Xuan-Yuan Sword: The Gate of Firmament

 Xbox One
Xuan-Yuan Sword: The Gate of Firmament Image
Metascore
52

Mixed or average reviews - based on 5 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
6.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 10 Ratings

Your Score
0 out of 10
Rate this:
  • 10
  • 9
  • 8
  • 7
  • 6
  • 5
  • 4
  • 3
  • 2
  • 1
  • 0
  • 0
  • Summary: In ancient times long ago, in order to find his beloved missing daughter, the divine Jade Emperor opened the gates of heaven, allowing a direct connection between heaven and earth. This was done, so that worthy mortals could appeal to the Jade Emperor and obtain divine powers, to aid in theIn ancient times long ago, in order to find his beloved missing daughter, the divine Jade Emperor opened the gates of heaven, allowing a direct connection between heaven and earth. This was done, so that worthy mortals could appeal to the Jade Emperor and obtain divine powers, to aid in the search of his missing daughter. However, this gift was exploited and taken advantage of, causing chaos in the mortal realm. The Nine Li Tribe became a cult that worshipped demons and practiced in the occult, divorcing themselves from the businesses of the mortal realm.
    Forces of evil suddenly arose, inciting wars across the continent, condemning people into a life of fears and sufferings.
    Emperor Zhuanxu feared the demon Chiyou would once again ravage the mortal realm. Limited by his own capabilities, he sought the help of the Queen of Huaxu, who once assisted Xuanyuan the Yellow Emperor in warding off the Otherworld with the Bell of Donghuang. Both Fuxi and Nuwathe children of the Queen of Huaxualso supported Emperor Zhuanxu in convincing the Queen, for they too could not bear to watch people suffer any longer. In the end, the gates to heaven were finally sealed with the powers of the Divine Artifacts combined.
    Since then, no mortals were able to ascend, nor were gods able to descend at will. This incident was later recorded down in history as Juedi Tiantong.

    Features:
    This latest entry broke new grounds in comparison with previous titles in the series, including: the new lighting system that better establishes moods, creating various atmospheric scenes; as well as facial animation and lip-sync systems, MVN motion capture system to elevate the quality standard of all characters in every aspect. These new technologies not only improve visuals but also game immersion, enabling the players to fully comprehend the behaviors and feelings of the protagonists.
    The battle system has been replaced with a real-time, encounter-based gameplay mechanism, making the battles more intense than ever. Improved returning features exclusive to the Xuan-Yuan Sword series include: the Urn of Spirit Infusion that enables demon-synthesis and equipment refinement; the Guardian System that allows your captured demons to fight on your side; and the Miracle System that grants additional attack buffs. A new Battle Formation system is also introduced in this latest entry, allowing for a richer and better gaming experience for the players.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 5
  3. Negative: 2 out of 5
  1. TheXboxHub
    Jan 24, 2018
    70
    Xuan Yuan Sword is a worthy addition to the RPG genre on the Xbox One. The game is long, with a very engrossing story and characters that you really come to care about. Sure, it’s not the prettiest game in the world, but that kind of misses the point
  2. XboxAddict
    Feb 26, 2018
    53
    Even with the myriad of bugs there’s an odd and endearing quality that Xuan Yuan Sword: The Gate of Firmament possesses. Sure, the $25 asking price seems a bit high when you judge it on its looks alone, but there’s a surprising amount of gameplay held within, as long as you can stomach the lackluster visuals, poor translation and bugs. If you’ve been craving a new JRPG game to enjoy, there’s enough ‘meat on the bone’ here to keep you interested, even if there are better choices available. With some more QA time, and a better translation, this might have been a completely different, and even more enjoyable, experience. All the typical checkboxes have been marked to make for a decent experience, and there are a few mechanics included that I really enjoyed, but like a good B-movie, I enjoyed it for unintended reasons instead.
  3. TrueAchievements
    Jan 29, 2018
    50
    Xuan-Yuan Sword is gaming’s homage to a so good it’s bad B-movie. There are some really great aspects to the game. The combat’s potential depth is realized in boss fights, the story is engaging, and it has strong characters with depth. It’s got all the essentials of a good JRPG, but it's mixed with a poor localization and shoddy technical work to create a game that is almost enjoyable at first. The technical issues and translation are comical at the beginning and you’ll find yourself surprised at the absurdity, but the humor slowly erodes as the hours pass by. Eventually you’re left with a paper mache house built around a solid framework. It’s a game that could have been good with another few months of development and a better translation, but what we got could still be a fun romp if you approach it with the right mindset.
  4. Generación Xbox
    Jan 28, 2018
    47
    A game that lovers of the genre will be able to appreciate, but it is not ambitious enough and features mistakes that we can hardly overlook.
  5. Xbox Tavern
    Jan 22, 2018
    42
    Xuan Yuan Sword: The Gate of Firmament is bait without a hook. Everything from the visuals to the several elements of play remains shoddy and poorly presented throughout. The story is interesting to begin with, but even this is let down in the long run by crappy localisation. It certainly doesn’t help that the game is riddled with bugs, wonky animation, and a general lack of polish.

