Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin Reviews
Credit should be given for Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin trying something different, and nobody could argue that it certainly is that. With a distinct lack of the plot and character polish, players approaching this as an RPG, can easily overlook this. With such excellent combat options and a real sense of fun throughout though, it more than stands alongside its peers in both the role-playing and Souls-like genres. Why it looks so bad, that's a mystery in itself…
Yes, you will walk away with the Chaos meme stuck in your head, and it will probably be the most memorable thing about any of the characters here, but at least there’s something that will stick. Regardless, Stranger of Paradise puts forward a Final Fantasy game that presents less of the regular formula, yet a mixture of great action-adventure, soulslike, role-playing that will entice you to come back again, and again.
The finale of the campaign is undoubtedly one of the high points. A couple of near-end frantic and action packed segments reveal more twists and revelations than a rerun of a Jerry Springer episode. After the credits roll in Stranger of Paradise, you are treated to a fun endgame that has the potential to be entertaining, and even better, the game’s co-op feature allows you to buddy up with 2 of your pals for some friendly monster slaying. The problem is though, that getting to the finale may well prove too difficult for some. Not because of the game’s actual difficulty, but because of the string of huge issues that litter the game. The graphics, the characters, the dialogue, the inconsistency amongst levels and boss design. You could literally spin a roulette wheel with all of these things on it, and whichever one the needle lands on has the potential to make this game very tough to play through. Given the pedigree of both Final Fantasy and Team Ninja as developers, it is incredibly disappointing that this game fell so short of expectations. The combat is super fun throughout, and the story concludes very cleverly, but these things are dwarfed in comparison to all of the issues Stranger of Paradise presents us with.
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is a very engaging and entertaining game. It has a lot of technical and graphical issues when you want to play it but you don't have to notice as you are focused solely on killing the agents of Chaos.
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin feels like a wasted opportunity, with an intriguing base idea but a lackluster plot, bad characterization and a disappointing technical production. It's partly saved by a satisfying - although not original - gameplay and a surprising ending.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Stranger of Paradise is a great choice for anyone who enjoys Action RPGs and Souls-likes.
I won’t pretend I wasn’t disappointed by Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin. It had the potential to tell a fantastic story, and it absolutely failed to tell it well. The game itself still managed to charm and entertain me however, even if it meant accepting that it would never coalesce into the great game I thought it could be.
Although the action is extremely enjoyable, game stumbles in other areas. It's a direct purchase for the fans of the series, but others can wait for discounts.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin feels like a game anchored to two generations ago. Although this can often be seen as a positive aspect, it is not so much when it represents truly poor graphics and an empty story that hinders more than contributes. Still, the combat system offers a fun and fresh experience that will satisfy fans of action games.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Strangers of Paradise is a game that feels a lot like an experiment, and it wasn’t exactly a failure. If I could give the production team at Square Enix some advice, it would be that their storytellers should return to their roots, and their gameplay developers should keep the new ideas coming.
Final Fantasy's first attempt at making a Souls-like game delivers on fun gameplay and a flawed but satisfying origin story on Final Fantasy I's Garland. Long-time fans of the series will enjoy the nods to their favorite games while hunting down Chaos.
What we're left with is a Frankenstein's monster of a game, with nowhere to call home and no one to love it. The worst part is that it's a damn fun time that deserves attention for its merits.
Stranger of Paradise: FF Origin is a surprisingly fun game that has very competent systems and features that work together to bring a good technical action RPG. Anchored by a deep job system and excellent combat with precise controls, hunting down Chaos can be quite fun if you let it. Despite its ridiculous premise and story, the game can easily attract both fans and newcomers to the Final Fantasy franchise and action RPG titles in general. There is a possibility that some players may feel overwhelmed with its many systems, but seeing it through is rewarding enough.
Team Ninja took the Nioh formula with one of the most peculiar and exciting spin-offs of the Final Fantasy saga, even if it goes quite a bit off-the-rails.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Answering our title question, if Strangers of Paradise deserves to have Final Fantasy in the title, our answer is adamant: it does not. There was no relevant care in several factors to even be a game that can be enjoyed. The story doesn't have a logical plot, the game-play becomes repetitive and especially the graphic aspect is a blunt (sorry for the repetition of the term)... Chaos. We sincerely hope that Final Fantasy XVI will erase this spinoff from memory, with the certainty that until then the name of Square Enix does not bring us the joy it once did.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Stranger Of Paradise combines Nioh's gameplay and Final Fantasy worlds in a very beautiful way, providing a rather good experience even with problems with the characters and the repetition of missions
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Stranger of Paradise's main feature is the style of play and not any other item.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin is an action game in the vein of Nioh that celebrates the 35th anniversary of Final Fantasy in a splendid way.
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origins is as strange and, at times, puzzling as it is fun and addictive.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
If you're curious about what Final Fantasy would look like as a Souls or Nioh-style action game, Stranger of Paradise is a solid effort. It's just a shame that it's bogged down by its oddball narrative choices and its cumbersome loot system, which makes the total package such a mixed bag. I suppose it's the nature of this chaotic beast.