STRANGER OF PARADISE FINAL FANTASY ORIGIN: characters, locations and more

Take a look at Sophia, Astos and Tiamat, some of the places you’ll find them and much more!
By Duncan Heaney

Last month we showed you some new screenshots and information about STRANGER OF PARADISE FINAL FANTASY ORIGIN. Today, we have even more to reveal, including new characters, locations, and jobs.

The new action RPG from Team NINJA offers a dark and brutal take on the FINAL FANTASY series, particularly the game that started it all, FINAL FANTASY I. When you look through the shots below, you may notice more than one reference to that classic game…

We’ll start by introducing you to a few as-yet unrevealed characters…


Characters

The story of STRANGER OF PARADISE FINAL FANTASY ORIGIN sees protagonist Jark Garland embark on a dangerous journey to bring the light of the crystals back to Cornelia, a kingdom conquered by darkness.

Along the way, he’ll meet many fascinating figures - some helpful, some dangerous, and a few somewhere in-between…

Sophia

This warrior holds the same unwavering conviction as Jack and his friends - that they must defeat Chaos. She joins the group on their journey.

Sophia screenshot

Astos

Astos artwork

The king of the dark elves, Astos lives in the Western Keep. It is said that he knows the location of the crystals. Although possessing a certain beauty, he carries an air of pestilence. He seems to know about Jack and the others.

Astos screenshot

Tiamat

Tiamat artwork

This multi-headed monstrosity is the Fiend of Wind. It attacks directly using its long necks and tail and can also use wind-element attacks, Whirlwind and Tempest.

Tiamat screenshot

One attack in particular you’ll have to watch out for is Macro Burst, where Tiamat’s breath radiates out from its multiple mouths.


Locations

You’ll meet these characters and more in the expansive, varied and brutally dangerous locations in STRANGER OF PARADISE FINAL FANTASY ORIGIN. Let’s take a look at three newly revealed areas:

The Western Keep

Western Keep screenshot

An ancient castle bearing the stark scars of war. This place shares a deep connection with a certain sovereign; a despot skilled in cunning and artifice, who took tyranny to its extremes.

Watch out because as you explore the Western Keep, giant arrows will come flying towards you! You’ll need to be alert and avoid these as you make your way through.

Crystal Mirage

Crystal Mirage screenshot

A beautiful, translucent tower that rises above the trees deep in the forest. There are many devices that react to magic, and it’s no small feat to reach the highest levels.

The Flying Fortress

Flying Fortress screenshot

As the name suggests, it’s a castle that towers high into the sky. Inside the fortress, there are lots of remnants of an advanced civilization, including mechanical contraptions. Apparently, the wind crystal can be found in the innermost area.


Event scenes

This next set of screenshots are captured from some of the event scenes in the game.

STRANGER OF PARADISE FINAL FANTASY ORIGIN screenshot

Astos, the king of the dark elves, awaits the group in the Western Keep. He shows them a futuristic-looking map, appearing to be giving some kind of advice.

Tiamat attacking the party

The party follows the directions, but at the destination lies the Fiend of Wind: Tiamat. Things are about to get very dangerous…

Sophia holding a dark crystal

Look closely and you can see that Sophia possesses a dark crystal - just like Jack and the others. What could it mean?


Job System

You can assign Jack and his companions with different roles in combat, known as ‘jobs’. There are many different combat styles available, from steel-swinging swordsman to the spell-slinging mage.

You’re encouraged to experiment with the different options available by changing which jobs are active on which member of the party. Jack himself is able to seamlessly switch between two options during combat.

Job settings screen

There are basic jobs like swordsman and mage, as well as advanced jobs that are unlocked as you level up basic jobs. There may be even higher-ranking jobs waiting for you if you continue to level Advance Jobs.

Job upgrade tree

By defeating enemies and levelling up, you will obtain Job Points, which can be used to learn new abilities and unlock new jobs in the Skill Tree.

Here’s a look at three of the Basic Jobs you’ll have access to in the game:


Swordsman

Swordsman job

Swordsman, Jack’s initial job, can equip a greatsword and excels at both guarding and attacking. Use the job’s unique action spinning slash to rotate your greatsword and perform a sweeping attack on enemies in a wide area.

Mage

A job that employs basic elemental attacks, using a mace as a weapon. Magic can be powered up depending on the length of the casting time; for example, from Fire ⇒ Fira ⇒ Firaga.

Pugilist

Pugilist job

A job that specialises in using melee-range weapons, like claws and knuckles. The Pugilist action Explosive Fist can chain together hits on enemies and provide and increase in damage.


STRANGER OF PARADISE FINAL FANTASY ORIGIN releases for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC via Epic Games Store on March 18, 2022 and is available for pre-order.

Anyone who pre-orders the Digital Standard and Digital Deluxe Editions of STRANGER OF PARADISE FINAL FANTASY ORIGIN will receive early access to the full game (72-hour for console, 24-hour early access for PC version), as well as the “Braveheart” weapon and “Lustrous” Shield, and the early-purchase bonus: the “Rebellion” weapon!

That’s all for now, but you’ll be able to get even more glimpses at the game in the coming months by following the team on social media:

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