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 2
  3. Negative: 0 out of 2
  1. BlahCultural
    Jan 30, 2018
    8
    Xuan Yuan Sword: The Gate of Firmament é aquele jogo que nossa equipe aguardava desde seu lançamento no primeiro semestre do ano. Apesar deXuan Yuan Sword: The Gate of Firmament é aquele jogo que nossa equipe aguardava desde seu lançamento no primeiro semestre do ano. Apesar de destoar um bocado daquilo que já vimos em diversos J-RPGs, Xuan-Yuan consegue ser um bocado diferente ao adentrar em uma narrativa totalmente chinesa ao invés de japonesa, tentando mostrando o que há de melhor na cultura de um dos gigantes no globo.

    O título aqui não é um MMORPG, e ergue uma narrativa completamente diferenciada e baseada em fatos reais. Apesar de não parecer, estamos diante do sexto título da série (e o sétimo já está em desenvolvimento) de uma franquia que existe há pelo menos 25 anos. Não chega a ser tão antiga quanto muitos jogos por aí, mas o suficiente para provar o quanto houve esmero em desenvolver o título, ainda que haja muita coisa errada. Lançado SOMENTE na Ásia, Xuan Yuan tem como foco o público chinês e suas dependências, visto que a Softstar é uma empresa taiwanesa. Com isso, o jogo tem apenas opções de Inglês e Chinês como idioma. Contornando essa situação, sobrou a opção de focar no tão esperado C-RPG e ver se o mesmo provou ser digno de nossa espera de quase sete meses.

    Indo para os gráficos, podemos dizer que estão longe, mas muito longe de serem os ideais para a atual geração. Mesmo que falemos que esse quesito raramente seria o foco, visto que há muita coisa boa por aí com gráficos aquém da última geração (Cuphead, Sundered, dentre outros), acredita-se que até mesmo um Playstation 2 conseguiria rodar o joguinho da Softstar sem maiores dificuldades. Certamente você jamais diria que temos um jogo de Playstation 4 se formos só analisar sprites, gráficos, cores e afins. Ainda que confessemos que os trailers tenham nos chamado muita a atenção pela parte visual do jogo, este detalhe é seu maior calcanhar de aquiles.

    Alguns detalhes são muito arcaicos. A forma como o personagem se move é horrível e limitada, além de passar uma imagem totalmente fora do singularismo. O mapa fica em cima de toda o jogo caso necessite ampliá-lo. Você pode se perder se tiver que dar zoom no minimapa.

    Há uma mescla entre o modo de movimento de Silkroad, Metin 2 e até mesmo Tíbia em diversos momentos, sendo algo travado e complexo até de explicar. Temos uma enorme variedade de ataques normais, mas muitos parecem ter vindo da era mesozoica de tão antigos e semi-funcionais. Cada personagem que se junta ao grupo tem seus movimentos e magias diferentes do usual, mas o modo de combate não requer muita habilidade, sendo uma coisa bem simples e direta. Temos calabouços entupidos de puzzles e isso talvez seja a melhor coisa no quesito jogabilidade. De qualquer modo, após algumas horas, o sistema de jogo fica bastante repetitivo e limitado, não mostrando nada de tão intenso assim quanto nossa equipe um dia chegou a pensar que seria. Conscientize-se de que não estamos falando de um jogo ruim, mas está longe de ser aquele game indutor da compra de um console. Entende, né? De qualquer forma, a inteligência artificial não funciona muito bem. Por diversos momentos ficávamos próximos dos inimigos e eles nada faziam.

