Developer: SOFTSTAR Entertainment
Publisher: EastAsiaSoft
Genre: Action RPG
Nintendo Switch
It’s not a well-known franchise in the West, but Xuan-Yuan Sword has been around since the ‘90s. The action RPG series leans heavily on mythology and history, delivering a great experience in both story and setting. Xuan-Yuan Sword 7 marked the first official Western release, and with it, an opportunity for new fans to jump into a fresh storyline with a new protagonist, Taishi Zhao. Now, Xuan-Yuan Sword 7 arrives on the Nintendo Switch, bringing questions about how well its intricate visuals and combat translate to the handheld.
Xuan-Yuan Sword 7 follows Taishi Zhao, a calm protagonist focused on protecting his family. When tragedy strikes, his life is upended, and he’s forced to embark on a journey to save his sister’s life. The game’s narrative pulls players into the late Western Han Dynasty, blending historical and supernatural elements in fresh and grounded ways. The story balances personal stakes with the epic, steeped in mythological and philosophical references not often explored in Western games.
Combat feels fluid on the Switch and holds up well. Taishi’s martial arts moves transition seamlessly between swordplay, empty-hand strikes, and magic-infused attacks. Party members assist in battle, allowing for strategic depth, especially when you can initiate their special moves. It’s impressive that, even with the hardware limitations, combat remains mostly smooth, maintaining the game’s dynamic pace and responsiveness.
The visuals on Switch, while downgraded for the hardware, still capture much of the original’s beauty, albeit with some trade-offs. Many of the assets—especially in environments—show decreased resolution, particularly in outdoor areas. This is most noticeable with foliage and textures. Character models and monster designs hold up well, retaining the details to make cutscenes and close-up interactions look sharp. The character designs and environments still carry the grandeur of the story’s world, even if the resolution scaling becomes more aggressive during demanding scenes.
Performance-wise, the Switch version handles the action sequences well, but there are moments of frame rate dips, especially during exploration in more populated areas. The game uses dynamic resolution scaling aggressively to stabilize performance, resulting in noticeable shifts in resolution. In some cases, this leads to a smeared or blurry appearance, particularly in larger environments or in the midst of complex battles. Although it doesn’t disrupt gameplay, this visual fluctuation can be distracting, especially for players accustomed to higher-resolution console or PC versions.
Certain animations—particularly cloth physics during combat and platforming—appear choppy. The game’s distinctive art direction and character designs help offset technical hitches, especially when docked, but there will be small moments that harm immersion.
Despite these technical sacrifices, Xuan-Yuan Sword 7 still shines as a captivating action RPG on the Switch. The Switch port brings accessibility and portability, a big plus for players who want this rich narrative on the go. It’s a compelling entry point for newcomers to the Xuan-Yuan Sword series.
