Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin interprets the “Final Fantasy 1” story new and with a lot of action.

• The key data
• The first impression was not the best
• A jubilee celebration of the other kind
• Final Fantasy and Nioh get a common child
• How much Souls-Like is in it?
• Assessment

The key data

• Genre: Action-RPG, Souls-Like
• Developer: Team Ninja, Koei Tecmo
• Publisher: Square Enix
• Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X / S, Xbox One
• USK approval: from 16 years
• Multiplayer: Online coop for up to four games
• Release: 18. March

The first impression was not the best

As in the period before E3 2021 the rumor found that team Ninja worked on a Souls-Like under the “Final Fantasy” banner, our curiosity was great. After all, the Japanese have proven their skills with the two NiOH games. Whose gameplay in the composite with a typical “Final Fantasy” world? Yes, the sound interesting. As a Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin was presented, first browning was wide. On the one hand, the material shown was visually enormously outdated, on the other hand, it sprayed an involuntary comedy. Just counts how often in the trailer “Chaos” is said (spoiler: whopping eight times).

Now the release of Stranger of Paradise is approaching: Final Fantasy Origin closer with great steps – and we are not so negative to him. On the contrary, we are even looking forward to the action role-playing game, because it on the one hand on story level a interesting idea is pursued and playfully looks like a tilly NiOH. And above all because of the latter we are also convinced that Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin No laughing number becomes like his first trailer.

A jubilee celebration of the other kind

Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin takes you to the world of the very first Final Fantasy. But there is no remake, but a reinterpretation. This is not only noticeable on Gameplay, but also story page. Her slips into the skin of Jack, who fights at the side of his friends against chaos, so to speak, the ultimate evil. The troupe is celebrated as the Savior of the Empire Cornelia, as the warriors of light. But are Jack and his companions really? After all, the crystals that carry themselves are black.

For connoisseurs of Final Fantasy 1, which celebrates its 35th birthday this year, Stranger of Paradise could be particularly exciting: Final Fantasy Origin. Although it reaches the world of the classic, but tells something very own. The trailers also point out that the story is relevant, so more than just a hanger for the whole action is. And that’s that interesting, because Stranger of Paradise is a Souls Like and there is no game of this kind so far that his story tells very directly and achieves a high level. The titles of FromSoftware (Dark Souls, Bloodborne, Elden Ring) all have an exciting lore, but they have to puzzle themselves in the head in which their item descriptions read and listens to the cryptic words of NPCs. The actual plots are in turn are always quite irrelevant due to their simplicity.

NiOH 1 and 2, in turn, there are many more classical and therefore work more with active narrative in the form of intermediate sequences. However, both are not very good. Who plays Nioh, it does not play due to the gameplay, not because of its action. Whether Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin will make a better figure here? Which there has been to be seen so far, at least does not make much hope that the game is narrative in the end more than just an interesting premise.

Final Fantasy and Nioh get a common child

In terms of game mechanics, we are again much more confident. Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin acts as NiOH with “Final Fantasy” Skin, but also various peculiarities. The game is indeed a lot different than the two previous team Ninja works. The most obvious: you never travel al1. As it belongs to a final fantasy, you run with a group through the levels. You only control your own Jack, your up to three co-editors takes over the Ki – or you can go in online coop with friends, then slip in their roles.

The struggles run in real time and offer approximately the same pace as NiOH, so are significantly flotters than the clashes in a Dark Soul. Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin offers much more than simples sneaking. The combat system consists of a whole series of mechanics. A central role plays the subject of will: every opponent has a will strip. If you successfully attack him, take it off. If she is completely used up, you can do a soul crusher. This is a deadly attack, which you will not only recover Mana, but also increases your maximum supply. But you yourself also have a will strip that empties when your hits plug. If the beam is gone, you ran into a state in which you can not move or defend you.

An endurance system is available in Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin not. This is a big difference to the fromSoftware games and other Souls Likes. So you can do as many normal attacks, execute how you want, and dodge as often as you like. The only resource to which you must pay attention to your mana, which needs your special skills and spells.

Another special feature in Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is the job system. In this regard, the game is very important to the old “Final Fantasy” parts. You can assign two jobs to each of your characters. In the case of Jack, you switch in the middle of the struggle at the push of a button between the classes that not only determine which skills you can use, but also which weapon you use. A sword fighter swings logically the sword, magicians preferably resort to dispute piston. But you do not have to set you forever with every character to two jobs, but you can quickly replace them through the menu. This allows you to experiment and find a class combination with which you best come through the game.

How much Souls-Like is in it?

That there is no stamina, we have already mentioned. But there is still a substantial difference to Nioh and other Souls-Likes: If you die, you will be backed on the last checkpoint and all the opponents killed are back, but you do not lose no experience. And not only could Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin the perfect entry into the Souls-Like Genre: The game also offers three levels of difficulty. Who means not very good, or just want to enjoy the story, selects the lowest level and should not experience much frustration moments. Experienced players make a big bow and make themselves the full challenge. How crisp Stranger of Paradise really is, but still has to show.

At least in terms of complexity, NIOH games should not be in nothing. There will be a lot of loot, a crafting system and the various combat mechanics, especially the job system, are likely to worry about sufficient depth. Which also reminiscent of Nioh is the structure of the game. This time, Team Ninja does not put on a contiguous world. Instead, there is a world map that jumps from it to the various areas for home and co-missions that you can repeat as often as you like.

Assessment

It was not very good for Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin. The first trailer was already murk. But Team Ninja is not an inexperienced studio. How to translate good action RPGs, the guys and girls from Far East know, and the previously shown gameplay material makes you want more. We only have our doubts as to whether the story will contribute to the fun or reduce it. But who knows, maybe she’s just great trash, which is so bad that he is good again.

Now Stranger of Paradise: Pre-order Final Fantasy Origin!