‘Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin’ Director Discusses First Dungeon Development, Chaos Shrine

Square Enix recently posted a new blog post featuring Daisuke Inoue, the director for the recently released Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin, discussing the creation of the game’s first dungeon, the Chaos Shrine.

Since development initiation, the team knew they had to recreate this area from the original Final Fantasy due to its iconic memorability. Still, since the dungeon doesn’t have much going on design-wise the first time players enter it, the team found themselves using NES-era artwork of the shrine by Yoshitaka Amano as inspiration for how to tackle it.

Additionally, the enemy placement was carefully planned, teaching players the efficacy of several mechanics at the core of the design. For instance, Bombs teach players how to use instant abilities, and wolves in groups necessitate Soul Bursts for ideal takedowns. Moreover, specific implementations, like the Bomb near the top of the room clearing that can be dropped down to enkindle enemies, provide greater player agency.

Tonberry was primarily introduced in this early location to induce fear in players, as the creature’s seemingly simple moveset, coupled with its reputation from previous titles, would intimidate players and make them more cognizant of their movements.

Inoue also discusses how invaluable the demo feedback was, as it helped better balance the difficulty of the Garland boss battle and instill more vital lighting in select areas.

• Check out the entirety of this thought-provoking blog post via Square Enix’s official website.
• Check out our review of the recently released Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin.

Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is now available worldwide on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC via the Epic Games Store.