Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is the latest game in the long-running RPG series from Square Enix. Developed by Team Ninja, the game serves as a retelling of the first Final Fantasy game on the NES. Emphasis on the word "retelling" because the new game takes quite a number of liberties while covering the same story beats from the original.
As such, the game introduces a host of modern gameplay tweaks and mechanics. It ditches the turn-based battles of the original for a combat system that is more action-oriented. These changes should immediately appeal to anyone who has played any recent action RPG. But for anyone looking for even more Final Fantasy lore, or perhaps more of the same high-octane combat encounters, here are a few games that are also worth checking out.
5 Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster
Those interested in how the Final Fantasy series actually began might want to check out the original game after playing Stranger of Paradise. Thankfully, there are several ways to replay the 1987 game as it has been re-released several times on multiple platforms since then.
But easily the most convenient way available today would be through the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster collection that was released in 2021. This version not only boasts enhanced graphics and an improved UI, but it also features a reworked soundtrack from the original series' composer, Nobuo Uematsu. It is worth noting though that, as of the time of this writing, the Pixel Remaster collection is only available on Android, iOS, and PC via Steam, with no word from Square Enix on when it would be making its debut on consoles.
4 Nier: Automata
Another Square Enix game that should appeal to fans of Stranger of Paradise is Nier: Automata. Developed by PlatinumGames, the action RPG is a sequel to Nier: Replicant, which was itself a spinoff and follow-up to the Drakengard series.
Much like Final Fantasy Origin, the game features a real-time, hack and slash combat system, as well as deeper RPG elements that govern character progression over the course of the game. The PC version had notoriously launched with a number of performance issues back in 2017, most of which were addressed by unofficial patches made by the modding community. An official patch was eventually released in 2021 and the game continues to prove popular among fans and players, selling over six million copies since release.
3 Dark Souls 3
While Stranger of Paradise is generally a more forgiving experience than the typical Souls game, there are still enough similarities between its gameplay and that found in the punishing FromSoftware series to warrant drawing some parallels.
So anyone looking for an additional challenge after beating the game wouldn't go wrong by checking out Dark Souls 3. The third and presumably final game in the Dark Souls trilogy is often considered the most refined of the bunch, eliminating some of the clunkiness that bogged down the two previous entries. This makes it the ideal starting point for those looking to get into the series, doubly so for anyone that has gotten already gotten a taste of other FromSoftware titles like Elden Ring or the recent PS5 remake of Demon Souls.
2 Nioh
Before the fine folks at Team Ninja had done any work on Stranger of Paradise, they'd developed the Sony PlayStation 4 exclusive action RPG, Nioh. The game is more than just a precursor to their newest title though, serving as a showcase for the craft they'd honed after working on multiple Ninja Gaiden installments.
This of course meant that the game harbored the same difficulty as those other games. It also drew inspiration from titles like Dark Souls and Bloodborne, with the success of those games even being credited for paving the way for a game like Nioh. A remaster was released for the PS5 in 2021, as well as Nioh 2 the year before, the latter of which served as both a prequel and sequel; it was considered an improvement over the first game, refining the tight combat while leaving its crushing difficulty intact.
1 Final Fantasy 7 Remake
Final Fantasy 7 is easily the most popular entry in the entire JRPG series, with the original 1997 release going on to sell more than 13 million copies worldwide. So when the first rumblings of a remake began following a PS3 showcase in 2005, many were anxious to once again take on the Shinra Corporation as Cloud Strife and his group of fellow mercenaries.
Little did we all know at the time that it would take another 15 years before that remake would see the light of day and that it would only cover about a third of the original game. But now that it is finally here, every Final Fantasy fan owes it to themselves to experience it at least once on the PS4 or PS5. The game greatly expands upon the Midgard portions of the original game, and much like Stranger of Paradise, it takes a number of liberties while doing so, giving the beloved classic the kind of visual and mechanical overhaul it deserved.
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