While Square Enix omitted the word Chaos from a recent Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin trailer, memes are still spreading; with fans loving Jack’s no bullshit attitude.
After the debut of the game’s first trailer, fans quickly made a meme of Jack’s insistence on killing chaos. His blind determination and frequent repetition of wanting to kill chaos soon led to “Chaosposting.”
Fans were quick to note that in the release date trailer shown at at Tokyo Game Show 2021; nearly every utterance of Chaos in the Japanese trailer was not reflected in the English dub. You can see an example via @AnimaAjay below.
#ReleaseTheChaosCut pic.twitter.com/C2yzTJsK5W
— Ajay (@AnimeAjay) October 1, 2021
A handful have even taken up the Twitter user’s call to “#ReleaseTheChaosCut;” in reference to the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut for Zack Snyder’s Justice League.
While Square Enix may have wished to avoid mockery, it seems many actual enjoy how delightfully edgy Jack seems to be. One particular scene from the second demo has caught fans eyes.
https://twitter.com/sumnnine/status/1443936844379533318
NO IT GETS EVEN BETTER THO
You can't see it in that clip because of the hood but Jack is wearing wireless earphones.
SO HE JUST TURNED ON HIS PHONE AND WALKED AWAY EITHER IN SILENCE OR LOUD ENOUGH THAT EVERYONE CAN HEAR HIS MUFFLED MUSIC AS THEY WALKED https://t.co/medf9BDT6A pic.twitter.com/yqqohjlPm8— Average Snick Fan (@GravelyDesu) October 1, 2021
In context (as shown here after a boss battle, so be aware of spoilers in this and the next paragraph), Neon explains she had set out with her companions to defeat Chaos, with only her left as they fell one by one. As such, she believes Chaos does not exist- and that the ills of the land were merely blamed on one “fairytale” to comfort people.
As such, she would “give herself to darkness” and take up the mantle of “Chaos;” to be defeated and bring hope to the masses. Jack simply says “Bullshit,” and walks away playing music some fans have compared to the works of Limp Bizkit. In spite of Neon’s pleas, Jack is still convinced Chaos is real.
Despite what seems to be a serious narrative, fans are taking utter delight in how Jack derails it in the best way possible. Some have also combined it with the Sigma Male memes; which Jack’s unwavering focus on a goal and dismissal of everything else would exemplify.
While “so bad it’s good” is what most creators would wish to avoid, Square Enix now have an interesting choice on their hand. God Hand by Clover Studio was initially shown with some comic relief in an E3 2006 trailer for the west; not reflecting the more serious story the game would have. Yet, the reception was so positive, the game was then developed with a more comedic tone.
Now Square Enix have a choice. Do they continue with the serious story they wished to tell, even if some enjoy it for an entirely different reason? Do they rework the dialogue so the game’s story can be taken seriously? Or do they “embrace the meme,” even at the risk of Flanderization or pandering?
What do you think? Sound off in the comments below!
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin launches March 18th, 2022 for Windows PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. A second demo is available now on PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S until October 11th.
