Titled Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin, the game was produced in partnership with Team Ninja and Koei Tecmo, who developed Nioh. We can see the similarities and inspirations overflowing in the gameplay. Navtra, the insider who first leaked the information, stressed that anyone expecting a souls-like game would be disappointed. Although Final Fantasy Origin - it’s strange to call it Stranger of Paradise - has action-RPG single-player elements similar to the souls-like genre, it seems much more fluid and with increased movement freedom in battle, much moreso than its lookalikes. Some executions of enemies, turning them into crystals and smashing into smithereens, are also reminiscent of PS4’s God of War finishers. Tetsuya Nomura, the creative producer for Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin, said:
Trailer for Those Who Prefer Visual Over Words
Another piece of information leaked was that Final Fantasy Origin will be set in the Final Fantasy I universe, and we confirm this with the appearance of Garland. He is one of the franchise’s first game antagonists and, in Origin, a warrior who was sent to defeat Chaos - and apparently failed. Chaos is the main antagonist of both games. But, spoiler alert, at the end of Final Fantasy I, we discover that they are pretty much the same villain over different timelines, but with the same bad mood. In the trailer, we can see the three main protagonists: Jack, Ash, and Jed. They claim to be the Warriors of Light, a recurring name for our troupe of heroes. Jack, the edgy protagonist, is incredibly similar to Cor Leonis from Final Fantasy XV. The main difference is that he grunts a lot more and seems quite obsessive in killing Chaos. Duly noted by hearing him repeating his name twenty-two times. Ash and Zed seem AI-controlled, so expect many goofy and bizarre scenes if they resemble any other action game AI. In a way, this gives me a certain reassurance. If Square Enix focuses so much on single-player action in Final Fantasy Origin, maybe Final Fantasy XVI won’t be blatantly action-oriented and may retain some strategic features just like Final Fantasy VII Remake. And of course, it gives us controllable party members. The battle shows Jack wielding different weapons, casting iconic franchise spells, and wearing gear that changes the main character’s appearance. You can see that through a helmet that looks like he’s just walked out of a bondage party, whereas in other scenes, he is wearing a hood. So we can probably expect levels, skill trees, and everything else we like most in RPGs.
When Will I Be Able to Play?
If you have a PlayStation 5, a demo is already available. Team Ninja used the same tactic with Nioh’s demo, in order to collect feedback and improve the game. Considering that Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin will be released in 2022, but with no fixed date, they can apply the players’ feedback with the ease of a sheep protected by a shepherd. Sony’s exclusivity did not extend to Final Fantasy Origin, which will come out to PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series, Xbox One, and PC.
