Should you Pre-order Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin for PS5, PS4 or Xbox?

While it seems like a Final Fantasy XVI release in 2022 is unlikely, Square Enix‘s creature is making a comeback this year in the form of Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin.

Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is a leap into the past that fans of the very first Final Fantasy game will thoroughly enjoy. Set to be released on March 18 2022, this title is in fact a spin-off of the game that kickstarted the Final Fantasy phenomenon back in 1987. Stranger of Paradise’s development, of which Team Ninja took care of, culminates with the celebration of the series’ 35th anniversary.

This new title will be available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Windows. Note that the three Xbox versions will be merged within one single disc.

With that said, let’s find out more about the latest entry in the Final Fantasy franchise!

What we know about Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin

Stranger of Paradise is an alternate universe retelling of the first Final Fantasy game, a prequel that adds a notable dark fantasy spin to the original tale. Jack Garland, the supposed hero of the story, embarks on a journey with his party members with the mission of destroying Chaos. But, lo and behold, in a plot twist it is revealed that we’re actually playing as the bad guy, the main bad guy of the og classic.

Those who had the chance of playing Stranger of Paradise before the official release define the game as “souls-like”. Apparently, the boss fights are pretty challenging, in that they require good hand eye coordination to land the decisive strikes at the right time. The atmosphere and aesthetic of the game point in a darker direction, with gore elements, repulsive-looking creatures crawling around and labyrinthical paths designed to increase the player’s sense of uneasiness.

The combat, in particular, has been praised. Our protagonist can switch between two assigned Jobs and use physical and magical attacks. And when the enemy’s “break gauge” is depleted, you can perform a finishing blow that crystallizes the enemy. This allows you to restore a portion of Jack’s magic meter.

Depending on your chosen Job, you’ll equip Jack with specific weapons and armor, and you’ll also get special skills.

An online co-op mode will be implemented, which is pretty cool.

Should you pre-order Stranger of Paradise?

Now, there’s still the possibility of pre-ordering Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin on the PlayStation Store for PS4 and PS5, Amazon, Xbox Games Store and Square Enix Store. But considering how there are only two days left before the launch (at the time I’m writing this article), and the fact that the demand for the game is seemingly not so huge that online stores could run out of copies, it’s safe to assume that you’ll manage to get it on day one no problem even without pre-ordering. Also, there’s no pre-order sale going on at the moment, therefore you’ll pay the same price now or later anyway.

Enjoy your game!