Steam's algorithm has surfaced a surprising gem from the past in the form of Xanadu Next, an action RPG originally developed by Nihon Falcom for the Nokia N-Gage. Now available on Steam as part of the ongoing Autumn sale, this title, which dates back to 2005, offers a blend of Diablo-esque gameplay with a charming Metroidvania structure.
Xanadu Next is a belated spin-off of 1985's Xanadu: Dragon Slayer 2, an early action RPG. The 2005 release was initially Japan-only for both its N-Gage and PC versions. While the PC version reportedly offered a superior experience, the game's design was conceived to work across both platforms, a fact that initially piqued interest. Many have since lauded the PC version, the one available on Steam, as being among Nihon Falcom's finest work, a pedigree shared with their Ys and Trails series.
After approximately six hours of play in the 2016 English re-release, it's clear that Xanadu Next, while not groundbreaking, possesses a distinct cozy charm and a satisfyingly labyrinthine world. The game features a central village hub for rest, upgrades, and trade, similar to Diablo. Beyond this safe zone, the world unfolds through light puzzle-solving, simple yet enjoyable combat, and the unlocking of increasingly expensive doors with keys purchased in town.
This grind, though present, is described as peaceful and meditative. The incentive to push further into the interconnected, blocky world is strong, offering a pleasure similar to discovering the cleverly overlapping environments in titles like Dark Souls. The atmosphere of Xanadu Next is rich, successfully blending cheerful JRPG village aesthetics with a more melancholic, misty tone.
Xanadu Next is currently available at 70% off during the Steam Autumn sale. Players should be aware of a few quirks, notably its limited controller support, a common issue for rare PC-only JRPGs of its era. While community controller profiles exist, mouse input may still be necessary for certain actions like equipping items. It is also recommended to run the separate configuration executable to adjust graphics settings before launching the game, as it may not automatically adapt to your display. Despite the Steam page listing it as unsupported for Steam Deck, users can reportedly achieve good performance by first configuring the game and then utilizing a community controller profile.
The discovery of Xanadu Next has also prompted a renewed interest in other Nihon Falcom titles, many of which are also currently on sale on Steam.