Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Originis shaping up to be one of the most unique experiences to come from theFinal Fantasyseries. Developed by Team Ninja, the developers behind theNinja GaidenandNiohseries,Strangers of Paradisehad a strong first showing with its reveal at E3 2021, with itsSouls-like gameplay and intriguing premise.
Stranger of Paradiseis an alternate, darker take on the originalFinal 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 toFinal Fantasy 1’s original antagonist, Square Enix has firmly stated thatFinal Fantasy Originwasn’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.
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That being said, several gameplay elements for the original game remain intact inFinal 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 orthe classic Red Mage class, characteristics that stand out and make each feel useful.
Stranger of Paradiseis 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 theFinal Fantasyseries to receive an M ratingfrom the ESRB.
It will be fascinating to watchStranger of Paradiseunfold for players, as the team hasdebunked the rumors thatFinal Fantasy Originwould 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 Originlaunches March 18th for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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