Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin

 PlayStation 5
User Score
7.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 457 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 299 out of 457
  2. Mixed: 58 out of 457
  3. Negative: 100 out of 457
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  1. Gavrielix
    Mar 27, 2022
    9
    It is Fun! This game provides gamer who want to play a casual, stylish fast paced combat, with lot of varieties of skills and class. After finishing Elden Ring, this game provides me lot of refreshment & enjoyment, sure it has lot of mementos from Final Fantasy. Lets take example of the soundtrack. So many ost from final fantasy series are included and arranged further ib this game
  2. Daniel0809
    Aug 18, 2022
    6
    Im very new to the FF series and have only played ff7 remake , ff15 and now this game. This game has to much customization and the menu is to overwhelming. The battles get very clustered on the screen and can barely see what you're doing. Graphics look good but im forcing myself to play through it.
  3. oytunck
    Jun 30, 2022
    4
    Worst FF game I've ever played. This is not FF , this is something else ...
  4. fced
    Sep 29, 2022
    2
    This game is not a final fantasy, it is very poorly made, graphics are awful on PS4, story is absent, it is an action game (sort of), with very few content. Gameplay is ok... You will spend hours grinding in corridors levels because when you died -> lost your mana - and need to recover your max mana back before you fight a boss. Even a trash mob can kill you in two shots.
    I spend 90 euros    This game is not a final fantasy, it is very poorly made, graphics are awful on PS4, story is absent, it is an action game (sort of), with very few content. Gameplay is ok... You will spend hours grinding in corridors levels because when you died -> lost your mana - and need to recover your max mana back before you fight a boss. Even a trash mob can kill you in two shots.
    I spend 90 euros in it with season pass because i saw Final Fantasy, but I wouldn't recommand it unless +-20euro.    … Expand
  5. Jt0429
    Mar 22, 2022
    7
    Good-
    The action gameplay is really solid and enjoyable. It runs well and I didn't run into any stutters. The progression in the game is steady and satisfying.
    Bad- The characters are bland at best and can get really annoying after a while. The story is boring and I found myself bored through most of it. The graphics are really disappointing. I expected a bit more in terms of graphics    Good-
    The action gameplay is really solid and enjoyable. It runs well and I didn't run into any stutters. The progression in the game is steady and satisfying.

    Bad-
    The characters are bland at best and can get really annoying after a while. The story is boring and I found myself bored through most of it. The graphics are really disappointing. I expected a bit more in terms of graphics and its a bit disappointing

    Thoughts-
    Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin will likely go down as a bit of an oddball for the Final Fantasy series. Those that are looking for something more akin to the high quality and well-roundedness of other recent entries might be left a bit wanting with Stranger’s repetitive environments and obscenely trite characters, but at the same time it does nail its action and light RPG stuff pretty well. I wouldn’t quite say it’s a game where you should “turn your brain off” to enjoy it, but it does accommodate that mentality pretty well if you want to play it like that while also providing a good amount of depth for those who want to dig deeper. Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin does manage to take a lot of modern action game and RPG ideas and put them to good use.    … Expand
  6. WallCrouton
    Mar 26, 2022
    7
    Short version: Good story, bland gameplay. It has an identity crisis about whether it wants to be its own unique thing or a Final Fantasy themed Soulslike.

    Long version: Everything that's Final Fantasy about it is good. The world-building, music, job system, enemy designs; they're all high quality. The story bravely went in a direction that rarely happens in any game, which I was hoping    Short version: Good story, bland gameplay. It has an identity crisis about whether it wants to be its own unique thing or a Final Fantasy themed Soulslike.

    Long version: Everything that's Final Fantasy about it is good. The world-building, music, job system, enemy designs; they're all high quality. The story bravely went in a direction that rarely happens in any game, which I was hoping for and was rewarded with by suffering through the bulk of the gameplay.

    It's the same stuff the whole way through, areas are linear and forgettable. Side missions are just the same areas again but in reverse with small variations. One zone in particular comes up multiple times, and involves just simply reaching the end of the area with no roadblocks and no reason to fight any of the enemies.

    Most job skills were a total waste of time to get because if you were up against more than one enemy, you'd get swarmed and couldn't charge anything. Picking a melee weapon with super armour for their R2 skill is the only thing you need to steamroll the whole game. MP acquisition and limitations were also irritating.

    The loot system is fun at first but you just get loaded up with gear you don't need anymore, and modifying them is a waste of time because you'll just randomly find a better one. It's probably better suited for post-game, but why keep playing at that point?

    The movement of this game and other Soulslikes like Nioh suffer from something I can only describe as being sticky. FromSoftware games can feel a bit sluggish sometimes so challenging movement isn't new to me, but the problem here is that you move quite quickly, yet there's this strange stickiness between moving, dodging, and attacking. It's hard to understand without seeing or playing it yourself, but you'll have to trust me. Perhaps it's not as noticeable in other games because of input queuing, but in this game you'll find yourself reacting to things mid-action, pressing the input, and getting no result. So you fail a block, counter, or heal because you were stuck. I hope that makes sense.

    One thing that was a glaring problem for me was about 3/4 into the game, I was suddenly way underleveled/undergeared, despite doing every side mission, and exploring every corridor in the game. I didn't miss a single thing up to that point, yet somehow I was level 68 while the lowest level mission (a side mission) was level 84. On Action difficulty, I didn't stand a chance, and I often play Souls games; I don't mind a challenge. Being undergeared and fighting against the core game mechanics made it infuriating. I couldn't progress. I had to lower the difficulty to do the lowest side mission to get better gear, then turn it back up again. There was no reason for me to be that far behind, and there was no other way for me to get better equipment.

