Final Fantasy Origins: Strangers in Paradise is a spin-off of the Final Fantasy series developed by Glorious Team Ninja in collaboration with Square Enix, because it was developed by Team Ninja and the style is very similar to Ren wang, so some players regard this game as a sequel to the Ren Wang series.
When it comes to "Ren Wang", the word "soul-like" naturally comes to mind, but the release date of "Final Fantasy Origins: Strangers in Heaven" is so close to the "old man ring" that I personally feel a bit of "head iron".
But when I actually played the game, I realized that this idea was wrong, because this game and the soul-like suffering game are almost two types of games. So when the game is about to be released, let me talk about the one-week experience of this game.
PS4/5 platform comparison
I play the platform for PS4 and PS5, the PS5 version of the picture quality is basically maintained at a stable 60 frames, but I don't know if it is the reason for the update patch, currently can not select the frame number mode or quality mode in the options.
The PS4 version can reach 60 frames in frame-count mode, but the corresponding resolution is much lower, almost blurred to the point of being invisible.
Most of the time, I chose to play in the PS4 version of the picture quality mode, the picture quality is basically the same as "Ren Wang", the frame rate is close to 30 frames, and when there are too many special effects, there will be frame drops.
The current PS4 version may need to wait for updates and patches to improve, but this game also includes cross-platform archiving functions, so there is no trouble after changing platforms.
Difficulty and length of the process
In terms of game duration, the game offers three difficulty options at the beginning, and I chose to play with the general difficulty of ACTION, including the main line and side quests, and the whole process takes about 25-30 hours.
The difficulty of the game only affects the quality of the equipment drop, the simplest of which, the story difficulty, the quality of the fall equipment is the same as the normal difficulty of the ACTION, which is very suitable for players who are not good at action games.
For players who like challenges, after completing the level, they will unlock a more challenging CHAOS difficulty than the HARD difficulty, which not only increases the level cap, but also obtains the "Ancient Relics" equipment that adds two classes at the same time, which is a kind of repetitive gameplay content after completing the level.
As for the online mode, the way to play is basically to create a room and then let the other two players operate the homeowner's teammate role, but unfortunately it can't be experienced because it is a review version.
Compared to Ren Wang
The overall framework of the Final Fantasy Origins: Strangers in Paradise game is still the one that Renwang players are more familiar with, familiar mission selection maps, familiar random equipment drops, and familiar sliding dodges.
However, the gameplay experience of this game is very different from that of "soul-like", first of all, the enemy does not rely on the way of smashing monsters one by one, this game is more like the monster hatred chain form of "Final Fantasy 7 Remake", so every battle the player faces a plural monster.
In this case, the importance of teammates is reflected, and the AI of the review version has been improved a lot compared to the experience version, and there is no case of standing stupid and eating monster magic. After transferring teammates to advanced classes in the later stages, teammates will cast various powerful spells.
Although the player cannot directly control the teammates, they can take the initiative to let the teammates enter the resonance state where the CD rotation is particularly fast, and the various abilities of the teammates will be improved in this state, and the desire to attack will be particularly strong, which can make the battle much easier.
Then there is the game that encourages players to take the initiative to attack, the player's initial healing potion is fixed 5 bottles can not be improved (teammates as long as they are not hollowed out blood is almost unlimited medicine), but by knocking down the monster's drop, you can take up to 10 bottles of healing medicine.
At the same time, the player's magic slot is also restored through attack, anti-reaction, and execution, so the combat flow is basically based on war.
Featured in Final Fantasy
As a derivative of the IP of "Final Fantasy", this game is naturally indispensable to a rich class system. The game does not have a stat bonus system, but instead has a skill tree system for the Final Fantasy series.
There are as many as 27 classes familiar to Final Fantasy players, starting with a choice of classes such as swordsman, fighter, and magician. After pointing out the corresponding skill tree of the two classes, you can combine them to unlock higher classes such as Warrior, Warrior, and Dark Magic Daoist.
