Today’s Square Enix showcase finally revealed the rumoredFinal Fantasy-based Soulslike game, with the proper titleStranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin. Square Enix fans had been excited about the rumored game as another entry in the publisher’s evident plans to add more action games to its roster like the upcomingFinal Fantasy 16andBabylon’s Fall. The reveal showed a much darker version of the firstFinal Fantasy’sworld and an emphasis on fast-paced combat that’s divergent from most other Soulsborne games.
Final Fantasyseemed like an apt choice for a Soulsborneadaptation given its slew of iconic monsters, impressive weaponry, and otherworldly threats. So, excitement was very high ahead of the announcement. Now that fans have gotten a glimpse of what the game’s combat actually looks like, it seems like Team Ninja is bringing a lot of its past signature style fromNiohandNinja GaidenintoFinal Fantasy Origin.
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Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin Shares Nioh’s Pacing
The new trailer forStranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origindebuted a dark world and fast-paced action. It looks like players will be able to either choose a class or define their character by mixing up equipment and skills. Gameplay footage cuts showed the main character using a giant sword to defeat someclassicFinal Fantasymonstersand, at other times, utilizing magical attacks that seem to be adaptations of the traditional Fire/Blizzard/Lightning trio.
The game sets a grim tone that manyFinal Fantasygames have been taking lately. It appears to be either an alternate timeline or a prequel to the originalFinal Fantasygame, as the main character seems to be focused with the singular drive to defeat Chaos. They later encounter Garland, the iconic dark knight that players battled against in the first game. There’s several mentions of him becoming Chaos itself, so it seems like players might end up encountering him in more than one fight.
Blending Soulsborne-style gameplay intoFinal Fantasyis going to be an interesting endeavor to say the least. It seems like Team Ninja is focusing heavily on bringing in action similar to its design choices for the twoNiohgames that it had created previously. While the more traditional titles that define the subgenre likeDark Soulsrely heavy on slower and incredibly methodic combat,Stranger of Paradiselooks more like the quicker pace set inNioh.Niohwas distinct among Soulsborne games partly because of a more nuanced combat system. Attacks and combos can be thrown out in rapid succession, and tend to drain stamina much slower thanDark Soulsor evenBloodborne.The team also includes members whobroughtDissidiato life, so the flash and spectacle ofFinal Fantasywas also be on full display.
Interestingly, this will be one of the only upcomingFinal Fantasygames that won’t be PS5 exclusive. So it also likely had impact on decisions to make the action a little more accessible to a wider audience, though it remains to be seen if it shares similar intricacies toNioh.Magic also seems a much more prevalent weapon here.Dark Soulsfeatures magic definitely, but can be a very limited resource.Niohwas a bit more liberal, butFinal Fantasy Originlooks like it’s going to let players utilize magic in a much more grandiose way.
Not much is known aboutStranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, but the taste shown off at E3 today has likely got many action fans excited to see more about the new game. It seems like Team Ninja is really putting action at the forefront, based on the gameplay clips that were shown. Eschewing the more methodical combat ofDark Soulsfor near hack n' slash-style combat closer toNiohwill definitely be interesting. It remains to be seen if other Soulsborne tropes make their way into the game like some kind of lamp/bonfire mechanic, but it is likely. With more and moreSquare Enix games moving into darker territory, the Soulsborne framework could end up making a fun and fresh newFinal Fantasyexperience.
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Originis in development for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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