Square Enix has graced us with another extensive look at Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin. This time, the focus is not only on gameplay but also the story, cast, and settings. This follows details on the story and the main cast released last month.
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The publisher has noted that Team Ninja's "brutal take" encompasses the entire Final Fantasy series, but fans of the first game, in particular, will no doubt note some familiar beats. Based on today's reveals, that seems to track.
The details and trailer can be found below, via Square Enix, with screenshots in the gallery.
Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin is set to release on March 18, 2022 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC (Epic). For more information on this Final Fantasy spinoff, you can check out:
Voice Cast: English - Jake Eberle; Japanese - Kousuke Gotou
A pirate captain who rules the town of Pravoka in place of a governor. In battle, he swings a two-handed axe with wild abandon.
With the oceans wreathed in darkness, the piracy business has dried up, as the ships he would normally prey on are no longer venturing out with the treasures he would normally plunder.
“It’s poor form not to laugh at a pirate’s jokes, lad.”
King of Cornelia
Voice Cast: English - Fred Tatasciore; Japanese - Mugihito
The ruler of Cornelia. The king sees something extraordinary in Jack and his burning desire to stop Chaos, pinning his hopes on him.
“Deliver this world from the clutches of darkness.”
Minister Lagone
Voice Cast: English - Tom Taylorson; Japanese - Akio Hirose
A sagacious minister who searches tirelessly for someone who matches Luhkan’s prophecy. He decides to record the journeys of Jack and his comrades for posterity.
“And so their quest began.”
Queen Jayne
Voice Cast: English - Mary Elizabeth McGlynn; Japanese - Miyuki Ichijou
The mother of Sarah and Mia. She is usually calm and grounded, always thinking of her daughters and the people of Cornelia first.
“You look every bit the warrior. I can imagine it serves you well on the battlefield.”
Mia
Voice Cast: English - Isabella Crovetti; Japanese - Natsuki Inaba
Just like her older sister Sarah, Mia has a strong concern for the citizens of Cornelia and at times has been known to confront the ministers.
“Cornelia is counting on you to save us from the darkness.”
Event Scenes
The king of Cornelia believes that Jack and his friends could be the warriors of light and reveals to them the Prophecy of Luhkan in its entirety. He places fresh hopes on the four warriors, that they will banish the darkness clouding the crystals.
Sarah plays the lute while observing the comings and goings outside, as Mia listens on enthralled. The tune Sarah is playing is the Final Fantasy prelude.
After crossing the northern bridge to Pravoka, the team encounters the pirate Bikke.
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Battle System
Break Gauge
The break gauge is a key feature in the battle system. How you wear down an enemy’s gauge is especially important when attacking
Use combos and abilities to reduce the yellow break gauge shown above an enemy. Once the gauge is depleted, Jack can unleash a powerful soul burst which will crystallize and take them down in a single blow.
Jack’s own break gauge is shown at the bottom-center of the screen and is depleted when he brandishes the soul shield or guards against enemy attacks. The gauge will recover over time, but Jack will be stunned if it ever reaches zero.
Instant Abilities
If you block an ability with a purple name using the soul shield, you can then use that ability yourself. The advantage of instant abilities is that they do not consume MP, so they can be used freely. The break gauge is a key feature in the battle system. How you wear down an enemy’s gauge is especially important when attacking.
Ready the soul shield when a foe uses an attack that can be absorbed and learned as an instant ability.
You can discover unexpected strategies using instant abilities, such as stealing Fire from a Bomb and then using it three times against the foe to cause the Bomb to self-destruct.
Cube
Touching a cube will heal HP and MP and restock your potions but will respawn the monsters in a dungeon. If you are wiped out, you will restart from the last cube you touched.
Locations
Pravoka: After crossing over the northern bridge to the continent, you will find the port town of Pravoka. The people of the town are looking for crystals with aid from the king of Cornelia.
Pravoka Seaport: After winding your way through the caves, you discover a pirate ship moored in the Pravoka Seaport.
