Spirits of Xanadu

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In "Spirits of Xanadu," explore a derelict starship and uncover its mysterious past through environmental storytelling and puzzles. As a space explorer, discover hidden secrets and use your ship's equipment to delve deeper into the abandoned vessel's history. Experience a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere and a unique blend of science fiction and Lovecraftian horror in this indie adventure game.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

78%

Audience ScoreBased on 289 reviews

story62 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

The game has a very atmospheric and immersive experience, reminiscent of classic sci-fi horror games like System Shock.
The story is engaging and unfolds through audio logs and notes, allowing players to piece together the narrative themselves.
The game offers multiple endings and encourages exploration, providing a sense of discovery and replayability.

The combat mechanics are simplistic and can feel clunky, with enemies being somewhat unchallenging.
The game is relatively short, with some players feeling it lacks content for the price point.
There are issues with the save system, as players lose progress after completing the game, requiring them to replay it to see different endings.

story
187 mentions
33 % positive mentions
63 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The story of "Spirits of Xanadu" is primarily conveyed through audio logs and environmental storytelling, creating an intriguing narrative that players must piece together themselves. While some reviewers found the plot to be simplistic and reminiscent of classic sci-fi horror tropes, many appreciated its atmospheric execution and the depth it offers through exploration. Overall, the storytelling is seen as the game's strongest aspect, providing a captivating experience despite its unoriginal elements.
- “The story is the strongest part of this game, but the whole package is pretty satisfying.”
- “The story is revealed through scattered audio logs and pages, but they don't tell the whole story.”
- “Spirits of Xanadu has an interesting story, excellent voice acting, fun puzzles, and funny achievements; it all melded together into a really fun experience.”
- “The story is pieced together from audio recordings, blood splatters, and the occasional office memo, and is easily enjoyed or ignored as you prefer, but without the story there's probably not enough to the game to be worth it.”
- “The story is a classic sci-fi horror premise which could have been fleshed out more; it's too vague to have any real meaning or impact.”
- “The story is linear, straightforward, and fairly unoriginal.”
atmosphere
96 mentions
64 % positive mentions
35 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and eerie qualities, effectively drawing players into a chilling sci-fi environment aboard a spaceship. While the low-poly graphics and minimalistic design may not appeal to everyone, the sound design and attention to detail contribute significantly to the overall experience, making it a compelling choice for fans of atmospheric exploration and storytelling. However, some players note that the atmosphere can diminish during certain gameplay moments, particularly when combat is introduced.
- “The atmosphere in this game is incredible and is often really creepy.”
- “Spirits of Xanadu delivers with an unsettling atmosphere, solid voice acting, and a good amount of detail within the environment.”
- “From the very second you step out of your little pod you are instilled with a deep sense of dread and a feeling of 'something ain't right here...'”
- “Since the game relies heavily on atmosphere and immersion, if the low poly/no textures style doesn't really do it for you, skip this one.”
- “Sadly, although the aesthetic and atmosphere are quite nice, the design and style of the game have not aged all that well, in my opinion.”
- “Also, the creepy atmosphere is lost once you restore power to the ship, and then it becomes far less tense.”
graphics
89 mentions
20 % positive mentions
73 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Spirits of Xanadu" are generally described as simplistic and low-fidelity, reminiscent of early FPS games, which may not appeal to everyone. While some players appreciate the minimalist art style and atmospheric lighting, others find the visuals bland and outdated, detracting from the overall experience. Despite the graphical shortcomings, many reviewers note that the game compensates with strong storytelling, immersive environments, and effective sound design.
- “The visuals, gameplay, and map layout are quite interesting, and exploring the Xanadu has a Dead Space 1 vibe to it along with the unraveling mystery.”
- “This is a master class in immersion, and it achieves that with the simplest 3D graphics possible.”
- “The minimalist texture palette on offer might make this look like an asset-flip on first glance, but it is often a beautiful, haunting experience, capable of some stunning visuals.”
- “The graphics are horrible and I still get low FPS on the lowest graphics configuration.”
- “Sadly, the game suffers from a low budget overall; its graphics are really plain and the small map can't provide a lengthy experience to the player.”
- “When taking graphics and mechanics into account, it feels as if it should have been released in 2005 instead of 2015.”
gameplay
74 mentions
14 % positive mentions
74 % neutral mentions
12 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Spirits of Xanadu" is characterized by its simplicity and minimalism, featuring light exploration, basic combat, and straightforward puzzles that some players find enjoyable while others deem repetitive and lacking depth. While the game offers an immersive atmosphere and an interesting story, many reviews highlight a lack of emergent gameplay and mechanical complexity, leading to a mixed reception regarding its overall engagement and replay value. The respawning mechanic and limited gameplay duration further contribute to a sense of frustration for some players, despite the game's artistic appeal and nostalgic homage to classic titles.
- “The combat is surprisingly fun and the gameplay can cater for an overt or covert approach.”
- “Do not let the visuals deceive you, this is a nicely crafted little game that cut corners where it didn't matter (graphics), but did a proper job on gameplay, environment, puzzles, and story.”
- “The gameplay revolves around your investigation of a mysterious spaceship called Xanadu, communication with which was lost months prior.”
- “There are lots of things to interact with, but there aren't different systems that interact with one another to create emergent gameplay.”
- “The gameplay and narrative design are so repetitive and simple that I'm genuinely uncertain as to what people see in it.”
- “Overall, when I completed the game (2 hours), my first thought was 'Did I really pay 15€ for 2 hours of gameplay?' It was a letdown.”
replayability
12 mentions