    Basically, it seems that the game struggles with being a unique concept while also being familiar genre-wise. Because of this it ends up a muddled mess. I was really excited for this game since it was first announced and we could play the demo. I preordered it. I had fun for about a day and a half and then just wanted to get to the end. I enjoyed the story, but I'm almost happy I don't have to play it anymore.

    If you liked the gameplay style of Nioh, then you should be able to tolerate this game. Same goes for if you like unique stories. If neither interest you, I'd say to skip this one.    … Expand
  7. iplayedvr42long
    Sep 21, 2022
    2
    Game is an absolute joke. Everything about this game feels 60% complete. Only about 24 equipment models and 12 of them a recolors of the previous. Every attack has a little too much weight to ever be used properly in a boss fight. Combat also weighs very heavy on the parry mechanic. Base game is palatable for new players to the "Nioh/Soulsborn" style titles. However all of the DLC requiresGame is an absolute joke. Everything about this game feels 60% complete. Only about 24 equipment models and 12 of them a recolors of the previous. Every attack has a little too much weight to ever be used properly in a boss fight. Combat also weighs very heavy on the parry mechanic. Base game is palatable for new players to the "Nioh/Soulsborn" style titles. However all of the DLC requires you to play on the highest difficulty which kinda alienated the previous difficulty settings (Let alone the new player base they were trying to sell to). The story is an absolute joke. barely 20 minutes collectively worth of story cutscenes. The game play loop got stale after the first play through. Only 2 post game missions to do which are for an equipment grind and nothing else. And Square/Team Ninja want SIXTY WHOLE DOLLARS FOR THIS.

    Completed the story and all difficulties within the day of purchase. First run on normal difficulty I was finished with the main story in about 8-10 hours.

    Do not pay premium for half baked titles. Wait for the game to drop to $20 or lower.

    On the topic of the DLC. they are locked behind a $30 Season Pass. (Scum marketing for content not worth your time and effort).

    Finished the first DLC in under 2 hours. Added 2 new boss fights. one you do off rip, the other is locked behind a material grind. (As mentioned earlier this content is locked behind the highest difficulty.)

    Team Ninja did a great Job with Nioh 1 due to the amazing unfinished writing of Kurosawa.

    Nioh 2 did not have Kurosawa's writing involved and it showed in the lack luster story and ending.

    In the end I don't think this game is worth $60 let alone $90 if you buy the season pass.

    If you like the gameplay loop more power to you. But in the end this entire experience felt less than half baked. And people need to stop praising cheap development like this.    … Expand
  8. teamcat5
    Mar 20, 2022
    9
    Yo lo estoy disfrutando muchísimo. No se que moda hay ahora de pretender que todos los videojuegos sean a gusto exquisito del consumidor. No te gusta, muy bien, pero no digas que este juego es malo, por que el juego es justo lo que pretende ser.
  9. Jikario
    Mar 23, 2022
    9
    Recommendations out of the way first: If you're a fan of Nioh looking for more of that tight, engaging combat and toying around with RPG style loot Build-crafting, or Final Fantasy fan looking for a fresh spin on the franchise, this game is a must-have. Check the footnote at the bottom for an expanded price/play related recommendation after I explain why.

    Now for the straight dope: This    Recommendations out of the way first: If you're a fan of Nioh looking for more of that tight, engaging combat and toying around with RPG style loot Build-crafting, or Final Fantasy fan looking for a fresh spin on the franchise, this game is a must-have. Check the footnote at the bottom for an expanded price/play related recommendation after I explain why.

    Now for the straight dope: This was a brilliant crystal glowing against the backdrop of the final fantasy pedigree in nearly every respect. Staunch purist FF fans and action fans that got funneled in from the souls games or (Or more likely Nioh) will be torn, but the worlds of these two studios coming together were a match made in heaven on the whole, and this game stands rightfully and proudly as a spinoff because of it. It starts as a hilarious romp that cleanly breaks the mold of the traditional final fantasy narratives and plot beats, even poking fun at them at times, into a letter penned with a loving hand to the norms and themes of the franchise as it takes those ideas in a refreshing direction, culminating in a flooring ending that left the final fantasy fans heart in me soaring. All this is carried and bolstered by unsurprisingly top tier combat and gameplay mechanics from our boys at team ninja, serving up a feast of variety they've come to be known for glazed in that iconic final fantasy flavor. While the narrative and combat culminate to carve out this gem rather valiantly, they aren't without their individual imperfections of course. Luckily they are few and far between and don't meaningfully detract from the overall glowing experience. All my handy normal adjectives like amazing, phenomenal, and fantastic are failing to service me here to describe the experience. The best way to condense it concisely is that its a welcome breath of fresh air for FF, and another proof of quality from TN. I've ranked it a 9 in fairness of it being markedly iterative (Particularly on the gameplay front) rather than entirely innovative. Though the wheel wasn't re-invented here, it spun my soul with absolute joy, and I suspect this game will only grow in fondness in my heart as an experience, and value as a videogame as it slowly becomes more and more of a steal to those with patience to wait to get it even cheaper. This one's gonna turn into some very fond memories years from now.

    Footnote: Here I'll further my recommendation based on my playtime for how you like to spend and your level of patience. I hit credits around 30 hours with only a few side missions left. If that suits for your dollar then don't hesitate to buy this ASAP. I don't think it spoilerish to tell you there is a postgame here, and If you liked the postgame of Nioh 1 and 2 you can similarly expect to get a lot more hours out of it than that. If you're not into post-games and that doesn't seem like a good playtime/price ratio for you, or If you're tight for money and can wait, I'd wager there will be a "Complete edition" packed WITH the DLC in a year or so for the standard 60/70 USD. With that oncoming DLC, Its a safe bet that when all is said and done this can easily be a 100+ hour game. Though this shouldn't deter from getting this game if you're even SLIGHTLY interested based on what you read me put at the top. Don't let purists or CHAOS you read here distract you from that, you will NOT be disappointed if you play this, whenever or however you decide to.    … Expand
  10. Lord_Biggington
    Mar 21, 2022
    7
    The music is cool, combat is fun, the dialogue is filled with cheesy action-movie like lines. If you don't take the game too seriously, like it seemingly doesn't itself then you'll have a far better time.

