The Final Fantasy brand has been in a strange rut recently. Ever since Final Fantasy 10, fan response for the mainline games has been generally favorable but tinged with disappointment. Final Fantasy 11 is an experimental MMO that still has fans, but it did not draw the same attention as its competitors. 12 felt like an effort to combine an MMO’s structure with a JRPG, and some decisions regarding Vaan and Penelo’s prominence did not impress players. Final Fantasy 13 and its sequels are controversial for many reasons, and Final Fantasy 14, despite its current runaway success, launched as a disastrous failure. Final Fantasy 15’s development woes are portrayed by its odd content omissions, and even the Final Fantasy 7 Remake made some bold story choices that did not sit well with some original FF7 players.
Despite that, the series is still going strong, with numbered titles performing well and Final Fantasy 14 serving as a pillar of modern Square Enix. Plenty of spin-offs are also coming out, including games like World of Final Fantasy and Chocobo GP. These also contribute to Final Fantasy’s odd state, however, with reasons ranging from Chocobo GP’s pricing scheme to the rough state of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition at launch. Just before Chocobo GP, there was another spin-off released from Koei Tecmo's Team Ninja. This was Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, and while it turned out better than fans feared, it still feels like it's setting the stage for the potential slam dunk Final Fantasy 16 could score.
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is an Awkward Game
To understand why Final Fantasy Origin could be paving the way for Final Fantasy 16, one must first understand FFO itself. Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is a Souls-like action-RPG developed by Nioh developer Team Ninja and is meant to be a reimagining of Final Fantasy 1. The game shares many similarities with Nioh 1 and 2, also being a Souls-like with strong action and loot collecting elements. Stranger of Paradise is akin to a Nioh 3, evolving the series formula by adding many mechanically different classes that the player can upgrade separately and switch to on the fly. The difficulty is still somewhat high, but with multiple difficulty levels and a variety of options for encounters, players should have no trouble completing the game.
The action gameplay in Final Fantasy Origin is generally agreed to be its strong point, and that's enough for its fans. It's far from a perfect game, however, and its problems quickly become apparent as soon as one looks at it. The game possesses modern visual fidelity but is held back by several technical issues. Dataminers have discovered that some problems are caused by extremely unoptimized assets, but other issues remain unexplained. There is no way at the moment for Final Fantasy Origin to hold a high resolution and a high frame rate, and players are forced to pick between the two. The art direction for the main characters does not help matters either, reminding many of generic shooter protagonists from the PS3 and Xbox 360 era.
This specific comparison is brought to life by the behavior of main character Jack, who is written in an exaggeratedly angry fashion that rarely lets up, even if the game does occasionally poke fun at him. Many have been reminded of the embarrassing macho edginess that some of the aforementioned seventh-gen shooters upheld. Jack’s constant reiteration of wanting to find and kill Chaos robs the name of any meaning and makes many scenes laughable. For those who enjoy cheesy B-movies, this could be called a positive, but it isn't likely to go down well with mainstream audiences. Once again, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is a flawed but enjoyable action game that awkwardly celebrates the franchise's 35th anniversary. However, Final Fantasy 16 has the chance to show it up in every respect.
Final Fantasy 16 Could Execute Final Fantasy Origin's Goals Better
Final Fantasy 16 is an action-RPG produced by Final Fantasy 14 director Naoki Yoshida and developed by the Final Fantasy 14 Heavensward team at Square Enix Creative Business Unit 3. Nioh may be a proven series from an esteemed developer, but the pedigree of Final Fantasy 14 and its Heavensward expansion, in particular, is hard to understate. With the alleged help of a Devil May Cry 5 combat designer, Final Fantasy 16 seeks to complete the franchise's journey into action that Final Fantasy 15 began.
It's too soon to compare FFO and FF16’s gameplay, and they will likely end up feeling very different. However, FF16 seems to be set up to have a much wider appeal than Stranger of Paradise. Multiple difficulties have already been alluded to, though the base gameplay will probably be more forgiving than FFO’s Souls-like tendencies. The game's performance and visuals may also be significantly better than Stranger of Paradise. The FF16 reveal trailer was stated by Yoshida to use unfinished visuals, which should mean that the “seventh-gen” complaints that dogged FFO should be avoided. With 16 only targeting the PS5 at launch, it will also be able to tune itself for one reasonably strong console rather than several.
While Jack's bad attitude and tendency to interrupt villains like the lead of Asura's Wrath can be entertaining, Clive Rosfield's story in Final Fantasy 16 will likely be told in a more balanced and graceful manner. Players will get the chance to experience Clive's life before, during, and after tragedy strikes him, and could end up with a lot more empathy for his mission of vengeance than Jack’s. Helping Final Fantasy 16 will be the expected Final Fantasy staples most FF games reuse, making it feel like a series celebration even if it misses the 35th anniversary. There is a lot of hope right now for FF16, and if it can set right what Stranger of Paradise got wrong, then it could stand with Final Fantasy’s greatest hits.
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Final Fantasy 16 is in development for PS5.
