Square-Enix on Monday, June 14, confirmed rumors of a new Final Fantasy game with the announcement of Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin.

There are fewer spiky-haired adolescent adventurers here, though, as Paradise dives into the Souls-like genre with a decidedly darker tone and brutal-looking combat. Like any good Souls-like, it appears the difficulty level will be pull-your-hair-out hard, with Team Ninja – known for the torturous Ninja Gaiden and Nioh games – co-developing the title.

Watch the trailer here:

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The game’s environments certainly take a page from the genre’s namesake Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls, while the character designs retain that Final Fantasy flavor.

Paradise is linked to the first Final Fantasy, with Paradise’s three heroes Jack, Ash, and Jed being pegged as the “Warriors of Light,” and Chaos reprising the role as the main villain.

“While it is Final Fantasy, it feels different – but there’s no doubt that the blood of Final Fantasy runs through its veins,” said Tetsuya Nomura, the legendary character designer for the series and creative producer for Paradise. 

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“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.”

A demo version for the game will be available from June 14 to June 25, Philippine time for PS5 users.

The game will come out in 2022 on the PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X and S, Xbox One, and PC. – Rappler.com