Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin

[Sakuraba Neku]

Played the demo. The gameplay is more fun than I was expecting.
Don't know what to think about the story. First time I wondered if I should be high to fully enjoy a game.

 

[Chaser]

No surprise, I really enjoyed my time with the demo. The locations, while being corridors to funnel you through, have enough twisting paths off to the side that I found myself getting lost in Prakova and the Western Keep. I'm only doing story mode since I'm not interested in putting myself through frustration, but the combat is enjoyable and trying out the different classes are fun.

The story is batshit in just dropping you into random shit that doesn't make sense and having stuff be shown through text on the screen. The more Fool's Missives I unlocked the more I understood why they did it that way.

The quality in cutscenes vary from gorgeous character models and lovely stages to early PS3 looking environments and models. It's crazy the wide range on display aha.

I'm a little disappointed that they don't have little explorable towns where you can buy stuff, go to the smithy etc. Launching conversations from a list in the menu was a choice and somehow, despite how insane of a choice that is, it feels like it perfectly fits into Stranger of Paradise's DNA of odd decisions.

I'm looking forward to playing the game in 3 days. Should auto download tonight and I'll be trying to get through the story as fast as possible while collecting as many lore orbs as possible.

I have some thoughts about where the story is going, including some batshit theories like FF1 / Dissidia's Cid has replicas that have gone to the 15-16 other dimensions (If FFXVI is included somehow) and that's how Cid (who I assume is writing some of the Fool's Missives) knows about the dimensions and the landscapes inside of it.

The dark crystals as well, they collect the memories of the four warriors holding it and it is clear they've been through this loop many times. I have an idea that someone knows that they become Chaos and the Four Fiends and gave them the crystals to wipe their memory so they don't go back down that path, but something is going wrong and their memories are starting to come back. Every time they become the fiends and Chaos, the loop resets (like how it happened in the Tiamut fight) but all they know is they have a burning desire to kill Chaos.

I'm so interested in where this is all going.

 

[Keyblade Knight 1st Class]

Just finished the demo so time to share my thoughts/opinions.

Gameplay- The combat is a lot of fun and the jobs are addictive as always (Ronin for the win). But I was a little disappointed with the level design being a little too straight forward for my liking. And the game is still too easy even on the highest difficulty (but that's probably because I'm a Soulsborne vet). Overall I'd give it a solid 8 out of 10.

Graphics- I really don't know what happened here. Both Square Enix and Team Ninja are capable of so much better. It really does look like a low budget PS3 game with mediocre character models, poor draw distance, and very rough and pixelated (and not in a good way) environments. Character designs are also questionable. I'll give it a 6 out of 10.

Story- Oh boy where do I even start. The edgy tone this game goes for is so bizarre. I can't tell if it's an intentional throwback to the early to mid 2000's (when games like Prince of Persia: Warrior Within and Jak II were taking their respective franchises in dark edgier directions) or if everyone involved is just that out of touch. Dialogue, voice acting and characterization are all so painfully cringey that I think the only way to truly enjoy this game, I'd have to skip cutscenes. Which is really unfortunate because I usually expect good things from a FF plot. With all of that said, I really can't see myself giving this more than a 1 out of 10.

So in all I'd say a 7 out of 10 is fair. I won't be buying the game at launch so it will be sometime before I can find out if I'm wrong.

 

[Violet Pluto]

Story- Oh boy where do I even start. The edgy tone this game goes for is so bizarre. I can't tell if it's an intentional throwback to the early to mid 2000's (when games like Prince of Persia: Warrior Within and Jak II were taking their respective franchises in dark edgier directions) or if everyone involved is just that out of touch. Dialogue, voice acting and characterization are all so painfully cringey that I think the only way to truly enjoy this game, I'd have to skip cutscenes. Which is really unfortunate because I usually expect good things from a FF plot. With all of that said, I really can't see myself giving this more than a 1 out of 10.

They are probably just that out of touch, seeing as the creators probably wouldn't be exposed to that since they are not only Japanese but were also working during that period and I don't know if they would have played the games/seen the movies from that time. Anyway, personally this is great. It's so weird but so genuine which you don't see a game like this take it's ridiculousness so seriously nowadays without some weird cynicism so I'm all on board for this.

Graphics- I really don't know what happened here. Both Square Enix and Team Ninja are capable of so much better. It really does look like a low budget PS3 game with mediocre character models, poor draw distance, and very rough and pixelated (and not in a good way) environments. Character designs are also questionable. I'll give it a 6 out of 10.

I'm guessing you are either being hyperbolic or you haven't recently seen a low budget game from around that era, because this looks much better than most of what came in the PS3 years.

 

[Keyblade Knight 1st Class]

They are probably just that out of touch, seeing as the creators probably wouldn't be exposed to that since they are not only Japanese but were also working during that period and I don't know if they would have played the games/seen the movies from that time. Anyway, personally this is great. It's so weird but so genuine which you don't see a game like this take it's ridiculousness so seriously nowadays without some weird cynicism so I'm all on board for this.



I'm guessing you are either being hyperbolic or you haven't recently seen a low budget game from around that era, because this looks much better than most of what came in the PS3 years.

This is just my personal opinion, which like all opinions, will differ from individual to individual. As for the graphics, I should've mentioned that I played it on PS4, which from what I've heard looks significantly worse than it's next gen counterpart.

