Joguei algumas horas.
Meio maçante o grind excessivo e o sistema de combate um tanto impreciso, mas dou 3 estrelas devido a complexidade bem planejada em relação aos status do personagem, level design e monstros, gostei disso.
Meio maçante o grind excessivo e o sistema de combate um tanto impreciso, mas dou 3 estrelas devido a complexidade bem planejada em relação aos status do personagem, level design e monstros, gostei disso.
Honestly just play the 1995 remaster. You’ll get a better experience with that version, with its easier difficulty and such.
having tried a few versions, including the one in the first falcom collection on the saturn, i have to admit that i can't really get into it due to its archaic controls and direction. pretty much every idea here is revised and improved upon in ys 3. still, i appreciate the legacy and the music is great, so if you're like me i'd recommend at least checking out perhaps the pc-98 version on youtube. and then go play faxanadu and xanadu next.
More than an action game, Xanadu is a management game.
Manage your money, manage your items, manage your key stock, manage your karma, manage your level, manage what type of attack you use, manage what items you collect, manage what monsters you kill. Oh, and don't forget map knowledge.
Playing Xanadu blind is brutal and even the official Japanese guide that comes with the game does not explain a number of critical game mechanics and what a number of essential items do. It's your old "figure out for yourself" formula but because the whole "management" game is so tight, you will be resetting the progress quite frequently on your first playthroughs, often times starting a new save. It is a very frustrating experience at first but as you learn each element of the "management" game, it becomes easier to play. However, the gratification is short-lived. Even with maps turning into an absolute mess to navigate in the later half and dungeons increasing in complexity, Xanadu simply starts to feel tedious. There are still a few puzzle pieces left, like finding the best gear and locating the last boss, but the grind and back-tracking you have to do at the final stretch is simply not fun.
I skipped all games that released in-between Dragon Slayer and Xanadu, so I am not sure what kind evolution Falcom games were going through at that time but taking just these two titles, you can clearly see Falcom trying new things and experimenting with different game mechanics. Later they probably realized it is the "action" part of their games (namely, the bump system) that brings most fun and satisfaction and gave it a try with Ys. Conforming to modern gaming standards and trends is something even Falcom cannot resist but I wonder what game mechanic subsequent entries in the Dragon Slayer series decided to prioritize and what a modern Xanadu game would look like.
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Games played prior: Dragon Slayer (PC88), modern versions of all numbered Ys games, except Ys IX and Ys X, all Kiseki games except Kuro 1/2.
Manage your money, manage your items, manage your key stock, manage your karma, manage your level, manage what type of attack you use, manage what items you collect, manage what monsters you kill. Oh, and don't forget map knowledge.
Playing Xanadu blind is brutal and even the official Japanese guide that comes with the game does not explain a number of critical game mechanics and what a number of essential items do. It's your old "figure out for yourself" formula but because the whole "management" game is so tight, you will be resetting the progress quite frequently on your first playthroughs, often times starting a new save. It is a very frustrating experience at first but as you learn each element of the "management" game, it becomes easier to play. However, the gratification is short-lived. Even with maps turning into an absolute mess to navigate in the later half and dungeons increasing in complexity, Xanadu simply starts to feel tedious. There are still a few puzzle pieces left, like finding the best gear and locating the last boss, but the grind and back-tracking you have to do at the final stretch is simply not fun.
I skipped all games that released in-between Dragon Slayer and Xanadu, so I am not sure what kind evolution Falcom games were going through at that time but taking just these two titles, you can clearly see Falcom trying new things and experimenting with different game mechanics. Later they probably realized it is the "action" part of their games (namely, the bump system) that brings most fun and satisfaction and gave it a try with Ys. Conforming to modern gaming standards and trends is something even Falcom cannot resist but I wonder what game mechanic subsequent entries in the Dragon Slayer series decided to prioritize and what a modern Xanadu game would look like.
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Games played prior: Dragon Slayer (PC88), modern versions of all numbered Ys games, except Ys IX and Ys X, all Kiseki games except Kuro 1/2.
I played the sega saturn port. This is a pretty neat game. Although it's somewhat repetetive, it's kinda relaxing to play in a way. I enjoyed leveling up my character's gear. The food mechanic is kind of annoying (make sure you have food in your inventory, or else you'll starve!), but I got used to it.
The game itself has little direction, I think i need to just try playing it again with an English translation (I played the untouched Saturn port). I found myself pretty lost after I had out leveled all the area's monsters. I've been told that I need to use a ring to get to the next area. Next time I revisit the game, I'll be sure to do some preparations.
TLDR: This is an old school game that's both really really realllly repetitive and really realllly really obtuse. If you can stomach that, then you'll find this game has a unique, almost addictive allure. But if that's too much, I'd understand. As for me, I will be returning to this game.
Also - this game takes up like nearly 400 blocks in memory on the Sega Saturn, so you might want to manage your blocks a bit before playing.
The game itself has little direction, I think i need to just try playing it again with an English translation (I played the untouched Saturn port). I found myself pretty lost after I had out leveled all the area's monsters. I've been told that I need to use a ring to get to the next area. Next time I revisit the game, I'll be sure to do some preparations.
TLDR: This is an old school game that's both really really realllly repetitive and really realllly really obtuse. If you can stomach that, then you'll find this game has a unique, almost addictive allure. But if that's too much, I'd understand. As for me, I will be returning to this game.
Also - this game takes up like nearly 400 blocks in memory on the Sega Saturn, so you might want to manage your blocks a bit before playing.
The most influential game you've never played. One of the first huge Japanese commercial successes in action rpgs, very early metrodvania style game, very open, with a lot of pretty advanced gameplay systems for the time that wouldn't be seen in other games for upwards of 10 years.
But is it good? Not really, it's neat though.
But is it good? Not really, it's neat though.