Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is shaping up to be one of the most unique experiences to come from the Final Fantasy series. Developed by Team Ninja, the developers behind the Ninja Gaiden and Nioh series, Strangers of Paradise had a strong first showing with its reveal at E3 2021, with its Souls-like gameplay and intriguing premise.
Stranger of Paradise is an alternate, darker take on the original Final Fantasy, following the story of Jack Garland, a warrior who seeks to "kill Chaos," a horned demon who threatens all existence. While the game takes several elements from the original game, with Jack’s last name being a reference to Final Fantasy 1’s original antagonist, Square Enix has firmly stated that Final Fantasy Origin wasn’t intended to be seen as a remake of the original game, but more of an edgier re-imagining of those events with new characters.
That being said, several gameplay elements for the original game remain intact in Final Fantasy Origin, namely the job system that allows player to choose how Jack will approach any given battle. However, players are only given the option of having two jobs equipped at a time.
While this may sound like a drawback, many have seen this more as a necessary feature in order to utilize the most of game’s different job sets. According to co-director Daisuke Inoue, the job system was something that the development team focused on the most early on in development, striving to give each class, whether it be Samurai or the classic Red Mage class, characteristics that stand out and make each feel useful.
Stranger of Paradise is already shaping up to be an exciting action RPG title, thus hearing the team going to such lengths to ensure the gameplay feels fresh and rewarding is a great detail to know and understand. It appears that following through on the darker tone also is a major focal point for the game, as the title is the second in the Final Fantasy series to receive an M rating from the ESRB.
It will be fascinating to watch Stranger of Paradise unfold for players, as the team has debunked the rumors that Final Fantasy Origin would be an isekai story. This now leaves lots to be questioned about the game’s story and what other twists and turns Square Enix will throw at players upon release.
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin launches March 18th for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: Sirus Gaming
