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Final Fantasy Origin isn’t the first FF to use a pop classic, and the latest trailer for Stranger of Paradise features the 1960s song « My Way. »
The final trailer for Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin took an interesting approach, using the song « My Way » in the latter half of the teaser. Promotional trailers for movies have made excellent use of recognizable songs for years. When a well-known song plays over thematically appropriate images it can conjure a wealth of feelings and associations that sets the tone for the film, so it’s nice to see this approach in a video game.
In many ways, the new trailer for Final Fantasy Origin is even stranger than the original. The use of a late 1960s American pop classic in a trailer for a Japanese video game may seem like an odd juxtaposition. There is already a precedent for popular music being used in the Final Fantasy franchise, however. Final Fantasy 15, the most recent numbered entry in the series, featured a cover of the early 1960s hit « Stand By Me » performed by the English rock group Florence and the Machine.
For the Final Fantasy Origin trailer, Square Enix went with the original version of « My Way, » as sung by Frank Sinatra. The song’s timeless lyrics feature the singer looking back on a lifetime of choices, and knowing that despite mistakes and regrets, they were true to themselves. This makes Sinatra’s « My Way » an ideal pairing for the headstrong hero Jack, whose drive to “kill Chaos” has already become a prevalent meme, and whose willful determination to retain his memories is also explored in the new trailer.
Sinatra’s « My Way » Pairs With Final Fantasy Origins’ Themes & Gameplay
The game’s earlier trailer already revealed that Final Fantasy Origin is a new take on the original NES Final Fantasy game that started the franchise. Origin recreates Final Fantasy’s ironic drawbridge scene and appears to retell the story of the Warriors of Light setting out to rescue princess Sarah from the evil Garland. Along with its unexpected use of Sinatra’s signature song, the trailer confirmed classic Final Fantasy boss monsters will return, name-dropping both Tiamat and the Lich. It also hinted at story elements that were not present in the original NES-era Final Fantasy. The protagonist, Jack, is a “Stranger,” someone who is not native to the world the game takes place in. His memories are evidently in peril, as both he and Sarah repeatedly reference that they may not remember each other once the adventure is over.
The fast action gameplay of Stranger of Paradise is a departure from the turn-based original, though the developers promise Final Fantasy Origin will include options for old-school fans who do not regularly play action games. Including a pop standard like « My Way » in the trailer is yet another way the new game sets itself apart. It is currently unclear if the Sinatra classic will be used solely in the trailer for Final Fantasy Origin, or if it will be featured in-game as well. Based on Final Fantasy 15 using the « Stand By Me » cover both in promotional material and at pivotal moments in the game, there is a good chance « My Way » will be in the final product. Licensing a song solely for the trailer and not the game itself would be an odd choice.
Beyond the evident connections between the lyrics and the character Jack, the song also ties in with the gameplay of Final Fantasy Origin. Like the first Final Fantasy, Origin includes the ability to choose a job class, letting the player approach combat “their way.” Though the total number of job classes has not been confirmed, the developers promise Stranger in Paradise will have more jobs than Final Fantasy 5, which was heavily focused on the job system and contained more than 20 job classes. The demo of Final Fantasy Origin featured six job classes, meaning the final version of the game could have three to four times as many.
Hearing Frank Sinatra’s My Way play over footage of a AAA Japanese video game may be somewhat surreal to some. It seems an appropriate choice for the high concept game that Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin presents itself as, one which celebrates the series’ 35th anniversary in its own, unique way.
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