Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin Developer Presentation Discusses Plethora of Gameplay Changes; Reason Behind Garland Reveal

Following the new trailer for the upcoming Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin and the release of its second-timed demo, Square Enix hosted a dedicated presentation for the game that included some of its developers.

A vast amount of information was discussed regarding the improvements made to the title after the survey feedback from the first demo. In particular, graphical refinements were made because the presentation in the first demo was somewhat contentious amongst players. In addition, lighting was made far brighter because the first demo’s environments were ill-lit to the point of it being difficult to even see. The team wanted to make the presentation match with the game’s darker tone, but they realized they took it a step too far. A comparison of the old build’s lighting and the current version’s was provided in the video below at 30:35.

Regarding aesthetics, the notable violence this title has grown a reputation for was carefully implemented to be primarily shown in the gameplay itself rather than the cutscenes. This was done to make the gameplay’s visual identity more apparent in avenues such as the vital technique Soul Burst. Alongside it being purposefully visually appealing, the team didn’t want Soul Burst’s beauty to remove players from the immersion granted by the action gameplay.

The MP system and Lightbringer were also retooled quite heavily. For instance, Lightbringer was designed to better corroborate a high-risk, high-reward playstyle. As a result, it utilizes more MP but lasts far longer. A comparison of the old build’s Lightbringer efficacy and the current version’s was provided in the video below at 33:00.

Many fans figured out the plot point before the new TGS 2021 trailer that the main character Jack is actually Garland. During this presentation, it was stated that his identity would no longer be treated as a secret since overseas fans figured it out. Nomura, whose voice was present for this event, said that the primary twist would be “why” Jack is Garland instead of simply finding out that he is Garland.

Lastly, the Final Fantasy 35th Anniversary logo was briefly discussed. While there is a variety of unannounced news for this anniversary, Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin is being treated as a 35th-anniversary game.

Those were the main points brought up during the presentation, but more lite details, a multiplayer presentation, and unexpectedly humorous interactions are in the stream VOD below. The Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin segment specifically takes place from 14:55 to 1:08:17. Official English captions are thankfully available.

Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin is releasing for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on March 18, 2022.