    The game isn't perfect by any means, but if you have a friend to play with there is potentially a lot of fun to be had.
  11. FayButterfly
    Mar 21, 2022
    9
    Though the graphics and framerate are quite atrocious, the gameplay is amazing and pure fun, even on higher difficulties and the optional Chaos mode you unlock after clearing the game. The story started out as a complete miss to me until it all clicked after one of the final missions and everything suddenly made sense. I even had to pink away a tear here and there because it got quiteThough the graphics and framerate are quite atrocious, the gameplay is amazing and pure fun, even on higher difficulties and the optional Chaos mode you unlock after clearing the game. The story started out as a complete miss to me until it all clicked after one of the final missions and everything suddenly made sense. I even had to pink away a tear here and there because it got quite feelsy, something I didn't expect at all from a masculine manly men game about FIGHTING CHAOS.

    The multiplay is fun too. You take over another's party member while keeping your own singleplayer stats and it works really well. Sadly it's not super seamless as the host disconnects during their cutscenes.

    All in all, a super fun game. Worth full price to me.    … Expand
  12. MosesUnspoken
    Mar 21, 2022
    9
    It's rough around the edges and probably needed another year of dev time but Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is undeniably something special. Even though it's heavily influenced by the likes of Nioh, Dark Souls, and Devil May Cry, at it's core, it still feels like a true Final Fantasy game. It also feels like a tribute to the series as a whole. You gather a party of uniqueIt's rough around the edges and probably needed another year of dev time but Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is undeniably something special. Even though it's heavily influenced by the likes of Nioh, Dark Souls, and Devil May Cry, at it's core, it still feels like a true Final Fantasy game. It also feels like a tribute to the series as a whole. You gather a party of unique individuals, each with their own specific jobs, and set out on an adventure, battling classic monsters and bosses in even more classic locations spanning the entire FF franchise. Add in the amazing soundtrack and intriguing story, it all culminates into chaotic mess that I can't stop playing.… Expand
  13. Fogkin
    Mar 25, 2022
    10
    Addicting and fun game play. Interesting take on the build up to the first Final Fantasy.
  14. mrroyals
    May 15, 2022
    8
    Despite the zero story, this game is a great pleasant surprise. I wasn't expecting this game to be a elden ring type of game but it was really hard but i loved the combat. It's definitely smaller scale than other souls games but i honestly had so much fun playing this game.

    What you won't like is the voice acting, game dialogue, and story.
  15. Tomplexthis
    Jul 7, 2022
    1
    I give this game a 1 out of 10, for the Chaos, but other than that, no, its a huge pass.
  16. ViviEnjoyer
    Aug 29, 2022
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Awful game, the marketing ruined the gaarland ''twist'', bad combat system, bad bosses, dont ever dare to touch final fantasy again, team ninja.… Expand
  17. Calidade
    Dec 8, 2022
    9
    No esperes un Final Fantasy normal, esto es incluso mejor de lo que la gente dice y piensa sobre el.
    No hagas caso a la prensa, no hagas caso a los usuarios, prueba y disfruta este juego como merece.
    Tras mas de 300 horas jugadas puedo decir que es un gran juego, quizá no es un juego de 9 u 8, es un juego mas bien de 7 o 6, pero sería injusto calificar este juego con esa nota tras tantas    No esperes un Final Fantasy normal, esto es incluso mejor de lo que la gente dice y piensa sobre el.
    No hagas caso a la prensa, no hagas caso a los usuarios, prueba y disfruta este juego como merece.
    Tras mas de 300 horas jugadas puedo decir que es un gran juego, quizá no es un juego de 9 u 8, es un juego mas bien de 7 o 6, pero sería injusto calificar este juego con esa nota tras tantas horas de juego, tanto disfrute que he tenido con el.
    El juego no destaca por unos gráficos, pero su música es fantastica, no destaca en historia, pero merece la pena jugar y vivir la precuela de FFI, Jack Garland se ha convertido en un gran personaje y pese a los memes, el juego en su recta final gana un ritmo tremendo.
    Tras los 2 DLC que son de una gran calidad, el juego aún se sigue disfrutando mucho mas.

    Vive, disfruta Final Fantasy.    … Expand
  18. Mogmog000
    Jan 24, 2023
    0
    The main character and his friends are not attractive.
    Dungeons are too long. No mini-map.
    Bosses are too hard and strong.
  19. Splinter
    Jun 25, 2022
    8
    It's a really good game. Not amazing, but really good. It has a lot of enjoyable gameplay. It's fun. There are plenty of rough aspects, but a game not being perfect is not a good reason to whine all day long about it. Disregard any review under a 5.
  20. Steyraus
    Jul 11, 2023
    0
    I'm done with Team Ninja. Once again it's a gain with loose impressive combat massive difficulty spikes and it just frustrating, not fun...Why can't they just make a fun hack and slash, why is every game a bad souls clone...The worst thing about their games in the confusing convoluted levelling system. So you never really know how to get stronger..
    It sux that Team Ninja are so bad these    I'm done with Team Ninja. Once again it's a gain with loose impressive combat massive difficulty spikes and it just frustrating, not fun...Why can't they just make a fun hack and slash, why is every game a bad souls clone...The worst thing about their games in the confusing convoluted levelling system. So you never really know how to get stronger..
    It sux that Team Ninja are so bad these days as I like their graphics and character design. It's balancing and combat that's a mess.    … Expand
  21. n-swidan
    Aug 3, 2023
    8
    I had a blast playing this! Great combat, loot, and bosses! Needs more enemy variety, but it was still pretty fun and challenging.
  22. abowman
    Mar 24, 2022
    6
    This game has some clever ideas but ultimately falls short of Team Ninja's previous titles.

