Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin gameplay overview shows off job system, co-op gameplay

One day after Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin’s “final” trailer was released, Square Enix debuted a gameplay overview for the title on Tuesday. The overview gave an in-depth look at Stranger of Paradise’s combat and further explained how its job system would function.

Based on the footage shown, the key to combat appears to be the Break gauge, which operates similarly to Sekiro’s Posture meter in that it’s depleted when blocking attacks. Enemies also have their own Break gauges that, when broken, permit players to perform Soul Burst attacks — powerful finishing moves similar to Sekiro’s Deathblows.

The overview also showcased the variety of jobs that players would be able to choose from. Jobs are effectively classes here, and each will boast its own playstyle. According to Square Enix, all players will start the game as a Swordsman, but they’ll be able to choose other jobs as they progress through the game. Some of the jobs showcased were the Lancer, who uses a hefty spear in battle; the Ronin, who wields a katana; and the Pugilist, who fights with nothing more than their bare hands. Players can also level up each job to earn new job-specific skills to use in battle.

Square Enix briefly touched on Stranger of Paradise’s multiplayer features as well. The company stated that the title would support cooperative play for up to three players. The publisher also said that various special dungeons, raids, as well as other “unique endgame content” were all created with co-op multiplayer in mind.

Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is set to release for PC, PlayStation 4/5, and Xbox consoles on March 18. The game is a reimagining of the first Final Fantasy game featuring updated character and environment designs.

Since the game’s announcement in 2021, Stranger of Paradise has grown into something of a meme in the gaming community due to its edgy nature, which was arguably best exhibited by its protagonist listening to a Limp Bizkit soundalike during the game’s second demo in October 2021.