Xuan-Yuan Sword: Mists Beyond the Mountains

Xuan-Yuan Sword: Mists Beyond the Mountains is an RPG inspired by mythology and historical events. It's a remastered version of Xuan-Yuan Sword III from 1999. It was developed by the Softstar Entertainment and DOMO Studio, and published by CubeGame and Gamera Games.

Plot

Xuan-Yuan Sword: Mists Beyond the Mountains is set in an alternate 8th century, when contacts between medieval Europe, Arabia and the Far East began to flourish. The game's main protagonist is Septem, a knight under service of Pepin the Short - the ruler of the Franks - tasked with embarking on a long journey to discover the secret arts of war. Along the way he's entangled in power disputes between various powers, learns the legends of the titular Xuan-Yuan Sword and the Spirit Fusion Pot, and faces an ambitious dark lord - Satan.

Mechanics

Xuan-Yuan Sword: Mists Beyond the Mountains makes use of the top-down perspective. On his adventure Septem visits many different regions, such as Venice, Damascus and Chang'an. There, he meets their inhabitants, learns about their architecture and customs, completes quests, makes allies and fights enemies. He can also participate in historical events, such as the battle of Talas river.

The Frankish knight will face many opponents on his journey - aside from hostile humans, such as Merovingian soldiers, the Venetian fleet, warriors of the Abbasid Caliphate or soliders of the Tang Dynasty, he'll encounter mythological creatures such as centaurs, Medusa and even Xuannü, the Taoist goddess of immortality. Combat is turn-based, requiring thoughtful use of Septem and his allies' abilities.

The characters become stronger as we progress, letting us face greater challenges. Septem can also use the Spirit Fusion Pot to capture monsters and items, then transform them on special altars; depending on where it took place, the effect will be different.

Technical aspects

Xuan-Yuan Sword: Mists Beyond the Mountains makes use of a colorful artstyle slightly inspired by traditional Chinese painting techniques.