Xuan-Yuan Sword: The Gate of Firmament

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In "Xuan Yuan Sword: The Gate of Firmament," a direct connection between heaven and earth has been established, causing chaos in the mortal realm. Players must stop forces of evil and prevent wars in this action-packed RPG based on ancient Chinese mythology. Help Emperor Zhuanxu and the Queen of Huaxu protect the realm from the demon Chiyou, using powerful divine weapons and skills.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

86%

Audience ScoreBased on 162 reviews

story77 positive mentions

grinding8 negative mentions

Engaging and well-written story with interesting characters and emotional depth.
Charming graphics and beautiful soundtrack that enhance the overall experience.
Fun combat system that combines real-time action with strategic elements.

Poor English translation with numerous grammatical errors and awkward phrasing.
Long cutscenes that may disrupt the pacing of the game for some players.
AI companions can be frustrating as they often waste healing items and do not follow strategic commands.

story
231 mentions
33 % positive mentions
62 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The game's story is praised for its rich integration of Chinese mythology and character development, featuring a diverse cast of protagonists whose journeys intertwine in a narrative filled with twists, tragedy, and emotional depth. While the storytelling is primarily conveyed through lengthy cutscenes and dialogue, some players noted issues with translation quality and pacing, which can detract from the experience. Overall, the narrative is considered engaging and well-crafted, making it a highlight for fans of story-driven RPGs.
- “The story is based on characters from Chinese myth and takes place in the Shang dynasty, over 3000 years ago, in a world where the gods participate in events as much as the historical figures themselves.”
- “Our heroes are very different characters (a man who only wants to keep his village safe, a priestess looking for her betrothed, a nobleman who wants to save the kingdom, and a mysterious woman who may have fallen from the sky...) who, over the course of the story, come together as a team as events test their endurance, their trust in each other, and their principles.”
- “This game has probably the best plot/story development of any game that I've played in the last 10 years.”
- “The cut scenes go on forever and are mostly just repeating the same dialogue over and over; different characters will repeat what each other say in the same scene or there will be 3-4 cut scenes conveying the same information. It's unclear if the shoddy translation has just cut a lot out and is just giving the bare minimum for the story.”
- “The story is extremely hard to follow in the very beginning considering all the non-connecting information presented.”
- “The poor translation is so distracting that I can't follow the story.”
music
75 mentions
51 % positive mentions
45 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and ability to enhance the storytelling, with many reviewers highlighting its catchy tunes and emotional depth. While the soundtrack features a mix of traditional Chinese influences and some Western elements, it generally succeeds in creating an immersive atmosphere that complements the gameplay. Overall, the music is considered a standout aspect, with many players expressing a desire to purchase the soundtrack separately.
- “The soundscape is also enhanced by the excellent music, which helps set the mood and has lots of catchy tunes.”
- “The music is simply beautiful.”
- “Each area has its own music, and it's heavily influenced by classical Chinese music and the scores of wuxia films.”
- “However, I find that some (but not all) of the background music in the Gate of Firmament to have a bit of a western style music feel to it, which steers away from the overall authentic Chinese feel to the game unfortunately.”
- “For example, during events, music often changes abruptly, with no transition or fades.”
- “Another example is that field/city music is sometimes louder than battle music, which works against the desired effect.”
graphics
59 mentions
31 % positive mentions
56 % neutral mentions
14 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally considered average to outdated, especially for a title released in 2015, with some reviewers noting a resemblance to PS3-era visuals. However, many appreciate the unique art style, vibrant environments, and effective use of lighting, which enhance the overall aesthetic experience. While not on par with modern AAA titles, the graphics are deemed adequate for the game's charm and storytelling.
- “The graphics are nice and cute!”
- “Graphically, this game looks great.”
- “The graphics in this game are really interesting and vivid.”
- “The graphics are a bit outdated for a 2015/2016 game.”
- “The graphics are middling to bad in terms of texture and model quality (PS2 era at its worst).”
- “Graphics are out of date as you can see from many of the screenshots.”
gameplay
49 mentions
6 % positive mentions
88 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a mix of combat mechanics, crafting, and character progression, offering a blend of traditional RPG elements and real-time battles that can feel repetitive. While the combat system allows for some strategic depth, it often devolves into spamming skills, and the linear map design limits exploration. Overall, players appreciate the story and character development, but many find the gameplay to be grindy and heavily reliant on cutscenes, making it feel more like an interactive movie than a fully engaging game.
- “There are also some other gameplay elements that add some depth to the game, such as crafting, upgrading your equipment, or capturing enemies.”
- “Gameplay has some degree of depth with the capturing and crafting system.”
- “The gameplay is similar to classic RPGs and unique in its world, monsters, and skills.”
- “Gameplay-wise, the maps are very corridor-like and fairly linear, as with most games of this style.”
- “Very repetitive action turn-based gameplay; even with the newly updated combat system, you are mostly just spamming a few skills the entire game.”
- “The gameplay is grindy and devolves into musou-style button mashing the majority of the time.”
optimization
11 mentions
27 % positive mentions
45 % neutral mentions
27 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization has seen significant improvements since its initial release, with recent patches addressing many performance issues. While it runs smoothly on high settings for most players, some still report lingering problems such as stuttering during cutscenes and subpar translations. Despite these drawbacks, many users find the performance satisfactory, especially for a title in the RPG genre.
- “Game runs smoothly with max settings.”
- “Runs smoothly on my machine.”
- “This game requires free disk space of approximately 15GB, made by U3D (has been optimized several times since its first release in February 2015 in China). This Steam version has gladly received huge optimizations.”
- “Other bad stuff would be: weird running animation, stuttering movie playback, and half-assed translation.”
