Combat for Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin focuses on the basic and advanced combat mechanics of the game. Players can access the combat tips in the game by opening the Menu > Settings > Tips, there is a variety of tips that players can find such as for Exploration, Customization, Jobs, Fighting Styles, Status Ailments and effects, and most importantly, for Combat. This page covers information regarding the combat mechanics for Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin.
Stranger of Paradise Combat
Difficulties
The ascending order of difficulties is story, action, then hardm with each level providing successively tougher enemies, increased rewards, and better equipment. While playing story difficulty, you can also activate casual mode for an even more forgiving experience. Difficulty can be changed at any time from the world map.
Casual:
- Enemy strength and items obtainable are the same as story difficulty.
- Break gauge consumption for soul shield and other abilities decreased
- Unblockable attacks can be blocked.
- Max MP is not decreased when falling in battle
- Fallen allies will automatically be revived
- cannot be activated during online play*
Difficulties:
- Story: A mode for players who don't usually play action games, want to breeze through battles, and are looking to enjoy the story.
- Action: A mode for players who are familiar with action games and enjoy challenging battles
- Hard: A mode for players who excel at action games and wish to engage in brutal battles.
Battle Settings
- Change jobs and gear from the Battle Settings menu. Use L1 and R1 to choose which character you want to customize. Be aware that party members other than Jack are limited in the equipment they can use.
- Changing equipment affects various stats, and pressing (_) will automatically equip the gear with the highest level.
- Every piece of equipment has a level that determines its stats and the strength of its effects.
- Battle Sets and Job Affinity: A battle set's job grants job affinity bonuses to both battle sets.
- Affinity: Having affinity with a job will grant you some of that job's powers in battle and allow you to gain EXP for it as well.
- Switching: You can instantly change form one battle set to the other with triangle. Each see has its own break gauge. Switch carefully between the two to give yourself an edge in battle.
- Editing: You can change your battle sets by opening the Battle Settings menu and pressing triangle.
Combat
Break Gauge
The yellow bar above an enemy is its break gauge. Attack the enemy to deplete the gauge
Your break gauge is reduced when you are attacked and recovers gradually over time. Recovery speed slows while attacking or evading and stops guarding. Attacks from behind are considered critical htis and greatly deplete the break gauge.
Action Abilities and Breaking
Press R2 to expend MP and use an action ability to deal heavy HP and break damage to your foe.
Command Abilties
Equip command abilities from the battle settings menu. There are 3 slots available.
use equipped abilities by holding down L1 and pressing triangle, square or X.
Wall Splat
Use Abilities with knockback to bounce Enemies against walls and cause increased break damage.
Parry
Defend against an enemy attack right before the hit lands to parr, reducing the amount of break damage you receive and shortening the time it takes until you can perform your next action.
Unblockable Attacks
Attacks cloaked in a sinister aura cannot be blocked. If you see one of these, move away and evade to avoid taking damage.
You will be able to block these attacks in casual mode*
Guarding Magic Attacks
Magic attacks like fire will still deal some damage even if you guard. Try sidestepping, rolling out of the way, or using Soul Shield to avoid losing HP.
Breakfall
When knocked down by an enemy's attack, press X to break your fall, and use the Left Stick to determine the direction in which to recover. A properly timed X will render you invulnerable while recovering.
Lightbringer
When you have 1 or more full MP gauges, press L2 + Circle to consume 1 MP gauge and activate Lightbringer. While Lightbringer is active, you deal increased break damage to enemies and their max break gaugae is reduced when you hit them. When they are reduced to 0 HP, you will be granted effects equal to a soul burst.
Activating Lightbringer changes the break gauge into a special gauge that depletes over time or when hit. Lightbringer ends when the gauge is fully depleted. Jack cannot be broken while Lighbringer is active, making it particularly useful when the break gauge is nearly empty.
Break Status
Jack will be broken when his break gauge is depleted, causing him to temporarily be defenseless. This will also decrease his max MP, and remove any instant abilities he has obtained. Max MP will not fall below the initial MP value.
Attributes
Each attack has individual attributes-- physical attacks have the slash, pierce, or strike attributes, while magic attacks have the fire, ice, lightning earth, water, wind, holy, or dark attributes.
Some enemies are weak to certain attributes and take greatly increased break damage from attacks sharing those attributes.
Resonance
Press left and right on d-pad to activate an ally's resonance state, during which they will use their abilities more aggressively.
Soul Burst
Break enemies by depleting the yellow gauge above their heads. Approach broken enemies and press Circle to finish them off with a soul burst. Slaying enemies with a soul burst will help you recover your MP and raise your max MP. Effective use of soul bursts will ensure your action abilities are ready when you need them.
Press R2 to expend MP and use an action ability to deal heavy HP and break damage to your foe. There are two typse of action abilities, R2 activates your job's unique action, and pressing R2 during a normal attack triggers a combo ability.
