Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin review: RIP Chaos
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is probably the dumbest game that will come out this year. It certainly ranks among the weirdest Final Fantasy spinoffs. It will also be one of my favorite gaming experiences of 2022, because no game I’ve ever played is as confident in its ridiculous self as Final Fantasy Origin.
It’s the Venom: Let There Be Carnage to Final Fantasy XV’s Spider-Man: No Way Home. It’s hammy and clunky compared to its much better peers, but is so earnest in its delivery that you can’t help but adore it. An absurdly written and paced story elevates an approachable, fast-paced Soulslike to a meme-worthy status that will make it one of the games of 2022, even if it isn’t one of the best games of the year.
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is not well-written in a traditional sense. Characters often grunt when there should be dialogue or say similar things over and over again. Cutscenes are paced poorly toward the start of the game, and some lines are so cheesy that I cringed and laughed the first time I heard them. But somehow, it all worked and totally enthralled me by the time the credits rolled.
The game follows Jack Garland, who shares a last name with the villain of the original Final Fantasy. As you might have heard, he is on a mission to kill Chaos, and he doesn’t really know why at the start of the game. Along the way, he’ll team up with four other “strangers” to form the Warriors of Light, restore four elemental crystals to bring balance to the world, and regain lost memories.
That sounds compelling enough, but doesn’t prepare you for just how bonkers the writing, pacing, voice acting, and climax of Final Fantasy Origin get. As soon as I saw that one of the game’s openings shots was
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