Square Enix has shared new details and screenshots for Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, the new, souls-like Final Fantasy game from Nioh studio Team Ninja.
Stranger of Paradise is a new interpretation of the original Final Fantasy and focuses on the hero Jack and his quest to destroy Chaos and return light to the crystals of Cornelia. Today, Square Enix introduced Captain Bikke, a pirate who Jack and his companions will encounter.
They’ll run into Bikke at a pirate ship moored in the Pravoka Seagrot, a new location in the game. The pirate captain swings a two-handed axe in battle. Other characters introduced include Cornelia’s royal family comprised of the King, Queen Jayne, and their daughters Sarah and Mia.
Square Enix also went over the break gauge system in combat where combos and abilities will reduce the enemy’s gauge. Once depleted, you can defeat the enemy with a single blow. There’s also a new ability called the Soul Shield, which absorbs an enemy’s attack and allows you to fire it right back at them.
And, much like Dark Souls, Jedi Fallen Order, and other games in the genre, healing Jack at a checkpoint cube will also resurrect all monsters in the area. If you fall in combat, you respawn at the last cube you healed at.
First announced at E3 2021, Stranger of Paradise is not a direct continuation or prequel to Final Fantasy 1. Instead, it sounds like a remix of the first game, using the same setting and some elements of the original’s story.
After a rough demo period where the game was unplayable, we were able to try out Stranger of Paradise, where we said the game is, “actually shaping up to be a very promising looking action/soulslike spin on the Final Fantasy franchise.” And, it could get even better, as the developers are implementing changes made based on player feedback. You can check out what comes in each edition of Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin here.
Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.