A brutal action x high difficulty Final Fantasy! STRANGER OF PARADISE FINAL FANTASY ORIGIN" Trial Version Review & Advance Information

On Friday, March 18, 2022, the action RPG "STRANGER OF PARADISE FINAL FANTASY ORIGIN" ("FF Origin") was released for PS4/PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC (Windows). Based on "FINAL FANTASY," the first title in the nationally popular "FINAL FANTASY" RPG series, this is a new "FINAL FANTASY" that has been reborn with significant rearrangements. In this issue, we will review the demo version of the game and introduce some of the information that has been made available to the public.

Warriors of Light gathered with the Black Crystal in their hands

The story takes place in a land called Cornelia, where four crystals have been covered in darkness and the world has been struck by a strange phenomenon. Jack, Ash, Jed, and Neon, as the Warriors of Light mentioned in the prophecy, are entrusted by the King of Cornelia with the mission of defeating Chaos and freeing the Crystal.

The name "Origin," as well as "Cornelia," "Chaos," and "Garland," suggest that the first "FINAL FANTASY" film underlies the worldview of this work.

In addition, the trailer released so far reveals that Jack's name is "Jack Garland". In other words, the story of this work may depict how Jack became Garland and an enemy of the Warrior of Light in the first "FF.

In the trial version, a kind of foreshadowing can be seen here and there. The crystal that Jack is holding is not shining, but rather black. In the first place, Neon, a woman, joins the group in the middle of the story, so Jack and the other Warriors of Light were not even four in the beginning. Also, according to King Cornelia, Chaos is only an anecdote, not an actual entity.

The demo version only takes you up to the point just before you head off to defeat the Chaos of the Wind, so you don't really get the full story. However, as mentioned above, the game is full of scenes that make you curious about the future development, so it is very interesting to ponder.

Break Gauge and Soul Burst are the key to the action

This is an action RPG, and the basic strategy is to attack enemies with weapons while evading and guarding as necessary. Of particular importance is the "break gauge," which is set separately from HP for both enemies and allies. The Break Gauge decreases as the target is attacked or given a blow, and when it reaches zero, the target loses its posture. When the gauge reaches zero, the target will lose its posture. If you approach an enemy that has lost its posture, you can use a technique called "Soul Burst.

With Soul Burst, you can defeat most enemies with a single blow, with the exception of a few. In addition, the recovery + maximum value of MP required for abilities is extended, making it very beneficial. In "FF Origins," it is important to be able to aim for this Soul Burst. It is a great feeling when you attack with abilities, decide on a Soul Burst against an opponent who is out of position, recover MP, and then attack another enemy ......, and the combo is connected. The tempo of the game is also slowed down by the heavy blow of the Soul Burst after each successive attack, which is very exhilarating.

The story progresses through the challenges of each mission.

In addition, the "Soul Shield" can be used to protect against opponents' attacks while also recovering MP. The Soul Shield is a defensive action that can nullify damage taken, and when generated at the right time, it can also be used as a counter and is a powerful technique that can even copy some of the enemy's attacks, but it consumes the Break Gauge while activated.
As mentioned earlier, it is a difficult action to use because the character will have a large gap when the Break Gauge reaches zero. At first, it is best to focus on the normal guard, while gradually becoming accustomed to the soul shield.

The motions of the Soul Burst, such as tearing out the jaw or slicing the body in half, are all quite spectacular!

Even if your break gauge reaches zero, you will be able to move again once it is fully restored, but it is difficult to survive until you can move again. This is because "FF Origins" is generally very challenging.
Enemies are highly aggressive, and there are basically five potions available in the dungeon (sometimes dropped by defeated enemies). If you are fighting multiple monsters in a small space, you will be killed in no time. If you do not devise ways to fight, such as avoiding group fights or luring your opponents to open areas, you will quickly run out of potions and end up getting wiped out.

However, even if you are wiped out, you can start over right away from the last "cube" you touched. In a work like this one, which has a huxla element and a high level of difficulty, you often lose items for leveling up that you have collected right before you die when you revive. However, it is no exaggeration to say that in this work, the maximum value of MP (consumed when using abilities) is reduced, so there is almost no penalty.

The most important thing is the presence of friends who fight together with you. In this work, a party of three, including Jack, is the basic unit, so the enemy's aim is dispersed. The more space there is between enemy actions, the more you can focus on recovering with potions and restoring your reduced break gauge. In addition, you can freely change the equipment of not only Jack but also his allies, so if you keep your equipment in good shape, your friends will be able to play an active role as well.

During the trial version of the game, there were several times when my allies were able to cut down the HP of the boss instead of me.

There are three difficulty levels: HARD, ACTION, and STORY. If you activate the SAFETY mode in STORY, you will not lose MP even if the game is over, and you can also prevent unguardable attacks.
The story is a very important element of this title, as it depicts a story related to the first "FF". It is recommended to play Story for those who are not good at action games as well as those who want to follow the story.

Choose your favorite fighting style from more than 27 types of jobs

There are 27 different "jobs" in this title. Each job has different weapons and abilities that can be used, and the way of standing up differs greatly. Players can choose from a variety of jobs, such as the "great swordsman," who uses a great sword, the "swordsman," who wields a sword, and the "mage," who manipulates magic, and can freely combine two of these jobs.

Each job has its own unique abilities, which are activated by consuming MP; the lower the MP limit, the fewer abilities can be used, which is where Soul Burst and Soul Shield come into play. If you fight with these two actions at the core, the amount of MP you can devote to abilities will increase. Some abilities are easy to remove the break gauge, so if you mix in such techniques, you will be able to recover MP more efficiently.

