Tokyo Xanadu eX+

Those jumping into Tokyo Xanadu eX+ for the first will find that the wait was well worth it.

Whether you played the original Vita game or not, Tokyo Xanadu eX+ is such a phenomenal action RPG dungeon crawler that every fan of the genre needs to check out with its satisfying fast-paced team-based combat, great soundtrack, and charming world.

Like I said, that’s not enough to make Tokyo Xanadu eX+ worth checking out if you’ve already played it on the Vita. But it does mean that if you never played the Vita version, and you’re looking for a big game with smooth combat and a decent enough plot, then it should fit the bill.

For those planning to pick up one of the versions of Tokyo Xanadu, eX+ would be the recommended one for the extra event scenes and character interactions that come with it. Its improvements — including an assortment of minor quality of life upgrades — mean that it is the better release, but those who prefer to play on handheld shouldn't feel at all shortchanged by the original; the extras are more a bonus than anything and players are getting a substantial and greatly absorbing experience either way. Nihon Falcom's charm permeates throughout and its incredibly easy to get attached to Morimiya City and its residents.

2017 may have been an exhausting year filled with quality videogame releases across different genres and multiple platforms, but Tokyo Xanadu eX+ is still worth setting aside some time for, especially for those starving for more Action RPG hybrids. The exp and loot grinding is still there for hardcore fans, but the smooth and solid action adds an extra layer of responsiveness and fun that can’t always be felt with turn-based battles, resulting in a winning combination that will eat up more of that free time no human could possibly have at this point.

While there can be quite a bit of hand-holding, which may turn off more hardcore fans of the genre, Tokyo Xanadu eX+ offers a great respite from other, bigger holiday releases.

With all the improvements made to this enhanced re-release, it almost feels as if the Vita version of Tokyo Xanadu can be considered a beta version. Even if you have already played the Vita version, all the new additions and readjusted gameplay provide a completely fresh and definitive experience for the game. If this is your first time playing Tokyo Xanadu, I would recommend picking up the PlayStation 4 version. However, Vita players must ask themselves if the battle tweaks and story additions are worth a second purchase.

If an editor had taken a serious red pen and streamlined the narrative, Tokyo Xanadu EX+ would be fantastic. As it is, this is a game with stellar JRPG action and a story that will try the patience of all but the most dedicated players.

Overall, it’s a good game. Titles like Persona 5 and Trails of Cold Steel are much better, but if you’ve played them and you’re looking for something similar, it’s a good option.

Tokyo Xanadu is good. It’s a lot of fun and Nihon Falcom has a real touch with combat systems that its developers deserve real respect for. The biggest challenge I found with the game was finding the motivation to actually finish it; it might not get anything wrong, but it’s such a lengthy quest that it really needed a greater thematic depth to maintain my interest, and unfortunately it wasn’t quite able to replicate Nihon Falcom’s own, brilliant, Trails of Cold Steel in offering that.

There are legitimate moments of fun and almost a harkening back to major JRPG classics in Tokyo Xanadu eX+, but all too often the pacing detracts from being truly great. The battle system is excellent, with a single but significant flaw of fighting with only one character, despite the large crew acquired. The entire game would be better served immensely by being about half its length, as nothing truly gets kicking before it burns out on itself.

In the full spectrum of things, Tokyo Xanadu eX+ is a title that offers just enough to be considered entertaining, but not so much that it tries to excel in its genre.

Tokyo Xanadu eX+ is a wonderful way to spend several hours thanks to a delightfully fun combat system. The standard JRPG storyline means everything feels very familiar, but it's not all bad. Overall, the game's nothing special -- certainly not to look at -- but there's at least plenty of content here, and the title does a decent job of keeping things fresh.

If Asksys Games and Nihon Falcom were serious about porting Tokyo Xanadu to the PS4, there was a lot more that could have been done. Graphics needed a major overhaul, and the additional side stories were merely fluff that didn’t contribute a lot to making an already bland story more interesting.