Square Enix shared new details for Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin! The latest press release details Pirate Captain Bikke, the Cornelia Royal Family, break gauge and more. Check it out below, compiled by Gematsu:
With the memory of their struggle buried deep in their hearts…
In this hard-core action RPG, Jack must face numerous challenges to bring the light of the crystals back to Cornelia, a kingdom conquered by darkness.
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin features action gameplay in which players will use a wide variety of abilities at their disposal to survive furious battles and scatter foes before them.
Players can also enjoy RPG elements, collecting numerous different jobs and weapons to customize and develop their characters. The game can be enjoyed at several difficulty levels to suite one’s gameplay style.
Will restoring the crystals’ light usher in peace or a new form of darkness?
…Or perhaps something else entirely?
■ Characters
Pirate Captain Bikke (voiced by Jake Eberle in English, Kousuke Gotou in Japanese)
“It’s poor form not to laugh at a pirate’s jokes, lad.”
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.
King of Cornelia (voiced by Fred Tatasciore in English, Mugihito in Japanese)
“Deliver this world from the clutches of darkness.”
The ruler of Cornelia. The king sees something extraordinary in Jack and his burning desire to stop Chaos, pinning his hopes on him.
Minister Lagone (voiced by Tom Taylorson in English, Akio Hirose in Japanese)
“And so their quest began.”
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.
Queen Jayne (voiced by Mary Elizabeth McGlynn in English, Miyuki Ichijou in Japanese)
“You look every bit the warrior. I can imagine it serves you well on the battlefield.”
Mia (voiced by Isabella Crovetti in English, Natsuki Inaba in Japanese)
“Cornelia is counting on you to save us from the darkness.”
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.
■ 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.
■ 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.
—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.
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin releases on March 18th 2022 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC. Stay tuned at Final Weapon for the latest Japanese gaming news and updates!
