Multiplayer is nothing new for the Soulslike genre, but it has sometimes been omitted from a number of games in the past due to budget restraints or even when trying to keep the difficulty consistent. Team Ninja, the developer working with Square Enix to create Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin, has included this in previous games such as the Nioh series before, though it is unclear if it will be exactly the same.
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From some early footage seen before the trial first went live as Game Rant was given the opportunity to preview Stranger of Paradise’s new demo, the multiplayer seems to work in tandem with companions. Namely, players will be able to jump into other players’ worlds as one of the two companions and help fight alongside the host who will still control Jack. It also doesn’t appear as though players will be limited to the jobs or gear specific to each companion, giving joining players similar freedoms to the host.
Communication is also a key factor in these types of multiplayer games, especially when it becomes necessary to call out when a player is in danger or where to attack next. In the case of the latest demo, it appears that players will be able to choose from a set of pre-written phrases and responses to communicate with each other. It isn’t clear at the time of this writing if players will be able to change these phrases when Stranger of Paradise launches, so some may want to investigate further at the full release.
Previous titles by developer Team Ninja have used a level of online multiplayer before, either letting players summon AI controlled recreations of players or inviting other players directly. So, it isn’t a complete surprise to see that the developer has been able to include at least some version of this same mechanic into Stranger of Paradise. However, it is new to see a Soulslike work the multiplayer systems into the standard gameplay by having a player replace a character the way they do in this odd new Final Fantasy title.
Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin is set to release in 2022 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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