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If you had told me earlier this year that Final Fantasy Origins: Strangers in Paradise would have touched me a bit, I would have answered you, "Bullshit!" But now it's different. I recently completed the game, and the surprises and connections that made it truly a Final Fantasy game were refreshing to me. Don't get me wrong, this game still has a bunch of weird plots that make you shake your head. But by the end of the game and everything started to come together, I couldn't help but fall in love with this ridiculous and weird game.
Final Fantasy 14 and all of its expansion packs are probably my favorites from the start to the present, and I think it's the best MMORPG to date, but more importantly, it's the home I often go back to. I love the game's narrative, worldview, and characters – the plot is brilliantly written and the whole story is told in a thoughtful narrative design. I get excited every time the game pops up with a prompt that says, "Cutscenes will be played continuously after that, please allow enough time to watch."
After opening the "Dawn of the Moon" a few months ago, I took a good rest to relieve the emotional fluctuations caused by the plot. "FF14" is always heavy, at least for players who have been invested in feelings for years. Even just walking the smooth cobblestone trails of Old Sarian and checking out the market billboards makes me sadly think of how long my Light Warriors have traveled to get here.
In "FF14", everywhere I go, there is a deep history, reminding me of what I felt when I first arrived here, the various stories that took place in these places, and the melodious soundtrack throughout. The FF14 gameplay experience is typical of Final Fantasy.
▲ My light stayed in the quiet old Sarean to enjoy the snow
Now, take a brave look at the exact opposite of Final Fantasy Origins: Strangers from Heaven. After watching a flood of "chaos" memes and illogical cutscenes, the game's stupidity and absurdity managed to captivate me. The core content is basically: men are good brothers, girls are good partners, and everyone should work together to defeat things like "Chaos". I get the impression of a gameplay-first action RPG that showcases the skill of developer Team Ninja, but seems to deliberately deviate from the series's plot-centric philosophy and only hang on the "Final Fantasy" title.
I mean, that's what the game looks like, and Final Fantasy Origins: Strangers in Paradise does gravitate towards this ridiculous style that creates a cynical atmosphere. But at the same time, that's not the reason it makes me laugh out the bad gigs (especially the few puzzling opening animations). But at the very least, through these bizarre witty remarks and mannerisms, the game succeeds in making the protagonists look cool in the mouth cannon battles against Chaos, while also contributing to a satisfactory interpretation of the series' class system.
However, while maintaining its absurd style, the game gradually unfolds towards a stunning route through its own tone. The last few missions were very unexpected, as the previous half of the game's flow provided little narrative thread. So when the game finally made it clear that it was true, my perception of it gradually changed. There is a sincere emotion hidden behind the absurd appearance, the protagonists' aimless conversation in the dungeon becomes a puzzle piece of the narrative puzzle, and the obsession with "chaos" actually hints at a larger problem. Once the floodgates of the plot are opened, the old-fashioned narrative is completely transformed.
By the end of the journey, they are no longer strangers
One of my motivations for final fantasy origins: Strangers in Paradise was to figure out what the game was all about, and its narrative was blunt and crude but with a sense of truth, with gibberish containing sincerity. Jack, for example, is keen to rudely interrupt large monologues in order to get straight to the point and allow himself to take time out in battle. I've embraced the setting and have genuinely loved the characters, design, and voice acting from the start.
Throughout the story, jack's every interaction with his teammates Asho, Jade, Nion, and the mysterious dark elf Astos will shatter his hard shield when everything reaches a tipping point. By the moment everything comes together, the plot uses this character to reverse, revealing something bigger than the original premise. It's a very adventurous way of storytelling, but I think it works well for this game.
The effect is intuitive to the naked eye (see figure below).
▲ Final Fantasy Origins: Aliens of Heaven Player Feeling Survey (x-axis for game time, y-axis for emotional mobilization)
Maybe a lot of people who have already seen the game's plot think I'm crazy, and I fully understand that. They're right, players have to spend a lot of time looking for clues to the story, and at the end of the day, it still feels like something rough or immature. But I do appreciate the dedication of people to do stupid things for a certain purpose, whether the purpose is clear or not. And, in particular, I couldn't resist the dramatic presentation of the power of friendship, where the protagonists fought together and fought for each other, laying a strong foundation for a story based on this theme.
Do I really understand every detail of this game? Haha, of course not. But I don't think there's a need for people to delve into it. After all, sometimes things can only be attributed to crystals and magic! While I don't think Final Fantasy Origins: Strangers from Heaven does a great job in terms of narrative, its interpretation of the word "origin" in the title is quite successful, further cementing its place in the "Temple of FF.".
▲Are you reading the article with this expression?
When I came back to FF14, I thought about why these two very different games attracted me for some similar reasons. To be honest, I can only repeat the reason I used to repeat that I love the power of friendship and the sacrifices that the characters make, even if the ending is misguided or tragic. While these aren't the only themes in the game, they're the ones I'll never forget.
There is no poetic admiration for the Warrior of Light and the hero's journey, as in "FF14" Rigu Raha Tia, nor the deep grief that you will eventually understand as turning Ezelk into a monster. Final Fantasy Origins: Strangers from Heaven is a one-punch punch from Jack, who incarnates as Chaos, who barely says a word but expresses too much — a way he shows respect and gratitude to his friends who are equally hard working.
In many ways, Final Fantasy Origins: Strangers from Heaven is the antithesis of FF14, as it doesn't care at all about a rigorous worldview or the depth of character development, but still captures my heart with the brilliant and classic Final Fantasy saga. They are opposite poles, but they end up on the same path.
I'm not comparing this game to the grand narrative of "FF14", which doesn't mean that at all. But sometimes, you crave this absurd experience, just as you occasionally eat fast food and find it delicious and satisfying. That's the essence of this game, and that's why I love it.
Translation: Night Cat
Edit: Zoe