Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin isn’t just a meme
At this point, I couldn’t tell you the defining features of a Final Fantasy game. Early on in the franchise’s long history, I would have said it’s a high-fantasy RPG filled with wizards and warring nations. That descriptor began to bend with each entry, as games like Final Fantasy VII completely shook up the tone and setting of the series. For a while, the only thing that really united them was their commitment to turn-based combat, but that’s faded away in recent years as well. What does the Final Fantasy brand really mean in 2022?
It’s fitting that Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, the series’ latest spinoff, is a game about an identity crisis. It stars Jack Garland, a short-tempered hero who doesn’t remember anything about his past. All he knows is that he needs to kill Chaos. That motivation turned the game into an instant meme when it debuted at E3 2021 with a bizarre trailer showcasing Jack’s one-track mind. Since then, players have been laughing along with what’s been widely described as a “video game shitpost.”
As dumb as the game seems — and trust me, it is very dumb — it’s not just an ironic romp. Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is a deliberate deconstruction of the series it’s spun off from, satirizing its goofiest instincts and reclaiming a franchise that spins further away from its past with each entry.
By now, you’ve probably seen a few clips of Final Fantasy Origin being shared around. Perhaps the most infamous is one where a character gives an expositional speech, to which Jack replies “bullshit” before tossing in some earbuds and blasting Limp Bizkit-esque nu metal. For fans craving more bizarre moments like that, the final game delivers. I laughed so hard I nearly cried the first
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