Pointing out several upper-level classes out of the corresponding skill tree can unlock the highest-level classes such as Liberator, Destroyer, and Sage. Different classes adapt to different types of weapons, and the more advanced the class, the richer the way of fighting.
For example, liberators who have been upgraded with various protective classes can cast "Omnipotent Defense" through skill keys, and expand the realms with gradual healing and magic defense defense bonuses around themselves for a certain period of time.
For example, sages who have advanced through various legal classes can cast "seal magic" through skill keys, and can freely switch between white magic and black magic when chanting magic.
Each class is capped at level 30, and there is a separate skill tree, players can also equip 2 classes to level up, and the skill points given by each class are just enough to unlock all skills.
Although the attributes decrease every time you switch to a new class, the overall strength of the character follows the equipment level, so players can safely try more classes that have not been played.
Combo derivation
The trick mechanism of this game has also become quite interesting because of the addition of the class system. The most basic move mechanism is still the same as "Ren Wang", each of the 8 weapons has its own combo, charge and defense derivation.
The basic combo of each weapon is a triple combo, and between these three combos you can connect skill keys to derive action skills, which is very similar to the C technique of True Three Kingdoms (skill, combo skill, combo combo skill, combo combos).
A single combo can be derived from three special combos of forward, side, and backward through the arrow keys, and three special combos can be derived from three other action skills.
Depending on the class and weapon, each combo action skill is freely replaceable, and the weapon-adaptable class can also point out passive skills that strengthen these action skills.
In battle, you can switch between the two classes that have been equipped at any time, and the operation of switching classes can also be connected after the action skills, which can be used to cancel the hard straight of the skills and be more flexible to chase and dodge.
Restore mana with a magic attack
With a wealth of skills, each combos requires a fixed mana consumption, and mana becomes a very critical resource. In addition to the above-mentioned way to restore mana in battle, it is also possible to obtain mana by destroying scene items, which is a bit like a traditional action game.
The initial mana is two blocks each time you enter the level, and the maximum mana slot can only be increased by executing monsters, up to a maximum of six tiles.
However, the increase in the upper limit of the mana slot is not always effective in the level, and there is no death penalty for the loss of experience in the game, but the penalty for losing the upper limit of the empty mana slot, and continuous death will become the initial state of two mana blocks.
In addition to action skills, this game also has a variety of attribute bonuses, attack blood and other class general command skills. In addition, there is the "ninety-nine weapons" of this work - the light revelation.
The Illuminati consume the mana slot cap at the same time as the 2 mana, but due to the character's performance improvement, the player can restore the resources consumed through continuous attacks.
Mana is depleted quickly and recovered quickly, and various skills are used to continuously rotate mana in attacks, which is the core mechanism of this game's combat, which in turn makes each battle full of gorgeous skill effects.
Hit BREAK to use Soul Blast
The substitute for the energy slot is the stance slot, which, in Final Fantasy parlance, is the BREAK slot.
Both enemies and enemies have a BREAK slot, which is reduced when attacked. Break slots are restored over time and are fixed when an attack hits. Recovery slows when attacking and dodging, but not when defending.
When its own BREAK slot is emptied, it will fall into an inactive BREAK state, its own BUFF will disappear, and it will lose part of the mana slot cap like the death mechanism.
If you want to cut the monster's BREAK slot, you have to use the action skill to attack, or launch a critical hit from behind the monster. Accumulating a certain amount of damage will cut the monster's BREAK slot cap, and the more break slots are cut, the slower the monster will recover the BREAK slot.
Some powerful attacks can knock monsters away and knock them against walls, which can also give monsters more BREAK damage.
In addition, this game also has three kinds of physical attributes of slashing, suddenly, and smashing, as well as eight magical attributes of fire, ice, thunder, earth, water, wind, saint, and darkness, which can attack monsters according to their attribute weaknesses and can also inflict huge damage on them.
Emptying the monster's BREAK slot can trigger the execution - soul blasting, each monster has a corresponding execution animation, very violent and very decompressing.
Soul blasting will also release shock waves around it, and the monsters affected will be knocked out, and in the process, the monsters whose BREAK slots are emptied will also trigger chain blasts, which is very refreshing when facing the group monsters.
