Square Enix ended its E3 2021 Showcase with a huge surprise in the form of a brand new Final Fantasy built by Team Ninja, the developers of notoriously difficult games like Nioh and Ninja Gaiden. To top off the announcement for this new title Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin was the demo that launched immediately after the trailer first premiered.
This trial version has since ended, cutting players from continuing to try out the first mission of Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin again. However, Square Enix has now launched a second trial version that will expand on the original demo and give players access to more tools and locations than were previously available.
The second trial comes with a few new additions compared to the original, but those who may have missed the window to try out the first one will still have access to the Chaos Shrine. In fact, even if players stay in the first mission for the duration of the second Stranger of Paradise trial, there will still be new content to try in terms of the new jobs. For the basic jobs, players can try out the speedy Pugilist or Duelist, using punches or dual knives respectively, or more advanced fighting styles like monk and several new types of mages.
Players can also get a couple extra cutscenes that they hadn’t seen before, revealing a little more about the lore and the characters than the original demo set up. Then there is the customization of those characters, including protagonist Jack, who can be dressed up from the standard attire that they first arrive in. Altogether, the new additions push the limits of Stranger of Paradise as a Soulslike and helps the title to stand out among other games both in the genre and from the Final Fantasy franchise.
Open betas and early trials have become commonplace for both indie and AAA Soulslikes now, likely thanks to the difficulty that often comes with the genre. However, it is still surprising to see Square Enix open up the trial a second time, especially given that Stranger of Paradise’s easy mode already makes it much more accessible to new players. Regardless of whether players take advantage of the different difficulty settings, there is plenty to experience in this new trial mode that should get fans of Final Fantasy ready for a new title with a much more active approach to combat.
Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin is set to release in 2022 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.