Approaching 35 years of history, the Final Fantasy series has more recently been taking a look back rather than forward. That is no bad thing though, as it gave us the rather good Final Fantasy VII Remake in 2020. Still waiting on that Xbox release, by the way. We do have one release though, and it is a reimagining of the very first Final Fantasy. Releasing today on Xbox, PlayStation and PC is Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin.
Unlike the early Final Fantasy games, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is an action-RPG. It also flips the story on its head. Rather than trying to defeat Garland, you are playing as a character called Jack Garland, hellbent on destroying Chaos. Accompanied by newcomers Ash and Jed, they have doubts as to whether they are the prophesised Warriors of Light as featured in the 1987 classic.
For Stranger of Paradise, Square Enix have once again teamed up with Team Ninja, who had previously worked together on the Dissidia Final Fantasy titles. This time around though, Team Ninja are utilising their pedigree of creating soulslike action-RPGs as seen in their Nioh series. Their other inspiration is the Final Fantasy franchise itself; many of the levels featured in Stranger of Paradise take their cues from iconic locations from the series history. Expect to explore Mako reactors from Final Fantasy VII, woodland areas like the Sunleth Waterscape from Final Fantasy XIII and more.
For Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin on the Xbox Store, you have a couple of options. Firstly, is the standard edition priced at £59.99. There is also the Digital Deluxe Edition priced at £84.99. This comes with the Season Pass including some additional missions, a digital art book and mini soundtrack. And stay tuned for our review coming soon to help you decide which version – if any – to pick up.
This looks a world away from Final Fantasy, but does that entice you even more? Let us know in the comments below.
Game description
With the memory of their struggle buried deep in their hearts… In this hard-core action RPG, Jack must hazard numerous challenges to bring the light of the crystals back to Cornelia, a kingdom conquered by darkness. Will restoring the crystals’ light usher in peace or a new form of darkness? …Or perhaps something else entirely?