- Soul Burst II: Slaying enemies with a soul burst will recover your max MP.
- Chain Burst: Enemies crystallized with soul burst or Lightbringer can be shattered to unleash a shockawve. This shockwave will greatly reduce nearby enemies' break gauges, allowing you to chain burst broken enemies.
Cubes
Touch the cubes to restore your HP, MP, and refill your potions. If your max MP was lower than your initial MP, it will be restored to the initial value. Doing so will revive any slain enemies and remove any unclaimed items from the field.
When you fall in battle, you will return to the last set of cubes you have touched.
Shortcuts
Interacting with devices such as ladders will create a shortcut to cubes and expand the are you can safely explore, so be sure to keep an eye out for them.
Falling
After falling in battle, you will be sent back to the last cubes you interacted with. You may also lose max MP, depending on the difficulty.
Soul shield and soul burst are very useful for increasing your maximum MP. For more information, see the relevant entry in the tips section.
Resonance
Press left or right on d-pad to activate an ally's resonance state, during which they will use their abilities more aggressively.
Soul Shield
Hold Circle to deplete your break gauge and adopt the shoul shield stance. This stance be be extended by keeping the Circle button held down. Blocking an attack in this stance will trigger soul shield, staggering surrounding enemies and dealing break damage, it will also restore MP and increase your max MP. Press R1 after a successful block to take a big step forward and unleash a normal attack.
Instant Abilities
If soul shield is triggered by an enemy ability with a purple colored name that appears above the enemy's name, that ability will become usable as an instant ability. Activate instant abilites by pressing the Square button. Instant abilities do not consume MP, but their number of uses is limited.
Abilities
Equipe acquired abilities from the Battle Settings menu. You can reach the menu by pressing X while selecting the acquired ability.
Combo Abilities
Equip combo abilities from the Battle Settings menu. Combo abilities can be used by pressing R2 during a normal attack (R1).
Chain Cancel
Press triangle immediately after using an action ability to activate a chain cancel and switch battle sets faster than usual. Use this to unlease a follow-up attack on the enemy, move out of their range, and more.
Combo Effects
Combo effects enhance all combo abilities that are assigned to a specific slot. Combo effects that can be learned vary by job.
Magic Attacks & Status Ailments
Taking Magic Damage
Magic attacks like fire will still deal some damage even if you guard.
Taking damage from the same element repeatedly will make you vulnerable to that element, temporarily allowing subsequent attacks of the same type to deal even greater damage.
Status Ailments
Continuous hits with certain attacks will inflict status ailments such as elemental vulnerability, paralysis, curse and poison. For more information, see the relevant entry in the tips section.
Paralysis
Paralysis temporarily prevents you from taking any actions.
Curse
Cure temporarily decreases your break limit.
Poison
Poison slowly drains your HP a short while
Elemental Vulnerability
Taking damage from the same element repeatedly will make you vulnerable to that element, temporarily allowing subsequent attacks of same type to deal even greater damage.
Loading Screen Tips
Dealing Greater Break Damage
Action Abilities
Action abilities inflict heavy break damage, but also reduce an enemy's maximum break gauge as well. The more you reduce maximum break, the longer it will take for enemies to recover from being broken, which gives you more opportunities to use soul burst.
Back Attacks
Deal a critical hit by attacking an enemy from behind. This will reduce their break gauge even more than usual.
Weaknesses
Each attack has individual attributes—physical attacks have the slash, pierce, or strike attributes, while magic attacks have thefire, ice, lightning, earth, water, wind, holy, or dark attributes. Some enemies are weak to certain attributes and take greatly increased break damage from attacks sharing those attributes.
Wall Splat
Some abilities can send enemies flying. If they hit a wall, they
will take even greater break damage.
Breakfall
When knocked down by an enemy's attack, press X to break your fall, and use L to determine the direction in which to recover.
A properly timed X will render you invulnerable while recovering.
Soul Shield
Hold circle to deplete your break gauge and adopt the soul shield stance.
Blcok an attack in this stance will restore MP and increase your max MP.
Press R1 after a successful block to lunge forward and unleash a normal attack.
Swordsmen
Swordsmen can perform spinning slash by pressing R2. This causes them to swing their greatsword and damage all nearby enemies.
Holding down R2 will increase the ability's duration dn rotation speed at the cost of MP. The ability can be canceled with an attack by pressing R1, or an enhanced guard by pressing L1.
Instant Abilities
When you deflect an enemy ability with a purple name using a soul shield (circle), that ability will become usable as an instant ability. Activate instant abilities by pressing square. Instant abilities do not consume MP, but their number of uses is limited.
Enemy Lock-On
When Targeted by Enemies Off-ScreenAn enemy icon will display when you are targeted by an off-screen foe. Lock on to an enemy with R3 then toggle with R to discern what is targeting you. Tilting R while locked on will target the closest enemy.
