Today's Square Enix showcase finally revealed the rumored Final Fantasy-based Soulslike game, with the proper title Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin. Square Enix fans had been excited about the rumored game as another entry in the publisher's evident plans to add more action games to its roster like the upcoming Final Fantasy 16 and Babylon's Fall. The reveal showed a much darker version of the first Final Fantasy's world and an emphasis on fast-paced combat that's divergent from most other Soulsborne games.

Final Fantasy seemed like an apt choice for a Soulsborne adaptation given its slew of iconic monsters, impressive weaponry, and otherworldly threats. So, excitement was very high ahead of the announcement. Now that fans have gotten a glimpse of what the game's combat actually looks like, it seems like Team Ninja is bringing a lot of its past signature style from Nioh and Ninja Gaiden into Final Fantasy Origin.

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Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin Shares Nioh's Pacing

New Soulslike Final Fantasy game

The new trailer for Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin debuted a dark world and fast-paced action. It looks like players will be able to either choose a class or define their character by mixing up equipment and skills. Gameplay footage cuts showed the main character using a giant sword to defeat some classic Final Fantasy monsters and, at other times, utilizing magical attacks that seem to be adaptations of the traditional Fire/Blizzard/Lightning trio.

The game sets a grim tone that many Final Fantasy games have been taking lately. It appears to be either an alternate timeline or a prequel to the original Final Fantasy game, as the main character seems to be focused with the singular drive to defeat Chaos. They later encounter Garland, the iconic dark knight that players battled against in the first game. There's several mentions of him becoming Chaos itself, so it seems like players might end up encountering him in more than one fight.

Blending Soulsborne-style gameplay into Final Fantasy is going to be an interesting endeavor to say the least. It seems like Team Ninja is focusing heavily on bringing in action similar to its design choices for the two Nioh games that it had created previously. While the more traditional titles that define the subgenre like Dark Souls rely heavy on slower and incredibly methodic combat, Stranger of Paradise looks more like the quicker pace set in NiohNioh was distinct among Soulsborne games partly because of a more nuanced combat system. Attacks and combos can be thrown out in rapid succession, and tend to drain stamina much slower than Dark Souls or even Bloodborne. The team also includes members who brought Dissidia to life, so the flash and spectacle of Final Fantasy was also be on full display.

Interestingly, this will be one of the only upcoming Final Fantasy games that won't be PS5 exclusive. So it also likely had impact on decisions to make the action a little more accessible to a wider audience, though it remains to be seen if it shares similar intricacies to Nioh. Magic also seems a much more prevalent weapon here. Dark Souls features magic definitely, but can be a very limited resource. Nioh was a bit more liberal, but Final Fantasy Origin looks like it's going to let players utilize magic in a much more grandiose way.

Not much is known about Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, but the taste shown off at E3 today has likely got many action fans excited to see more about the new game. It seems like Team Ninja is really putting action at the forefront, based on the gameplay clips that were shown. Eschewing the more methodical combat of Dark Souls for near hack n' slash-style combat closer to Nioh will definitely be interesting. It remains to be seen if other Soulsborne tropes make their way into the game like some kind of lamp/bonfire mechanic, but it is likely. With more and more Square Enix games moving into darker territory, the Soulsborne framework could end up making a fun and fresh new Final Fantasy experience.

Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is in development for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

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