Xanadu Next

With the length ranging from 10 to 15 hours, Xanadu Next packs the right amount of content anyone who’s in the mood for a title that mixes action-RPG and puzzle elements. Like with many games that revolve around obtaining a legendary weapon, the Dragon Slayer is a blade that’s worth wielding.

More than ten years after its original Japanese release, Xanadu Next is compact and addictive action RPG that was easily worth the wait.

Xanadu Next is short, sweet and satisfying; an immensely addictive dungeon crawler that manages to be textbook Falcom with refreshingly quiet aesthetics.

Xanadu Next is a literal blast from the past, a 2005 action role-playing that manages to be incredibly engaging still today thanks to several spot-on features, such as the excellent mix between RPG and puzzle games elements, action combat system and the evocative soundtrack. Some design choices definitely feel outdated, and so do the visuals, but these small flaws impact the experience only marginally. Highly recommended to all fans of old-school action role-playing game.

While Xanadu Next is buggy and its menus just plain busted for controller use, the rest of the game is a wonderful trip through a classic JRPG world.

Xanadu Next is classic action RPG from one of my favourite developers with a fantastic score that is let down by a buggy release.

The classic RPG series returns with numerous labyrinths, brutal challenges, and plenty of old-school charm. Its visuals are dated, but don't let that deter you from experiencing one of the finest action-RPGs on PC.

Xanadu Next is the kind of throwback action-RPG that we don't see much of anymore. It lets the story trickle out slowly while all of the needed mechanics are presented early, leaving the player without a guide much sooner than contemporary JRPGs. It helps that the gameplay is strong, and the difficulty can be appreciated more now that the public seems to dig games that punish the player. It's not a game for everyone, and some won't like the older presentation, but genre fans will appreciate that this title has an official translation and can play on more modern machines.

One of those games that can be appreciated regardless of how long it’s been around – Xanadu Next makes some brilliant use of videogame elements that we have all come to love, and although the player often lacks meaningful choice the game is never truly restrictive.

Xanadu Next is a game from a different time, but lovers of older titles and RPG fans will find something to love here.