Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin - Before You Buy

Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin (PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S/One) is a re-imagining of a classic Final Fantasy setting and story. How is it? Let's talk.
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[@SuperAverage]

Love when Falcon does the before you buy, he really just let you know he is NOT feeling it lmao

[@ihatezen]

He's always bitching

[@DFTNSHEXGRM]

I prefer Jake Baldino more but I’ll admit Falcon is more straight to the point. Jake is often TOO nice sometimes and will often tip-toe around any harsh criticism as to not hurt the devs feelings.. but sometimes ya gotta just be upfront.

[@guillermolopez1377]

Personally I like how blunt Falcon is

[@Jay_Z.]

@@ihatezen He's being "honest." People want real honest opinions and it up to the person to make that decision.

[@mauriciohiure2192]

he's definitely more "honest" for lack of a better word than Jake lol

[@agassig325]

"The combat can be so chaotic and you die from so few hits" Truly a "Chaos" focused game.

[@julesdouglas2372]

This looks like a game that's gonna be panned by critics and loved by players according to the comments here.

[@dale7326]

I’m waiting for the combo chain with skill connect. They gonna add that in since it’s in the showcase where you can use massive combos that allow you to block attacks and stacking at the same time. The Hp sipping and pre casting buffs are interesting systems if you play tactic strategy games. It’s more of a fighting soul than the actual thing.

[@masakazuishiguro8525]

It's just survival bias, people really don't want to pay more attention into this game wouldn't comment

[@fap9067]

lol, something like Code Vein and Mafia 3

[@julesdouglas2372]

@@fap9067 Mafia 3 is still in my wishlist of games I need to play.

[@lolohlinoh8137]

This ff has some weird dialogue and scenes that I have not seen for a long time, lmao. I swear the mc is like high on something throughout the journey. It's still a fun game nonetheless.

[@Y0PPS]

I've been enjoying this game. A nice and fun time to experience in bursts of play. I wasn't going into this game for a story, I wanted some tight fast paced combat. We all know the story here and how square loves the cheese. It has a very solid old school arcade game vibe, and it's enjoyable.

[@mikespike2099]

Can you play solo? Is the companion AI good?

[@Y0PPS]

@@mikespike2099 they do their job. And they are always with you. Unless I've yet to get to a part of the game where you solo for a bit. It's VERY final fantasy in that respect. Everyone has their job/purpose.

[@ZahnGamingx]

Eh.. I kinda want a good story.

[@Y0PPS]

@@ZahnGamingx I feel it. I love good stories. But a lot of game devs nowadays are focusing on size and story and leaving behind the fun factor that games of early 2000s and 90s were dropping with. This game feels like those games. It's cheesy, predictable, but fun as hell.

[@tempestsquall5882]

@@ZahnGamingx FF16 isn’t too far away…hopefully

[@markstar6899]

gameranx > IGN or any game reviewer

[@machogandalf]

ACG is a good reviewer

[@MrSqueezingfarts]

100%!! These before you buys have never let me down and their content is the dogs bollix!

[@alhex4872]

Troof!

[@CavemanZerron]

Agreed

[@FoopahDestroyer]

Agreed, IGN is a joke of its former self

[@oumashu8390]

All i was really expecting from this game is a Nioh like good combat system in a Final fantasy setting wich they seem to deliver with this game so i'm pleased.

[@noahknight4039]

Yeah, all I’m seeing is a game I’ll enjoy. Like Codevein, souls like but quite different.

[@PhillKaggitz]

Exactly what I was thinking, I Just want more soulsborne combat

[@skyyy710]

@@noahknight4039 code vain was like a game of tag for me qay to simple for a soulslike

[@CM-hi4db]

No… this game is awful. The graphics are trash, this is just like that stupid Babylon’s fall game. Cringe story too

[@JJbro-rt5zu]

Will you get it?

[@pong8138]

Since when did the hack and slash genre get changed to "souls style" kind of game

[@dell74877]

Right?

[@Ayman.Al.Balushi]

Well most hack and slash are closer to beat em up, high pace action. Souls games action is much slower, fighting needs more planning, stamina management etc. then you have the whole ‘souls/runes’ and how they drop and can be lost forever, these specifics are ingrained into every souls game and the setting is barely found elsewhere prior to it.

[@LitFireAi]

When you have shitty durability and can die easy it's always souls like

[@MrVariant]

@@LitFireAi just gotta detect the lowest difficulty and pray it isn't brain dead lol. This game also went on sale to $45/$67 for deluxe within 2 months of release

[@keithragin89]

This isn’t hack and slash have you played this?

[@Skribbl4timehomicide]

SOP has its charm for using some older tactics that were used in old developments(level design,story, dialogue ,etc.)but the class system is BEYOND dope. Very much reminiscent of FF tactics. Playing the demo and so far I’m loving it and the battles are great. I hear the online is even better. But I mean come on, the protagonist name is Jack lol I think the cheese is done in Nostalgia appreciation because there was a time in history where this type of writing filled out a game. Honestly it’s not bad, it’s just giving us the expected cheese factor for “Warriors of Light”.

[@peen2804]

The job system in sop is fucking incredible. idk what these guys are on about the combat is fantastic

[@ikster19]

9:34 "The combat can be so Chaotic" got the Chaos part down 😂

[@john_7000]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 omg u deserve a like 👍👍👍

[@Justicejuice179]

The gripe with weapon score and playing reverse map missions is something nioh does. And I never saw people really bash it for that. Certainly never bothered me. Honestly this is one of those games I’m just gonna have to gamble on since reviews seem all over the place and I liked the demo enough.