    O game possui partes interessantes e uma narrativa rica com cutscenes que lembrarão os filmes de Kung-Fu de Jackie Chan e Jet Li, e longa-metragens de fantasia chinesa onde a vestimenta e a arte faz o filme ao menos não se auto-esmerilhar com cenas patéticas.

    Somos na verdade introduzidos a um rei que existiu na vida real chamado Wu Ding (e que no jogo se chama Sikong Yu/Feng Yu). Esse 'rei' é o vigésimo segundo da dinastia Shang durante a China Imperial. De acordo com relatos, ele viajou por muitos anos enquanto era príncipe, então conheceu o sofrimento de seu povo mais que outros reis um dia conheceram. Ele cultivou o respeito e aliança das tribos vizinhas ao casar-se com cada mulher desses vilarejos. Zi Qiao (que na maioria do jogo aparece ao lado de Yu como uma espécie de parceira para todas as horas), foi a que mais se sobressaiu no coração de Feng. Esse garotão teve praticamente 64 esposas, mas Fu Hao (Zi Qiao) é sua favorita e amada.

    A melhor parte do jogo, ao lado de sua narrativa, é a trilha sonora. Temos um emaranhado de instrumentos chineses na execução das faixas. O uso da Citara Gu Qin é perfeito. Em alguns momentos chega a ser tão magnífico que me sentia na China Imperial com diversas mulheres ao meu lado tocando esse tipo de instrumento, que é ancestral de Gu Zheng. Claro que não poderia ser por menos, afinal temos a competência de ninguém menos que o vencedor do Cavalo de Ouro, Rizet Tsen, famoso na China e Taiwan por suas belíssimas composições. Ele não estava sozinho nesse trabalho árduo de compor faixas tão exímias. Ao seu lado estava Shinray Woo, também muito conhecido por aquelas bandas por suas belas composições. Então havia uma dupla trabalhando em faixas muito bem feitas e com um apelo melódico muito grande.    … Expand
  2. Xbox_Alive
    Jan 27, 2018
    7
    RPG’s are something that I’ve spent a great deal of time playing in my life and for some reason once I start playing a decent RPG I can’tRPG’s are something that I’ve spent a great deal of time playing in my life and for some reason once I start playing a decent RPG I can’t stop. There have been many wonderful RPG’s over the years and whilst Xuan-Yuan Sword: The Gate of Firmament can not be placed in the higher echelons of RPG’s it can still be a pretty decent game at times. One thing that really stands out in this game is the story. The story is very enjoyable from start to finish and the characters really bring the story to life. An important aspect of a decent RPG is the amount of content it serves to you, and thankfully Xuan-Yuan Sword delivers a great deal of enjoyable content for you to sink your teeth into. You will notice though that the longer you play the game the more technical issues it suffers with and unfortunately these issues can be very frustrating and distracting at times, so a patch or two is definitely needed. The mechanics that are included in the game are both interesting and very solid. Each different mechanic works together in perfect harmony and I must admit that I was especially impressed with the crafting system and the very well thought out monster capture system. On the whole the game does have a decent amount of variety going for it, but it does lack variety when it comes to the enemies you face. The enemies pretty much do the same attack every time and this means the game lacks a challenge at certain points so things can become repetetive and tedious. The presentation side of the game is definitely a mixed bag. On the one hand you have some excellent sound design and in my opinion the voice actors did a wonderful job. Unfortunately the same can’t be said about the visuals and they just look ugly throughout your time with the game, which is a shame. At the end of the day fans of RPG’s will find more than enough to keep them occupied here, but if you’re new to the genre then there are much better RPG’s for you try before tackling this game. Don’t get me wrong the game isn’t bad it’s just that it has too many niggling problems to call it a great game. I will say though that when all aspects of the game start clicking then you are provided with an enjoyable experience and for that reason it does enough to get a recommendation from me.… Expand