Why I Loved Tokyo Xanadu

[@TheKisekiNut]

Had a lot of fun with this game, just finished it 2 days a go. Hopefully this will get a franchise all of it's own in the future! I was trying a few things out for this one, and I notice the white balance was a bit off on my camera, I'll just have to fix that for next time. Hope you guys enjoy this one!

[@chrisweech5857]

The Kiseki Nut not trying to get into spoilers but wasn’t the ending an enjoyable twist with a certain character never leaving the Morimiya. Story-telling will always be Falcom’s bread and butter and I’ll support them so long as they don’t lose sight of that. Love your content btw keep doing what you doing bruv.

[@TheKisekiNut]

I loved the normal ending, it was bittersweet but it made a lot of sense. Not sure what to make of the True ending, but I thought After Story was brilliant in that it showed an actual consequence for what happened in the True ending. I agree with you that story telling will always be Falcom's best skill, that's why we love them so much!

[@Miyakolover]

@@TheKisekiNut They are actually news they are planning to turn Tokyo Xanadu into a franchise...I honestly think the series has great potential...

[@Chaosdogg47]

@@TheKisekiNut I didn't like the normal ending...upon seeing that "thing" walking around again, my first thoughts were "KILL IT BEFORE IT HAPPENS AGAIN"...thankfully, the true ending and the after story made a bit more sense, while at the same time adding to the mystery and leaving the story open for more installments....I kind of miss the days when stories had actual endings....

[@millerkonnor6537]

You prolly dont give a shit but does anybody know of a tool to log back into an Instagram account? I stupidly lost my login password. I appreciate any tips you can offer me.

[@jzblue345]

"It peaked my interest because...it's a falcon game" quote of the century.

[@TheKisekiNut]

You know it man! Anything Falcom is right on my watch list.

[@dustingonzalez8080]

You know it

[@norestforthebuilders5865]

@@TheKisekiNut Weirdly enough, this was my first Falcom game. I'd never heard of them before and bought this, couldn't get into it and bought CS1 without knowing it was also Falcom. Now I just finished CSIV and want to go back to this and also take a shot at the YS games, I guess it was more understanding Falcom games and CS made me huge fan of this underrated company, thanks for keeping this alive bro, I hope all Falcom games get localized

[@dawoodsaddique5432]

Hello Baka how is your day

[@jamesmaclennan4525]

Tokyo Xanadu...the fevered dreams of Rean Schwarzer between CS1 and CS2(when he was unconscious for a month)

[@apukami3643]

Why does this strikes me so acuratte. Rean really does like fishing.

[@TheKisekiNut]

I mean who doesn't want to be a Demon Prince in their own mind?

[@fierytigergaming8112]

No, since there's a teacher called "Towa" - it's between CS2 and CS3 lol

[@kingboom777]

@@fierytigergaming8112 this was clearly Towa's attempt at becoming a Movie star and Xanadu is an unreleased movie the empire restricted the release of.

[@michaeljakeusman]

@@kingboom777 if that is a movie made by the empire, im pretty sure we'll be seeing the iron and blood director and the make up artist rufus 😂

[@Tyfighter-ef8el]

Yeah, Tokyo Xanadu is a bizarre and unique gumbo of a game ( I even give it the nickname Trails of Persona/Stay Night: unlimited Ys works). Apparently, it was made by the younger staff members from Falcon to give them experience and while I think it kinda shows, still not a bad effort. I definitely want a sequel though, not only to refine the gameplay but also to clean up the story. There are some great ideas in the world of Tokyo Xanadu that I think can be explored more (particularly the various eclipse factions. I especially want a villainous faction because Tokyo Xanadu made me realized how the Trails has spoiled me with fantastic villains and Xandu felt extremely lacking in that department). Also, new protagonist, please! The one thing I'll disagree with you about the game is the anime like structure. Personally, I loved how unabashedly anime the game was and hope they go more all out with it in a sequel (if Falcom doesn't change the "chapters" to "episodes", and add both a "next time on..." and ending credits after every chapter, I'll be disappointed lol)

[@buckroger6456]

Yeah the game really needs a villain. Every time a bad guy turns up you find out he's not really bad and you become bros after. The Blaze story arc was a good one that changed to a happy ending. Still great game with a ton or world building that leaves a lot open for what could be a killer sequel.

[@LOREWITHBLAZER]

To be honest the main reason I started playing this is because I wanted to play something similar to persona

[@luix4365]

That game have a good social link?