[@msmajovic2]

Same here....and I think the game opens up at new game plus like nioh

[@tigerfestivals5137]

If you like the combat, get it. That part is fun as hell

[@Darklord_tK]

It's an immediate buy as a final fantasy fan and i do not regret my purchase one bit I'm not really a souls fan since I only really played bloodborne and sekiro

[@PantsaBear]

Nioh is definitely not a game for everyone though, even if it wasn't a hard game (which it definitely can be). Its very arcadey and a big let-down in the story/lore department. That being said, yeah I think it's still fun for what it is. Can't really expect that to jive with story-focused Final Fantasy fans though

[@juances]

But I have to agree with Falcon on the weapon score. One character to grind equipment for is tolerable. This game cranks it to eleven because there's a whole party you gotta keep up to date.

[@tetsuo311ontwitch5]

Thanks for the review. I purchased this game going into it thinking about mindless combat dynasty warriors style. And I was completely blown away how complex the system can be. And that's a good thing. I'm seeing a lot of mixed reviews about the game. All I would say is play the demo if you enjoy it pick it up support it. Everyone has a different opinion and how they prefer to play a video game I thank you so much falcon for your honest review.

[@joshuamcneely3028]

Dont pursue Lu Bu

[@marcuskane1040]

Zero reasons to support this garbage. Absolute failure with zero thoughts put behind gameplay mechanics

[@projectpems8304]

Play Nioh. It’s similarly complex, although it is much harder

[@Nsmnsd197]

I wish they just worked on this game a bit more it would’ve been a hit

[@hisholiness4537]

Ninja Gaiden Black/2 are still their masterpieces.

[@kateking6889]

Got it on sale. I'm blown away by how much I like it. Imo It's definitely worth your time & money. If your a big final fantasy fan or a souls fan, I'm sure you'll find something to love. Don't let internet reviews keep you away like it did me.

[@averageatbestva]

See I’ve heard a lot of conflicting reviews depending on the player. I think the only consistent criticisms I’ve heard so far is the level designs and the inventory issues and the only consistent accolades are the combat system and job system. Outside of those few consistencies I’ve heard others say that the story is extremely dumb but enjoyable because of the character’s, specifically Jack, comparing the game’s story to a B-Tier anime, while other reviewers have felt the story wasn’t enjoyable at all. I’ve seen some reviewers really like the soundtrack and others that really don’t. I’ve heard some say the gameplay system really makes up for the areas the game falls short in while others don’t think it does. I’ve seen quite a few comparisons to even DMC 4, not sure how accurate those comparisons are but having played DMC 4 I can understand what could potentially be the thoughts behind said comparisons. This game really feels like one that has no in between audience, you either love it or you hate it and you won’t know which side you’re on until you play it.

[@coreymoore9582]

Now you've got me curious, because dmc 4 was massively enjoyable to me and I've always been interested in it's wildly mixed reception. Personally, I feel like dmc 4 suffered from Raiden bait-and-switch salt, just unoriginally of course since mgs2 had already done it.

[@averageatbestva]

@@coreymoore9582 agreed! I enjoyed DMC 4 a lot as well but it definitely was a mixed bag for the majority of people and just like from what I’ve seen from Stranger of Paradise’s reviews so far, there wasn’t really an in between on views it was always one sided at the time. Now it’s viewed as one of those gem games but that opinion took years to form.

[@mikespike2099]

To me this game seems like they Retconned the bones of FF15, repacked it, added some dark mood and improved its combat.... the style and even the enemies look like they were pulled from FF15. It just seems like a grinder version of FF15

[@gamedone735]

well as you said the level design sucks which is a reason alone to never touch the game for me. cause you know in these kind of games it matters a lot.

[@averageatbestva]

@@gamedone735 typically I would agree with this but that’s where some conflicting reviews come about. Others that have played the game already have said that the level designs are ignorable due to how engaging the combat is and the game isn’t one that relies on level design as a focal point. Again it kinda draws similarities to DMC 4 where you basically just reran the same levels multiple times reducing the amount of level design but overall, especially now, that game is viewed very favorably despite it being rather mixed upon launch.

[@jiito808]

4:10 ffxv already had you fight tonberrys and malboros in an action setting

[@tommyfraz.]

Those fights were insane. Especially the one at nighttime, at the Tower. Dude was like Yoda in Attack of the Clones.

[@Gaming_Legend2]

yea but it was less action based, and it had a bunch of quick time events

[@RasenRendanX]

@@Gaming_Legend2 this is a good point. as a played and got the platinum in ff15 i wish the combat was much....like what is happening in FF Origin when i played the demo of FF Origin over the weekend i was saying i wished FF15 combat was more like this

[@alexsmith6914]

@@Gaming_Legend2 Did you play FF7R? lol

[@niallruane7045]

XII too

[@kirbystars328]

I agree the level design could use some work, and inventory management is annoying. But imo the story is good that gets very engaging in the end. The combat is also amazing and gives you a lot of options for how you wanna play. Anyone who's an ff fan and likes Action games should give it a go, especially If you have some friends to go with.

[@zeeduubs8910]

I gotta say I usually trust these guys for their reviews but it feels like Falcon just decided he didn't want to like the game.

[@DV-ou1yu]

Seems like a majority sadly went this route. They went in wanting it to suck so it sucked lol

[@darxene9264]

Im the same. I usually dont buy a game until i see the before you buy by these guys but i enjoyed this game alot in the demo and am still enjoying it in the full game and it seems like alot of commenters are also happy with the game aswell so its sad to see reviewers just straight up trashing the game. Definetly lost faith in this channel from this review alone

[@DV-ou1yu]

@@darxene9264 This is a trend sadly.

