One of the most action-packed Final Fantasy games of recent memory, Stranger of Paradise is a fascinating prequel set before the events of the original 1987 game and puts a sharp new spin on that tale. At Amazon, the game just got a Prime Day discount and you can grab this Final Fantasy prequel for just $20. This deal is for the PS4 and Xbox One versions of the game, and for PS5 owners and Xbox Series X|S owners, the last-gen versions include a free current-gen upgrade.
- Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin (PS4)
- Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin (Xbox Series X|S)
Developed by Team Ninja, Stranger of Paradise puts you in control of Jack Garland as he attempts to kill chaos, a fact that became a well-known meme after the game was first revealed back in 2021. Beyond the unintended comedy from its marketing, Stranger of Paradise is a fun reimagining of the first Final Fantasy, one that is backed up by challenging combat and surprisingly flexible character customization. It’s not just an action with a Souls-like flair that pays lip service to Final Fantasy, but a genuine love letter to the franchise and crafts its own complex story of its own along the way.
“Still, while it might be confusing and memey, disjointed and weird, Stranger of Paradise is also a lot of fun,” Phil Hornshaw wrote in GameSpot’s Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin review. “It’s full of cool combat with a wide variety of options, and a job system that lets you customize your playstyle or just try out what feels like 30 different ones. Its challenge makes every fight a battle of skill, while also giving you the tools to feel like a ludicrously powerful Final Fantasy badass. And despite being bizarrely delivered and wildly strange, there is a delight in uncovering what the hell is actually going on in the game’s story and the weird ideas it brings to bear on the Final Fantasy series.”