Soul Burst I
Break enemies by completely depleting their break gauge. Approach broken enemies and press circle to finish them off with a soul burst.
Soul Burst II
Effects: Slaying enemies with a soul burst will recover your MP and raise your max MP.
Unique Soul bursts
Chian Bursts: Enemies crystallized with soul burst or lightbringer can be shattered to unleash a shockwave. This shockwave will greatly reduce nearby enemies' break gauges.
Dark Vents
Foes emerge from dark vents scattered about the shrine. Slaying enemies that have emerged from the vest will lower its break gauge.
Fighting Styles
Greatswords and Swordsmen
- Swordsmen are formidable fighters who combine an arsenal of offensive and defensive abilities with powerful charge attacks.
- Holding R1 allows them to charge up power to deliver an attack specialized at at breaking enemies. Pressing L1 will transition the attack into an enhanced guard.
- Swordsmen can also perform spinning slalsh by pressing R2. Holding down R2 will increase both the abilitiy's duration and rotation speed.
Daggers and Duelists
- Unleash critical hits to break an enemy! Daggers allows for high mobility and a variety of weapon skills that let you slip behind an enemy's back and inflict ctitcal hits.
- Duelists also have accessto the weap spot ability (R2). which lets them inflict a guaranteed critical hit from any position.
Knuckles and Pugilists
- Master proweress to deliver flurries of powerful close-combat strikes!
- Every hit with hand-to-hand weapons adds to your prowess, which directly increases your attack power. You can also hold R1 to unleash a powerful finishing blow.
- Pgulists also gain access to explosive fist (R2). Keep the pressure on by holding R2 to unleash continuous attacks, enabling you to quickly raise your prowess.
Maces and Mages
- Mages are masters of utilizing action abilities to break enemies.
- Normal attacks with a mace will recover ample MP, and charged attacks can take big chunks out of an enemy's break gauge, allowing mages to break foes all the faster.
- Mages can cast spells with R2 and will recover MP while casting.
Lances and Lancers
Lancers can assail foes from a distance with their long reach, and exploit their enemies' weaknesses with weapon skills of each attack type.
- Pierce: Left analog up + R1
- Strike: Left analog down + R1
- Slash: Left analog left + R1 or Left analog right + R1, or hold R1
They can also use lance hurl with R2. Holding down the button will enhance the attack.
Mages
Black Mages
- Black mages can use an assortment of spells to assail their enemies' weaknesses.
- They can cast black magic with R2 and have the powerful flare spell at their disposal.
White Mages
- White mages can change the tide of battle with their expert usage of recovery and support magic.
- They can cast white magic with R2 and can aid allies with their cure and raise spells.
Jobs
Job Tree
Upon leveling up, you will be rewarded with job points.
Job points can be used on the job tree to unlock skills and abilities.
You can accessthe tree from various locations, including cubes and the world map.
Mission Levels
Each mission has a predetermined mission level. Make sure to compare this with your average equipment level before attempting a mission. The lower your average equipment level is compared to the mission level, the more break damage you will receive and the less break damage you will deal.
Advanced Jobs
You can select advanced jobs from the Battle Settings menu. Advanced jobs can use more specialized job abilities and a wider array of weaponry. Find a job and equipment combination that suits your playstyle.
Anima Shards
Anima shards can be used from the job tree screen to earn job experience.
Equipment
Equipment and Job Affinity
Weapons and armor may have job affinities.
You may be granted job affinity bonuses based on your total job affinity. Carefully select your job and equipment to get the most out of these bonuses.
Multi-slot Equipment
Some single pieces of equipment take up multiple slots for example, the pale protector occupies both the torso and waist slots. Although you sacrifice an equipment slot, items of this type make up for it by offering higher stats.
Greatswords
Greatswords area slashing weapons adept at both charged attacks and guarding.
Attacks can be charged by holding down R1, and pressing L1 while charging will perform an enhanced guard, during which you will automatically parry enemy attacks. Press R1 during an enhanced guard to perform a follow-up attack.
Weapon Skills
During a normal combo (R1)..
- Press analog L up + R1 to unleash an upward strike attack, or
- press analog L down + R1 to trigger a spinning attack that can be followed by a charged attack.
Switching Battle Sets
Upon unlocking a second battle set, you can instantly change from one to the other by pressing Triangle. Each set has its own break gauge, switch carefully between the two to give yourself an edge in battle. You can change your battle sets by opening the Battle Settings menu and pressing Triangle.
Changing Battle Sets
To chain cancel sets, press triangle immediately after using an action ability to activate a chain cancel and switch battle sets faster than usual. Pushing the Left Analog Stick will allow you to move in the direction you choose at the same time. Use this to unleash a follow-up attack on the enemy, move out of their range, and more.
Preset menu
From the presset menu, you can edit or save your battle sets so you can switch to them later. The preset menu can be access from various locations, including cubes or the world map.