[@KingdomFinalXBleach]

@@darxene9264 How childish. He has a difference of opinion that isn't blindly praising a game and giving valid criticism, and thats a no go for you?

[@darxene9264]

@@KingdomFinalXBleach he starts the video off not wanting to even play the game. He went into the game already hating it so yeah im aloud to have my own opinion of his content. How childish of you to not let me have my own opinion

[@joshuaward7222]

They would've served themselves much better had they launched a few months before Elden Ring! I didn't hate the demo, but oh boy, Elden Ring absolutely blows this game out of the water!!!😳

[@Omgits7ito]

Elden ring is more visually final fantasy than this game.

[@Kal-El207]

On GOD

[@glaiveking2530]

Its still bad though, would be in the same situation as now with no one wanting to play such a boring and frustrating game, i tried the demo and i can agree with everything falcon said lol

[@RasenRendanX]

@@glaiveking2530 i tried the demo and loved the game. imo it depends on the person.

[@marclenraymagdaraog691]

@@RasenRendanX It's Final Fantasy but worst in every aspects lmao. you know the main reason why Final Fantasy games are good is because of their characters and how they develop in the story. The gameplay for Final Fantasy games are mediocre at best but this removed all of those but enhanced gameplay aspect since it took from Nioh Games. but yeah I hate how dumb the story is lol. Rather just play Tales of Arise than this.

[@lunarknight9162]

Makes a lot of sense with gameplay considering it’s developed by team Ninja

[@Rontastik]

I'll just wait for this to go on sale then. Thanks for a straight and honest review Falcon!

[@pass4359]

His review is his own. Play it and enjoy it for yourself. I like the game. Once you start picking things you don't like then the game becomes more distant. Glad I played it before I watched this cause the game is awesome for me. To each their own.

[@nathan8455]

falcon doesn't sound excited to be here

[@user-vt2ee3ft9r]

I like the game than Nioh series

[@CrowFuu]

Are the stat increases from Jobs permanent across the character? In other words would you keep say +5 strength once the node is unlocked or is it gone when switching classes?

[@darxene9264]

Youd become way too powerful if the stats stuck across class changes.. i spent a good 10-20 hours grinding the demo and leveling up all the jobs i had available to me. Id expect to 1 shot all the enemies after a certain point but i never did

[@Darklord_tK]

Yes and no the weapons that have affinities for jobs will give you the benefits of that jobs skill tree up to a certain percentage at first i would stick gear with the same job affinity as whatever 2 classes/jobs i was using but playing past the point i got to in the demo now i started mixing up the gear with different affinities to where my main class/job gets only it's skill tree boost but all the gear has at least 20% or more for other classes also giving me acess to their passive stat boosts, it's kinda hard to explain but when you see it in game it makes sense basically job affinity%= stat bonuses associated with that job I've mainly been using warrior+ninja as my main 2 jobs/classes but on my warrior set it also gets bonuses from jobs i havent even leveled because of the gear affinity so I have ridiculously high dps and break damage and using certain buff skills i can literally one shot anything except bosses with a charged attack

[@beaniejammer]

The reason why they are having issues with the "dodge" is cause it's not a dark souls dodge, there are no i-frames on it. It's purely for positioning and you have to block and parry a lot more much like Sekiro hence all the emphasis on the break gauge and having the whole instant spell system with parrying. Making sure that you know that the main way to not take damage in this game is to block and parry, not dodge.

[@tigerfestivals5137]

Pretty sure the dodge has i frames, the tutorial explicitly states that double tapping dodge will initiate a roll which doesn't have i frames. There's no reason to say that if the regular dodge doesn't have any i frames

[@manbat4582]

dodge have i-frames

[@isidoro19david65]

Dude stop copying gameranx thoughts the game Dodges do have s play the demo and you Will see

[@OrphanHart]

I have 100% dodged through attacks in this game

[@cuvip2007]

Dodge does have Iframe, same startup and end like Nioh 2 midstance dodge.

[@emptymelodies3316]

Been playing the demo with low expectations and personally it’s fun enough so far

[@DubExp]

Pretty fun! I'm playing it for sure! Also there's an option to decide what to pick up depends on the rarity you want to pick up. If you 4 stars then anything below won't be picked up.

[@Road_to_Dawn]

That’s good to know! I had no idea that was an option. I’m gonna remember that

[@wavywalrus5427]

This game is so fun. Combat is satisfying like Sekiro and on hard you can really feel the souls like genre shine through

[@arthurmassainidesantana8428]

On normal is too easy?

[@RasenRendanX]

I tried out the demo of this game over the weekend. i had a lot of fun with it. i never played Nioh before. im only giving this a shot cuz it's FF the combat is mad fun something i wished FF15 had tbh as much as i loved that game. I know the memes of the diagoue in the Dub are funny but i played in JPN it felt good. im not expecting much from the story just here for the combat. ifanything the game just feels like those 2000s games ppl come to love a decade later. I think it is a solid game. doesn't need to be a 10/10 or better than Elden ring. just a goofy fun time killing CHAOS with the boiz

[@marclenraymagdaraog691]

I think the main thing is that if you played Nioh 1 and Nioh 2.. it's significantly a better game than this.. Boss FIghts are cheap as hell lmao

[@kiriuxeosa8716]

Go play nioh dude you owe it to yourself

[@NerdbanditRS]

Can you play it in Japanese with English subs?

