This underrated Swap RPG will maintain you over till Persona 6

Falcom

I keep in mind again in 2014 once I was conserving my eye out for any rumor I might discover about Persona 5. Having seen the teaser trailers of the recreation, I used to be so excited to see it lastly launch in 2015. That 12 months handed with out it launching. When Persona 5 was launched in Japan in September 2016, the anticipate its April 2017 worldwide launch was excruciating. Throughout that point, there was one other recreation that caught my consideration: Tokyo Xanadu. Its core gameplay revolved round a slice-of-life college setting and dungeon crawling. Sound acquainted?

I used to be already a mountainous fan of developer Falcom’s video games just like the Trails and Ys sequence, so I figured I might play this to carry me over till Persona 5. This was throughout a time when Japanese and worldwide launch dates had been staggered attributable to extinct localization processes. These days, your complete world can expertise video games like Ultimate Fantasy VII Rebirth on the identical launch day. Tokyo Xanadu was launched in Japan in 2015 for PS Vita, however didn’t launch internationally till 2017, a number of months after Persona 5. Its enhanced port, Tokyo Xanadu eX+, launched later that very same 12 months for PC and PS4.

Nonetheless, I made time for Tokyo Xanadu eX+ again in 2017 and located it to be a enjoyable motion RPG and social sim that has a number of distinctive quirks that set it aside from the sequence that it’s impressed by. With a Nintendo Swap port out now, it’s the right time to envision out the RPG when you anticipate Persona 6 particulars.

A flattering imitation

Tokyo Xanadu’s epic feels awfully acquainted. It takes situation in a fictional district of Tokyo known as Morimiya Metropolis. Our most important protagonist, Kou, chases after his classmate, Asuka, as she walks right into a curious portal. On the opposite aspect, Kou realizes he’s in a nightmarish dimension crammed with perilous monsters, and discovers that Asuka is a particular agent tasked with closing down portals. Awakening to his Persona — I imply — Soul System, he can now struggle alongside her.

Falcom

Whereas Tokyo Xanadu’s opening hours are crammed with frequent anime tropes and observe an identical slice-of-life gameplay construction, it stands out in a number of methods. Falcom’s Trails sequence is thought for its unimaginable world-building, and it’s proven by means of the smallest of particulars, equivalent to NPC dialogue. The identical applies to Tokyo Xanadu. Because the recreation progresses, the identical NPCs will occupy fully totally different dialogue reckoning on the place gamers are within the epic.

For instance, there’s a younger painter that Kou meets who exudes confidence, however as he will get to know her, she reveals she skilled a humiliating occasion throughout school. After profitable town’s portrait contest, she’s capable of regain her composure. Because the plot progresses, so finish the tales of standard NPCs, which makes Morimiya Metropolis really feel extra immersive.

Tokyo Xanadu has a rather more linear and conventional RPG epic development, damaged down into a number of chapters. I respect this strategy because it doesn’t require as a lot exercise micromanaging as Persona. Tokyo Xanadu has bonding episodes too, which operate the identical as Persona’s Confidants and Social Hyperlinks. Kou can dangle out along with his occasion members as a way to earn to know them higher whereas concurrently making them stronger by studying modern talents. Those that like the social sim features of Persona received’t miss out on them right here in Tokyo Xanadu.

A mountainous contrast between the bottom model and the eX+ version is that the latter provides aspect epic episodes. These are brief playable chapters that don’t contain Kou, however quite two or extra occasion members who often discontinuance up taking a visit to a dungeon and defeating a mini-boss.

Tokyo Xanadu’s gameplay and fights. Falcom

Certainly one of the blind spots that Persona has with its relationship simulation parts is that there are very not often ever moments the place different occasion members work together with one another with out the protagonist’s presence. Tokyo Xanadu does one thing totally different with its aspect tales in order that not every part focuses on the most important protagonist, permitting gamers to see modern sides of different characters.

Into the dungeon

Tokyo Xanadu makes use of a real-time motion system much like that of Dynasty Warriors. The hack-and-slash fight is kind of easy; I like having the ability to experience an influence fantasy by destroying waves of enemies. After all, increased problem ranges require me to be extra affected person earlier than charging at monsters. Excellent dodging turns into extremely principal to keep away from being worn out. I personally like how I can simply give attention to the epic with out having a troublesome boss impede me.

Dungeon design is Tokyo Xanadu’s weakest part, as they include bland corridors. Nevertheless, the trek by means of the recreation’s dungeons are made bearable by the superb soundtrack crammed with tense piano keys and blistering electrical guitars. The lifeless dungeon design truly works in its favor, in some methods. They’re crafted in a approach that lets gamers velocity by means of them. By factoring in time spent, harm taken, treasure discovered, and enemies cleared, gamers obtain a letter grade on the discontinuance of the dungeon. The stripped-down design permits for some quicker motion that fits its fight.

Falcom

As for the Swap port, efficiency is per very exiguous hiccups and surprisingly brief load instances. This port additionally comes with a revamped localization from Aksys Video games — and it’s noticeable as a result of the authentic script had so many situations of the phrase, “chortle,” to point laughter. Fortunately, I didn’t see as a lot of these this time round.

The Nintendo Swap is not any stranger to late ports, this one included, however Tokyo Xanadu eX+ is a terrific recreation to play through the console’s twilight years. So lengthy after its preliminary launch, it nonetheless stands out amongst a plethora of Persona-inspired RPGs with its real-time motion, speedrunning focus, and world-building. If you happen to’re seeking to revisit highschool in Japan once more, Tokyo Xanadu is a category value taking.

Tokyo Xanadu eX+ is now accessible on Nintendo Swap.