Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is launching a few weeks after Elden Ring, so there are likely some people who are going from one game to the next. The people who have played Elden Ring should start Stranger of Paradise at the Hard difficulty level. It will bring the gameplay pace in line with FromSoftware's brutal new title.
The original rumors surrounding Stranger of Paradise mentioned a Final Fantasy game similar to Dark Souls. That game was eventually revealed to be Stranger of Paradise and it was being made by Team Ninja, the studio behind the Nioh series. The gameplay in Stranger of Paradise is a lot closer to Nioh than the Dark Souls series or Elden Ring. The game is flashier and more action-oriented than most FromSoftware games, with a more colorful aesthetic. The game is also less punishing when it comes to death. In most FromSoftware games, the punishment for death is losing the experience points/currency the player has saved, and dying again without reclaiming it means it's lost forever. In Stranger of Paradise, there is no penalty for death, other than being sent back to a nearby checkpoint.
Elden Ring might not have difficulty modes, but Stranger of Paradise does. There is the Story mode, Action mode, and Hard mode. Story is the casual mode, where it's almost impossible to lose against the enemies. The Action mode is meant to be the equivalent of a Normal difficulty option and would seem the natural choice for most players. The people who have just returned from the Lands Between in Elden Ring might want to consider something spicier for their first run in Stranger of Paradise. The FromSoftware games have become increasingly difficult over time and players have to improve in order to keep up, so the addition of tougher difficulty modes in Stranger of Paradise is welcome.
Stranger Of Paradise's Action/Normal Mode Is Easier Than Elden Ring
The Hard mode in Stranger of Paradise is closer to a Soulslike experience, with enemies being more aggressive, dealing more damage, and taking less damage from player hits. This encourages the player to use their limited Potions more sparingly and engage with their defensive options a lot more. In Stranger of Paradise, there are unblockable attacks that can be dodged, regular attacks that can be parried, and special attacks that can be absorbed, which means that there are always options for dealing with the enemy. It's just a case of memorizing their patterns and being ready to react to their moves.
There are lots of options for the player to use in Stranger of Paradise, as the party members can be called on to draw enemy aggro, similar to the summons in Elden Ring. Stranger of Paradise has a new demo that lets players experience the first few missions for free. So, they can decide just how tough they want the game to be.
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin will be released for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on March 18, 2022.