Xanadu Next (v2022.01.18)

A phantom fortress appearing through the fog over Harlech Island gives this action RPG an eerie, old-school sense of adventure from its first minutes. You play a disgraced knight accompanying the inquisitive scholar Charlotte Wells, only to be cut down by a stranger and revived through dangerous ancient power. Survival now depends on finding the fabled Dragon Slayer sword before that borrowed life runs out. The mood balances Celtic-flavored mystery, lonely ruins, and the satisfying danger of a compact dungeon-crawling quest rather than the sprawling spectacle of a modern open-world RPG.

Combat plays out from an isometric viewpoint, with real-time sword strikes, shields, dodges, magic, and carefully timed movement deciding fights against monsters and imposing bosses. Harlech Island opens gradually as you search forests, caverns, towers, and buried ruins for keys, switches, treasures, and routes that loop back into earlier areas. Equipment meaningfully changes your approach, while weapons, armor, accessories, and collectible Guardians provide stat boosts and special abilities that encourage experimentation. Death is part of the pressure: healing resources are limited, enemies can punish reckless attacks, and the game expects players to learn dungeon layouts rather than simply rush ahead.

Falcom’s design stands out through its dense, interconnected maps and an unusually tactile sense of exploration, closer to classic Zelda-style dungeon progression than a loot-heavy action RPG. Every new tool or key can reveal a shortcut, a hidden chamber, or a previously inaccessible puzzle, making even small discoveries feel worthwhile. Its visuals and interface clearly reflect its early-2000s PC roots, but the focused campaign, memorable soundtrack, and demanding boss encounters still hold up for players who value mechanical clarity over cinematic excess. Fans of Ys, Faxanadu, and older top-down action adventures should feel immediately at home, while newcomers should be ready for a tougher, more deliberate RPG with no multiplayer distractions.