Ultra Fantastic JRPGs: Xanadu Next

Xanadu Next is a RPG from the good ol’ boys at Falcom. This is an action RPG like their Ys games, however rather than high octane action, this slows things down a bit. More of an emphasis on dungeon crawling in this game. Comparisons with Diablo can’t really be helped here. The inventory screen, the flow of the gameplay, and the camera angle really make it seem overt. However this definitely has it’s own flavor. Rather than randomly generated levels and loot, everything is set in stone here. Combat is less about usage of skills and more about proper positioning. Baiting enemy attacks and then getting behind them is the best way of dealing damage.
There are plenty of skills to learn though, physical attacks, passive buffs, and magic spells. Skills are obtained through gaining proficiency with the different weapons, which happens just by using them. Once your proficiency gets to 100%, you’ll have that skill for good and can equip it whenever you want. Magic is learned via spellbooks found in the store or in dungeons. Simply use the spellbook, and the magic is learned. Rather than having one pool of magic points, each spell or skill has a limited number of uses, which can be refilled by save points, or magic potions, though the latter is hard to come across.
The number of skills and spells you can have equipped at one time is only limited to four though. While this does encourage smart usage of them, I can’t help but feel it’s just a little too restrictive. Magic as well seems very restrictive, as the number of casts for each spell is fairly small. This means that spells are generally relegated to a supplementary role. Your main damage dealing method is hitting things with your sword. There’s really not much thought that needs to go into how to level up, which has it’s pros and cons. The con is that there’s really not a lot of freedom in playstyles, and the pro is that everything is pretty much balanced around one playstyle. Because of this, you’re never gonna find yourself in a position you can’t get out of.
The level design in this game is quite good. There’s lots of places to explore and puzzles to solve, but you’re never gonna find yourself lost. The whole game world is interconnected, and as you go further and further into areas, you’ll occasionally find shortcuts that loop back to earlier areas or even the town hub. Stocking up on supplies is never out of reach, and you rarely have to go on long treks to get back to where you were.
The story here, well, there isn’t much of one. You’re a knight in search of a sacred sword, as it’s the only way it can save your life. Throughout the game you will be approached with a few mysteries, however nothing big in terms of narrative really happens until the very end. It’s not a bad story, it’s just not a particularly interesting one.
Overall, this is a really solid action RPG from Falcom that kinda feels like their take on Diablo. I’m really not a fan of random loot or procedural generation, so I was able to really get into it. It doesn’t quite reach the heights of Ys or the Trails games, however if you’re a fan of those, this would make a nice addition to your collection.