    Positives; - The job system is fantastic. This is by far the games best attribute and it really picks up in the second half. - The combat is also pretty solid, particularly once you get abilities from multiple jobs. - The gear system is also great and it compliments the job system. The    This game has some clever ideas but ultimately falls short of Team Ninja's previous titles.

    Positives;

    - The job system is fantastic. This is by far the games best attribute and it really picks up in the second half.
    - The combat is also pretty solid, particularly once you get abilities from multiple jobs.
    - The gear system is also great and it compliments the job system.

    The Negatives

    - The story is virtually non existent, and the story that is there rarely makes any sense. Half the time I have no idea what the characters are even talking about. The lines they characters say are essentially nonsensical

    - The level design is horrific. Nioh wasn't great either, but somehow this is much worse.

    - The jobs are unbalanced. The game heavily favors caster classes. Its very difficult to get any sort of melee combo off on the vast majority of bosses. Most bosses are venerable to specific elements, and this heavily favors black mage or sage because you have access to every element.

    - The parry / break system is terrible. Holding down circle allows you to parry an enemies attack, but this same bar is used for the enemy to stagger you. A successful parry doesn't restore your bar, and in fact it will actually drain it. The parry will also rarely stagger the enemy so very often you will parry one ability, only to get hit by the next and be instantly staggered, which is almost a certain death from most bosses. Again this system heavily favors casters. The parry bar also takes WAY too long to start to regenerate.

    - The party member AI is absolutely HORRIFIC. You will watch your party members literally stand right next to the enemy and do NOTHING for 30+ sounds. It actually astounding how terrible the party AI is.

    - Just like Nioh, this game drops way too many items. You will be spending a tremendous amount of time managing your inventory for space to pick up more worthless items.

    Wrap Up

    Overall I love games that use the FF job system, and this remains true for Strangers of Paradise. I would probably even pick up a sequel to this game if they improved on the numerous flaws that are in this one. It's just so rare that we get a game with a good mix and max job system.

    Edit:

    I just finished the game on hard and I felt the need to lower the score from a 7 to a 6. The break bar system is just so terribly designed and frustrating that it was worth deducting another point. There is no diminishing returns for enemy stuns, the bar degrades from SUCCESSFUL counters, and it takes way too long to regenerate. The bar also doesn't regenerate while dodging, meleing, or casting.

    There were so many moments in this game where I would successfully counter multiple attacks only to run out of break bar meter and be stunned for from the next attack because there was nothing I could do. What's worse is there are no diminishing returns for stuns in this game, and enemies often will hit you right through your combos. This system is just so insanely poorly designed.    … Expand
  23. Vosgy
    Jun 7, 2022
    8
    Solid fun game, combat is really fun, difficulty is there.
    No idea about the english VAing, but the JP is good, even when you can't speak the language you can tell the localizes ruined it ha ha.
  24. VajraEnki
    Aug 3, 2022
    5
    Se lleva un 5 porque valoro que experimenten y prueben cosas nuevas, pero, lo experimental puede salir bien o muy mal, y en este caso fue lo segundo. He entrado con muchas ganas, pero tras acabar el juego la conclusión es que es un mal Nioh, un terrible Final Fantasy, la peor historia de la saga, y un gameplay aceptable que se sostiene mal: tu nivel se calcula haciendo la media del nivelSe lleva un 5 porque valoro que experimenten y prueben cosas nuevas, pero, lo experimental puede salir bien o muy mal, y en este caso fue lo segundo. He entrado con muchas ganas, pero tras acabar el juego la conclusión es que es un mal Nioh, un terrible Final Fantasy, la peor historia de la saga, y un gameplay aceptable que se sostiene mal: tu nivel se calcula haciendo la media del nivel de armas y armaduras que lleves, no existen estadísticas ni puntos de experiencia, el 90% de las clases y oficios son inútiles y parecen estar ahí solo por el lore y aparentar una progresión que no existe.

    (Me olvidaba añadir también que el diseño de mapeado es de cero, lineas rectas en entornos con poca personalidad, cuesta creer que esto sea producto de Ninja Theory.)

    Una propuesta interesante en el papel que luego en la practica es un desastre de todas las maneras posibles. Le tenía muchas ganas y he hecho lo posible por encontrarle cosas buenas, pero lo cierto es que es malo, y representa un coste de tiempo que podría haber invertido mejor en cualquier otro soulslike barato o indie random.    … Expand
  25. Rasecnort
    Jul 24, 2022
    10
    Chaos chaos chaos chaos chaos chaos chaos chaos chaos chaos chaos chaos chaos
  26. guyza123
    Jul 21, 2022
    8
    I'm only an hour on, but so far so good
    It's very strong, and is great considering the state of 2022 (bad)
    Typical FF strengths (great music, really good graphics) I like the characters, it's just a nice game. It was worth the money, which is fair. The combat is awesome, big step forward for the series IMO. This game shows that final fantasy can keep up with the competition and still deliver.
  27. Lord_Sunday
    Jun 12, 2022
    8
    I wasn't going to buy this game because of the low review scores, but after finding out it was made by team ninja, creators of Nioh 1 and 2, I dove in. In short, I enjoyed this game. The negatives are right in that the story isn't deep, and the graphics are ps4, but the gameplay well made up for it. If you like Nioh, you'll likely enjoy this game.
  28. Campos1444
    May 2, 2022
    10
    Ok, I have to make this review to tilt the scales a bit and make sure people don't pass it up just on the bad reviews.

    While the ending from a standpoint of who Jack is is fairly predictable it gives a huge new perspective into his why. The characters are shallow at the start of the game, but as the game progresses this is explained by the story, and the same goes for Jack's    Ok, I have to make this review to tilt the scales a bit and make sure people don't pass it up just on the bad reviews.