Deal with monsters in many ways
There are two kinds of defenses in this game, normal defense and soul shield, ordinary defense costs less BREAK, and triggering instant defense can also reduce BREAK consumption and defense hard straight.
More commonly used is the Soul Shield, which continuously consumes break slots, during which time being attacked by monsters absorbs damage and converts it into mana. If the monster's attack is a magic attack, it can also be absorbed as an instant skill to counterattack back.
The monster design of this game is the classic monster in Final Fantasy, such as the long-bearded leopard, the elemental elves, the magic world flower and so on. If you are a Final Fantasy series player, you can also use your previous experience when dealing with these monsters.
For example, the Demon World Flower has the most headache-inducing full attribute to reduce the poisonous fog, Winter Bailey has a kitchen knife attack with second kill damage, and the snake tail of the Chimera will be petrified, knowing these, you can dodge in time, and there are fewer first sights to kill.
What's more interesting is that both enemies and enemies will display the name of the skill above their heads when casting the skill, and the player can also look at the skill name to decide the next action, which is very characteristic of Final Fantasy.
Players are familiar with the map style
Another very characteristic of Final Fantasy is the map design of this game, although the design concept of the map of this game is still the same as that of "Ren Wang", which is a linear map with shortcuts, but its map style is very different.
The fifteen main levels in the game correspond to the fifteen canons of the Final Fantasy series, and the BGM in the levels is also a variation of the original version.
For example, the pirate strongholds that players can go to in the first place are designed in the style of the Shastasha Cave in Final Fantasy XIV. The underwater shrine that players can go to in the later stage is designed in the style of the "Final Fantasy 7" Magic Furnace, and the play process is full of visual sense.
However, the more difficult thing is that Team Ninja's picture filter is very uncomfortable, and the contrast is too high, causing some maps to either be too bright or too dark. Others are over-designed terrain that makes it impossible to tell which paths to follow, magnifying the gameplay experience of these levels.
The story begins with its origins
Titled Final Fantasy "Origins", the worldview is set on the stage of the original Final Fantasy, the same Four Warriors of Light holding dark crystals, the same original confrontation with pirates, and also after defeating Garlander before defeating Kaos.
The plot of the game is led by Kazunari Nojima, the screenwriter of Final Fantasy VII Remake, and the creative director is Tetsuya Nomura.
The early stages of the plot may be relatively bland, and it is also full of various riddle people, but when the last few chapters are recycled, it is the most orthodox "Final Fantasy" flavor, and this game is also very cleverly connected to the original plot of "Final Fantasy".
If you have played the original Final Fantasy player, you should have a special mood in the ending.
What needs to be complained about is that although this work has made a model of the King of Cornelia, the NPC dialogue is reflected in the form of a CG through the menu option, and the meaning of the dialogue is not large, I personally guess that this is too late to do the content...
summary
Final Fantasy Origins: Strangers in Paradise, as Daisuke Inoue, the director of the game, said, is not a soul-like game, but more appropriate to say that it is a difficult action game.
The game adopts the framework of Renwang, but instead of dwelling on the elements of suffering again, Team Ninja highlights its best action mechanics.
The idea of active attack, combined with gorgeous combos, makes the battle flow more like the traditional action game of "Ninja Dragon Sword".
On the basis of the excellent action mechanism, the rich professional skill mechanism featuring Final Fantasy is added, which further increases the depth of the fighter system and also makes the combination of various moves more free and free.
In addition to the refreshing battles, the plot with a strong Final Fantasy style is also quite exciting. The degree of emotion and surprise in the plot may not be inferior to that of Final Fantasy 7 Remake.
Rating: 9.0
merit:
- Difficulty for players of all levels
- Easy-to-use combos
- Cool and refreshing battle screen
-Rich job transfer mix
- A strong Final Fantasy-style plot
shortcoming:
- PS4 version is blurry in image quality
- Some map filters and terrain design is not good
- Dialogue in the city is meaningless