Xuan Yuan Sword 7 is an action RPG set in a semi-mythical version of Ancient China, rich in folklore and legends. You play as Taishi Zhao, a hunter that becomes intertwined with battles with gods and monsters to try and save the land, and his sister.
Xuan Yuan Sword is a series of games developed by DOMO Studio in Taiwan, all of which have similar themes and legends, but don’t necessarily follow each other, with the titular Xuan Yuan relating to the mythical Yellow Emperor. In addition the main 7 games, there have been several spin-offs and side-games, but essentially, you don’t need to have played any of them to get the story in this one, it’s entirely contained.
The game is a fairly linear action RPG, in which you battle monsters, upgrade weapons, craft armour and more. You can collect items which allow you to craft new buildings in ‘Elysium’ which essentially just acts as a way to craft better gear. In addition, there is a talent system, in which you can select slightly different combat styles, and upgrade them accordingly. The basic combat is nice and punchy, and it’s simple enough to get the hang of. Later on in the game you meet more playable characters, and this adds an additional layer of depth to the combat.
Ultimately though, most of the combat is attack, dodge, block, repeat. That isn’t to say it’s not fun, because I think it is, but if you are looking for games with incredibly deep systems, this one won’t appeal. In terms of the story, it’s drenched in Chinese mythology, so I would say that at least a passing interest in it will definitely help you keep engaged. I personally like that kind of thing, and the game embraces it whole-heartedly. The style of the game, from every character and monster design to the world-building is completely consistent with this theme, and I really like it.
The progression of the game is fairly straightforward. You come to a new area, do the main quest, perhaps a side quest or two and then on to the next. There are optional boss battles and things to do, but ultimately it’s quite a linear adventure, of about fifteen hours long. It feels sort of like an old PS2 adventure game, and in that respect I quite like it. There’s so many huge open world games nowadays, that having something a little more focused is no bad thing. I think it was the right decision, as the game is very narrative driven, and having a more tight design makes sense.
In terms of the narrative, the game is really about a brother and sister, and their relationship trying to help each other overcome their past. It’s a nice story, and even though things escalate towards the end of the game, that core dynamic keeps the dialogue grounded and the player engaged. Be warned though, there is a lot of cutscenes, especially towards the start, and skipping them isn’t advised if you want to understand the story.
Finally, there are a few minigames included. One of them, Zhuolu chess, I found particularly fun. In terms of the performance, I played the game on a PS5. I didn’t notice any major dips, and the game looked to be running quite well throughout. I have read some stories of the game being a little choppy on the base PS4, so be prepared for that if that is your console of choice.
In conclusion, I like Xuan Yuan Sword 7. It’s a game that has a specific task to complete, and it does it well. If you’re in the mood for a straightforward action-adventure that you can complete over a weekend, then you could do a lot worse than this one.
You can visit the publishers website here. If you’re looking for an action RPG on the PS5, why not try Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade.