    While the ending from a standpoint of who Jack is is fairly predictable it gives a huge new perspective into his why.

    The characters are shallow at the start of the game, but as the game progresses this is explained by the story, and the same goes for Jack's obsession with killing Chaos, he hammers it for logical reasons.

    Graphics-wise, yeah it is about a generation behind, it has a Nioh/DMC5 look to it, but a lot of work seems to have been put into customization, throughout the whole game you will be constantly changing your look, and while there are some recolors they aren't overwhelming

    On the point of gameplay, It is not a turn-based game, which has put off some FF players, it is a mix of Nioh combat and FF Jobs with some more extra, the jobs system is pretty good, each job while not unique(weapon types and move sets are shared by some classes) offers a nice variety, with the job-specific-skills and passives.

    While not a 10 out of 10 it is a pretty cool side story that fleshes out some characters from the numbers games and adds something new to the FF repertoire.    … Expand
  29. Freesteff
    Mar 26, 2022
    5
    Habe es nach knapp über 30 Stunden durch gespielt und nein es ist kein Souls like was für mich auch nicht der negativ punkt ist das spiel spiel ist sehr Eintönig man reist über ne overmap von ein Dungon in den nächsten so wie bei Marvels Avenger die Nebenquest bestehen auch wie die
  30. susoloy
    May 8, 2022
    9
    This game is a recommended option if you want to join the final fantasy universe and you like the hack and slack genre. The gameplay is very enjoyable, it's not very difficult to learn but is very funny. The plot at the beginning will look strange but it's an story that you can love it.
  31. CKaedhan
    Apr 11, 2023
    9
    Expected memes, got a very good game.

    Stranger of paradise has been closer to "Final Fantasy" than FF XII, XIII or XV. Gameplay loop is very fun and can be challenging, bosses are unique, jobs really matters and change the way you'll play. Game has been fun from start to finish with no interruption. Very good game for something that isn't a AAA. Just keep Nomura out of the next game,    Expected memes, got a very good game.

    Stranger of paradise has been closer to "Final Fantasy" than FF XII, XIII or XV. Gameplay loop is very fun and can be challenging, bosses are unique, jobs really matters and change the way you'll play. Game has been fun from start to finish with no interruption. Very good game for something that isn't a AAA.

    Just keep Nomura out of the next game, shake keys in front of his face or something.
    I'll gladly buy the next FF by Koei Tecmo.

    9/10, would kill Chaos again.    … Expand
  32. Duncs12345
    Sep 3, 2022
    8
    Excellent gameplay with satisfying mechanics and well thought out boss fights. The job system creates great variety and the level nostalgia for a final fantasy fan was nice. The loot system is not good and I would have enjoyed more character dialogue/ back story.
  33. yangfanhong
    Jan 17, 2023
    8
    Although this game is officially denounced as the prologue of Final Fantasy 1 , I found it quite amazing and suitable as the origin of the Final Fantasy story.
  34. psan
    Apr 27, 2022
    10
    Was entertained from start to finish and what a ride it was. The ending is so much gold too, you have to play this game now.
  35. xcylo
    Jan 25, 2023
    9
    I can say almost nothing positive about this game except that I enjoyed almost every moment I spent with it
  36. Traumvita
    Sep 6, 2023
    7
    It’s decent. Visuals kinda meh. Has a charm to it but honestly at times reminds me of a good looking PS3 game. Overall plays alright. Story kinda sucks. Characters suck except for Jack. Jack is hilarious. The best way to play this game is to not take it serious and play it co op. Very fun co op game.
  37. CapitanQwark
    Jul 9, 2023
    10
    Awesome game. It recieved lot of hate, but it's an incredible idea to explore another stories of the final fantasy Series.
  38. LouisJ
    Jul 31, 2022
    10
    Strangers is a very creative retelling of FF1. It is also an incrediblely for game. I unlcked and played every job. One of the game’s greatest strengths is the way it seamlessly translated both the job system and also each job's unique playstyle from the first few Final Fantasy games to a modern action rpg
  39. alanjackson
    Jul 24, 2022
    5
    Couldnt get into it. The voice acting felt flat and combat was underwhelming (for me). I had high hopes but didnt finish the game.
  40. ArcZ7
    Sep 1, 2023
    7
    Stranger of paradise is a strange game. On one hand the game had tons of potential on the other in many ways it feels very rushed. It seems like a lot of focused went into combat rather then making a interesting story which FF franchise is know for. There is plenty of classes and combination to go with but all falls apart once you start looking into the loot system which is so over bloatedStranger of paradise is a strange game. On one hand the game had tons of potential on the other in many ways it feels very rushed. It seems like a lot of focused went into combat rather then making a interesting story which FF franchise is know for. There is plenty of classes and combination to go with but all falls apart once you start looking into the loot system which is so over bloated its ridiculous.

    This game could really do with some more development time and fine tuning all systems to make more of a cohesive game. Overall I enjoyed my time with stranger of paradise but its not a game I would go back to again.    … Expand
  41. Holly_Marie
    May 4, 2022
    7
    I score this 7.5/10 although I’d like to give it an 8. I am a huge FF fan and I enjoyed this a lot but it’s not without it’s problems. Let’s start with the bad. Sadly there’s some issues like bad graphics, bland npcs, a bad loot system and some repetition of enemies and things. I think it is fair to expect a PS5 game to look better than this. It’s not just a case ofI score this 7.5/10 although I’d like to give it an 8. I am a huge FF fan and I enjoyed this a lot but it’s not without it’s problems. Let’s start with the bad. Sadly there’s some issues like bad graphics, bland npcs, a bad loot system and some repetition of enemies and things. I think it is fair to expect a PS5 game to look better than this. It’s not just a case of the graphics not being great but there’s also a real problem with the HD brightness/darkness. The walls look like they’re glitching and you sometimes see reflections where you shouldn’t. While I haven’t had performance issues, the graphics themselves often feel very shaky which is strange as they aren’t super detailed or anything.

