As a result, Stranger of Paradise offers players almost as much variety and customization options as notable series installments like Final Fantasy XIV, Final Fantasy III, and Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age. In those games, players can pick any class and equip plenty of weapons and other pieces of gear that support that playstyle. However, in the Final Fantasy XVI demo, you only get longswords and skills that support them.
Stranger of Paradise also set itself apart from most other Soulslike games through its use of party members. Usually, Soulslike titles require players to adventure alone (at least until they unlock the ability to call for help from a friend). However, summons in those games are historically fairly limited. In contrast, Final Fantasy games are all about the player’s party. Cloud might be the hero of Final Fantasy VII, but without the tankiness of Barret or the healing magic of Aerith, he wouldn’t get far.
Stranger of Paradise alters that formula by granting players permanent AI-controlled allies who aid in combat. Moreover, each NPC party member is customizable with different classes, abilities, and equipment. They aren’t quite as freeform as the main protagonist, but players can still tweak their allies to shore up weaknesses and create a more balanced party. This is especially true when you unlock new classes and want to try them out. You don’t have to explore that aspect of the game too deeply, but the freedom granted by Stranger of Paradise’s job and party systems still surpass what I saw in the Final Fantasy XVI demo since I had absolutely no control over what the latter game’s party members wore, how they were built, or even what they did.
Ultimately, what I saw of Final Fantasy XVI via that demo doesn’t feel like a Final Fantasy game in the ways we typically think of the franchise. The combat is definitely up my alley since I love hack-and-slash titles like Devil May Cry, but that’s not what Final Fantasy is about.
In the past, that series has emphasized experimenting with classes and party layouts to fit different needs. Half the fun comes from figuring out which characters and their skills are best suited to which enemies. But if the Final Fantasy XVI demo is any indication, the game will strip all that away for a more homogenized and linear experience that, again, just feels like medieval Devil May Cry.
While there is nothing wrong with that idea, and I still enjoyed the combat in the Final Fantasy XVI demo, the whole thing was just far too linear for a game bearing the Final Fantasy name. We’ll have to see if the final version opens up a bit more when Final Fantasy XVI is released for PlayStation 5 on June 22.
"Demo" - Google News
June 15, 2023 at 07:00AM
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Final Fantasy 16 Demo Feels Even Less Like Final Fantasy Than Stranger of Paradise - Den of Geek
"Demo" - Google News
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