Job levels are raised by the experience gained from defeating enemies. As you level up, you gain "job points," which allow you to unlock a variety of skills.

Note, however, that if the game is over, only the equipped job will receive experience.

The level of a job is directly related to Jack's status, so equipping a job that has not been trained will naturally lower his status. If you are going to level up, it is recommended that you combine it with your main job. In the case of the author, he trained a mage, who can attack from a distance, as well as a great swordsman and a swordsmith.

The demo version of the game, which is currently being distributed, is very voluminous, and in my case, it took me about five hours to complete the game. Thanks to the extensive content, I was able to fully enjoy the appeal of the game, including a part of the story that connects to the first "FF" game, battles using the Break Gauge and Soul Burst, and a variety of jobs with different characteristics.
The saved data from the demo version can be carried over to the full version, so if you are interested in the game, why not try the demo version first? On the next page, we will pick up and summarize the information released for "FF Origins". Please check it out as well.

STORY

Jack meets Jed and Ash in the land of Cornelia, which is covered by the "Darkness of Chaos.

Together with their friends who share the same goal, they begin their journey to defeat Chaos.
They are driven by a craving to defeat Chaos, and they continue to slay monsters.

They are thought to be the saviors of Cornelia, but all they have in their possession is a black crystal.

Character Introduction

■Jack (CV: Kenjiro Tsuda)

He has a strong sense of mission to defeat Chaos.
He has no hesitation in killing the demons that stand in his way, and he is relentless in his pursuit.

Ash (CV: Atsushi Miyauchi)

He supports the party with his calm and collected personality.
He recognizes Jack's fighting ability and puts his trust in him.

Jed (CV: Yusuke Suda)

Jed has a gentle and cheerful personality, but is just as skilled as Ash.
He respects Jack and admires his power.

Neon (CV: Kana Okazaki)

Although she is the youngest, Neon is capable of fighting through tough battles just like the other members of the team.
He sometimes competes with Jack, insisting that there is no chaos.

Sophia (CV: Mayumi Asano)

A woman we meet in the Crystal Mirage.
Like Jack and the others, she has a strong desire to "defeat Chaos" and becomes a traveling companion.

Battle System

Will you use your rage to bury your enemies in one fell swoop, or will you fight back to fend off the enemy onslaught? The only way to survive is to use different actions depending on the rapidly changing battle situation.

Soul Burst

When an enemy's Break Gauge is reduced to zero by a series of attacks, the enemy is crystallized by Soul Burst and can be defeated with a single blow. Defeating an enemy with a Soul Burst increases the maximum MP and restores the MP itself, so be sure to aim aggressively.

Soul Shield

A special means of defense that differs from normal guarding. If an enemy's attack is caught by the soul shield, it can counterattack immediately, increase maximum MP, and recover MP.
However, while holding the soul shield, Jack's break gauge, which is displayed at the bottom center of the screen, continues to be consumed. When this gauge reaches zero, Jack is left defenseless, so it is advisable to use the soul shield only for short periods of time, timed to the enemy's attack.

■Instant Abilities

If you catch an attack whose name is displayed in purple with your soul shield, you will be able to use that technique as your ability. Instant Abilities do not consume MP, making them easy to use.

■Lightbringer

A large move that consumes MP and 2 gauges of maximum MP. When activated, it blows away surrounding enemies and makes it easier to soulburst enemies for a certain period of time. Jack's trump card that can be relied on when surrounded by a large number of enemies or when the situation calls for it.

Jobs

During battle, Jack can instantly switch between two jobs while fighting. By combining different jobs, players can create a variety of tactics.

There are two types of jobs: "basic jobs," such as "swordsman" and "mage," and "higher-level jobs," which are unlocked as players develop their basic jobs. If you train for a higher level job, you will be able to get a higher level job...?

Crafting

Dive into dungeons to obtain equipment. You can customize your character by enhancing your equipment.

Equipment can be obtained by defeating enemies and opening treasure chests along the way. The same equipment can have different job aptitudes and special effects, so you may want to retry missions in search of rarer equipment.

Online multiplayer

The online multiplayer mode allows cooperative play by up to three players. Go exploring in cooperation with players from around the world.

MP recovery effects from soul bursting enemies, as well as equipment and experience dropped by enemies, are equally available to all players. Let's cooperate and get the rewards!

Title Information
STRANGER OF PARADISE FINAL FANTASY ORIGIN
Platform: PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/Epic Games Store
Release date: March 18, 2022
Genre: Action RPG
CERO: D

Standard Edition package/download 8,800 yen (tax included)
Collector's Edition: 19,800 yen (tax included)
Digital Deluxe Edition download version 12,650 yen (including tax)

<STAFF> Tetsuya Nomura, Creative Producer
Creative Producer Tetsuya Nomura
Main scenario: Kazunari Nojima (Stellar Vista Co., Ltd.)
Development: Team NINJA (Koei Tecmo Games)

<SUMMARY

Warriors keep the memories of battle deep in their hearts.

Set in Cornelia, where darkness rules the land, this is a full-fledged action RPG in which the main character, Jack, must fight his way through various dungeons in order to restore the sparkle of the crystal.

In addition to the variety of actions available in battle, the game offers a full range of character development elements, such as learning the abilities available for each job, and collecting and strengthening weapons and armor.

The game can be enjoyed by everyone, from those who want to immerse themselves in the deep story to those who want to experience the tension-filled battles.

When the crystal regains its luster, will there be peace, a new darkness, or ......

CHARACTER DESIGN:TETSUYA NOMURA

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