    Also while I love love love the main characters, SE do the same things with npcs that they did in FF7 remake.. trying to make them so lifelike and they’re very bland. A woman keeps saying she is the mom of light and her kids are the kids of light and they need to tidy their room... I just hate this style, it’s a fantasy world, should be fantasy people not my next door neighbour.

    That being said just a really fun game, fun main characters, a very good story that made me cry (it could be executed better in some ways but I do adore Jack), not too long, some good bosses - I played on hard and I did die a bit. Some fantastic music particularly the battles.

    The job system is a lot of fun although I found that I didn’t regen MP quick enough on any job so most of them came down to just pressing the normal attack. They clearly expect you to use the ‘lightbringer’ mechanic to deal with groups but you rarely have enough MP to use it when you need to. But it was fun to level the different jobs and build Jack unique to me - a mage turns into a white mage, a swordsman turns into a knight, a knight and a white mage becomes a paladin etc. Dungeons can be a bit linear and repetitive but generally it’s a really fun gameplay experience. I especially liked catching the enemies skill and using it back against them.

    I would compare this to a movie that you had a great time watching but you know it’s not the best written or the best acted film. It’s kinda like the ghostbusters 2 of final fantasy! I would recommend it to anyone who wants a fun action story game on a sale.. people who are big fans of FF should give this a try for sure. For me it was worth full price. For you it will come down to if you think you will enjoy it. Most gamers would enjoy playing this to some level (like if it was a PS plus game it would be a no brainer to download this) but don’t set your expectations super high - if you just go in looking for a fun time and don’t take it too seriously then if anything you could be pleasantly surprised.    … Expand
  42. Phabyo
    Jul 25, 2022
    10
    I was worried about this game, first impressions make me believe it would be a disaster combat system as FF 15 was. Then I played the demo. LOVED IT. This game has EVERYTHING a final fantasy game should have: amazing story, great characters, awesome game play. It has stunning graphics and performance (PS5). The story starts confusing, but as you play and starts understanding what is goingI was worried about this game, first impressions make me believe it would be a disaster combat system as FF 15 was. Then I played the demo. LOVED IT. This game has EVERYTHING a final fantasy game should have: amazing story, great characters, awesome game play. It has stunning graphics and performance (PS5). The story starts confusing, but as you play and starts understanding what is going on, it blows your mind. The combat is very responsive and feels like a souls game, but faster. Expect about 60 hours of story and 200+ hours doing end-game content. The new DLC makes the game even better.… Expand
  43. Peanutbutler0
    May 20, 2022
    8
    This is honestly one of the most enjoyable final Fantasy games I've played since crisis core, and the combat reminds me of that one a lot, although faster paced. Cons: the story is pretty dull
    Dialogue is completely skippable (as in boring and unimportant)
    You don't care about any of the characters There is no side exploration or world map action Some art assets are poorly designed and    This is honestly one of the most enjoyable final Fantasy games I've played since crisis core, and the combat reminds me of that one a lot, although faster paced. Cons: the story is pretty dull
    Dialogue is completely skippable (as in boring and unimportant)
    You don't care about any of the characters There is no side exploration or world map action Some art assets are poorly designed and repetitive Pros:
    Combat is fast paced and extremely satisfying
    Much customization in equipment and jobs and skills Did I mention incredibly fun combat ? Great combat    … Expand
  44. Aashir52970
    Sep 16, 2022
    8
    Well, if you can keep the weird visuals aside, this is great game in my opinion.

    Pros 1. Combat is addictive and fast paced 2. Boss designs are shockingly good 3. The 'jobs' mechanic is cool 4. The game doesn't take itself too seriously....all that matters is that it is loads of fun Cons 1. Don't go looking for a story... you won't find one 2. Graphically unimpressive 3. No character    Well, if you can keep the weird visuals aside, this is great game in my opinion.

    Pros
    1. Combat is addictive and fast paced
    2. Boss designs are shockingly good
    3. The 'jobs' mechanic is cool
    4. The game doesn't take itself too seriously....all that matters is that it is loads of fun

