to Take On a Much More Serious Tone Than Stranger of Paradise
With the word 'chaos' being strewn about in Stranger of Paradise as often as the use of 'darkness' in a Kingdom Hearts title, Jack's journey felt like one that didn't take itself too seriously, at least from the player's perspective. Some of its gameplay mechanics aided in this, allowing players to customize their characters with a mishmash of equipment choices that could make Jack and his crew look like walking fashion disasters. The title poked fun at RPG tropes by way of Jack interrupting villain monologues and having him blast metal music in his headphones after a somewhat serious revelation from one of his companions, helping to cement the Stranger of Paradise title as one of the more humorous in the franchise.
While Stranger of Paradise's Jack and Final Fantasy 16's Clive both feel like no-nonsense protagonists, their characterizations couldn't be farther from one another. Though much still remains to be seen about how Final Fantasy 16 will treat its cast, both its gameplay and story trailers point towards the journey being an incredibly dark and serious one for its hero. The title's world of Valisthea looks to be both a beautiful and harrowing backdrop for Clive's quest for revenge, incorporating the power of the Eikons along his journey; dialogue shown thus far points toward a solemnity in the depictions of its characters and the injustices of its setting.
The footage available of Final Fantasy 16 begs the question of if and how its story might incorporate some points of levity in Clive's journey. Though it's unlikely Final Fantasy 16 will pull anything close to Stranger of Paradise, it would be hard to imagine that the title doesn't include some moments of comic relief to liven up its grittiness. The Valisthea trailer for Final Fantasy 16 shows some brighter and more serene vistas available amidst the turmoil of its world, meaning there could be some downtime for character development and conversation that skews away from the overtly serious depiction of its main narrative.
With that said, Final Fantasy 16's serious depiction of its narrative points toward a nuanced view of Valisthea through Clive's eyes, which could very well make the journey more impactful. The distressing nature of Clive losing his younger brother also necessitates a level of earnestness that wouldn't be as feasible with the Stranger of Paradise approach; because the story is built from this trauma, the mental health of Final Fantasy 16's Clive will undoubtedly impact his experience with the world and its characters, making the title's serious tone that much more important. Through this, Final Fantasy 16 could make for one of the franchise's most compelling narratives, building upon the heightened emotions of its solemn story.
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