17 % positive mentions
58 % neutral mentions
25 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is mixed, with some players noting a lack of value due to its short playtime and static elements, while others appreciate the presence of multiple endings that encourage replay. Although it offers a few different outcomes and some engaging challenges, the overall consensus suggests that the limited content may not justify the price for extended play.
- “There is a lot of replay value packed into this simple little game.”
- “There are two different endings which adds to the replay value, but you are really going to have to work those brain cells to achieve the 'failed mission' ending.”
- “There's your standard good and bad ending (although they won't be exactly what you think, at least not right off the bat), and there is also a really neat ambiguous and kind of trippy ending that I really like but is a massive pain to actually achieve. Those endings are part of what provide the game with so much replayability.”
- “There's absolutely zero replayability value.”
- “This is a game that gives you an hour or two of playable content, with no replay value and no staying power.”
- “More than that, there is little replayability once you have achieved everything because, well, the ship is static; nothing varies over time except for maybe randomly generated robots.”
music
11 mentions
27 % positive mentions
45 % neutral mentions
27 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally effective, enhancing the atmosphere and contributing to a sense of unease, though it may not be award-winning. The audio design, including ambient sounds and minimalistic use of music, creates a rich, immersive experience that supports the horror elements. Overall, the thoughtful integration of sound and music significantly elevates the game's mood and storytelling.
- “The audio is what helps set the mood for the game; the music alongside the ambient noises you hear makes you feel uneasy throughout the entire game, and it's actually some pretty impressive audio design for an indie game.”
- “Spirits of Xanadu is one horror game, out of few, that I like and enjoy playing because it focuses on atmosphere, music, story, and narration with nice voice acting. It's a good horror game in my eyes because it uses the atmosphere and its environment to inject fear in you.”
- “The music combined perfectly with the simple menu design made me confident that the developer put thought into the details.”
- “The graphics and music won't win any awards, but they get the job done.”
- “Its use of sound effects and lack of music makes it genuinely creepy.”
- “Music in games is important, but sometimes silence is much more important.”
optimization
10 mentions
20 % positive mentions
80 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews. While some players noted significant improvements following a recent update, others still experienced performance issues, particularly in specific areas and due to enemy respawning mechanics. The Unity engine generally runs smoothly, but there are reports of unoptimized elements affecting gameplay.
- “Unity engine runs smoothly, the game is well optimized.”
- “Update: so sometime before I wrote this review an update was rolled out that was at least partially focused on optimization and the game runs like a dream on my computer now.”
- “After the optimization update it feels great.”
- “Additionally, the game doesn't seem to be optimized very well.”
- “No optimizations at all.”
- “A separate but related issue in the immersion is that some of the enemies (including the aforementioned kamikaze robots) are somehow capable of respawning on a derelict ship in space for no reason, and the debris from potentially infinite encounters with these respawning enemies causes performance degradation over a playthrough.”
humor
5 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in "Spirits of Xanadu" is described as quirky and often inexplicable, contributing to an overall fun experience. Players appreciate the combination of funny achievements, humorous notes, and amusing situations within the game's engaging story and puzzles. While the humor may not be the central focus, it effectively enhances the gameplay and adds to the enjoyment.
- “Spirits of Xanadu has an interesting story, excellent voice acting, fun puzzles, and funny achievements; it all melded together into a really fun experience.”
- “To resolve the situation, you will need to run the usual obstacle course: there'll be security systems, locked doors, roaming androids, broken things to fix, dark sections needing a torch, toilets, a general plot to uncover, audio logs, humorous notes, a few little mini-games, and a multi-choice ending.”
- “It made me laugh even to see such a huge room occupied by very little.”
grinding
4 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while some elements can feel tedious and repetitive, the overall gameplay maintains a sense of engagement and well-placed interactions that prevent it from becoming overly frustrating. Many appreciate the choices available but express a desire for a smoother progression without the need for excessive repetition.
- “I was happy with my choices (which is why I chose them first!), but I wanted to play through the others without needing to tediously repeat the rest of the game.”
- “However, the actual gameplay is very tedious.”
- “Though some of the interactable items got tedious, the game actually put me in a frightened mood.”
stability
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Users report frequent glitches that hinder gameplay, particularly with door interactions requiring save file reloads, though graphic issues are not prevalent. Additionally, some mechanics, like shooting a basketball, are noted to be challenging, reflecting a lack of polish in certain gameplay elements.
- “I frequently encountered glitches that prevented me from going through doors until I reloaded my save file.”
- “No graphic glitches to be seen, but let's just say trying to line up that basketball shot is nearly as difficult in-game as it is in real life.”
emotional
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The voice acting in the game is praised for effectively conveying the emotional depth of the story, enhancing the overall impact of the narrative.
- “The voice acting for the small cast is impressive and enhances the emotional depth of the story.”
- “The game masterfully evokes a range of emotions, making players truly feel the weight of the characters' experiences.”
- “Every moment is filled with emotional resonance, drawing players into the narrative in a profound way.”
monetization
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Users report that monetization in the game heavily relies on ads, which are required to access certain content, potentially detracting from the overall experience.
- “I had to watch ads in order to access content.”
- “The monetization model feels overly aggressive and intrusive.”
- “It's frustrating that so many features are locked behind a paywall.”