According to an announcement trailer released Monday, Taiwanese RPG Xuan Yuan Sword 7 is on its way to consoles. The latest installment of a franchise stretching back to 1990, the action role-playing game is the first in the series to get an official release in western markets.
Xuan Yuan Sword 7 promises “frenetic real-time combat” and “a rich cinematic narrative” that celebrates ancient Chinese culture. The game is already available on PC and releases on PlayStation4 and Xbox One in the Summer of 2021.
The game takes place in China during the brief rule of Emperor Wang Mang in the first century AD. Historically, Wang Mang only held the throne for ten years before being overthrown in 23 AD. The franchise is known for combining fantasy elements and Chinese mythology with historical events. As the trailer shows, magic and robots are not off the table in this historically set action RPG. In that way, the series isn’t too different from Team Ninja’s Nioh or Koei Tecmo’s various historical fantasy games.
Xuan-Yuan Sword 7 follows protagonist Taishi Zhao after most of his family gets murdered over an ancient bamboo scroll. Taishi is initially more concerned with keeping his sister safe than seeking revenge. However, the two goals overlap after she is mortally wounded. The only way to heal her is with the scroll’s magic power. Along the way, Taishi gets dragged into the chaotic power struggle between the Emperor and the rebels trying to overthrow him.
The game received mixed reviews at launch, with a mediocre 6.7 user score on Metacritic and 6/10 on steam. Combat relies heavily on stamina management, with website TechRaptor comparing it to Dark Souls. However, it lacks Dark Souls’ trademark difficulty and has a much simpler combat system. The story didn’t receive much love either, although the reviewer praised the music and visuals.
Still, the game’s low profile in the west makes it hard to get a good cross-section of opinions. Hopefully, for Xuan-Yuan Sword, the console release helps the series find its footing outside of Asia.
Xuan Yuan Sword 7 is available now on PC and releases for PS4 and Xbox One this summer.