[@bdgilliam7610]

I'm really liking what I've seen so far with the class developement and its gameplay.

[@RasenRendanX]

imo after playing the demo the thing that grabbed me with this game was the core combat and being able to switch jobs on the fly. really fun and free

[@FatalSama7]

Yeap im into it also it feels pretty good while playing. Plus i dont take any review as the end all be all.

[@silentkaine9352]

You wont after 5 hours of the same fights

[@lordbingus2085]

@@silentkaine9352 7-ish hours in, combat is still fun. If the combat feels same-y, just swap jobs.

[@YourLastWish]

It's obvious the cut corners in ways. I mean look at the hair in a lot of scenes. Outer parts are choppy as f*** but it's still fun combat system. It's a dungeon loot crawler instead of a rpg. File size is big because all the gears and skills. Not to mention it does look good outside choppy stuff

[@ghostslayer1835]

Honestly I'm just a huge ff fan and wanted to pick it up. I wasn't expecting anything mind blowing so hearing that the combat is good is really all that matters to me

[@RasenRendanX]

this was me. i just wanted a good game and having played the demo the combat really hooked me. mad fun

[@saiwaqa2573]

because thats what final fantasy has always been about; combat and story. Its not about open worlds and major exploration with souls like enemies and nioh. I wish these reviewers would stop comparing final fantasy to these other genres.

[@saiwaqa2573]

@@10tailedbijuu facts! Worst final fantasy main title ever in my opinion.

[@kimsengyap1000]

No idea how people can judge a game just from the demo, without mentioning their opinions are totally based on demo.

[@mikespike2099]

There are SOOOOOO MANY better games out there at the Mo … Elden Ring for starters … Horizon West etc playing this would seem like a waste of time!

[@user-mz1fe3yj7e]

I suffered the same thing regarding the loot and playing side missions in the nioh games as well. The thing I hated the most about them though are the infinite number of menus and systems crammed into them, I'm sad it's even worse here

[@RW7243]

I honestly felt like the game was cool the combat was fine, the levels were too even tho the side missions are the same like the main ones going from beginning to end or reverse order, thats how it felt playing nioh side missions as well n it does feel like a remake even tho its not supposed to be which i dont mind since i was hoping for a remake for a while either way n the story honestly as well feels ok since this is almost like a remake of ff1 n especially the music it might be the same for fights but thats how the og ff1 was like anyways so overall for me it honestly feels like a 8/10 so its not that bad ☔👑🛡️

[@Blackfire_2022]

I bought it for the combat and not really the story. I knew it would be a meme fest and I love it

[@standard7272]

Innkeeper: You gonna stay the night? Jack: *grunts* Inkeeper: Glad to hear that!

[@yoariku1]

Same, and I love it and Jack

[@lucariotheawesome]

I think that's why anyone would buy this game, or any Team Ninja game for that matter. They may not have the best writers, but damn, they can make some good combat

[@PeoplePleaser578]

@@standard7272 Innkeeper: You gonna stay the night? Jack: *Inaudible Grunt*… Chaos?

[@R2debo_]

Fantastic video keep it up your doing amazing job

[@kingshadow8782]

Alright!

[@the204cool]

*you're

[@Shadowsign]

Imagine an mmo with this combat. Would be amazing

[@xXBoogiepopXx]

PSO2 has pretty dope action gameplay.

[@mavvynne444]

*Genshin has entered the chat

[@CyanideCold]

@@xXBoogiepopXx imma stop you right there, its no where as good as this, maybe old pso2 but not NGS

[@warnerlewtv6923]

@@mavvynne444 is this sarcasm?

[@MascrisSensei]

@@mavvynne444 people stop this. I know I know it is one of the best mobile game ever but stop overrate it.

[@frothyslider253]

People need to stop describing every 3d action game as “Souls-like.” The combat system, progression, and tone are completely different than any Miyazaki game.

[@Beinomat]

100% Agreed! I even hear people call games Souls-like only because they are difficult. Dark Souls isn't even that difficult...

[@DV-ou1yu]

Exactly. One can even say Nioh/Nioh 2 have better combat than anything From has produced. The only issue is neither of those feel as polished and sharp as From games.

[@thesteveman2012]

@@Beinomat yeah it is lol

[@Beinomat]

@@thesteveman2012 Nioh is way harder lol

[@thesteveman2012]

@@Beinomat never said it wasn’t

[@Coreisus]

Regards file size, it's probably just cuz there's a ton of unnecessary code, or it's poorly optimized, or there's tons of cut content that they kept in the game cuz removing it would crash something else

[@dale7326]

Cut contents. Those stuff will come as dlcs for the updates.

[@DV-ou1yu]

Omg I hate poorly optimized games....cough cough CoD cough cough

[@GuardSilent]

I actually liked the demos and I love nioh 1 +2. I platinumed 2 I loved it so much but it does feel like a wait for sale game.

[@mauriciohercules4678]

I was thinking exactly like you lol nioh 2 awesome platinumed too and 1 was nice but yeah this game feels like we need to wait to be on sale

[@scottsummers4154]

I'm having a good time with the game. I like my fight the dark with the light BS. I don't agree with the level design criticism from some reviewers, because they're some of the same people that praised Nioh's. It's the same quality, maybe a little better, because of the FF flair. I'm playing it on PS5, they need to clean up the optimization a bit. Other than that its cool.

