Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin Review - Chaotic Good

thegamer.com:

There’s always been something particularly special about the opening cinematics of Final Fantasy games. The beautiful graphics accompanied by gorgeous soundtracks leave an unforgettable impression. I can vividly remember watching the starting FMV for each of my most beloved Final Fantasy favourites, and the feeling of excitement they provided.

Watching the Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin opening sequence filled me with a sense of nostalgia, but it was clear from the copious amounts of blood splatter that this was not going to be your typical Final Fantasy. It sums up Stranger of Paradise as a whole — though seemingly paradoxical, it offers something that is both intimately familiar while pushing the series to places it has never seen before.

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There were two things that enthralled me about Stranger of Paradise — the mystery and the memories. Stranger of Paradise uses the original Final Fantasy as a motif and so, unsurprisingly, much of the content and the basic premise are similar. The development team explained that it’s not a remake or a sequel, so what is it? I was burning to find out.

Whatever it is, Stranger of Paradise is bloody, brutal, and challenging. This should come as no surprise given that it’s the lovechild of Square Enix and Koei Tecmo’s Team Ninja, the people responsible for the Nioh series. You can see a lot of Nioh’s influence throughout the game, especially in the combat system and with how boss fights play out. Battles are fast-paced, fun, and frenzied. There’s something particularly satisfying about smacking enemies about, grabbing them, and smashing them in the face with a brutal Soul Burst finisher.

Even with tutorials, combat can be