10 Most Disappointing Video Games Of 2022 (So Far)

Even more so than usual, Square Enix has been all-in on Final Fantasy recently. With Final Fantasy 16 and the second part of the 7 Remake trilogy both slated for next year, Squeenix has bolstered that slate with a string of high-budget spin-offs.

However, the first of note of these, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, didn't inspire the kind of fan response the publisher probably wanted. Acting as something of a remixed version of the very first Final Fantasy, Stranger of Paradise pitches itself as a love letter to the franchise, with series-wide nods littered throughout. Sadly, these homages just make you wish for the creative ingenuity that defined those past games, which is sadly missing here.

This time around you play as Jack, a man who is definitely Some Guy, that's for sure, who courts a party of other powerful fighters to trawl through dungeons for higher-tier loot. Those other party members can this time around be controlled by real-life players too, with Stranger of Paradise dipping its toes into co-op antics.

Developer Team Ninja does a a serviceable job with the combat, mixing Final Fantasy 7's combat with the mechanics found in their own series, Nioh, but even that's buried over cumbersome inventory screens and bland map design.