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The most underrated Final Fantasy game is coming to PS Plus this month

By Tomas Franzese Published December 13, 2023

Sony unveiled December 2023’s new titles for PlayStation Plus Premium and the Extra Game Catalog, and it contains some heavy hitters. While the addition of the PlayStation 4 and PS5 versions of Grand Theft Auto V will probably be the biggest draw for most players, I want to shout out the addition of what might be the most underrated modern Final Fantasy game: Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin.

Garland towers over Jack, Ash, Jed, Sophia, and Neon in — Square Enix

Released in March 2022, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is technically a prequel to the original Final Fantasy that reveals the origin story of that game’s villain, Garland. In reality, Stranger of Paradise becomes a metacontextual analysis of the cyclical nature of the Final Fantasy series, serving as both a celebration and a biting critique of one of gaming’s oldest RPG franchises. It also features one of the most bonkers video game endings I’ve ever experienced, so going through the adventure is worth it for that alone. Thankfully, it’s enjoyable to play along the way as a more approachable class-based Soulslike from Team Ninja, the developer behind NioH and next year’s Rise of the Ronin.

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Definitely check out Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin when it becomes playable via the PS Plus Game Catalog on December 19. Here’s the full list of games that will hit the service on that day:

Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin
Grand Theft Auto V
Gigabash
Grime
Metal Hellsinger
MotoGP 23
Moonscars
Prodeus
Salt and Sacrifice
Shadowrun Returns
Shadowrun: Dragonfall – Director’s Cut
Shadowrun: Hong Kong – Extended Edition
Tinykin
Mega Man 11
Mega Man Legacy Collection
Mega Man Legacy Collection 2
Thrillville
Thrillville: Off the Rails
Buzz Lightyear of Star Command

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As usual, some games will also leave the service when these new titles arrive. This month, the most notable exits are Monolith Productions and WB Games’ Middle-Earth duology and two of Sega’s Yakuza games. These are the titles leaving PS Plus Game Catalog on December 19:

Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor
Middle-Earth: Shadow of War
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life
Yakuza: Like a Dragon
The Escapists 2
Friday the 13th: The Game
El Hijo – A Wild West Tale
Foreclosed
Caladrius Blaze
Damascus Gear: Operation Tokyo HD Edition
Legends of Ethernal

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Gaming Staff Writer

As a Gaming Staff Writer at Digital Trends, Tomas Franzese reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting…

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Grand Theft Auto V needs little introduction, as it's one of the most iconic and bestselling video games ever. If you haven't played it before, know that this is one of the most entertaining open-world games ever made, with a strong main story about three men drawn back into a life of crime. On top of that, there's its nearly infinite online mode. Whether you're concerned with actually completing missions or just want to drive around and mess with the citizens of Los Santos, GTA V offers some of the most fun sandbox gaming available. Grand Theft Auto VI is poised to release sometime in 2025, so now is the perfect time to revisit the last GTA title to better understand the high bar GTA 6 and every other future release from Rockstar Games will need to live up to.

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Key art for Red Dead Redemption 2.

A new batch of games will be added to the PlayStation Plus Premium and Extra game catalogs next week, but many notable games will also leave Sony's gaming subscription service before that happens. Fans of Rockstar Games in particular will be disappointed as two of the studio's games are leaving PS Plus Extra's catalog ahead of 2025, which will potentially see the launch of Grand Theft Auto VI. If you own a PS5, aren't picking up Lego Horizon Adventures, and are wondering what you should be playing this weekend, consider checking out any of these games leaving PS Plus.
Red Dead Redemption 2
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