    Cons
    1. Don't go looking for a story... you won't find one
    2. Graphically unimpressive 3. No character development whatsoever 4. Not a big fan of endgame content as it gets repetitive Let there be CHAOS....    … Expand
  45. TRgdgk
    May 26, 2022
    10
    I haven't had this much fun for a long time. After the update the game looks even better than before
  46. spartantv
    Jun 9, 2022
    9
    It's a very funny game. The plot isn't the Best but you'll have a Goodyear time playing
  47. Anactualgamer
    Jan 17, 2023
    8
    Finally got around to playing Stranger of Paradise and all I can say is wow. I always try to go into games I'm interested in without watching/reading reviews, because as you can see on this page itself, people just review bomb good games nowadays. Combat is fun and the job system is alot like ffxiv where you can play any job you want by changing the weapon. And you can have two jobsFinally got around to playing Stranger of Paradise and all I can say is wow. I always try to go into games I'm interested in without watching/reading reviews, because as you can see on this page itself, people just review bomb good games nowadays. Combat is fun and the job system is alot like ffxiv where you can play any job you want by changing the weapon. And you can have two jobs "equipped" at the same time to switch during combat. Combat has a nice flow switching between jobs and skills. A+
    Graphics are good on the Ps5. But in all honesty they could have done better. I don't think it's on the same level as say Ragnarok or Horizon but still beautiful and the level design is very "dark souls" esque. A-
    Sound is good. A little repetitive it feels like even if it's not the same song it just feels like "this sounds alot like......" B+
    Story isn't hard to follow. Some of the reviews on here say "there is no story" which is completely false. Some people obviously are skipping cutscenes or on the lower end of the IQ spectrum. In summary, Stranger of Paradise is well worth the price of 30.00 which you can get a used copy for now. It's a must play for fans of Final Fantasy and the souls like genre. Hope this review helps bring more people into the game. Cheers!    … Expand
  48. Badgerryan27
    Nov 3, 2022
    6
    It was alright. I didn’t expect much and it wasn’t the greatest. But I did like the perspective from the villain of the first game. So it gives us a little of insight. I did appreciate that but overall it didn’t do it all for me.
  49. juniortiger
    May 17, 2023
    10
    You need check game out one the best game and lot open world and action game and excellent graphic and good music and good day
  50. wildest21
    Jan 5, 2023
    5
    Dude Seem like a challenging game to play interesting story for it to be the original fantasy game. I think the lead Role or character seems odd or to macho. Doesn't seem like a character to grivate towards but it's only the beginning.
  51. LastResource
    Jan 14, 2023
    10
    worth it and glad to play this game again. so much memories and nostalgia within this spin off game in the series.
  52. signas
    Jan 25, 2023
    10
    it's like a mix between final fantasy xv, sekiro, ps2 era god of war, and devil may cry. It's so good that even though it borrows elements from those games it still feels like its own thing. As always Final Fantasy delivering quality games.
  53. NN010
    Jan 29, 2023
    8
    Before I get into the story, I would like to discuss this game’s biggest strength: the gameplay. Whilst I haven’t played the Nioh games, it is clear that Team Ninja did take a lot of cues from what they’d done in that series when designing this game. Subsequently, while Dark Souls & Elden Ring comparisons are inevitable, Stranger of Paradise is pretty different & much faster paced thanBefore I get into the story, I would like to discuss this game’s biggest strength: the gameplay. Whilst I haven’t played the Nioh games, it is clear that Team Ninja did take a lot of cues from what they’d done in that series when designing this game. Subsequently, while Dark Souls & Elden Ring comparisons are inevitable, Stranger of Paradise is pretty different & much faster paced than those games. Instead of mostly dodging until you can attack enemies from behind, Stranger of Paradise mostly encourages you to either block attacks or use the game’s Soul Shield ability to parry them and gain additional MP slots for using abilities (with the occasional attack you have to dodge, but those are signposted clearly). Stranger of Paradise also emphasizes running down an enemy’s stagger gauge to perform instant takedown moves. The default controls are reminiscent of other Souls-Likes, but you can switch to a more Nioh/Devil May Cry-esque control scheme in the options menu. My biggest issue with the combat really is just that the game is so generous with weapons & armour that in the late-game you have to dismantle a bunch of old gear every couple of missions. It’s a time consuming process & in my experience the auto-dismantle feature Team Ninja added in a post-release patch doesn’t work.
    Overall, unless you’re looking for a pure Souls-like experience, Stranger of Paradise offers a dynamic & fast-paced combat system that nevertheless takes inspiration from Dark Souls. And if you aren’t into the high difficulty of Souls-Likes (or are just here for the story and/or memes), the game does have lower difficulty settings to make the game more enjoyable for you.

    As for the story (co-written by Final Fantasy VII, FFVIII & Kingdom Hearts 2 writer Kazuhige Nojima), it is an… interesting experience. At first, it feels like so bad, it’s good edgy throwback to the 2000s wherein the protagonist seemingly drops more curse words than every character in the rest of the Final Fantasy series combined. But as you get closer to the end the story starts to become actually good. The edgy exterior starts to give way to an unexpectedly emotional story about the folly of anger & the importance of memory. Similarly, the dialogue also goes from meme-worthy to good as the game goes on (ex: the **** scene takes place in the first couple of hours). On a related note, the music (mainly composed by FFXIII-2 co-composer Naoshi Mizuta) is pretty good and calls back to previous Final Fantasy games in subtle, but appreciated ways.

    Speaking of references to previous Final Fantasy games, Stranger of Paradise, being the game released to mark the 35th anniversary of the Final Fantasy franchise, has numerous references & call backs to previous FF games. Most of them take the form of dungeons being inspired by (and implied in-universe to pulled from the worlds of) previous Final Fantasy games (ex: The Crystal Tower from FFIII (also a prominant location in FFXIV), Sunleth Waterscape from FFXIII, Sastasha from FFXIV & the Citadel from FFXV), but outside of that, there are plenty of classic Final Fantasy elements included (ex: Chaos, Warriors of Light & a Job system reminiscent of FFV & FFXIV). These references aren’t so all-consuming that they detract from the story being told, though.

    Moving on to the technical & visual aspects, Stranger of Paradise is a mixed bag. On one hand, the art direction is as good as should be expected from a Square Enix game. Sure Jack looks like a generic video game protagonist from the late 2000s-early 2010s, but that feels intentional given the direction the story goes in & the rest of characters do have designs that fit their characters. The only one I can really question is Neon wearing a school-girl outfit. Is it meant to signify how she’s younger than the rest of the cast? Maybe, but she’s supposed to be 18 according to the Final Fantasy Wiki (or at least her physical appearance is). Most likely explanation is that someone at Team Ninja and/or Square Enix wanted one of the characters to wear a school girl outfit and didn’t care how little sense it made.

    As for the technical side of things, this game is a mess. It’s been patched to improve performance, but the game’s visuals still aren’t up to par for a PS5 game. The anti-aliasing solution Team Ninja are using can’t keep up with this game’s environment design & causes the game to look like a shimmery, blurry mess at times (and this is with the game set to resolution mode!). And it’s not a case of Team Ninja not putting much effort into the PS5 version. The PS4, Xbox One & Series S versions are even worse in this regard & people found at launch that the PC version’s framerate tanks whenever there is fur or hair on s    … Expand
  54. benthesodaman
    Mar 27, 2023
    8
    Liked: Fast-paced action combat, a breadth and depth of build options as you progress the game, soundtrack and nods to Final Fantasy series, and three player co-op for most of the game and DLCs. The difficulty options if you just want to play story and if you invest in the RPG mechanics, even though the DLC is on a higher difficulty - you will be on even footing.