[@dale7326]

Yea, the game itself technically not flawless good but it’s something that controversy in itself since you get a lot of different mechanics and stuff that build into it. It would be better if it’s a live service game so they can change the certain landscape. Keep in mind, there was environmental changes that has been removed from this version of the game that they have showcase. I think the expansions might bring something that ppl more akin to. For sure that this game is a short budget one but they can just change it since Nioh technically improved a lot after launches

[@DsgSleazy]

Looks like a fuckin $20 game that came out in 2015, it's honestly disgraceful.

[@The.Brother.in.Christ]

Nah nioh is better

[@shuyo6073]

Honestly still hyped for this game. Ready to play when it releases!

[@shaneharrington3655]

Do you have a cold Falcon?

[@304Blaise]

If you didn’t get that “my way” is a statement from Nomura about how he’s remaking FF1 “his way” idk what to say…. It’s not exactly subtle lol but it still flew over your head

[@PepperKatLancer]

yeah and hes the Ryan Jonson of the FF series . He thinks hes more clever than he is.

[@0boro]

sounds more like he's making the game to target the edgy western audience like capcom tried to back during the early ps3 era.

[@azulion]

@@0boro yup, I'm pretty sure he always target his games to an edgy audience in general. Being edgy for Nomura was clearly not just a phase. I don't know why SE keeps giving leading roles to him...🤦🏻

[@Comrade_C]

well if anything it feels more like a prequel I

[@ShadowCthulhu]

Does the full game force you to be online like the demo or can you play offline (no internet connection at all)?

[@xSoulWardenx]

You know, I was actually never planning on playing this game after seeing this review. But watching it a second time made me purchase it. I realized just because a game has some bad parts to it doesn't mean I won't enjoy it. There's a lot of features mentioned that I really like, so hopefully it'll be worth the $35.

[@vivanhaze]

35? Trying to avoid paying 59.99

[@xSoulWardenx]

Yeah. It was on sale on Epic Store when I made that comment.

[@ComeNalgi]

@@xSoulWardenx it's at 42 on Xbox do you recommend it for that price?

[@OneTeeGlory]

Jake: “heyyy Falcon, wanna review Origin, man?” Falcon: “not even a little bit” Jake: “oh cmonnn mannn, pizza’s on me”

[@pigsinspace9927]

I was really hoping this game would've just been a surprise hit 'cos I love Team Ninja and Final Fantasy but as soon as I saw the trailer I just couldn't get excited for this one

[@nunothedude]

Wdym

[@user-vz2sy7tx3w]

yea its hot garbage

[@averageatbestva]

@@user-vz2sy7tx3w it all depends on who you ask, I’ve seen nothing but conflicting reviews. The only consistent things I’ve seen between each review is the poor level design and inventory but the high quality combat and job system. Everything else has been a toss up, some people like the story, some don’t, some like the soundtrack, some don’t, some like the combat enough to overlook the downfalls, some don’t. I have yet to see an in between on this game and it’s really looking like it’ll be one of those game where there wont be an in between audience.

[@SalM1]

I did it myyyyyyyyy waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-

[@marclenraymagdaraog691]

@@averageatbestva you speak about the game like you haven't played a lot of final fantasy and Nioh so I gues that's normal. if you played some of the games from both parties the expectation for them would be a bit higher. But yeah the game is mediocre at finest and easily forgettable more so than Horizon FW.

[@kkllaauussss1983]

i finished the game a few minutes ago. i am so grateful i stuck with it . don't sleep on this amazing,amazing game. the story is actually realty good. (i'll post this on all videos i can find)

[@nasirbarbee5940]

You know times have chaged when fun gameplay cant save a game from a bad score

[@anactualbear5683]

And no game breaking bugs?! That sort of thing is the stuff of legend.

[@henryduttweiler]

Thank god times have changed. Games need more than just “fun gameplay” nowadays to be considered good. If you want only “fun gameplay” just go play indie games

[@anactualbear5683]

@@henryduttweiler games need to have great graphicplay, soundplay, and storyplay too! Doesn't matter what genre or budget. No exceptions!!!

[@vandalg282]

Have you played it? Not fun, it takes a step in the right direction, but games like Nioh or Sekiro are much older and fun to play due to the combat. Hell, KH2 is actually fun compared to this.

[@KhaiFiRadio]

It's a good thing ya'll make these videos. I was looking forward to this game, now Im glad I ain't throw out the bread for it

[@jamesmiller5331]

Yep I can wait until this is on sale for twenty bucks way in the future

[@jamesmiller5331]

@@kyestar88 I won't buy that shit at full price either. There's a sucker born every minute

[@LazyTallGuy]

So the overall assessment I’ve gathered from different reviewers is that this game is fugly but has a fun battle system.

[@averageatbestva]

I’ve also picked up from most reviewers that despite the story being really dumb, it’s actually enjoyable because of Jack’s personality.

[@averageatbestva]

@@10tailedbijuu if you don’t like the series you can just say that instead of some nonsense like that. Acting like FFXIV alone isn’t considered one of the best games/stories in gaming.

[@marclenraymagdaraog691]

@@10tailedbijuu hmm nah since I think their story has been great at least till FFXV.. XIV has good stories. for some reason I think Square enix is trying more to experiment that try to provide a Final Fantasy like game.

[@mistersqwid4847]

Thanks falc, i was gonna buy release day but i might wait for sales and hopefully some updates from the devs. I also have an inkling it will be on gamepass in 3 months time

[@mrdante361]

Play this game. It's fun to play and that's all that matters.

