Someone recommended me Tokyo Xanadu because it was made by the creators of Trails so I had to give it a try, and let’s just say that I was genuinely surprised. I completed this game in 2021, and I disliked action RPGs back then. However, this game might’ve been the one game that changed my opinion on action RPGs.
The story is as cliche as can be. There’s really not much to say about the story imo. However, I will say that this game does have some good plot points. An AI causing accidents, forming a school club to not be conspicuous (I see you persona 3), some gang violence, it’s actually kind of interesting seeing the world develop and unfold throughout the events in the story, and I actually enjoyed it. The true ending kind of ruins the events of the final dungeon for me, but it doesn’t detract to much for me from the final product (I also haven’t played the after story, maybe I’ll do that on a replay, whenever that may be).
The characters are probably one of the better aspects of the game. The characters did not disappoint me in the slightest (despite how cliche they really were). You got the tsundere, the ideal student, the tomboy, the popular idol, and the intimidating guy, the antisocial guy. These are just what I can remember about them off the top of my head, and I promise that they have more depth than what I just said. One of the main things I like about this game compared to other long term party-based games is that we actually get to see when characters interact with others that aren’t the protagonist. This is something I love and wish games did more of. The game does not need to constantly revolve around the protagonist, show us the relationships between different characters and who gravitates towards who. Overall, the characters in this game are nicely presented, even the side characters who I didn’t touch on much.
Like Trails, this game is a treasure trove for talking to every NPC after every story advancement, they all have their own little intricate stories that you can follow along with until the end of the game.
Let’s talk about gameplay. It’s great having a wide variety of different attack options and I actually enjoyed the action combat. I liked how each character had a different element,
And some characters were stronger in one dungeon, while weaker in others. However, the dungeons are glorified single hallways, nothing amazing, and probably one of the games main detriments. The attribute customisation in this game is very reminiscent of the Trails quartz system, especially regarding the ability to unlock slots for new skill equips. I enjoyed getting the strongest equipment for my main party and using them to go through bosses. None of the bosses left a lasting impact on me (probably because I was playing on the easiest difficulty).
I enjoyed the music this game has to offer. Exploring around the city with different themes was great, and I especially liked the Shrine theme. I liked how they included a location where their real life office is located as one of the main areas to explore.
Overall, a pretty solid game that surprised me in more ways than one. Whilst the single hallway dungeons might be a bit tedious at times, the characters, side stories, and gameplay kept me hooked from beginning to end,
The story is as cliche as can be. There’s really not much to say about the story imo. However, I will say that this game does have some good plot points. An AI causing accidents, forming a school club to not be conspicuous (I see you persona 3), some gang violence, it’s actually kind of interesting seeing the world develop and unfold throughout the events in the story, and I actually enjoyed it. The true ending kind of ruins the events of the final dungeon for me, but it doesn’t detract to much for me from the final product (I also haven’t played the after story, maybe I’ll do that on a replay, whenever that may be).
The characters are probably one of the better aspects of the game. The characters did not disappoint me in the slightest (despite how cliche they really were). You got the tsundere, the ideal student, the tomboy, the popular idol, and the intimidating guy, the antisocial guy. These are just what I can remember about them off the top of my head, and I promise that they have more depth than what I just said. One of the main things I like about this game compared to other long term party-based games is that we actually get to see when characters interact with others that aren’t the protagonist. This is something I love and wish games did more of. The game does not need to constantly revolve around the protagonist, show us the relationships between different characters and who gravitates towards who. Overall, the characters in this game are nicely presented, even the side characters who I didn’t touch on much.
Like Trails, this game is a treasure trove for talking to every NPC after every story advancement, they all have their own little intricate stories that you can follow along with until the end of the game.
Let’s talk about gameplay. It’s great having a wide variety of different attack options and I actually enjoyed the action combat. I liked how each character had a different element,
And some characters were stronger in one dungeon, while weaker in others. However, the dungeons are glorified single hallways, nothing amazing, and probably one of the games main detriments. The attribute customisation in this game is very reminiscent of the Trails quartz system, especially regarding the ability to unlock slots for new skill equips. I enjoyed getting the strongest equipment for my main party and using them to go through bosses. None of the bosses left a lasting impact on me (probably because I was playing on the easiest difficulty).
I enjoyed the music this game has to offer. Exploring around the city with different themes was great, and I especially liked the Shrine theme. I liked how they included a location where their real life office is located as one of the main areas to explore.
Overall, a pretty solid game that surprised me in more ways than one. Whilst the single hallway dungeons might be a bit tedious at times, the characters, side stories, and gameplay kept me hooked from beginning to end,