News: Xanadu Next gets a patch

November 18, 2005, 05:16 AM

by chazumaru, via Falcom -
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Whereas Ys The Oath in Felghana received raving reviews and a great reception from fans, Xanadu Next has received mixed reactions amongst japanese gamers. Most of them complain about the poor controls and expensive retail price, and the game's sales have been rather disappointing. It seems that - not unlike the recent "Shining" games from Sega - people keep playing the game only because of the Xanadu name (and inherent legacy behind it) yet, by the same token, ask more from it than they probably should. One demonstration of this behavior is how most japanese websites' reviews keep enthusiastically comparing the game to its ancestor. 4Gamer even made a list of points showing the heritage of the original Xanadu in this article; some of these points spoil the plot, whereas others are a bit far fetched.

Xanadu Next has its supporters though, and for those who keep playing or would like to try the game and draw their own conclusion on its quality, Falcom has released a new and important patch. Not only does the patch fix some minor bugs, it's receiving appraisal from most players as it includes a whole new dungeon ("the world of the dead") filled with exclusive monsters and USB joypad support - hence fixing the mouse-controlled gameplay a lot of people complained about. Apparently an essential patch for a better experience.