I found the depth of class and combat customization quite impressive.Īn elaborate job system with a staggering number of classes to choose from does an amazing job breaking up the monotony of smashing right bumper and right trigger. Fans of Nioh might find Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin a tad clunkier, but there's no denying that combat is clearly one of the strongest elements in this action RPG. Flashy animations and gruesome executions also add a healthy amount of flair and production to fights. As you'd expect from Team Ninja, hacking and slashing your way through hordes of enemies and a handful of over-the-top boss encounters feels fast, fluid, and fun. Underneath the imposing weight of iconic memes lies generally engaging combat and a compelling Final Fantasy job system.
#FINAL FANTASY ORIGIN WINDOWS#
Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central) If you're nostalgic for Monster Energy Drinks, Terminator Salvation, and your uncle's motorcycle phase, you'll likely feel a strong sense of familiarity here. It feels like Harley Davidson was responsible for the entire wardrobe while Skrillex's cousin handled the score. Jack screams out corny one-liners while executing enemies to dated EDM tracks, and the outfits and character customization are jam-packed with leather and studs. There's so much big Chad energy flowing through every moment in Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin. (I just told myself this is a tribute to the iconic alley scenes from King of Hill to make any sense of it.) It's completely bananas and unbelievably fitting that the first lines of dialogue in this game don't contain any dialogue at all. One of the very first cutscenes in Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin involves Jack, Jed, and Ash grunting to each other in what I can only assume is admiration. His bro-tastic companions Jed and Ash also share an unwavering disdain for Chaos. While Jack acts as our primary Chaos-spewing vessel, he certainly isn't the only offender.
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So many of the primary sources of narrative in Strange of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin are delivered in this manner, and it's impossible not to laugh at the absurdity of it all. What's even more beautiful about this poetic nonsense is that this moment is only one of many similarly pointless cutscenes. That particular and absolutely unnecessary scene serves as your only setup for an entire region of the game.
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There are sequences of exposition that are literally 10 seconds long where Jack laughs to himself and says things like "Chaos exists.
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Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin
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Unfortunately, the nonsensical game direction and outrageous dialogue just don't do enough to negate its myriad of frustrating flaws. After rolling the main credits and spending 30 hours with Jack, Jed, Ash, Neon, and a host of other unbelievably ridiculous characters, I can confidently say that Stranger in Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is dumber and more outlandish than I could have ever imagined. Still, shockingly, even the campy trailers couldn't prepare for what was in store. Our testosterone-dripping protagonist Jack, his taste in early 2000s inspired rap-metal, and his obsession with killing Chaos instantly became the focus and arguably the selling point of Team Ninja's upcoming adventure.Īs someone who appreciates some Grade-A cheese, I was ready to embrace this utter nonsense with open arms.
#FINAL FANTASY ORIGIN SERIES#
No matter where you stood with this project after initial details began to emerge, it's safe to say that everyone's collective expectations and wildest fantasies for it were dramatically shifted following a series of meme-worthy trailers.