Xuan-Yuan Sword 7

 PlayStation 4
Xuan-Yuan Sword 7 Image
Metascore
71

Mixed or average reviews - based on 12 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 11 Ratings

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  • Summary: Xuan-Yuan Sword VII is an ARPG rooted in Chinese history and mythology. Players take on the role of Taishi Zhao, a calm and reliable swordsman who was accidentally involved in a tragic fate. To protect his beloved family, he starts a journey in this chaotic realm to find the truth.
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 12
  3. Negative: 1 out of 12
  1. Digitally Downloaded
    Nov 6, 2020
    90
    This game is excellent. It plays nicely, has solid cultural resonance, and actually respects the player's time, as it's only around 20 hours or so in length (while not compromising on the narrative quality). This is easily one of my favourite games of the year, which is why I wanted to do something a little special in reviewing it.
  2. RPG Fan
    Oct 8, 2021
    89
    I had a great time playing Xuan Yuan Sword 7 and can only hope that Western gamers will get the chance to experience more games in the series at some point. We’ve clearly been missing out on a compelling series if this entry is any indication! It might not have reinvented the action RPG wheel, but Xuan Yuan Sword 7 is a well-rounded and incredibly solid take on the genre with a phenomenal story at its core.
  3. Shindig
    Oct 6, 2021
    80
    Between stunning performances, a sharp new script, gorgeous, cinematic presentation, and the fluid action that ties everything together, it tells that story beautifully. Xuan Yuan Sword may not be a well-known name in the west, but it should be—and Xuan Yuan Sword 7 is a wonderful demonstration of why.
  4. PlayStation Universe
    Sep 30, 2021
    70
    I had plenty of fun with Xuan Yuan Sword 7. Though I wish the story would have been a little more engaging, the fun yet straightforward combat and exploration kept me going until the end, that said the game does suffer from some lousy difficulty spikes and forgotten mechanics that are introduced early on. It's the seventh core title in the franchise, and I'm hoping it's not the last one to make it to western shores.
  5. Hey Poor Player
    Oct 10, 2021
    70
    Xuan Yuan Sword 7 tells a compelling story with gorgeous scenery and loveable characters, but it’s difficult to recommend to just anybody. I’m usually not one to knock game length, but a linear 15 – 20 hour experience for $49.99 is a harder sale than most. If you prefer story and style over combat and gameplay, Xuan Yuan Sword 7 is a no-brainer, its focus on familial bonds between brother and sister absolutely heartwarming. If you’re looking for a little more action in your ARPGs, Xuan Yuan Sword 7 probably won’t give you the satisfaction you’re expecting.
  6. Jeuxvideo.com
    Nov 30, 2021
    65
    Once the controller is in place, there remains a mixed feeling, made of a feeling of too little and the satisfaction of having had a good time anyway.
  7. Games.cz
    Oct 4, 2021
    40
    This action RPG boasts a simple yet quite bearable combat system and beautiful environments. But the level design is nothing short of a tragedy and so are the preposterously long loading screens.

See all 12 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 5
  3. Negative: 0 out of 5
  1. Steyraus
    Jul 2, 2022
    10
    Man, I love this game, its everything the modern western gaming industry isn't and thats a good thing..The characters are lovable andMan, I love this game, its everything the modern western gaming industry isn't and thats a good thing..The characters are lovable and compeling, the story keeps you invested and the combat and leveling is exactly enough to keep you addicted..It's not a bloated wokfest like the western games flooding the market, it's a game made with passion and pure skill. The best comparison would be the early Witcher games. I fell in love with the characters and story and enjoyed every second of the gameplay and exploration. There is some jenk and performance issues, but that is a small price for a game that feels like it has the passion and skill behind it that games from 10 20 30 years ago had. Before games were just shatout by massive teams of sooky Californians more worried about twitter politics and only working a 25 hour week.… Expand
  2. Inuyasha1
    Oct 9, 2021
    10
    오픈월드 3D 액션 RPG 중에서 상당히 칼싸움, 근접 타격감이 뛰어난 현원검7. 무협게임이라 검, 갑옷이 간지남.
  4. mgao22
    Oct 9, 2021
    10
    The seventh Xuan Yuan Sowrd. Touching story, beautiful music, and great game. A Eastern Han Dynasty Saga. (1st Century AD)

    It doesn't look    The seventh Xuan Yuan Sowrd. Touching story, beautiful music, and great game. A Eastern Han Dynasty Saga. (1st Century AD)

    It doesn't look as good as modern 3A games, but unreal 4 engine makes it look better than many Japanese RPGs on PS4. This is not the best ARPG, as Taiwanese are still on their way of modernizing, but the story is beautiful, the music makes you drop tears, and the gameplay is good, if not great.

