Square Enix’s premier RPG series is known for its rich worlds, so it’s no surprise that during its 35-year history the devs have often expanded on them beyond the main numbered titles.
Whether that’s via remakes with a twist like FFVII Rebirth (p54), or the constantly growing Final Fantasy theme park that is FFXIV (p42), there’s always an extra adventure to be found. We’ve gathered together all of the series spinoffs to show just how much bigger Final Fantasy really is, and explore the different approaches to building out those worlds.
WE’RE HERE TO KILL CHAOS
Stranger Of Paradise added a dark, alternate story to the original Final Fantasy
Format PS5, PS4 Released 2022 Expanded Final Fantasy
We’d seen previous remasters of the original Final Fantasy game improve upon its pixel art and soundtrack, but Stranger Of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is a different beast entirely. Instead of being a remake with fancy graphics, or even a slight twist on the story á la FFVII Rebirth, it’s a full-blown reimagining and expansion of where the series all began - with Ninja Gaiden-like action combat thanks to developer Team Ninja.
Following a very angry, Chaos-obsessed man called Jack and his friends Ash and Jed, Stranger tells the story of the amnesiac trio and their fight to save the world from Chaos. Of course things aren’t that straightforward and they end up having effectively to ask themselves, ‘Are we the baddies?’ It turns out the only way to kill Chaos is to become Chaos and set the stage for four Warriors Of Light to eventually kill you. And so the stage for the first-ever Final Fantasy is set.
Square Enix has said that Stranger Of Paradise sets up an alternate storyline rather than being