    Disliked: The 3rd DLC    Liked: Fast-paced action combat, a breadth and depth of build options as you progress the game, soundtrack and nods to Final Fantasy series, and three player co-op for most of the game and DLCs. The difficulty options if you just want to play story and if you invest in the RPG mechanics, even though the DLC is on a higher difficulty - you will be on even footing.

    Disliked: The 3rd DLC had little in the way of build expansion compared to the 1st and 2nd DLCs, UI QoL that did not get implemented, number of lingering bugs, the Rift Labyrinth's penalty system, Rift Labyrinth lacking a co-op save, story pacing, character animations during story sequences

    To address the DLC difficulty: The game is fair if you don't rush by neglecting mechanics. Which is what some players citing Souls NG+++ and Nioh Abyss 999 players do/did. The game gives you multiple ways to increase your stats, but a number of players only focus on one way. Use them all and you could be clearing bosses in under 60 seconds or face tanking even without grinding. And if do grind or grind efficiently, you could achieve faster clears or be so sturdy you can go pee, wash your hands, come back, and still be alive (not exaggerating, especially the wash hands part).

    For players that don't want to invest time learning the game, but do want to see the story first-hand, there is a lore friendly Extra Mode. You can also still practice and experience the combat in this way, but if you neglect your stats, you may have boss encounters longer than 2~3 minutes.

    And then as a Final Fantasy name, no other game in the franchise has as much build customization as this game. For players that love that kind of stuff, this is a dream. For players that want something more streamlined and simplified, the DLCs will be a mini-nightmare.    … Expand
  55. LetterboxParrot
    Apr 22, 2023
    8
    Let's be real. The game is about the combat. Flashy, satisfying combat.
    Nothing makes me want to jump off a bridge more than Master Tonberries.
  56. dreamnight
    Jun 1, 2023
    10
    I recommend pick one up lot action and also song beautiful and excellent graphic and good day
  57. Tintler
    Jun 25, 2023
    7
    Nioh, Final Fantasy ile buluşursanın cevabı. Çok fazla class var, çok çeşitli buildler yapabiliyorsunuz. Çoğu kişi tarafından sevilmese de güzel bir spin-off olduğunu düşünüyorum.En azından sıkılmadan 50-60 saat geçirebilirsiniz.
  58. swin
    Jun 25, 2023
    8
    I'm primarily a JRPG player, and I rarely play games with high difficulties or high skill ceilings. As such much of my time was getting used to the controls and actually using the block button. Having a souls-esque game for a series known for low skill ceilings is certainly a choice. That said, I loved playing as Jack as I got to see the how and why of the final villain of FF1. I playedI'm primarily a JRPG player, and I rarely play games with high difficulties or high skill ceilings. As such much of my time was getting used to the controls and actually using the block button. Having a souls-esque game for a series known for low skill ceilings is certainly a choice. That said, I loved playing as Jack as I got to see the how and why of the final villain of FF1. I played FF1 a couple of years earlier and the time-travel aspect seems like a difficult thing to write around, but I think they did a great job with the material given.

    It took me approx. ~35 hours to complete the game playing primarily in Story Mode difficulty.

    Pros:
    * Dialogue is very enjoyable (CHAOS)
    * Gameplay is very fun and challenging (even at lower difficulties)
    * Story was surprisingly enjoyable
    * Music is great, as expected for Final Fantasy
    * Characters are very likeable
    * Standalone title - doesn't require playing others in the series

    Cons
    * Equipment management: limited storage and constant drops are a noxious combo
    * Exploration isn't really incentivized because all you get is equipment from chests - something you can find literally anywhere
    * The story can be confusing, although playing FF1 beforehand helps    … Expand
  59. Marioku
    Aug 8, 2023
    10
    El juego me sorprendió que cada vez se vuelve más adictivo sin sumar sus DLC que complementan aún más esta historío
  60. Killerpummkin
    Aug 10, 2023
    8
    It's true that technically it's not perfect, but it's fun and the characters are well designed in every way. The combat system is the best part of the game, I love it and it's spectacular. Another very good point is the soundtrack, which is great. Without having the excellence of other Final Fantasies, it is a good game that I think has been unfairly criticised by the critics.
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Awards & Rankings

99
#99 Best PlayStation 5 Game of 2022
20
#20 Most Discussed PlayStation 5 Game of 2022

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
72

Mixed or average reviews - based on 91 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 44 out of 91
  2. Mixed: 46 out of 91
  3. Negative: 1 out of 91
  1. RPGamer
    Jul 12, 2022
    70
    Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin attempts to fuse the original’s sensibility into a fast-paced action RPG. For the most part, it is successful with intense action gameplay and beautiful music. Adjustable difficulty options and online co-op make the game accessible to a myriad of gamers without diminishing challenge or sacrificing replayability. It’s somewhat fitting that in this topsy-turvy action spin-off, the only thing that’s truly upside-down is the presentation of the original game’s story. Even as the narrative stumbles, the core gameplay is strong enough to motivate to see this story through to completion, no matter how chaotic.
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  2. Oyungezer
    Jun 26, 2022
    75
    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.
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  3. Het Nieuwsblad
    May 17, 2022
    60
    Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin constantly balances between homage to the series and bombastic kitsch. The new gameplay - it feels more like a soulslike game than your typical action-RPG - is refreshing at times, but not spectacular enough to make the game rise above mediocrity.
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