Square Enix revealed Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin's release date during the Tokyo Game Show 2021. Stranger of Paradise is an upcoming Final Fantasy action RPG in the vein of Dark Souls, and it appears to be a darker retelling of the original Final Fantasy game.
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin was first revealed during the E3 2021 Square Enix Presents showcase, and the Souslike quickly earned memetic status because of the main character's obsession with defeating Final Fantasy's Chaos. Square Enix released a timed demo for the game, revealing an action experience warmly received by critics and players. Some technical hiccups in Stranger of Paradise's trial version included issues with the controls, but the purpose of the demo was to gather feedback rather than reflect the quality of the final product.
TGS 2021 featured new Stranger of Paradise footage, as Square Enix showed an extended trailer for the game during its publisher showcase, revealing new characters and showing the world outside of the initial dungeon. However, the biggest reveal of the trailer by far was the game's release date. Stranger of Paradise will launch on PC (via the Epic Games Store), PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on March 18, 2022, and pre-orders are open now.
Click here to watch the Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin release date trailer.
It was also revealed that a second demo for Stranger of Paradise will be made available on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S starting today, October 1, and it will be active until October 11. This demo is set in a brand-new area, will introduce one of the new party members, and will give players the chance to experience the multiplayer features of the final version of the game. Those who pre-order the Digital Standard or Digital Deluxe Editions of Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin will be able to access it three days early and receive the Braveheart and Rebellion weapons and the Lustrous Shield. A DLC Season Pass as also announced, which will add the "Trials of the Dragon King," "Wanderer of the Rift," and "DIFFERENT FUTURE" missions to Stranger of Paradise.
Stranger of Paradise offers a unique take on the original entry in the Final Fantasy series, which many recently experienced for the first time thanks to the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster collection. It won't be long until Stranger of Paradise is available, and its March 2022 release date means it won't have to compete nearly so hard with January's Elden Ring's.
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin will be released for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on March 18, 2022.
Source: Square Enix/YouTube (via PlayStation/YouTube)