As the credits roll and I hear "My Way" by Frank Sinatra, my mind is crowded with conflicting thoughts and emotions
how can a game be so cringe and awful yet use it to its own benefit? how can a game with no identity and soul use it to give itself purpose?
I think about those, and I have no answer to either question, but what I have experienced is something unique and memorable
something unforgettable that will stick with me.
There are some baffling writing decisions in this game but I do think that's what gives the game its charm, under any normal circumstance this game would be horrible in every way, but it isn't.
Jack Garland as a character would also under normal circumstances be an awful character, but because of the setting he's in, the characters he's surrounded by, the story he takes part in... He actually sorta becomes genius?
I think I can sorta say the same for the Party Members as well, they're all so 1-dimensional that it gives them charm, the banter between them and Jack during missions is wonderful, it gives them a very tiny amount of depth but more importantly, it makes you care for them, you want to see more of these characters, you want to keep seeing these character's interact and that's honestly the most impressive part of this game.
Despite everything it does, despite all of its flaws, it manages to come out on top and it's proof that games with experimental tones and over-the-top plot can work in this modern video game industry and I think that's the most respectful thing about this game and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Alright now with that nonsense out of the way, why don't we get into the proper review?
As usual, starting with the story:
It's entertaining but simple, well written? Hard to say but at the end of the day it fits extremely well with the tone of the game not much to comment without diving into spoiler territory so I'll end this one here and as much I want to talk more about this aspect I simply can't bring myself to because the story is best experienced blind.
Up next are the characters!
They're fun, they are very 1-dimensional as I mentioned before but they serve their purpose in the story well and really help spice up the gameplay and make you strategize a bit more about each encounter.
Now finally, the highlight of the entire game, the gameplay:
It's superb, one of the best I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing, the combat is fast and smooth, there are tons of jobs and weapons with different playstyles that are all viable and fun in their own way and I want more, the combinations that you can make with each job, the different skills and actions you can apply to the end of your actions are fascinating, it makes every single combination of jobs unique and viable and incentivizes experimentation which made any and all encounters feel fresh and challenging in their own way, mastering the combat and using soul shield perfectly feel extremely rewarding and I think more games should adopt a high-risk high reward kind of playstyle this game has.
and the loot system is also fantastic, it's your usual nioh style, it can be very satisfying to optimize all your equipment and steamroll everything but you can also completely ignore it and play the game without any issues.
and the level design... It's not awful but it could be better, most of the early levels are very bland with some nonsensical room placement but I believe the final few levels are where the level design shines the most as there are some beautiful locations that feel amazing to go through, however, some levels hurt to look at and sometimes make me want to take a break after beating a level, however overall I don't think this is a major issue for this game as the combat more than makes up for it in that regard.
And finally the Music.
as always with Final Fantasy games, it's superb.
The remixes of older tracks from the series mixed in with more modern and action-packed battle themes make it a joy to listen to and play through and I desperately want to listen to the soundtrack whenever I can, it really makes the game very slightly more enjoyable.
In conclusion:
Stranger of Paradise is a modern Video Game B-Movie and it's wonderful, the complete over-the-top plot and the edgy tone makes it a very unique gameignoring Dirge of Ceberus in the entire Final Fantasy franchise, and with the approach they went with for the game all the flaws it has easily enhances it rather bring it down.
And as much as I adore this game, I can't bring myself to say that it's a game for everyone, everything about it appeals so much to my tastes and what I enjoy in videogames where it's very hard to recommend to people even if I do believe everyone should give it a shot at the least.
I was in it from the beginning and I'm glad I made it all the way through to the end, And I hope that you feel the same.
how can a game be so cringe and awful yet use it to its own benefit? how can a game with no identity and soul use it to give itself purpose?
I think about those, and I have no answer to either question, but what I have experienced is something unique and memorable
something unforgettable that will stick with me.
There are some baffling writing decisions in this game but I do think that's what gives the game its charm, under any normal circumstance this game would be horrible in every way, but it isn't.
Jack Garland as a character would also under normal circumstances be an awful character, but because of the setting he's in, the characters he's surrounded by, the story he takes part in... He actually sorta becomes genius?
I think I can sorta say the same for the Party Members as well, they're all so 1-dimensional that it gives them charm, the banter between them and Jack during missions is wonderful, it gives them a very tiny amount of depth but more importantly, it makes you care for them, you want to see more of these characters, you want to keep seeing these character's interact and that's honestly the most impressive part of this game.
Despite everything it does, despite all of its flaws, it manages to come out on top and it's proof that games with experimental tones and over-the-top plot can work in this modern video game industry and I think that's the most respectful thing about this game and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Alright now with that nonsense out of the way, why don't we get into the proper review?
As usual, starting with the story:
It's entertaining but simple, well written? Hard to say but at the end of the day it fits extremely well with the tone of the game not much to comment without diving into spoiler territory so I'll end this one here and as much I want to talk more about this aspect I simply can't bring myself to because the story is best experienced blind.
Up next are the characters!
They're fun, they are very 1-dimensional as I mentioned before but they serve their purpose in the story well and really help spice up the gameplay and make you strategize a bit more about each encounter.
Now finally, the highlight of the entire game, the gameplay:
It's superb, one of the best I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing, the combat is fast and smooth, there are tons of jobs and weapons with different playstyles that are all viable and fun in their own way and I want more, the combinations that you can make with each job, the different skills and actions you can apply to the end of your actions are fascinating, it makes every single combination of jobs unique and viable and incentivizes experimentation which made any and all encounters feel fresh and challenging in their own way, mastering the combat and using soul shield perfectly feel extremely rewarding and I think more games should adopt a high-risk high reward kind of playstyle this game has.
and the loot system is also fantastic, it's your usual nioh style, it can be very satisfying to optimize all your equipment and steamroll everything but you can also completely ignore it and play the game without any issues.
and the level design... It's not awful but it could be better, most of the early levels are very bland with some nonsensical room placement but I believe the final few levels are where the level design shines the most as there are some beautiful locations that feel amazing to go through, however, some levels hurt to look at and sometimes make me want to take a break after beating a level, however overall I don't think this is a major issue for this game as the combat more than makes up for it in that regard.
And finally the Music.
as always with Final Fantasy games, it's superb.
The remixes of older tracks from the series mixed in with more modern and action-packed battle themes make it a joy to listen to and play through and I desperately want to listen to the soundtrack whenever I can, it really makes the game very slightly more enjoyable.
In conclusion:
Stranger of Paradise is a modern Video Game B-Movie and it's wonderful, the complete over-the-top plot and the edgy tone makes it a very unique game
And as much as I adore this game, I can't bring myself to say that it's a game for everyone, everything about it appeals so much to my tastes and what I enjoy in videogames where it's very hard to recommend to people even if I do believe everyone should give it a shot at the least.
I was in it from the beginning and I'm glad I made it all the way through to the end, And I hope that you feel the same.