I don’t think anyone asked for this, but Square Enix is giving it to us anyway: Strange of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is a dark fantasy, action-RPG re-imagining of the original Final Fantasy, developed by Team Ninja (Ninja Gaiden). Yes, Final Fantasy, before it had a number. It’s coming next year to PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Judging by the trailer, the hopelessly generic Jack and his buds are thrown into the apparently dark and gritty world of Final Fantasy, where they need to become the Warriors of Light to defeat the demon, Chaos. Players will fight famliar monsters from the series in real-time battles while swapping job classes and unleashing spells and abilities.
“While it is Final Fantasy, it feels different—but there’s no doubt that the blood of Final Fantasy runs through its veins,” said Tetsuya Nomura, Creative Producer, Stranger of Paradise. “We’ve undertaken the challenge of finding this difficult middle ground for this mature and stylish title. We need a little time until we’re able to complete it, and while the battle system is a bloody one, it does link to the story, so I hope you’ll use this opportunity to give it a try.”
The limited-time trial version is available now on PlayStation 5, through June 24. Players who complete the trial are encouraged to fill out the survey to provide feedback to help shape the game.
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin will release next year on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox consoles.