[@lotan9398]

I honestly agree with all your reviews except this one. it was quite fun

[@user-vz2sy7tx3w]

yea quite fun in a comically bad kind of way

[@Ebani]

Sounds like a fitting title for a "Games so bad they're actually good, part 2"

[@Gatorade69]

It's almost like people have different opinions. Falcon seemed to like the combat and jobs system. Personally the game looks kind of boring to me and the trailer kind of turned me off.

[@oxenford539]

9:32 - you dislike that the combat is so chaotic? so what you're saying is... you hate chaos?

[@giovlms]

"This games looks not as a labor of love, but more of a contractual obligation". This summed up your point perfectly, @falconthehero. Thanks for the great review!

[@eltren6120]

Only RDR2 was a so-called "labor of love" to fans of the old west genre, IF that... What games are labor of love? ? ? Otherwise, every game has to be called out for not being "labor of love"

[@InnerRise]

@@eltren6120 jesus

[@TooToo246]

Sounds like Ninja Theory's DmC and Remedy's Crossfire X

[@Catman-san]

@@eltren6120 Nioh seemed like a labour of love

[@coryyoung7544]

@@Catman-san it was but you have to take that with a grain of salt because dark souls was starting to get hyped once it was released.

[@brunobarros5395]

New generation always complains about the new games, it's about this video and the person

[@bandarff7899]

Thanks for your feedback, I really helps me alot

[@scottfitz-john8511]

So glad falcon reviewed this, the jrpg guy, kinda had my hopes up that this was gonna be worth playing as I love final fantasy games

[@adblockevery1243]

He seemed a little spiteful towards the game. Almost like no matter what the game had he already decided to hate it.

[@Evanz111]

I definitely admit it feels like a step back, in most regards. I still think I’ll give it a chance, as if I wasn’t comparing it to TeamNinja’s previous work or the Souls games, then I’d think it’s a good Final Fantasy game regardless.

[@danilocruz5978]

How come it is good if it’s a step back?

[@NotAverageAfro]

@@danilocruz5978 not everything needs to be an advancement of something. You can go back and still have a good game

[@Sincerity1993]

It's not even a ff game, it's Nioh with FF fan service

[@danaltamirano2546]

@@NotAverageAfro Except this isn´t even a good game. It´s another attempt at making FF more "contemporary" which ends up being a mod of a game already established with just the brand as the title. Not only that, but one of the few pros of almost every single FF is the story. The script for this game might be the stupidest thing I have experienced in 20 years of gaming.

[@SeanWalker-km8oj]

That's the point... It's NOT a good Final Fantasy game... NIOH and Souls aside, this game lacks the amazing story elements and cast of unique and interesting characters that makes Final Fantasy games Final Fantasy games to begin with.

[@onizuka0539]

What i like on the story part is the end. When he is talking to his friends who became the 4 fiends he being Garland and the entrance of warrior of light at the end

[@fishie00]

Is there any loot filter like nioh? In nioh 1/2 there are loot filters, like filter out white and green item and so on

[@loading2463]

I'm having fun with this game, addicting mechanics, great combat, good soundtrack and Chaos. I can't ask for more.

[@kschmeed]

I agree … I don’t get all the hate. This game kicks ass !

[@Aragorn7884]

I wonder how much *CHAOS* is in it... 🤔🤨😅

[@prismindraijin1354]

Honestly, I guessing I'm right about the twist at the end since the first demo but honestly I think this is a test to see how people will react to the battle systems for FFXVI. The battle systems the in the last few games, not counting xiv, have been really make it break and as xvi is going to have an action combat, it really needs to feel right and this is seeing what might work, which looks like it's very tough and go

[@PeoplePleaser578]

I mean the twist is kind of obvious, the moment you see the characters name but it’s kinda cool to see regardless.

[@underscore3122]

Just want to add that if you go to system settings you can auto dismantle whatever item you like based on the star rating. After filling up my inventory with bullshit loot I decided to only keep 3 star plus. I've only had the game for 3 days. That made the experience so far easy and simple

[@alexanderwadt5837]

bro! i just purchased the game yesterday i'm really hoping It's atleast alright especially because nioh 1-2 were some of my favorite games of all time not much for the characters seeing as jack seems kinda wack maybe i should get a refund and wait for kirby to come out lol

[@Eclosion5]

I played the ps4 demo and I had alot of fun with it and it got me to preinstall it. I'm not huge into souls like but I've had fun with this and its bosses and I never lost track if my health bar

[@alexanderwadt5837]

@The Rotten💯 are you sure you're alright dude this is easily readable without it lol

[@johnwrath3612]

never preorder

[@alexanderwadt5837]

@@Eclosion5 yeah I'm gonna play it and see If It's for me because it looks incredibly cool

[@alexanderwadt5837]

@@johnwrath3612 true but i got 24 hours early-play if i did so i couldn't help myself lmao

[@paulw858]

Every RPG game has a single theme that plays during combat. It's just the composers are usually cognizant of what will and will not sound good when played ad nauseum. Sounds like they missed the mark here.

[@joshbrucks]

Not true... Plenty have area or enemy specific music...

