E3 returned in style this year, with a tidal wave of new trailers and announcements from gaming’s biggest developers. One of the trailers that drew the most attentio was forStranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin.Stranger of Paradiseis an upcoming title being developed by Team Ninja, but might easily be confused with another famous entry in theFinal Fantasyseries.
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin’s trailershowed a lot of what it has to offer. However, the game’s title and how easy it is to pluralize a subtitle like “Origin” may cause it to be mistaken forFinal Fantasy Origins,the 2003 collection which contains the remastered/remade versions of the original twoFinal Fantasygames.
What is Final Fantasy Origins?
The very firstFinal Fantasytitle released in Japan for the NES way back in 1987, and launched in the US three years later.Final Fantasy2released in 1988, but didn’t see a US release for much longer. In 2003, remastered versions of both titles were compiled intoFinal Fantasy Origins,and released to US and European audiences.Final Fantasy Originsbrought the two games to the PlayStationfor the first time, as well as improving graphics and remixing soundtracks. The collection also contained some additional content, including brand new CGI cutscenes.
For many western players,FinalFantasy Originswas their first dive into theFinal Fantasyseries. Consequently, it’s fondly remembered in the community. It’s this affection, and a dash of wishful thinking, that caused players to connect therumors of the upcomingStranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Originwith the originalFinal Fantasy Origins.However, we now know that the two games are only vaguely related, andStranger of Paradiseis certainly not a remake of the original twoFinal Fantasy titles.
What is Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin?
The firstrumors ofStranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Originarrived early in 2021, supported by a hefty amount of leaked information. One of the leaks that turned out to be reliable was thatStranger of Paradisewould a darker, more mature entry into theFinal Fantasyseries, inspired by the Soulslike genre. Another leak which also proved to be true is thatStranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Originwould have connection to the originalFinal Fantasygame. While this is accurate, it’s not as simple as being a remake ofFinal Fantasy Origins.
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Originis set in a dark-fantasy version of the originalFinal Fantasyuniverse. Players will take on the role of a group of people who have been pulled into this world from another, seemingly to fulfil theprophecy of the Warriors of Light. Whether this is true or not is another matter, as the Warriors of Light is the name for the original group of characters inFinal Fantasy.In fact, the Warriors of Light, Light Warriors, or Heroes of Light is a reoccurring theme throughout theFinal Fantasyseries, with many protagonists belonging to a similarly-named group.
The “Chaos” that the characters ofStranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Originare so eager to kill is actually a corrupted knight calledGarland, the original antagonist ofFinal Fantasy. With the small amount of information so far, this point of connection seems to be the closest link betweenStrangers of ParadiseandFinal Fantasy Origins.
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How Are They Connected?
While there are certainly some thematic andstory connections betweenStranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy OriginandFinal Fantasy Origins,the link isn’t as strong as some players had hoped. A lot of the hype and speculation surrounding the upcoming game, and the reason it’s been linked toFinal Fantasy Origins,is really down to its name alone.The similarity betweenStranger of ParadiseandFinal Fantasy Originsis certainly a decision that’s sure to confuse fans.
After the radical and widely-praised approach taken by theFinal Fantasy 7 Remake, many fans were hoping for another title that approached remastering in a similar way. While it doesn’t seem like that is the case, fans can still expect some strong references toFinal Fantasy1. The two titles share both a world and a villain, and it seems unlikely that Square Enix would miss the chance to reveal more about the game that started it all.
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Originreleases in 2022 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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