[@GaliosUA]

@@luix4365 Not really. Bonding scenes are short and uninspiring. Characters also are bland as hell, typical anime stuff. Persona series did it much better.

[@M.F.Hafizhan]

"I must speak to *every single person*" That's also me, when playing cold steel (which is my very first trails game)

[@andy-xz2uk]

have fun bro, i recommend playing sky and crossbell before cs 3 though

[@JRPGforlife]

This game is massively overshadowed by trails and ys, while it's nowhere near to trails level storywise it was still amazing game in it's own way I hope it gets a sequel sometime in the future

[@sunderer8]

"But it's not like they've literally taken a character from Cold Steel and just plopped them... *Towa appears* Well at least it's not Angelica" ROFL

[@TheKisekiNut]

I realise that quote may make it seem like I hate Towa, which is far from the truth. Angelica is another story...

[@GiordanDiodato]

@@TheKisekiNut please, Angelica is best Sen girl

[@drankclaw2095]

Actually made me laugh out loud hahah, my thought process exactly!

[@Sakata43Play]

towa best grill for me tho, Loli namba wan

[@Maghanashi]

@@TheKisekiNut I find myself hoping that Georg saying Angie is dead happens to be true. Can't stand her.

[@Dangsm]

Really good game, I wished we could get a sequel considering how it ended.

[@jayyyyyyy04]

It said see you in another Xanadu so I really hope so

[@TheKisekiNut]

I think they will make a sequel in the future considering what was said in 2016 (that they want to make it a franchise all it's own), but I can't see that happening for a while.

[@arutina1921]

I hope they do it next year, they've been pushing out too much YS and Kiseki lately imo, they need that break.

[@NemXX2]

Same here. I absolutely loved the game. It managed to be a cross of Ys with Trails while having it's own but familiar falcom feel. I will be all over a sequel day 1.

[@bjornzexi535]

I’d really like a new game, but I’d also like a pretty different cast. As much as I liked it, and the cast was fine, I didn’t have much of a connection with the party members and it feels like there isn’t much to expand on for the characters themselves.

[@giovanniruiz73]

A very underrated game. I wish it would get a sequel.

[@DiabolicCrusher]

Someday, hopefully, there was a hint of a sequel.

[@jonathansoko1085]

It was like 20 years between the first xanadu game and tokyo xanadu, so there is hope

[@whitewolf3051]

Instead we’re getting a Switch port of the ex+ version of this game, which *isn’t* a bad thing. I’ll end up triple dipping with this game.

[@Nikita_Akashya]

I am from the future and we now have a new TX game announced. I'm double dipping to play it on Switch myself. So excited. Can't wait for my copy to arrive. Somehow it is not available in my country except on Amazon. I already preordered it.

[@edgymandias]

Unique game but not boring, i enjoyed it since the beginning until 100% achievement. If Falcom want to make sequel, it's always welcome

[@DarkPhoenix89]

Fantastic video, Kiseki. Towa is a very complex character. I'm certain she's some interdimensional being xD. I'm glad you're liking the game so much. This was my first Falcom game and 2 years later, I'm about to conclude one hell of a journey in CSIV.

[@TheKisekiNut]

Thanks for watching DP! Tell me about it, maybe this will be integrated in to the newer Trails titles, and we'll get some alternate dimesion, parallel universe, back to the future situation in the next arc? I can't believe you've nearly finished CSIV as well, grats to you! I actually will need your help after I've finished Atelier Ryza, since I'll be playing it after that, so I'll need some pointers to get the remote play set up with the overlay etc. Feb's already given me some solid pointers, but that was roughly 2 months prior.

[@DarkPhoenix89]

@@TheKisekiNut Thanks man, sure. The process is a lot easier than you might think, plus the spreadsheet program I used doesn't need remote play.

[@paulstillman4949]

If Towa is an interdimensional being, I hope she exists in our world too.

[@marc-ap4699]

Glad to know your are doing well ! I platinum this game and it truly was a great game , I'm looking forward for the next installment !

[@henrikfisch]

I finished »Tokyo Xanadu eX+« (on PS4) two days ago ... and I must say: I love it too. I saw a review on the channel *Tarks' Gauntlet* (I deeply love this guy and his reviews) but he described the story of »Tokyo Xanadu« as »forgettable«. This is one of the very seldom times where I have to disagree. I find »Tokyo Xanadu eX+« as some sort of »Anime series« in the style of an Action-JRPG. Every episode has it's own story but there is always this connection with the »Eclipse« in the game. It's something like »Neon Genesis Evangelion« without giant robots. I am totally with you: I love this game. And I would love to play a sequel.

