Stranger of Paradise may have been an old game to many of us at this point.

But it’s hard to forget about the funny chaos meme associated with the game.

Of course, that wasn’t the only thing that made the game the butt of a joke.

They even criticized the character design for Jack considering that he doesn’t look like your typical Final Fantasy main character.

Who would have thought a plain-looking old dude would be the main character of Final Fantasy?

You can’t help but feel that it’s Square Enix’s answer to Kafka Hibino from Kaiju No. 8.

Out of many games, this is by far the only game that received backlash even before the release.

And that doesn’t paint a good look for Square Enix and Team Ninja who develops the game.

The unfortunate fate that befalls Stranger of Paradise

While the chaos meme died down a little upon the game’s release, it’s still not out of the woods yet.

The performance issue the game had for those who got the game through Epic Games.

Yes, we all know games from Epic Games are notorious for having issues, not just this game.

But sadly, the performance issues aren’t just unique to the PC version. Even the PS5 and PS4 version has similar issues, but not as glaring as the PC version.

That seems to be the case for me where the guarding and evading aren’t that responsive.

The control feels heavy too, as if I’m playing the game in lower fps. It tends to affect me the most during the Licht boss fight.

Here I am, thinking that opting to enhance the performance will make the game run better.

Not only that it does nothing to resolve the performance issue. But it only causes the game graphics to become so much worse.

It makes NieR Replicant look way much better graphics-wise despite the game being a PS3 port.

The game’s saving grace

With all sorts of issues surrounding the game, what is it that makes the game worth playing?

If there’s one thing that makes the game worth playing, I will say it’s the gameplay, hands down.

In case you’re wondering, Team Ninja was the one who developed the battle mechanic. And Square Enix was in charge of the story for the game.

Yes, we all know it’s a bad sign if we leave the game story to Square Enix.

But the good news is this game doesn’t suffer the same fate as the games that come before it.

I’ll save the talk about the story for later.

But suffice it to say it’s the fascinating battle mechanics that make this game fun to play.

Not going to lie that the way Jack does Soul Burst may seem way too rough and violent for some.

But strangely enough, seeing Jack doing Soul Burst somehow gives you a gratifying feeling.

Is it because it’s gratifying to see Jack doing Soul Burst on the enemies that are tough and annoying to fight such as Tonberry?

Or is it the act itself that gives you the satisfying feeling, causing you to want to see Jack doing more Soul Burst again despite how violent it looks?

I won’t deny that the battle mechanics for this game can feel hard to grasp for some. And it’s even more so if you’re not used to playing games like Sekirou and Nioh.

But the thing about this type of game is that you can customize your build according to your play style.

This is the sort of game where everybody’s build is different and no builds are alike.

What job class and weapons you use will give you a wide variety of results.

The story isn’t that bad too

We all know that Square Enix is no stranger to making lousy and convoluted stories for many of their games.

So, it’s not far off to assume that Stranger of Paradise will also suffer from the same fate.

Considering that it’s a prequel to Final Fantasy I, it’s likely that Stranger of Paradise will change the narrative we already know in Final Fantasy l for the worse.

For all we know, we need to start treating the story that takes place in Final Fantasy I as a different story that takes place in a different timeline.

Well, here’s the good news for you – the events that take place in Stranger of Paradise don’t alter everything we know in Final Fantasy I.

If anything, it all ties back to the story that takes place in Final Fantasy I, with everything we know about Final Fantasy I remaining intact in Stranger of Paradise.

The only caveat about the game is that most of the cutscenes are rather short, save for the ending.

And it can feel like you’re missing out a lot too, when the cutscenes only have a bare minimum of information.

The story will only begin to answer any underlying questions you have during the last few missions.

It may feel like everything happens in one fell swoop too, especially when there’s nothing much going on before that.

But at least you can rest assured that the story doesn’t leave you hanging even after you complete the game.

It’s not for everyone

While Team Ninja markets the game as the easier version of Dark Soul, it can still be not for the faint-hearted.

Yes, the game is tough, even in Normal mode.

You will have to die many times when you’re fighting normal enemies, not just during the boss fights.

But if playing Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth left you disappointed, this game may be a good option for a change of pace.

For all you know, it can be the most satisfying game you’ve ever played, way more than any other AAA titles you own.

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