Square Enix recently announced Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, a collaborative effort with Team Ninja that puts a Soulslike spin on the world of the original Final Fantasy. Although Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin takes place in a world inspired by the original Final Fantasy, it's not a direct continuation or prequel but more of a new story.
There are plenty of interesting connections between Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin and Final Fantasy 1 but since the trailer didn't make them explicit, they require an understanding of the original Final Fantasy game. While it's hard to tell if the connections like the Warriors of Light, Garland, and Chaos will play the same role in the overall narrative, it's important to understand the setting and plot of Final Fantasy 1 ahead of the game's release.
Final Fantasy 1's Setting and Plot
There's no doubt that Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is tied directly to the original Final Fantasy in terms of setting and plot. However, producer Tetsuya Nomura noted that while the two games share a setting, Final Fantasy Origin isn't an equivalent or remake of the original. In the original Final Fantasy, the world has been left in a state of decay after the four crystals that govern the elements went dark. As a result, the world has been suffering from natural disasters and the only hope is a prophecy which states that four Warriors of Light will bring balance to the darkness.
Players will take on the role of the prophesized Warriors of Light who each carry one of the darkened crystals as they attempt to restore order to the world of Final Fantasy 1. During the first section of the story, the Warriors of Light arrive in a kingdom called Cornelia where they witness a rogue knight named Garland capturing the princess. Pursuing Garland to the Chaos Shrine, the Warriors of Light defeat him and return the princess home as the grateful King builds them a bridge to continue their journey.
As they continue their journey, players will encounter the four elemental fiends that they must defeat in order to restore the crystals. At the very end of Final Fantasy 1, the Warriors of Light find that the power of the crystals are still being absorbed by something in Chaos Shrine. Transported through a time portal, the Warriors of Light find themselves facing off against Chaos, the final boss of Final Fantasy 1. It turns out that Chaos is actually Garland who absorbed the power of the fiends and created a time loop to live forever. Eventually, the Warriors of Light break the time loop and defeat Chaos which restores order and allows them to return to their own time.
Connections Between Final Fantasy Origin and Final Fantasy 1
Based on the preview trailers and demo for Final Fantasy Origin, it's evident that bears a striking resemblance to the themes of Final Fantasy 1 despite having a new storyline. During the trailer, the protagonists were revealed to be Jack, Ash, and Jed with the implication that they are Warriors of Light. Transported into a mysterious world, the trio are quite different from the original Warriors of Light in terms of clothing and mannerisms which enforces the idea that they are strangers to the world of Final Fantasy. They aren't intended to look like heroes and the distinction between the protagonists in Final Fantasy Origin and the original Warriors of Light is purposeful.
Throughout the trailer for Final Fantasy Origin, the word "Chaos" is mentioned frequently by Jack who appears to be consumed by a need to destroy it. Although the details remain a mystery, it seems that the concept of Chaos is also a prominent part of the narrative in Final Fantasy Origin. Similar to Final Fantasy 1, the trailer for Final Fantasy Origin shows the protagonists being drawn into the mysterious world as part of the prophecy of the Warriors of Light. They soon end up at Chaos Shrine and find Garland, who seems to have taken on the role of Chaos. The crystals will also make an appearance as part of the story but they appear to be red to emphasize the darker tone of the game.
Narrative Differences in Final Fantasy Origin
For the most part, the trailer for Final Fantasy Origin didn't seem to reveal anything substantially different from Final Fantasy 1. The core concept of Warriors of Light on a mission to defeat Chaos and restore balance is still there but there are a number of interesting mysteries to speculate on. Garland calls himself Chaos in the trailer but he remains in his knight form and not the demonic monster from the original Final Fantasy. The absence of the four elemental fiends is also mysterious given how integral they were to the plot of Final Fantasy 1. As Chaos Shrine appears at the beginning of Final Fantasy Origin, it's safe to assume there's much more to the narrative than the trailer lets on.
Furthermore, Nomura has stated that a central part of the narrative is discovering whether the main trio are actually the Warriors of Light from the prophecy. Garland's appearance in the trailer is also shrouded in mystery as Nomura has stated that the man's identity would only be revealed in the full game. As a result, it seems that while the setting and basic premise of Final Fantasy Origin remains the same as the original Final Fantasy, the narrative seems to be slightly different and could potentially branch off to something entirely new.
While the trailer seemed to imply that the trio were the Warriors of Light and the boss was Garland, it's clear that Final Fantasy Origin hasn't revealed its full storyline just yet. Over the years, the story of Final Fantasy 1 has been expanded upon through books like Final Fantasy: Memory of Heroes and it wouldn't be surprising if Final Fantasy Origin also decided to deviate from the original storyline in favor of something unique. Nonetheless, the motifs in Final Fantasy Origin are clearly linked together with Final Fantasy 1 and given the new storyline, it's important that fans are familiar with the themes in the original game.
Strangers of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origins is set to release in 2022 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
