Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin

The Final Fantasy series is one of the most recognizable emblems of the Japanese gaming landscape, and despite its name, it appears to have no end in sight.

This year marks the 35th anniversary of its establishment, and a pair of new projects are presently being developed under the auspices of the Square Enix publishing business - the complete 16th part and the second half of the remake of the seventh part.

However, before these games are released, Square Enix, in partnership with the Ninja Gaiden, Nioh, or Dead or Alive development team, delivers us the spin-off Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin.

The game is set in the same world as the first half of Final Fantasy, so we will see familiar locations and meet some well-known characters. And, while it may appear that the producers are telling us a new version of the same story, it is actually a prequel that takes place before the events of the unit. But, before everything is fully explained and the plot begins to make sense, you must go through a lot.

The protagonist and his buddies are lifeless figures, and the more they talk, the worse it gets. At first, you'll wonder if the authors are serious and this is one of the silliest tales ever seen in a game, or if you're viewing a purposeful parody of genre clichés. We lean toward the second option, however, due to the story, we do not recommend the game.

The gameplay is significantly better, yet it isn't unique. The developers took the mission structure and special elements from their own souls-like series Nioh and mixed them with the aesthetics of Final Fantasy, but also with the companion notion that is unique to this Japanese tale. However, in cooperative mode, the player only controls the protagonist, Jack, while the rest of the team might be inhabited by other players.

If a title accomplishes something extremely well, it's an activity that straddles the line between easy fun and sophisticated possibilities. Furthermore, because of the various levels of difficulty, everyone can set a challenge that is suitable to their ability, which we certainly appreciate. The game is more like the Devil May Cry brand on the least mode, while the toughest difficulty is a true Soulsborne experience.

You can also personalize your gaming experience by selecting from a variety of fighting styles, weapons, and skills. The game's RPG level is further expanded by a range of equipment, which requires a number of statistics to be addressed. However, we felt that there was too much "loot" in the title and that the constant solution of the equipment dragged down the game needlessly. The inventory is also extremely clunky and perplexing.

Although the game is set in the universe of the first Final Fantasy, each level is influenced by a different aspect of the Japanese series, which will definitely appeal to rock aficionados. However, it has just a minor impact on the gameplay. Furthermore, the design levels are not world-class, despite the developers' suggestions for diversifying them. It's a shame that these levels are recycled by the side tasks.

The given photographs demonstrate that the game's graphic level is, at the very least, antiquated. Technically, this is not surprising, and while the reviewed version of the PlayStation 5 operated reasonably well and steadily, computer users are allegedly dealing with very poor optimization. The music isn't going to save it, but it does a nice job of blending well-known tunes with the original soundtrack.

Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is a contentious act that can be viewed from a variety of perspectives - such as an unusual addition to the Final Fantasy series, a story-laden adventure, a fun, and brisk action RPG, a self-serving game, or another Dark Souls clone - but in none of them can he escape the shackles of mediocrity. And it is for this reason that the game finally disappointed us.

We may suppose that a few people will sit through this intriguing experiment and ignore the numerous flaws, but we believe that the majority of gamers, like us, will swiftly move on to something else. It is an undeniable reality that everything Final Fantasy Origin has to give can be found far better processed by the competitors, and the game has almost nothing to gain and thus keep our interest.