[@TheKisekiNut]

I definitely see where he's coming from when he says the story is not the greatest. But that most likely comes from the standard that Falcom sets with other titles. I have to admit as well, the story is not the best compared to others in Falcom's library, but it's still decent, and a nice change of pace from other titles.

[@Kaebuki]

About characters, I really enjoyed the fact that they didn’t push any ships too hard. Sure, they push harder on the mains, mainly Asuka, Shiori, and Rion, but not “in-your-face lovey-dovey pair” like Rean and Alisa. It really frees up the player to choose the girl they like best, and I hope they continue that if they make a sequel on the same characters, namely a “closer” scene for each character, instead of a forced one like they do in Cold Steel between the main ship.

[@Kaebuki]

Oh, but them pairing up other characters outside the main duo really was nice too. Helped add another level of relationships so that they aren’t all “unable to love unless it’s the mc”

[@whitewolf3051]

Yeah, I didn’t like how Alisa was suppose to be Bean’s girl when there were other choices, Laura for me at least. So glad no one was forced on Kou, though maybe Shiori *if* you squint hard enough, I prefer to choose my favorite for the main character, and in TX that’s Asuka.

[@amuro9624]

The disclaimer at the beginning is more to avoid any legal issues and potential lawsuits due to the game using real life locations.

[@KenKen-um9bf]

This is a Falcom game I have yet to try and been meaning to get to it sometime. Given the current state of the world right now I may just have to give it a shot finally.

[@TheKisekiNut]

You should give it a go mate, it's actually a real fresh experience from your typical Falcom titles. I had a lot of fun just wandering around and piecing character arcs together. Now's the best time to play as well for obvious reasons, and it's actually not as long a game as I thought, only like 65 hours to complete with a lot of exploration thrown in on my part.

[@dennisbergkamp17]

Dude, thank you for covering this game. This was actually the first Falcom title I ever played, and I remember falling in love with that Falcom charm during my almost 80 hour play through. From here, I’d go on to play some of the Ys games, and Cold Steel 1-3.

[@TheKisekiNut]

Oh snap mate, starting on Tokyo Xanadu is not something I think I've ever heard of! I'm glad it gave you the impetus to search out other titles though, as a first foray in to their games I think it would be actually work quite well.

[@Adol28]

Play ys memories of celceta , lcrimosa of dana for a console like experience. I also have toukiden which has a beautiful japanese soundtrack besides having borderlands and resident evil on my vita

[@buckroger6456]

It was the same for me as well. This was my 1st Falcom and it made me a fan.

[@Hai_Haiii]

On topic of character notes and talking to every character... yeaaa i missed only 12 notes in my 1st playthrough without a guide, and atleast 6 of em were because i didnt have friendship episode points or whatever they were called, quite proud imo

[@TheKisekiNut]

That's pretty damn slick. I missed like 15 or so (bonding events included in that), but still, finding that many felt pretty good.

[@wolfnews1788]

This was actually the first Falcom game I bought, since i found it used at my local Gamestop. Although I haven't beaten it yet since I dropped it when Ys IX came out so I could play that.

[@jessirarara]

I'm not that into JRPG's.... I've tried but for the most part I'm not super into them. Though I LOVE Ni no Kuni and Ni no Kuni is one of those examples of a game transcending my general lack of enjoyment in playing the genre. You made the story of this game seem interesting enough though that I'm picking it up in the fanatical bundle it is currently in because I think it might transcend that too. So thank you!

[@davidtimmer596]

Least there's actual singing in their performances, which Cold Steel's concert really missed the mark until the final encore song. Also, if there's a sequel, can we PLEASE get an English dub?

[@CloydRoyal]

I think they're trying to make Towa a mascot for Falcom. I read where they're putting in Cold Steel characters into the PS4 releases of the Crossbell series, which I'm all for. I thought Xanadu was a great game. I hope for more from the series and let's be honest. I'll buy anything Falcom released.

[@TheKisekiNut]

Would make sense, she's quite a recognisable face in the series. But they've already got the likes of Mishy who I believe is the 'official' mascot.

[@Morbisus]

I immediately bought this game during its 80% sale last november on Steam which is an absolute steal.

[@TheKisekiNut]

It does seem to be on sale quite a lot, which is always good for those contemplating whether to try it out! I personally want the limited edition, but space in the house is another issue...

