Lords of Xulima
- November 14, 2014
- Numantian Games
- 55h median play time
Lords of Xulima is a great homage to classic RPGs which will satisfy fans of the genre and is accessible enough to newcomers.
Get on SteamIn "Lords of Xulima," lead a group of up to six adventurers on a challenging journey across a detailed, open world. Engage in strategic turn-based combat, manage resources and party skills, and explore diverse environments on your quest to defeat the fallen god. With a heavy emphasis on character development and strategic depth, this is a game for those who enjoy classic RPGs.
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Reviews
- Challenging and strategic turn-based combat that requires careful planning and resource management.
- Rich character customization with a variety of classes and skills, allowing for diverse party compositions.
- Beautiful hand-drawn graphics and a captivating soundtrack that enhance the immersive experience.
- The game can be overly punishing, especially in the early stages, leading to frequent reloads and frustration.
- Limited direction and guidance can make it difficult for players to know where to go next, resulting in tedious backtracking.
- The loot system is underwhelming, with many items feeling generic and not rewarding enough for defeating tough enemies.
- story282 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally viewed as mediocre and predictable, often relying on typical fantasy tropes such as the "chosen one" narrative and a linear progression with minimal player choice. While some players appreciate the lore and find the plot engaging, many criticize it for being generic, repetitive, and lacking depth, with a focus more on combat and exploration than on storytelling. Overall, the narrative may appeal to fans of classic RPGs, but those seeking a rich, character-driven experience may find it lacking.
“Fantastic story and one of my favorite games of all time.”
“The story is great too, truly engaging.”
“The story will take your hero and his companions to a forgotten continent where gods once lived, and your quest will be to explore the land, plunder its riches and uncover its ancient mysteries, free its people and its temples from evil and restore their kingdoms to their former glory.”
“The story spends most of its time staring at its own navel and trying to be a trite fantasy plot, while being unwieldy on account of the sheer amount of names and attempts to build an entire mythos, without convincing you to care about that mythos in the first place.”
“In the end, the story is utterly predictable and uninteresting, even including the final overly dramatic plot twist, which was telegraphed from miles away.”
“If you put a lot of importance on story, dialogue, and choices in an RPG, this game is definitely not for you.”
- gameplay198 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Lords of Xulima" is a blend of old-school RPG mechanics and modern design, offering over 100 hours of content that includes challenging turn-based combat, exploration, and puzzles. While many players appreciate the depth and engaging mechanics, criticisms arise regarding poorly explained systems, clunky mechanics, and a punishing food management system that can hinder exploration. Overall, the game provides a rewarding experience for those who enjoy classic RPGs, despite some frustrations with balance and clarity in gameplay mechanics.
“Lords of Xulima is a surprisingly engaging game given its age and that the gameplay isn't terribly complex.”
“The gameplay was solid and the difficulty level was pretty decent; however, encounters became repetitive.”
“Hours of compelling and addictive old-school tactical turn-based RPG goodness, with a lot of attention to detail in crafting the world, its lore, and its gameplay mechanics.”
“The game is really bad at explaining its mechanics.”
“Because the game is very bad at explaining mechanics and some skills and abilities get obsolete very quickly, the chances that you will think about restarting the game at some point are extremely high, because you will understand that some of your characters are ruined.”
“The gameplay is repetitive and frustrating (you miss a good 50-75% of the time, your opponents hit 90% of the time).”
- graphics128 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 51 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their charm and artistic style, with many reviewers noting the vibrant colors and hand-drawn elements that enhance the overall aesthetic. While some consider the visuals to be simple or reminiscent of older titles, they are often described as fitting well within the context of the game, contributing positively to the immersive experience. Overall, the graphics are seen as a strong point, especially for an indie RPG, balancing nostalgia with modern touches.
“The graphics are very beautiful, the soundtrack very nice and the gameplay so marvelous.”
“The art style is very interesting, the game is very colorful, with a vast amount of 2D graphics, which I really appreciate.”
“Graphically, the world is really vibrant and varied.”
“Forgettable story/characters and cheesy graphics.”
“The graphics are poor to mediocre at best.”
“The graphics are ugly and rough, with lots of variation in the quality of the animations from correct to completely amateur.”
- music74 mentions
- 49 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its quality and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many players noting its beautiful melodies and fitting compositions that complement the game's environments. While the soundtrack is generally well-received, some users mention a lack of variety, leading to repetitive listening during extended play sessions. Overall, the music contributes significantly to the immersive experience, making it a standout feature of the game.
“The music is absolutely gorgeous, the graphics are beautiful with their own charm, and the gameplay is really nice and addictive too.”
“The art style suits this type of game very well and the music is very soothing, making playing this game a very enjoyable experience.”
“The soundtrack is mostly instrumental and not only relaxing but fitting for each environment, and I would love the ability to purchase the soundtrack on Steam.”
“Unfortunately, there isn't a lot of different songs in the game, so you hear a lot of repeats.”
“The first time I played this game was at one in the morning, and the music was only helping to make me tired and want to sleep.”
“The possibilities of your characters are very few, 1 spell for your magician, 1 song for your bard, 1 attack for your warriors.”