 

[Recon]

The demo runs like trash on PS4. This is definitely a PS5 game. The in-game cutscenes are rendered well, but are shit in the overworld. Overworld scenery and environments are pretty cool, but don’t scale well on PS4. The Chaos Shrine feels so gothic, which is actually an interesting take for a Final Fantasy game

Jack is pretty much a doucher. On a scale of 1-10 compared with Cloud, I’d give Jack a 10 where Cloud is probably a 6 or 7.

Wtf is the King even wearing? He looks like the Hulk in those bulky clothes.

Combat is a bit painful, at least with the default control scheme. Too many actions going on. Juggling blocking, evading, and your soul move doesn’t come natural to prioritize.

The different jobs are cool, but the bottom line for me is too many negatives outweigh the positives. I’ll wait and maybe buy this when it’s $20.

 

[Squood!]

Anyone care to guess why the

Spoiler Show

Insomnia throne room

is just...here?

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

Anyone care to guess why the

Spoiler Show

Insomnia throne room

is just...here?

I mean, yeah I see it but also Chaos does have a throne like this. You can see it in artwork for Chaos and in Dissidia. It also harkens back to the throne in Pandemonium in FF9…

 

[Squood!]

I mean, yeah I see it but also Chaos does have a throne like this. You can see it in artwork for Chaos and in Dissidia. It also harkens back to the throne in Pandemonium in FF9…

Spoiler Show

I'm talkin bout this. Top is SoP. It's legit the same friggin room. Layout, throne, friggin gold shit, and I'm just t h i n k i n

 

[Violet Pluto]

Spoiler Show

View attachment 15030View attachment 15031I'm talkin bout this. Top is SoP. It's legit the same friggin room. Layout, throne, friggin gold shit, and I'm just t h i n k i n

Well this game is actually a best of big locales and aesthetics from all over the Final Fantasy Series; I'd be more surprised if some visual elements from VSXIII/XV weren't obvious.

 

[PikaPal]

Happy Chaos day everyone!

 

[Chaser]

Spoiler Show

View attachment 15030View attachment 15031I'm talkin bout this. Top is SoP. It's legit the same friggin room. Layout, throne, friggin gold shit, and I'm just t h i n k i n

Spoiler Show

It was a part of the FFXV dungeon. It wasn't a unique local in Cornelia itself.

 

[Squood!]

Spoiler Show

It was a part of the FFXV dungeon. It wasn't a unique local in Cornelia itself.

b u t w h a t i s t h e m e a n i n g

w h a t i s t h e m i s s i v e a b o u t i t

 

[Chaser]

Tip for any platinumers - You can upload your save from PS4 -> PS5 and PS5 -> PS4 and trophies will auto pop both ways.
I got the platinum on PS5 on Sunday and remembered about save transferring on Monday so I uploaded my PS5 save in-game and downloaded on PS4 and got another platinum

 

[bambii (aka foreteller)]

So, any non-spoilery thoughts/impressions of the story as a whole? Does it deliver on Nomura staples e.g. mind-fuckery, cheesy yet indelibly touching moments, cosmic mystique etc? I started it and have been enjoying the combat and campiness but also hoping to feel a little more invested in the plot.

 

[Recon]

Tip for any platinumers - You can upload your save from PS4 -> PS5 and PS5 -> PS4 and trophies will auto pop both ways.
I got the platinum on PS5 on Sunday and remembered about save transferring on Monday so I uploaded my PS5 save in-game and downloaded on PS4 and got another platinum

For a guy who played the demo on Story mode, I gotta understand how you got through the game on Chaos mode. I’ve never been a fan of trophies behind level difficulty, yet here I am going through hard mode for FF7R.

 

[Chaser]

For a guy who played the demo on Story mode, I gotta understand how you got through the game on Chaos mode. I’ve never been a fan of trophies behind level difficulty, yet here I am going through hard mode for FF7R.

I played the whole game on Story mode

The trophy for finishing the game on Chaos mode is glitched since you can die on a Chaos mission, lower the difficulty, and then complete a mission and it will pop.

Chaos mode has you collect Anima Crystals to unlocked higher equipment levels. Using a YouTube guide detailing a method on the FFX mountain, I was stunlocking the wolves at the start of the level with a Lancer blade to get gear, and grinding Anima Shards from the Hippogriff.

When it came to finishing a level 200 Chaos mission, I ran through the Chaos Shrine, ignoring all enemies except for the two pathway blocking dark mouth things. Then, when it came to Chaos, I kept my distance and, when close enough, would Zantetsuken to deal big break damage. The rest was left up to the two AI companions, and Sophia was a mage so she would case Ultima on the final phase to almost immediately knock Chaos Advent into a soul burst.

It wasn't as bad as expected, especially due to that (glitched?) trophy. Just a whole bunch of grinding since you need a LOT of Anima Crystals to unlock stages AND levels to get to 99.

 

[Deleted member 263385]

chaos just chaos

 

[Squood!]

So, any non-spoilery thoughts/impressions of the story as a whole? Does it deliver on Nomura staples e.g. mind-fuckery, cheesy yet indelibly touching moments, cosmic mystique etc? I started it and have been enjoying the combat and campiness but also hoping to feel a little more invested in the plot.

Kinda

also nomura didn't write it

 

[Rydgea]

Yooo, f*** Tiamat. I know I'm echoing some similar internet sentiment here. But she has become quite the roadblock. I hardly have time to put into any games lately, and this just feels way too early in the game to be pressured to master all the mechanics - on standard (Action) mode. I have never played an easy mode, but I am seriously tempted to drop it down to Story Mode to just.. have fun. It sucks, because I know there's some really cool stuff to unpack here combat-wise, but when it's multiplayer the it's deflating for all involved.

How's everyone else coming along?