In Japanese role games, it usually takes a long time until one finds friends for life: Either a kingdom is in danger, or dimensions break together. Hard fate strikes combine special individuals.

• Roleplaying, which does not matter
• Outstanding Combat sandbox
• Boring dungeons

The Action-RPG Spinoff Stranger of Paradise is dispensed with this whole epic enemy: Protagonist Jack meets his two buddies simply in the middle of the street, as their egg-shaped crystals start to vibrate in the pants (yes, really). “I have to kill chaos!” Jack then barks, and all give each other a Fistbump, as if they were the three musketals. Yup, much more story does not have the game. It is not even sure if Chaos exists at all. Two more heroines will be added later, and they also have no fine glow. So really no shimmer of nothing, because the memory of all main characters is deleted. You only know: Chaos must die!

Roleplaying, which does not matter

If you dipped in previous parts because of history into the world of Final Fantasy: Stranger of Paradise is definitely not your game! Although it is known as a mixed machine from reinterpretation and prequel to the very first part of the traditional series, but the crop factor is so immense that one can almost speak of a parody. But that has certainly his charm. For example, if Jack after an epic appeal of a companion shoulder suggesting “Bullshit!” Reisted, rock music on his smartphone turns on and stoic leaves the room. Such scenes make the game literally about the memen factory. Soon you will probably encounter many gifs from the game on social media.

For JRPG fans, it may be irritating, maybe even disappointing, even if the secret of memory loss of all heroes and heroines is finally solved surprisingly well. But actually this does not matter, because Team Ninja focuses on what you can really do: Action! The experts for finger acrobatics combine elements from their in-house Nioh, some Platinum Games DNA and Final Fantasy 7 Remake.

It means: With a party from three persons, her linearly rebuilt levels frees from mass-related creatures from serial history, with an imposing boss waiting for you at the end. Round-based struggles or compromise solutions as in Final Fantasy 15, in which you can stop time, there is not here. Instead, your opponents skin in high speed spells, hovergears or fum slopes around the ears that the shreds are just flying!

In single player mode, your two selected fellow combatants are controlled by the AI, which acts more restrained. Alone you will therefore play a little more defensive, as some attacks of the opponents are so strong that they can kill you with a blow.

In the online coach, the momentum changes: Here you can divide your roles of dedicated split and above all bigger chunks easier. For example, by employing one of the monster in melee, while the others fire from afar. Very nice: The progress from the technically running coop mode can you take over in single player mode and vice versa.

The connection to Final Fantasy
In the very first game of the final fantasy series, a group of heroes open to free Princess Sarah from the violence of the rogue garland and defeat the demon chaos at the end. This is in truth Garland, who was preserved by the heroic troupe from dark powers and transformed into his demon shape. Stranger of Paradise is a loose post-counting of this story – but from the point of view of the villain Jack Garland. Square Enix does not make mystery from this fact, but plays in advertising for the game sent the “How could that happen?” – Card.

Outstanding Combat sandbox

What Stranger of Paradise makes outstanding are the misleading comprehensive combination options from skills, costumes and jobs. From the latter there is a total of 27, starting from the fist fighter over the Samurai to the dark magician. Each of these classes plays completely different and comes with both a private moveset, as well as own weapons. Of course, they have forward and disadvantages.

As a pikenier, you can throw your Pike, for example, and stay nicely at a distance. On the other hand, a gladiator has to approach the opponents closer, but has a stronger defense. Although you can change the jobs at any time via the menu, but only two remain active. At the touch of a button you can change in the middle of the fight between them and thereby cause chain reactions. As a magician brazing the opponent with a fire spell already to give him the rest with the broadsword? No problem.

The possibilities do not listen for a long time: while the characters themselves do not rise in the level, they evaluated the jobs with experience points and finds greater clothes. This not only increases your fundamental values, but often come with their own affinities that work like Perks for specific jobs. With a stylish thief spirit you are stronger, for example, in the appropriate job.

You can equip several parts of the body of all party members with their own garment – from head to toe. However, you tailor to win in a flood of Loot, which makes the administration of your Loadout unnecessarily complicated. More than 200 objects in only one mission can be program. Who should look through here? At least you can sort in the menu items by value and type – and thus also collected away.

As if that would not be enough, there is still the so-called soul sign: This is a special defense that claims your endurance strip, but also charges. You can ward off with the right timing especially hearty special attacks of enemies. If you do not succeed, you are paralyzed in return for a short time. RISK AND REWARD, which is still spicy by a brilliant mechanism: With the soul sign you can claw attacks of opponents! For example, the popular cactor attacks with its devastating 1000 needle attack, you can absorb this ability at the right moment. You then do you ready in the inventory and can consume them in combat. That works with every opponent in the game. Yes, even the Furios staged bosses!

Boring dungeons

While the combat system is an absolute festival, the leveldesign is similarly flat like characters and story. With a good will you could call the levels as a faithful new edition three decades of old dungeon designs… but honestly: the levels are just a trist and dull. Just like the secondary tasks, in which you depact the same places with tasks of the brand “kill five pirates”. Here and there there is a treasure chest, a switch or a secret space, otherwise the exploration gives little.

The focus is clearly on the struggles that are outstanding in scene. The animations are fluid and every action makes particle effects only so hail. The hit feedback feels great, and especially Finishing Moves have a force. For a final fantasy title Stranger of Paradise is unusually brutal: blood crystallizes here immediately as soon as it leaves the body, but still Jack’s limbs tears off to shatter a bizarre bundle of red rock on the floor. This is reminiscent of the Glory Kills from Doom Eternal – and you can not stand by it!