Stranger of Paradise offers a new take
on the bare-bones narrative of its
pixelated predecessor, with developer
Team Ninja injecting the series with
a more edgy tone. At least that’s what
it was going for, but
cringe-worthy dialogue
from over-the-top
characters sees the
game sail right by the
realm of cool and land
squarely in a field of
cheese. Each of the
game’s characters can
be summed up with
one adjective. There’s the spritely
Jed, the stern Ash, the wistful Neon
and Jack, who can only be described
as driven, and driven by only one
desire: to kill Chaos. For all its
absurdity, the story is entertaining,
with each level bookended by short
snappy cutscenes that never feel like
they intrude upon the action.
While it’s more forgiving than
Nioh, Stranger of Paradise does have
more in common with the samurai-
inspired Soulslike than Final Fantasy.
Foes are thrown at you thick and fast,
and being able to switch between
classes and swap in and out abilities
makes for encounters that are robust
and gratifying. Battles are given extra
depth thanks to Soul Shield, an
alternative method to regular
blocking that reduces an enemy’s
Break Gauge. Fully depleting this
gauge allows you to swoop in with
Soul Burst, a showy finisher that sees
enemies turn to crystal before
spectacularly shattering into tiny
pieces. It’s both slick and undeniably
satisfying. You can also temporarily
absorb certain skills with Soul Shield
to use back against your enemies.
Turning a Cactuar’s deadly 1 ,000
Needles attack against the bouncy
menace elicits a feeling of sheer
delight if you’re a Final Fantasy fan
who’s long been on the receiving end
of this spiky signature move.
As solid as Stranger
of Paradise’s combat is,
it’s not without its
shortcomings. Magic
doesn’t transition to the
game’s fast-paced
combat quite as well as
melee. You also only
have the option to
switch between twojob classes on the fly. It’s a curious
limitation that’s at odds with the
freedom the game otherwise offers.
One element that could do with
dialling down the variety is the
game’s loot system. Drops are so
frequent that they become
meaningless. Another case of too
much comes from the constant
chatter between teammates. Hearing
your party question what could be in
a chest every time you come across
one quickly leaves you wishing your
next lofty treasure haul would
include some silencing potions.JACK ATTACK
The difficulty settings make it
pleasingly accessible. The standard
‘Action’ setting provides a
considerable challenge that perfectly
bridges the gap between mindless
victories and frustrating repetition.
Locations, lovingly inspired by
previous Final Fantasy titles, look
nice, but it can be hard to see
anything in the more shadowy
sections. The game runs smoothly at
60fps but grinds to a snail’s pace
when cranked up to 1 20fps,
particularly when you’re performing
an enemy shattering Soul Burst.
While it’s not without its issues,
Stranger of Paradise is a stylish and
charmingly ridiculous adventure. The
combat, environments make for a
Final Fantasy title that shines despite
its darker style. But while it offers
one of the most dynamic combat
systems the series has seen, its
sketchy story and half-baked cast also
make it one of the shallowest
additions. This B-movie take on the
series is rough around the edges, but
nonetheless an enjoyable and
fascinating reimagining of the aged
escapade that started it all.72
Team Ninja serves up
some solidSoulslike
combat with a generous
helping of cheese in
Stranger of Paradise.VERDICT
T
he mere existence of Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin
is, well, strange. When Square Enix announced it was
remaking Final Fantasy VII, it made sense. It was, after all, the
game that put the world’s most ironically named series on the
map. An action spin-off inspired by and serving as sort-of-
prequel to the now 35 year old and largely forgotten first game in the
franchise, however, is an odd choice. The resulting game is even odder.
CHAOS THEORY
Oddity reigns in STRANGER OF PARADISE: FINAL FANTASY ORIGINBy Anne-Marie CoyleEnemies turn
to crystal
before
spectacularly
shatteringRECRUITMENT SPECIALIST
Some choice pickings from the Job systemSWORDSMAN
The spinningslash
can hit multiple
enemies, making it a
solid choicefor
those starting out.MARAUDER
Marauders deal
heavy damage using
axes. The Upheaval
ability unleashes a
crushing strike.LANCER
This class can fight
from a safe distance,
throwing lances to
effectively whittle
down enemies.NEED TO KNOW
WHAT IS IT?
A Soulslike Final
Fantasy from the
developer of Dead or
Alive Xtreme Beach
Volleyball
EXPECT TO PAY
£50
DEVELOPER
Team NinjaPUBLISHER
Square EnixREVIEWED ON
Intel Core i7-11700K,
GeForce RTX 3070,
16GB RAM
MULTIPLAYER
Yes
LINK
bit.ly/3v4I37XKNIGHT
These holy warriors
can fightusing
Blessing of Light,
which sends out a
shockwaveof light.WHITE MAGE
Offers assistance by
healing allies,
summoning
protectivebarriers,
and reviving friends.BERSERKER
The Berserkability
allows Berserkersto
increase their attack
power and stagger
their enemies.Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin