During Tokyo Game Show 2021, fans were anxious to get another look at what might be the strangest entry to the Final Fantasy universe, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin. Unveiled back in June, the title looked unfinished and choppy, though the potential was there–with a Nioh-like combat style and some fantastic music, all it needed was a little more polish and shine. Fast forward, and the newest trailer has us excited for the title to release on March 18, 2022. (That, and the one scene in the demo featuring a certain angsty hero blasting music into his headphones in the middle of a very important conversation about the darkness.) It is now confirmed that the title will be an Epic Games Store exclusive for PC players.
While it is possible that the game may be available from other e-shops eventually, it’s clear from Square Enix’s marketing that the Epic Games Store will have exclusive rights to the title at launch. While a demo is currently available for the game on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, PC players won’t get a chance to try it out–which seems odd, given the circumstances. Regardless, for those wanting to try out a much more aesthetically pleasing demo of the game, the second demo is available until October 11. Multiplayer will also be available in this Final Fantasy title, and it will be interesting to see what adding this capability brings to the experience.
In a recent interview with Famitsu, the game’s Creative Producer Tetsuya Nomura mentioned that the Final Fantasy I reimagining would include much more of Princess Sarah. Her new design was featured heavily in the new trailer and was designed by Roberto Ferrari, who also worked on character designs for Final Fantasy VII Remake.
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin will be released on March 18, 2022, on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and the Epic Games Store.