Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin Critic Reviews

“Final Fantasy meets Nioh” is in easy assumption to make about Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, given appearances, and while that’s not exactly inaccurate, it’s an incomplete description. Team Ninja’s pedigree and inventive riffs on Final Fantasy staples makes for an action RPG that’s hard to put down, but what really sets Stranger of Paradise apart is the subversive way it approaches its source material. This isn’t your typical origin story; it’s a deconstruction of that first Final Fantasy and a reflection on the legacy it left in its wake—one that’s entertaining, often funny, sometimes biting, but above all, is willing to question its own canon in a way that you don’t often see from a series as high-profile as this.

I have to wonder if the gaming audience is quite ready for the kind of metatextual experience that Stranger of Paradise presents. It’s not only a game that doesn’t take itself seriously, but it outright challenges players’ expectations on how games are made and how they should be played. It’s hugely entertaining and as experimental as Final Fantasy at its best, but I do wonder how well something so reflective will click and be remembered as a great in the longer term. I only hope that people realise that the nonsense of Jack, his iPod, and his obsession with Chaos is just the surface of this brilliantly smart, layered thing, and they then take the time to dig into what Stranger of Paradise is really saying as a work of metatextual satire.

Delivering a cohesive game with addictive gameplay and mechanics, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin brings back classic characters in an honorable way. It is a good choice for fans of the franchise and lovers of the genre.

Despite all the memes and jokes, Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin is a surprisingly earnest tale tied to an astounding combat system that is impossible to put down. Not only that, but it somehow manages to remain reverent to the original Final Fantasy and the series as a whole. I think anyone who enjoys both action RPGs and Final Fantasy will enjoy this game, too.

It's a Team Ninja action game first, and an oddball isekai story second. It's also one of the weirdest games I've reviewed in a while because it speaks to me in a lot of ways, but it wears its flaws on its sleeve.

Underneath cringeworthy writing and a nonsensical story, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin leverages storied Final Fantasy fanservice with a fast and deep combat system to offer up fans a celebration of the franchise like no other. While the presentation is inconsistent and the equipment system sorely lacks focus, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is great fun from beginning to end.

Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin is an undeniably stellar action game boasting addictive mechanics that will cater to a myriad of crowds. Even when accounting for a few minor critiques, the combat is some of the best the franchise has to offer. Further, its clever writing choices and conclusion will undoubtedly be lasting and impressionable for those engaged by the narrative.

Not at all what you would expect from a "Final Fantasy", but with action packed gameplay, buttery smooth battle choreography, RPG elements that are as sophisticated as they are challenging, and high replay value. However, those who want to be rewarded will have to live with a certain learning curve and unconvincing characters.

Stranger Of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is a canon installment in the Final Fantasy franchise, but with the shell of Nioh. Its map, process and task modeling have clearly borrowed from Nioh, but it still seamlessly maintains the career and combat systems of the Final Fantasy tradition, which brings us a core gameplay style markedly distinguished from Nioh. The moderate death penalty and abundant skills make the exploring process less "painful". Similar to Nioh, however, the gaming experience after you have cleared the main story is a repetitious process of killing mob and collecting loots and does not feel like a hard-core action game. The game's graphics are unremarkable and its optimization has certain problems, but these do not significantly impact the gaming experience. The game is set in the world background of Final Fantasy 1 and integrates the elements of the previous installments of the Final Fantasy franchise, so its design will feel quite nostalgic to the die-hard fans of the franchise.

Final Fantasy Origin: Stranger of Paradise is a chaotic alternative retelling of the very first Final Fantasy, following the story beat by beat until it transforms into something unique in its own way.

Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is absurd, daring, and very entertaining, but its story takes a long time to start, which affects the playing experience from the beginning. You will notice that you shouldn't take the narrative so seriously because it doesn't get you anywhere. Nevertheless, the references and the combat system keep you wanting more because it's a challenging title.

So, yeah, Stranger of Paradise doesn't look good. Its story is a bunch of nonsense. Maybe you'll find that amusing, maybe you'll find it annoying. But all of that doesn't matter as much as you might imagine. Because you spend the bulk of the experience fighting monsters. Stranger of Paradise makes fighting monsters fun.

Certainly a title for Final Fantasy fans to dive into, even if it’s just to experience the story and read up on the lore, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin has something for many gamers to enjoy.

Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is a decent action RPG, but it's occasionally weighed down by unnecessary mechanics and inconsistent difficulty.

Stranger of Paradise is violent, dark, and brilliantly captivating. It’s a must-play for Final Fantasy fans. Steeped in sentiment and lovingly crafted homages to our favourite games, it offers a new mystery to unravel and breaks the mould of what you’d expect from the series. You might miss having a wide world to explore, proper side quests, and all the usual trimmings, but there’s a lot to love about Stranger of Paradise that you won’t find in your back catalogue of FF games.

Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin's story doesn't come together until the final hours, but when it does it pairs nicely with a solid and engaging action combat system and a strong dose of FF nostalgia.

Stranger of Paradise is a peanut butter and chocolate combination of Final Fantasy XV and Nioh. The beauty of it is that you don’t even have to be a fan of Final Fantasy I to enjoy Stranger of Paradise. The story explains everything you need to know and anything you bring into it from previous knowledge is just extra. The combat is just spicy enough that you can feel like a powerhouse, but lets the players somewhat tweak the difficulty to their own desires if they’d rather face a tougher challenge. If this is the way that Square Enix will be remaking the early Final Fantasy games I am entirely in. This iteration takes modernization to the best possible level.

Self-aware humor permeates throughout Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin, and by and large, it works really, really well. Any fears I had about Stranger of Paradise were dispelled after a dozen or so hours with its phenomenal combat system, strange but genuine story, and a surprising commitment to celebrating everything Final Fantasy — all through the eyes of an angry edgelord named Jack.

Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin is undoubtedly a fun chaotic romp that will delight number crunchers and action RPG aficionados. Even though I found the characters and some of the story lacking, I still had a really good time testing out new jobs, exploring the various levels, seeing all the easter eggs, and devising strategies to tackle the level bosses. I’m looking forward to grinding gear with friends and finding out what the future holds with this new spinoff series of Final Fantasy.

The story of Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin doesn't really come together until the last few hours, but when it does it blends nicely with a solid and engaging action combat system and a heavy dose of nostalgia for the series.