[@lifeisrage8063]

Gameranx is my best game and favorite reviewers better than all the mainstream reviews channels for sure

[@leonardofelippine9781]

The excitement on Falcon's voice on the first lines says everything you need to know about his experience...lol

[@JetBlack2024]

I think the most important thing about the loot is getting the affinities because that’s where you get the most out of the gear. Level of the gear wasn’t all that effective. At least from the demos. The enemies are harder to tell their attacks for sure. The talk function is terrible for sure and the loading is ridiculous. And yeah dismantling just seems cumbersome. You can store stuff but why even do that. If you enjoy the combat and seeing the enemies from the series then you might like it but it’s not something you should buy at full price. I got the game because I enjoy it but yeah plenty issues he stated is in the demo. So play the demo and you’ll know the game.. Another note… the demo even feels like they missed some components that would make the game better. But they just didn’t do it. Needs a patch on an already huge game. It’s about 72 GB in size. Please listen again… if you don’t like the game from the demo you not going to like it at all. You can see all the problems he stated in the demo. Seriously.

[@TooToo246]

Nioh 2 was the second souls-like I ever played (after beating Mortal Shell), and it was too hardcore for me tbh. Dealing with all the loot was such a chore for me!

[@cody3335]

Just play elden ring

[@LivesOnMars]

Falcon, I always enjoy your take. I know you usually get excited for a solid JRPG too, its made me more excited for some that i initially was (Nier Stuff, hellooo) but it made me sad that you sounded sad doing this. But i tried two of the demos before they released, and both times i was mad that i couldnt like it. I hoped the final could be different, but. This helped me decide to hold off indefinitely on this one. So going to queue up Elden Ring now. Have fun. Thanks

[@simonbuysse8559]

Big mistake to listen to his review, literally complaining how he can't beat bosses in a Nioh style game. Big oof.

[@peen2804]

this game is actually sick lol. the combat is genuinely ace. sounds like he wanted dark souls when that’s not what this was ever going to be. it’s a hack n slash jrpg-lite. it’s junk food, and good junk food at that

[@blackheartaesthetic4432]

When you say load times are slow, is this an issue on ps5 as well though?

[@bappitherock007]

Falcon are you okay? You sounded tired and worked up. Thanks for the review.

[@actionreplay2165]

Cool wait for sale or game pass :) thank you guys for the honest take.

[@RyuzakiTaiyou]

That talk about the weird twist near the end kinda makes me curious about the game.

[@PepperKatLancer]

if its anything like the last few FFs. it wont be worth it.

[@foxmind2490]

I wish every journalist in any field was as consistently blunt honest as Falcon is. Great video!

[@wheelergaoteote1393]

As far as “needle drops” in game intros go…. The “Stand by me” intro in FF:XV was lit asf and honestly the best thing about the game lol. Know many people hated it but the game was alright IMO, but I didn’t expect much other than “literally” a FF story in an open world.

[@bryantbest8372]

Thanks for doing this review. This is how I felt playing the demo. Glad to know I wasn't alone.

[@TexasBestGamer]

It’s a demo…..it’s not the complete game

[@omega458]

@@TexasBestGamer a demo released a week before launch 😂

[@openbanter1958]

@@omega458 bingo

[@snakekingblues3017]

remember when battlefield 2042 release a "beta" or w.e its call a few month before release and people were saying how bad it was and you had people being like oh its just a beta the full release going to be better look how that turn out

[@Sincerity1993]

@@TexasBestGamer The complete game isn't different. FYI demos usually represent the full game and on release only bug fixes will be done and content added.

[@oneswimmingboy]

I thought this was a DMC/OG God of War style game not a soulsborne. Damn.

[@NeptuneJr]

This soulsborne crap has got to stop being popular.

[@Ebani]

@@NeptuneJr It won't bc soulsbornes are popular, what should stop however are the copycats trying to make a quick buck.

[@dimitriosgladio059]

I’d compare it to DMC, it’s nothing like dark souls

[@rafaelrivera364]

I’m a little confused about the souls aspect of it. What do you mean? Does anyone know?

[@blackheartaesthetic4432]

Yes I’m so glad we got a before you buy video for this game!! 😭😭 I had my fingers crossed hoping we would since the last ps5 game I bought, Demon Slayer didn’t get a byb video

[@Animanji]

This was the funniest review I've heard in a long time 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@joshIMPALED]

been an FF superfan since I first played FF7 when I was 5 years old. it absolutely captivated my young mind, like so many others. unfortunately, I think the newer FFs have been messy to say the least... its sad to see what used to be my favorite series hit what I consider to be such a crappy wall.. I miss THE Final Fantasy. Whatever its trying to be is NOT what most fans expect. Which, in some cases is GREAT. ... this is not it.

[@skyyy710]

Mine was ff8 but yes exactly

[@CavemanZerron]

I sadly completely agree

[@hkoizumi3134]

You should play FF14 online. It is by far the best in the series. And for those that played agrees FF14 has the best antagonist ever written. Although this is online, during the story content, it is mostly a single player experience. The game has 4 expansions so far which may take you couple months to complete. It has a free trial up to the first expansion ending with no time restrictions. So if you feel modern Final Fantasy has gone worse, try FF14. It will restore faith in the series once you finish it.

[@skyyy710]

@@hkoizumi3134 i iust hate paying a monthly fee :(

[@Jaekization]

@@hkoizumi3134 considering the guy who brought back life into FF14 to make it what it is today is directing FF16, I have hope in the next game.

[@DmitriyLusin]

I like this rare angry gameranx review! p.s. Nioh has some of the leveling up issues, when the game forces you to grind for levels, or you will be 30lvs below by the end of the game.