    It is the story of a brother, a sister, and a childhood friend. Simple, pure, and beautiful. Interestingly, many Chinese don't like this story, because being educated in communist way, individual is nothing if he/she doesn't serve the ruler. They don't understand the right of one person is the right of whole nation. In the setting of this game, the early stage of Chinese civilization, not only people believe in personal freedom and importance of individuality, Taoism philosophers literally said "Harming one person to benefit the whole nation, is totally unacceptable".

    Xuan Yuan Sword 7 is a true heritage of Chinese Culture and its belief in love, freedom, and personal value, and it is great for anyone who's interested in something worthy but barely covered in other games.    … Expand
  5. CraigEchols
    Dec 23, 2022
    8
    I've tried uploading a review but Metacritic's system is bad so I will just gloss over it:

    The story is the best part of the game. Not very    I've tried uploading a review but Metacritic's system is bad so I will just gloss over it:

    The story is the best part of the game. Not very in depth, but very touching of a brother trying to resurrect his sister while avoiding getting caught in a power struggle for the land. The interactions between Zhao, Xiang, Hong and Jipeng really add to the story, however, there are a lot of cutscenes in the game.

    Combat is similar to The Witcher. You have a basic combo and a special combo based on the stance you take. Xiang and Hong can assist in battle with or without your control. Often take on multiple enemies at a time. Camera and lock on system isn't the most friendly. Bosses are fun but hit a difficulty spike in the 2nd half of the game.

    Framerate leaves a lot to be desire. This game is at best 30 fps and certain areas will cause drops as well as multiple actions on the screen. However, it is still very playable. Never experienced framerate issues during boss battles.

    System is based on upgrading equipment with materials, however, there is a very finite amount of money in the game due to a lack of side quests and therefore a lack of money. Zholou Chess is very fun though.

    Overall, a fun game AA game from an company that really cares, doesn't stand out with lavish bells and whistles, but I really enjoy games like this that are simply about care and story rather than specs and content.    … Expand
  6. SplitMind
    Nov 13, 2021
    7
    It brings me no pleasure to say that XYS7 is unfortunately average in all ways. The game has its charm from the Asian themes and context butIt brings me no pleasure to say that XYS7 is unfortunately average in all ways. The game has its charm from the Asian themes and context but ultimately is a very middle-of- the-road outing.

    The graphics may be one of the best things about XYS7. The environments in particular I found to be beautiful, with the green foliage to the autumnal leaves in other areas. The downside of this is that it's counterbalanced by dungeons that are incredibly bland and grayscale affairs. The character models which look good are also plagued by wooden movements in cut-scenes. This is a consistent issue with XYS7 - everything is dragged down to average whilst showing great promise.

    The gameplay lets XYS7 down a bit. The most consistently irritating thing I found was a lack of a sprint function, which is quite an issue in an adventure game. You have waypoints you can teleport with, but there isn't always one nearby, so sprinting would have been very helpful.

    The combat is fun, if a bit basic. One thing that could have really boosted the experience would have been to be able to switch characters and play as your companions, rather than the single instruction you are restricted to giving them. By the end of the game I was fed up of encountering enemies rather than excited for a battle. I also don't understand the imprison concept - it would have been far better if your skill bar for this just built up with each kill rather than having to execute a separate strategy mid-battle. A final note on combat - boss difficulty spikes were very odd, especially with the final boss who barely damaged me except for one fire attack that one-shotted me multiple times.

    Exploration in the game could also get a bit stale and irritating. Quite a few obstacles could be traversed with a simple jump, yet for some reason our protagonist cannot jump at all. I didn't appreciate having to take the scenic route.

    The story of XYS7 is a plot involving political warfare mixed with supernatural elements in trying to save your sister's life. One of my biggest issues with the plot was the amount of unnecessary cut-scenes where little happens. The game could really benefit from a smoother transition into cut-scenes also, instead of the outdated fade-to-black, as this adds to the length of cut-scenes and ruins any fluidity. Whoever's idea it was to use a bird-like voice for one of the characters portrayed by a talking bird made a very bad choice, as I found it such a grating voice, whereas none others bothered me at all. Overall, the plot of XYS7 is fairly unremarkable, and I heavily criticise the end-game section that made me traverse from area-to-area just for cut-scenes before sending me into New Game+.

    In summary, XYS7 isn't a bad game, but it's also fairly unmemorable too. Having glossed over the Wiki page after finishing the game, it appears this series has been going since 1990. This makes me even more critical, as a budget may be lacking but innovation and creativity should be flourishing much more than is evidenced here. XYS7 plays more like an early PS4 title rather than a 2020 title. It still makes me interested in seeing the next game, but much less likely to buy it.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

64
#64 Best PS4 Game of 2021
57
#57 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2021

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