Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin demo now live on PS5

Square Enix closed out its E3 showcase by giving us a look at Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, a collaborative RPG from Team Ninja and Koei Tecmo Games.

Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin has been described as a soulslike take on the Final Fantasy franchise and as someone who just conquered Demon’s Souls, I’m all about it. Admittedly, I haven’t jumped fully into Nioh, a Samurai-themed action-RPG from Team Ninja and Koei Tecmo that also offered a soulslike gameplay experience. But it got glowing reviews so I can only assume the developers will deliver a similar experience with Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin.

Actually, I don’t need to assume. I can go hands-on with it right now!

In addition to revealing gameplay of Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, Square Enix also dropped a trial demo of the game on PlayStation 5.

The “Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin Trial Version” is available to download for free starting today on PS5. It will remain available on PS5 through June 24, 2021 7:59 p.m. PDT.

In addition to getting a hands-on experience with the game, those who participate will also be able to fill out a survey and provide feedback to the development team to help shape the overall outcome of the game.

I haven’t yet played the demo, but it supposedly provides a “taste” of the full game as players control Jack and play alongside his allies — Ash and Jed — as they “throw open the gates to the Chaos Shrine.”

In the NES version of Final Fantasy, the Chaos Shrine (also known as the Temple of Flends or Temple of Chaos depending on the port) is the first dungeon in the game. The Warriors of Light head there to find Garland, who is holding Princess Sarah hostage. The trial description teases the use of “powerful spells and abilities from a sample of jobs including warrior, dragoon and black mage.”