Xanadu Next has somehow become one of my favorite games. I randomly came across this long form video review of it and thought I’d share it because I’m pretty bad at getting across why someone...
Xanadu Next has somehow become one of my favorite games. I randomly came across this long form video review of it and thought I’d share it because I’m pretty bad at getting across why someone would want to play a game, so I figure it’s easier to get people to watch a video. The guy does a fantastic job of getting across the feeling of playing the game and devotes a section to the story complete with the ending, so if you know the game won’t interest you then you can still feel some of the things you would have if you did play it.
The thing I like the most about this game is that it’s one of the few games that really push the feeling of being on an adventure, a thing that Falcom of that era was pretty good at. More modern Falcom games get too caught up in combat and dialogue, I feel, as do many other games by other people. Xanadu Next kind of just lets you experience the world in a guided but organic-feeling way that makes you feel like you’re on an adventure. Every time you enter a new place it’s an experience, and it’s something I find much more rewarding than loot or some extraneous conversation with NPCs with clumsy foreshadowing of something you’ve probably already guessed. In that sense, I think the reviewer is correct to say that the soulsborne games are the successors to that design ethos.
Nice video. I've been vaguely aware of Xanadu Next during sales, but dismissed it as a less colorful Ys. I can see that description doesn't really do it justice. It's going for a very specific...
Nice video. I've been vaguely aware of Xanadu Next during sales, but dismissed it as a less colorful Ys. I can see that description doesn't really do it justice. It's going for a very specific feel and looks like it succeeds in being the game it was trying to be. It's part Ys, part other dungeon crawlers, and has a PS2 aesthetic that was common in a lot of games circa 2005. Looks like love and care was put into referencing the original Xanadu (which I know nothing about).
Tangential but this led me to discover the existence of the Ys vs. Trails in the Sky fighting game that Falcom released in 2010. Whuh?
I actually played this earlier this year, and it surprised me. I went into it not expecting a whole lot, and then once I got into it I didn't put it down till it was over. It's not going to be for...
I actually played this earlier this year, and it surprised me. I went into it not expecting a whole lot, and then once I got into it I didn't put it down till it was over. It's not going to be for everyone, but if it clicks for you; you'll dig it.
Xanadu Next has somehow become one of my favorite games. I randomly came across this long form video review of it and thought I’d share it because I’m pretty bad at getting across why someone would want to play a game, so I figure it’s easier to get people to watch a video. The guy does a fantastic job of getting across the feeling of playing the game and devotes a section to the story complete with the ending, so if you know the game won’t interest you then you can still feel some of the things you would have if you did play it.
The thing I like the most about this game is that it’s one of the few games that really push the feeling of being on an adventure, a thing that Falcom of that era was pretty good at. More modern Falcom games get too caught up in combat and dialogue, I feel, as do many other games by other people. Xanadu Next kind of just lets you experience the world in a guided but organic-feeling way that makes you feel like you’re on an adventure. Every time you enter a new place it’s an experience, and it’s something I find much more rewarding than loot or some extraneous conversation with NPCs with clumsy foreshadowing of something you’ve probably already guessed. In that sense, I think the reviewer is correct to say that the soulsborne games are the successors to that design ethos.
Nice video. I've been vaguely aware of Xanadu Next during sales, but dismissed it as a less colorful Ys. I can see that description doesn't really do it justice. It's going for a very specific feel and looks like it succeeds in being the game it was trying to be. It's part Ys, part other dungeon crawlers, and has a PS2 aesthetic that was common in a lot of games circa 2005. Looks like love and care was put into referencing the original Xanadu (which I know nothing about).
Tangential but this led me to discover the existence of the Ys vs. Trails in the Sky fighting game that Falcom released in 2010. Whuh?
Yeah, it’s a game that strikes me as being very tightly designed. There’s almost no cruft to the experience. Everything seems very intentional.
I actually played this earlier this year, and it surprised me. I went into it not expecting a whole lot, and then once I got into it I didn't put it down till it was over. It's not going to be for everyone, but if it clicks for you; you'll dig it.