- “However, the optimization leaves much to be desired.”
- “I think any fan of RPGs will be happy with purchasing this game unless you absolutely can't stand long cutscenes or mediocre optimization.”
grinding
9 mentions
33 % positive mentions
-22 % neutral mentions
89 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while some quests can feel tedious, the ability to avoid battles using the girl's invisible skill offers a reprieve. The difficulty curve is generally well-paced, but maxing out combos can lead to repetitive combat, often requiring strategic planning for boss fights. Overall, the gameplay leans towards grindy, with a tendency to devolve into repetitive button mashing, especially in the later stages.
- “As long as you are not grinding excessively, the difficulty pleasantly increases as you move into the 6 to 7 hour mark.”
- “The grinding feels rewarding, as each level up brings a sense of accomplishment and progression.”
- “I appreciate how the game balances grinding with engaging content, making the experience enjoyable rather than tedious.”
- “The gameplay is grindy and devolves into musou style button mashing the majority of the time.”
- “After maxing out the combos, the battles are a bit tedious, though many of the bosses do require some tactics with item/equipment loadout and battlefield buffs.”
- “I wish it had a place for grinding in the end game though, as new game+ does not carry over levels.”
character development
9 mentions
67 % positive mentions
11 % neutral mentions
22 % negative mentions
The game features impressive character development, with a rich storyline that allows players to form strong attachments to the main characters as they interact with each other and their environment. The contrast between beautifully designed human characters and uniquely crafted monsters enhances the overall experience, contributing to a fantasy world that feels both immersive and realistic. Overall, players appreciate the depth and progression of character arcs throughout the game.
- “I really enjoy the game so far, with a really rich storyline and character development.”
- “There's great character development as the story progresses, and you can't help but get attached to them as you watch them interact with each other and the world around them.”
- “I would say this game has a fantasy-like world yet with realistic character development.”
- “Game reminds me of Blade and Soul from character design.”
humor
9 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by a mix of off-beat dialogue, unique NPC interactions, and occasional cultural trivia, providing a rich comedic experience for those who seek it out. While the characters' stiff animations and broken English translations can lead to unintentionally funny moments, the overall humor is complemented by an engaging storyline that balances comedy with emotional depth. Players appreciate the game's quirky charm, despite its graphical limitations.
- “All NPCs in towns have unique dialogue, occasionally explaining some history or cultural trivia, or just making jokes - a lot of detail and humor is in this game if you are willing to look for it.”
- “I liked the characters, and the humor had a nice off-beat quality to it.”
- “Translation wasn't a problem though you will find some humorous 'oops' moments.”
emotional
6 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its emotional depth, featuring significant character growth and a storyline that evokes a wide range of feelings, from humor to poignant moments. Players describe the experience as an emotional rollercoaster, highlighting both the touching and humorous elements that contribute to its impactful narrative. Overall, the blend of emotional distance and heartfelt moments creates a compelling and relatable experience.
- “There are some real and emotional character growths in this game.”
- “Without getting too much into spoilers, this is my experience with the story... imagine yourself on an emotional rollercoaster, and while you experience all the feels at the same time, you've decided that you want to cut onions and rub that into your eyes while downing some strong alcohol.”
- “This game has a fantastic storyline, which is funny, touching, and educational.”
stability
5 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is generally criticized, with users reporting various bugs, including graphic glitches, flawed battle mechanics, and issues with the fusion system. Players have experienced problems such as getting stuck in walls and falling off the map, alongside minor issues like unsynchronized subtitles and untranslated content. Overall, while some find it playable, the stability concerns are notable.
- “It was not great; the game was buggy, the battle system is flawed and unfair, the fusion system was overdone and over-complicated.”
- “Only cons we have here are some graphic glitches with sudden character movements, some subtitles not in sync, and yet some untranslated portions (I had some monsters appearing without translation).”
- “Can have glitches throughout the game at times; got stuck in walls and actually fell off the map at one point in the game.”
atmosphere
5 mentions
60 % positive mentions
-20 % neutral mentions
60 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its immersive representation of Chinese mythology, enhanced by well-synchronized music that complements the environment. Despite some criticisms regarding graphics, players appreciate the unique character interactions and personal growth, which contribute to a rich and engaging experience. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature, successfully avoiding repetitiveness and generic elements.
- “The atmosphere of the game, the interactions of the different characters, and the personal growth that each character experiences all come together to provide the player with a unique perspective on Chinese mythology.”
- “A lot of time was invested in creating a good atmosphere that is neither overly repetitive nor generic.”
- “The music is brilliant and very fitting for the places and atmosphere.”
- “The pros is the Chinese feel and atmosphere of the game, even though the graphics are not that good and it feels like an Asian MMO, I enjoyed it.”
- “The atmosphere of the game, the interactions of the different characters, the personal growth that each character experiences and presents, all come together to bring the player a unique perspective into Chinese mythology.”
- “I like the overall synchronization of background music and atmosphere.”
replayability
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
The game has limited replayability, as many players report completing a significant portion of achievements in their first playthrough, leading to a lack of incentive for subsequent runs.
- “I was able to finish 90% of the achievements in my initial run through the game, and I probably will only play it once, so the replay value isn't much.”
- “After completing the main story, I found little incentive to return, as the side quests felt repetitive and uninspired.”
- “The game lacks meaningful choices that would encourage multiple playthroughs; once you've seen the story, there's not much left to explore.”