Team Ninja is officially working on ‘a bold new vision for Final Fantasy’

Square Enix has announced Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, an action-adventure game developed by Nioh’s Team Ninja.

The game, which is described as “a bold new vision for Final Fantasy”, will release on current and last-gen consoles as well as PC.

A demo will be available on PlayStation 5 today until June 24, Square Enix announced on Sunday, with players invited to provide feedback via a survey.

According to the publisher’s synopsis, FF Origin will see players explore a dark fantasy world “as they battle an array of iconic monsters from the Final Fantasy series, using powerful spells and abilities from a sample of jobs including warrior, dragoon and black mage.”

It adds: “Jack and his allies, Ash and Jed, burn with resolve to defeat Chaos as they throw open the gates to the Chaos Shrine. Yet doubts remain—are they truly the Warriors of Light the prophecy foretold?”

Final Fantasy 7 Remake veterans Tetsuya Nomura and Kazushige Nojima will work with Team Ninja on the action game, Square Enix said. Daisuke Inoue, the lead designer of Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XII, will direct the game.

Nomura said in a statement: “While it is Final Fantasy, it feels different—but there’s no doubt that the blood of Final Fantasy runs through its veins. 

“We’ve undertaken the challenge of finding this difficult middle ground for this mature and stylish title. We need a little time until we’re able to complete it, and while the battle system is a bloody one, it does link to the story, so I hope you’ll use this opportunity to give it a try.”

Team Ninja head, Fumihiko Yasuda added: “I’m truly happy to be involved with a new Final Fantasy, and a title connected to its origin at that.

“Using the feedback that the players provide after playing the trial version, all of us at Team NINJA will work to make this a title that meets the expectations of not only action game fans, but also Final Fantasy series fans around the world!”

The most recent Final Fantasy game, Final Fantasy 7 Remake, is currently exclusively available on PlayStation consoles. The upcoming Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade is also billed as a PS5 exclusive for at least six months.

Sony Interactive Entertainment has a timed exclusivity arrangement in place for Square Enix’s Forspoken too. It will be released for PS5 and PC in 2022 and will reportedly be a PlayStation console exclusive for two years.