GameCentral reviews the new action role-player from the creators of Nioh, that tries to recreate Final Fantasy 1 for the modern age.
When we first heard that Square Enix had commissioned Team Ninja, creators of the grossly underrated Nioh, to make a Dark Souls style game in the Final Fantasy universe we thought it was a great idea. Not only would it be an opportunity for Team Ninja’s games to reach a wider audience, but the melancholic grandeur of Dark Souls and its sister titles seemed a perfect match for the classier end of the Final Fantasy spectrum of games. So imagine our surprise when this turned out to be the trashiest thing Square Enix has published in a long time.
Unlike the irredeemable awfulness of Babylon’s Fall, Stranger Of Paradise does have many positive elements but there’s no getting around the fact that it is presented in the most bizarrely obnoxious way possible, as its edeglord characters blunder about like drunken Neanderthals. Sometimes it seems like it’s trying to be funny on purpose but you can never be sure, and most of the time we really don’t think it is.
The storytelling is so frequently absurd that it manages to come across as weirdly endearing anyway, if only for the fact that most of the cut scenes are actually quite short. Of course, your mileage may vary, in either direction, but if you consider Stranger In Paradise purely on its gameplay merits it is a pretty decent Soulsborne game – even if it never reaches the heights of any of the games it’s trying to copy, including Nioh.
The set-up of Stranger Of Paradise is also something that sounds better on paper than in reality. It’s an alternate take on the very first Final Fantasy game, which had no officially named characters for its protagonists and relatively little plot compared to modern games. There were some neat time travel-related twists towards the end though (spoilers for a 35 year old game!) and that seems to be the justification for making the main characters in Strange Of Paradise look and act like a bunch of Devil May Cry rejects.
We’re not going to spoil what’s going on, even if Square Enix’s marketing seems to show no such misgivings. Although who knows what’s been going through their head with this game, and that bizarre reveal trailer with the main hero constantly shouting about wanting to ‘kill Chaos’. Although that is a fair representation of both 90% of his dialogue and the fact that he is constantly angry all the time (not even he knows why because, of course, he has amnesia).
Whether you’ve seen the trailers or not the first impressions of the game are not good, even if the Frank Sinatra tune during the tutorial area (no, we are not kidding) almost takes your attention away from the very cheap looking graphics. They barely look last gen and never really get any better, despite some spirted attempts at gothic Dark Souls style architecture and wilderness areas. Again, Nioh was a lot better than this, so we can only assume Team Ninja were limited by time and/or money. Although the biggest technical problem is the performance, with an uneven frame rate even on the PlayStation 5.
The other problem is just how old-fashioned the level design is, which is unfortunate because that’s obviously one area where Dark Souls excels. Just like Final Fantasy 7 Remake, you quickly become aware that, no matter the décor, almost all the rooms and stages are just rectangular boxes that feel like something out of a PlayStation 2 game. Whether that means it’s some sort of Square Enix mandate we’re not sure but that combined with the endless copy-and-paste corridors ruins what should be one of the key elements of a good Soulsborne.
By far the game’s strongest element is the combat, even if you can probably already guess exactly how it works (assuming you haven’t just played the demo). It’s a predictable mix of light and heavy attacks, with a Break gauge that can leave both you and enemies stunned at the worst/best possible moment. There are magic attacks too, although even ordinary special moves use up magic power, so you have to keep fighting in order to keep it topped up. It’s difficult but, at least for the main story content, it’s never as challenging as actual Dark Souls games.
The most unique feature is the Soul Shield, which is a multi-purpose block on top of the ordinary non-magic one. The Soul Shield can not only parry attacks but absorb them as magic points. Using it also fills up an enemy’s Break meter and allows you the chance to fire back enemy spells at them. It’s a neat system, clearly meant to encourage parrying for those that normally don’t bother. Using it is not without risk though, as if you miss a parry it fills your Break meter and so can leave you stunned for a dangerous few seconds if you mess up too often.
The problem with having to stay fighting all the time is that this quickly leaves you with an unmanageable amount of loot. Having to sort the wheat from the chaff quickly becomes a chore that begins to slow the game’s pacing down to a crawl. This is no accident though; the game is absolutely obsessed with loot, with each mission making it very clear before you start what you’re likely to earn – as if you’d be genuinely excited to spend another 10 minutes sorting through your inventory.
You can’t sell loot you don’t want but you can dismantle it to use its components to upgrade the things you decide to keep, although this seems entirely pointless as you’ll invariably come across something better a few minutes later anyway. All we can say is thank god there’s an optimise button.
In gameplay terms, Strange Of Paradise has very little to do with Final Fantasy, but there is a version of the Job system, which starts you off as a Swordsman and then opens up increasing numbers of other classes that change the types of weapons, armour, and special moves you have access to. Some focus on using shields, other on speed or magic, and all are agreeably varied in their pros and cons – especially as you can have two Jobs at once and instantly swap between them. You can also set Jobs for your companions, including their weapons and armour, even though you otherwise have no control over them.
Stranger Of Paradise is one of the most bloated games we’ve played in a long time. Not in the Ubisoft sense of trying to extend the running time with repetitive tasks, but the sheer number of different systems and options, half of which you never end up using. If they were all original ideas that might have been admirable but most of them are not. The story is ruined for many of the same reasons, since it’s stuffed with so many obscure references and weird character moments it’s unlikely to ever make sense to anyone other than those that wrote it.
The combat is good enough that the game can still be enjoyable, and having an easy mode it’s potentially a good place to start for those looking to dip a nervous toe into a Soulsborne style game. Although it’s unfortunate it’s come out at the same time as Elden Ring, which while it doesn’t have an easy mode, is more approachable than From’s other titles. We’d still recommend both that and Nioh above Stranger Of Paradise, but while it’s chaotic nonsense it’s not entirely without merit.
Stranger Of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin review summary
In Short: Enjoyable Souls-lite combat can’t make up for the tedious loot system and laughably bad storytelling, in this misconceived Final Fantasy spin-off.
Pros: The combat is good, with the Job system adding a lot of variety and customisation. The script is occasionally so bad it’s good…
Cons: …but most of the time it’s just incomprehensible and weird. Awful loot system and far too many other elements, like weapon upgrades, that add nothing. Weak graphics and level design.
Score: 6/10
Formats: PlayStation 5 (reviewed), Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, and PC
Price: £59.99
Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: Team Ninja
Release Date: 18th March 2022
Age Rating: 16
Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, and follow us on Twitter.
MORE : Stranger Of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin demo is a complete embarrassment – Reader’s Feature
MORE : Stranger Of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin demo review – Dark Fantasy
MORE : Stranger Of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is all about slaying Chaos
Follow Metro Gaming on Twitter and email us at gamecentral@metro.co.uk
For more stories like this, check our Gaming page.
