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Stranger of Paradise performance mod makes everyone bald

A new Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin mod could the game's performance on gaming PCs, but it'll make the Square Enix RPG's characters bald

Stranger of Paradise mod: Final Fantasy Origin's Jack with shiny bald head

The PC port of Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is a dud, but a new mod could enhance the game’s performance, providing you’re okay with everyone being bald. The workaround allows players to disable performance-intensive assets to boost fps and stability, but you’ll have to miss out on Square Enix’s spectacular haircuts.

In a recent Reddit post, MorrisonGamer (also known as AkiraJkr1) explains that elements like particles from Soul Bursting and even a specific fur coat can bring Nvidia’s best graphics card to its knees. In an attempt to claw back some frames, AkiraJkr1 has created shader toggles using the framework modifier Special K, which double up as a pair of digital hair clippers.

Ditching the RPG’s hairdos could help make Stranger of Paradise more playable on gaming PCs and laptops, but it doesn’t fully address the game’s fundamental optimisation issues. A tweet by DeathChaos25 points the finger at Koei Tecmo’s character models, as even common enemies appear to feature intense geometry.

If smooth heads sound like a fair trade for smooth performance in Stranger of Paradise, MorrisonGamer’s post includes instructions on how to use and macro the custom shaders.

Elaborate hairstyles and fancy clothes are commonplace in any JRPG, so it’s easy to see why you’d want to wait for an official fix. Thankfully, it looks like the game’s optimisation is slowly, but surely, improving, as patch 1.02 seemingly helps counter slow-mo issues and instability.

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