- grinding71 mentions
- 3 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 97 % negative mentions
The reviews indicate that the game features significant grinding, particularly in the later stages, where players often find themselves repetitively farming for resources and experience. While some players appreciate the nostalgic challenge reminiscent of classic RPGs, others criticize the grind as tedious and overwhelming, with insufficient rewards for the effort. Overall, the grinding aspect is a divisive feature, appealing to those who enjoy traditional RPG mechanics but potentially deterring players seeking a more streamlined experience.
“Elegant logistics, basic but not tedious.”
“It can become quite grindy in the latter stages of the game, and one of the most effective tools at your disposal is an item which has a limited stock per day, so you sometimes need to travel and wait to refill these, which adds to the grindiness.”
“The game's is especially difficult early on, but like most RPGs, it becomes much easier later in the game as your party's power grows, at which point the game just becomes grindy and new mechanics cease to arise to continue to challenge your party, or your mind.”
“The grinding is overwhelming.”
- character development10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
Character development in this game is generally viewed as less deep compared to classics like Baldur's Gate 2 or Pillars of Eternity, with a more straightforward approach that emphasizes class mechanics and combat systems. While some players appreciate the strong class system and engaging lore, others note that mistakes in character development can be punishing, requiring significant backtracking. Overall, the game prioritizes gameplay and exploration over intricate character narratives.
“This game is fun, the lore is charming, and character development/class mechanics are strong.”
“- amazing class system and an amazing and deep character development tree for each class”
“The story is great, from start to finish, the character development is really great as well, and the game's lore is complete and satisfying.”
“This is not a deep character development type CRPG like Baldur's Gate 2 or even Pillars of Eternity, but the gameplay is surprisingly entertaining and makes up for that.”
“If you make any mistakes in character development, it is impossible to take back short of reloading however far into the past.”
“Advancement: a new definition of the term linear character development.”
- stability10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 70 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is generally praised, with many players reporting minimal bugs and no major crashes. However, some users have experienced minor glitches, such as freezing at loading screens and issues with quest completion. Despite these occasional hiccups, the game is considered more polished and stable than many contemporary releases.
“A very polished, bug-free old-school RPG, in the style of Baldur's Gate, that has many cool ideas.”
“This is a decent, if not terribly inspired, group-based CRPG that is mostly bug-free.”
“Very good game, no bugs, runs great, not one crash. Very strategic game; at the moment, I'm trying to get through in old school mode without one character dying.”
“If you still survive this battle, it's very common that the game freezes at the loading screen.”
“There are small glitches in quests; I could not turn in one quest.”
“There are minor menu glitches.”
- optimization9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is inconsistent, particularly on Linux and Steam Deck, where users report significant performance issues, including lag and graphical glitches. While some players experience smooth gameplay and a well-designed interface, others face severe performance degradation, especially when using Proton or OpenGL settings.
“Trust me, the vast majority of the time you'll see performance indicators letting you know a problem is coming.”
“The German in me demands process optimization.”
“The game runs smoothly and the interface is fantastic.”
“For anyone thinking to buy this to play it on Linux (and/or the Steam Deck), be warned that the port is awful and has terrible performance.”
“Proton has better performance, but there is an annoying bug with the text; it's pixelated and misplaced on the GUI, and only the first line of dialogs is rendered, making the game unplayable.”
“Just a small warning - I found the performance under Linux abysmal; even just moving on the map caused stutter every 1-2 seconds.”
- replayability9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Overall, the game offers a solid replayability factor, with players appreciating the variety of classes and party combinations available, which encourages experimentation. While some reviews note low replay value outside of higher difficulty settings, many highlight the potential for numerous hours of gameplay through different strategies and skill choices.
“This game has that, a decent story, some interesting classes and synergy between them, tons of things to do, and a lot of gameplay and replayability on top of that.”
“I feel the game has a good replay value since your party consists of 6 members and there are a total of 9 possible classes to mix and match with 100 different skills to choose.”
“The replay value is very low, except to try on harder difficulties.”
“As I cannot decide on an ideal party, there should hopefully be plenty of replayability.”
“You get 5 extra party members out of 9 classes, so there's a healthy amount of replayability for different party and weapon combinations.”
- atmosphere8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its nostalgic 90's vibe, immersive music, and beautiful art, creating a relaxing and enchanting experience. Players appreciate the dynamic elements like day and night cycles and weather effects, which enhance exploration in a mystical world filled with intriguing locations. Overall, the atmosphere contributes significantly to player immersion and enjoyment.
“Finally, a game where everything from exploration to combat to crafting is all interesting (and that is saying something for me as I hate crafting). I love the music in the game and the relaxing atmosphere it has. For the first time since Football Manager (totally different game, I know), I am totally immersed in a game.”
“The art is beautiful and the music is gorgeous, which creates a very immersive atmosphere.”
“A charming atmosphere, travel through a mystical world and explore secret graves, forsaken temples, and more.”
- humor7 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a standout feature, with players enjoying the quirky interactions and amusing character designs, such as giggling mushrooms and cackling skulls. The witty dialogue adds to the comedic experience, making the game entertaining despite some criticisms regarding its visual production and gameplay balance. Overall, the humor contributes significantly to the game's charm and keeps players engaged.
“Funny thing though, when you kill an enemy summoner, their creations stay on the battlefield.”
“Game made me laugh more than a few times and kept me up late into the night quite a few nights as I played.”
“There are little mushrooms that giggle at you, goblins that giggle at you differently, talking skulls that cackle at you, guards that say 'I am your master'... it's funny, endearing, and I love it.”