[@matthewbergeron3641]

Let me just say the story is a little rough. To be generous, It's a bold move to make characters that have no personality, or memories for the majority of the game. It is story important why they don't, and that does change, but that's not immediately obvious, until way later where most fans who only came for the story will probably have checked out. The story leaves you confused until it's all miraculously wrapped up in the last bit and it honestly felt amazing and everything makes sense. Things that were off and cringey do get mentioned and tied up later, even though you never expect them too. Besides the story though the gameplay is genuinely so good that it's worth buying for that alone. Like genuinely so good. Takes a second to figure out how it all works, but once you get it it feels amazing, easily the best combat from any final fantasy to date. Team ninja really did well. Once you figure out weaknesses and the break system it changes from a souls-like to something closer to Doom, where you're absolutely unstoppable, doing these badass finishers on every enemy. Gameplay is fantastic, and the leveling, job systems and equipment only get more interesting and expansive in the post-game. If you're looking for a great time, and can put up with a mostly dull or cringey story, until the end that is, then this is an absolutely must have. Equipment customization isn't as good as nioh, but it does get alot better in the post game, where it actually matters

[@hkoizumi3134]

This is what happens when you play too much souls game and becomes obsessed with it. Every action games becomes a soul game or expected to be.

[@Josith13]

Yup, the real pandemic is "SoULs LiiKeee" You can have good combat without it being shitty roll souls

[@aminulhussain2277]

@@Josith13 Sounds like you could never recognise good combat.

[@mangoman1073]

Falcon just sounds tired of life and overly congested from pollen

[@mapalozimba2107]

"dirty work" at my job is things like transferring paperwork and documents from office to office, while "dirty work" for falcon is playing a video game

[@epicurusstan3223]

i hear that co-op is really fun and is where the game shines

[@chadbaileyisawesome]

I had little to no interest in this game. I prefer the old school turn based FF games. This review definitely dropped my interest to zero. Great before you buy. I love how honest you guys are.

[@RasenRendanX]

and thats fine. if anything i would recommend Triangle strategy on the switch.

[@Gatorade69]

I miss turn based combat. It's why I loved Final Fantasy, it almost felt more tactical than well... Chaos.

[@chadbaileyisawesome]

@@RasenRendanX It’s like you know me. I’m about 27 hours into it and loving the deep story.

[@breakmon218]

​@@Gatorade69 sadly, most of the games nowadays are turning to ARPG :(( I miss the old square enix for their turn based games.

[@crocodiledowny2191]

It’s team ninja not sure why you expected turn based

[@robob5544]

When Falcon was like "They sent me to do the dirty work" I knew already that the game was not good, and also he's gonna give his honest opinion

[@KupoKup]

Alot of the criticisms in this review are also present in other Souls games

[@RTheStoryteller7]

The only thing that made me interested for the levels are every level are based of previous FF game (Evil Forest, Crystal Tower, Castle Palmecia, Floating Continent, etc)

[@Gameboynitro]

I like how people say you can't judge this game based off the demo when the full game is a week after the demo, what you see is what you're gonna get especially since you get to continue where you left off after you purchase the full game.

[@natchu96]

I mean...the story bits featured in a demo could easily not be indicative of the full narrative in the actual game, or just be non-canon entirely in some demos' cases. And sometimes they don't properly portray character progression either, just locking your party in some predefined state or level range with arbitrary gear so you can get a feel for the controls and general gameplay loop. In terms of things like combat mechanics or graphics quality though, yeah I'd say a demo is gonna be a pretty solid judge when it's made this close to launch.

[@Made-By-Mercy]

It's important to remember that the build version of a demo is in most cases not indicative of the build to be released. I think more recently Elden Ring is a good example of this, where people were flaming the network test for its graphics, feel of emptiness etc. . . when it was clearly an older build of the game. However, I agree with you on this point. The demo for Stranger of Paradise is a snippit of the final product, and people saying otherwise are on copium. Amazing game so far though, i'm loving it!

[@Twocrudedudes]

@@Made-By-Mercy The network test for ER was in November, the game came out this month. I can download the demo for SOP right now...

[@Slayer6244]

9:07 I beat the game on Chaos Difficulty and didn’t think it was to bad/unfair. Don’t worry though! After some play testing they added an Easy Mode, then an Easy Mode for the Easy Mode to help struggling players

[@cenciende9401]

You're a fool.

[@Slayer6244]

@@cenciende9401 For beating it on the Hardest Difficulty? Lol

[@bojox3m2]

yeah, Falcon sounded sad while narrating. I played this game and I would agree that the game would be so much better if it has a hub where you can interact with the NPCs and start quests.

[@interoffice5402]

It's a lot of fun as a co-op game. Basically all of the fun of FFXIV without any toxic players or meandering pretense.

[@datboilol3849]

Friend hyped up the demo and I'm hooked. We're gonna start 3 player coop tonight. Shit is so fun right now. Graphics looking ass but that shit is irrelevant to the fun I'm having.

[@Omega77232]

You can make anything fun with a friend even to the point of just staring to the wall for 10 minutes

[@datboilol3849]

@@Omega77232 im 13 hours deep solo and still having fun.

[@purgatoriprytania5382]

Sounds like they got all the important things right. I'll be getting it when it's discounted.

[@cenciende9401]

Then your priorities are f******

[@irritatingtruth9121]

I agree with you. I find that funny too. Some ppl pay 60 plus tax… I pay 35/40 plus tax a month later. Easy win imo.

[@pauliussipavicius4658]

I didnt understand at first why before you buy sounds so different, does the video have sound issues or something till it hit me, its not falcon who does this usually

[@theguythatgetsallthetimest5887]

To sum up the buzz around FF Stranger of Paradise.... Reviewers rushing through the game to get out that review a day or 2 after release: "Game bad" People who have actually thoroughly played it and didn't go in with high expectations: "Game good"