Xanadu Next

I really love this game. The core mechanics are fun and stuff. The only annoying part is sometimes it's difficult to figure out what to do next.

To think a 20 year old game could be more engaging than a recent release speaks to the quality of not only today's games, but those of yesteryear. There's a reason the phrase "they don't make 'em like that anymore" exists. This is one such game, though not amazing in the graphics department even in it's own time, it is a marvelous adventure title and sells the experience of being a professional dungeon crawler. The game is super easy to pick up and play, takes up very little disc space, and runs very nicely for a PC port of what was a special release game. 10/10 for scratching the itch to play a good classic RPG.

Highly recommend! If you like little jrpg's that give good relaxing vibes and if you like the Ys series, then go for it!

This game is, first and foremost, a dungeon crawler in the classic tradition. Though it's a spin off of the Legend of Heroes grandfather title Xanadu, do not expect anything akin to Trails in the Sky in terms of story. As an old-school classic Dungeon Crawler in the tradition of Diablo, BG: Dark Alliance 1&2, etc.this game shines. You are not going to get deep character arcs or lively conversations, for the most part. Instead, you'll get some mysteries, some lore dumps and some nice atmosphere. The hub town, the dungeons, the lore-dumps, all feel like you're playing an hack-and-slash heavy module from Dungeons & Dragons, or Sword World. Such as they are, I find the vibes immaculate. This is terse fantasy, though oddly cozy, in a way. There's an air of almost archeological mystery when exploring the ruins around and beneath the town of Harlech. There are some control issues when playing with a controller, which is to be expected since this game definitely feels primarily designed for mouse and keyboard. There are certain menu items that can only be accessed with the mouse and with a controller, your attacks will sometimes "lock on" to the wrong enemy--when they don't just careen off toward a cluster of grass or an errant vase instead. I didn't mind this much, but if you're used to games like Diablo or Torchlight, mouse and keyboard may be a better fit for you. The action itself feels "heavy". This is not the light and fast swashbuckling of an Ys game, but something a bit more akin to the aforementioned Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance series. Your attacks will have some windup and some weight to them, and each weapon type feels satisfyingly different from the others. The Guardian system and weapon proficiency mechanics can give players some customization to their playstyle and enough optimization to sink their teeth into. Overall, if the idea of a dungeon crawler with some charming quirks and an immaculate east-meets-west art style sounds appealing, give it a go

Good little exploration hacky slashy ARPG, very similar to the older Ys games!