[@StorminNorman-sm8ro]

It took me about 70 hours to beat the game. I love it. 😊😊

[@Walamonga1313]

I'm waiting for the next 80% sale to get it. I need games similar to Ys and what better game than another falcom game

[@onepiecefan3969]

Last night I was looking through my games that I haven’t finished (I have a lot of them 😬) and saw Tokyo Xanadu and thought “Should I really go back into it?” THANK YOU

[@TheKisekiNut]

You really should. The game was on my computer for ages because I had all of the Trails games to get through first, but I finally got the time to play it. Worth it for sure, though I will say the 'True ending' is a hit or miss.

[@jayyyyyyy04]

This game was amazing, hope it gets a sequel so bad

[@CaptVitaGamer]

The first Falcom game I ever played. This led me to Trails of Cold Steel next. If it wasn't for this game, I might not have even tried the Trails series. This game an eye opener for me.

[@whitewolf3051]

Funny you mention that, because in the Vita version of Akiba’s Trip, there were in game ads showing the first Cold Steel, and that’s how most got into that game, myself included. And AT was not even a Falcom game.

[@roahnosh]

I still like the game despite the video's criticism of it. The characters all feel connected and you can feel their bonds specially when that event happens. The NPCs feel connected and I enjoy unlocking all their stories. I don't think there'll be any games like this anytime soon. The west has focused on realistic and grounded games, the Japanese are focusing more on gacha games. There will be no games like anymore.

[@daniel_cornelio]

This was my first falcom game. I really like it. The opening is just fantastic

[@TheKisekiNut]

It's a pretty slick opening despite my grievances with how they use it in game!

[@J-Runn87]

Thought Tokyo Xanadu was very good and ironically one of Falcom's worst work recently (which tells you how legit of a company they are). I'd love a new Xanadu game on PS5 in the near future. Another new game in existing franchise I'd like Falcom to make for PS5 is Zwei. Great video 👍

[@TheKisekiNut]

It's crazy really, a game that many would consider an average title for Falcom is one that others would see as great for other publishers. We all just hold Falcom in such high regard, so we're just spoilt for quality most of the time (Tokyo Xanadu still meets that quality standard though).

[@buckroger6456]

Ah yes. But did you platinum the game🤔

[@J-Runn87]

@@buckroger6456 I got like 80% of trophies if I remember right. Not bad for one playthrough lol.

[@unleashed2724]

I mean, I'm on my third playthrough of it right now. Going through New Game Plus. I originally played it in 2017. Also, I got into Trails and Ys because of Tokyo Xanadu. So this essentially was my gateway game into Falcom games.

[@Saru245]

I really like this game, it's what I wish the Ys games were like. I really like the modern setting mixed in with the Trails of Cold Steel like feel and Ys battle system. I really like the characters too but man, one big negative for me is that this game doesn't have an English Dub, if it did this game would go from liked to love in an instant! I hope if there is a sequel whoever localizes it decides to give it an English Dub, oh I REALLY hope they do. I liked the episodic way they did the chapters and I agree, the opening is AWESOME! I never skipped it. XD

[@TheKisekiNut]

It is a very good game. More importantly though, it's a unique experience, and deserves way more love from the fandom. From what I've seen, especially in discords, it divides opinion compared to the likes of YS or Trails.

[@GiordanDiodato]

Aksys rarely dubs over their games. if you want a more modern setting, try Persona out

[@davidtimmer596]

Yeah, I wish there was an English Dub of this game too.

[@flamehiro]

It's was actually alot better than I expected. Asuka was definitely my favorite to use

[@whitewolf3051]

I actually bought the Japanese version in 2015 *thinking* it wouldn’t be localized, then bought the localized (Vita) version in 2017. Asuka was my absolute favorite when I saw the trailer in 2015, her being an ice queen further solidify that. She’s the best girl, and the one I think should pair up with. Now, that the eX+ of this game is coming to the Switch, already preordered it. So I’ll have three different copies of the same game. The question is how many people will have more than one copy of this game.

[@fierytigergaming8112]

Given the fact that we now have 2 years to wait for the next entry of Trails, it'd be nice if they released a Tokyo Xanadu 2 in the meantime, come to think of it

[@BlueGrovyle]

You earned my like with "Well at least it's not Angelica." Thanks for the heads-up on the character traits, by the way. I'm actually almost finished with the game, so I'm glad that I at least know they matter more than I thought they did.

[@TheKisekiNut]

Yeah, you don't want to miss that if you want the true ending!

[@BlueGrovyle]

@@TheKisekiNut have you seen the normal ending? It appeared to me that some prefer the normal ending based on what I'd read on a forum, I think.

[@whitewolf3051]

Yeah, *if* it was Angelica, you know she wouldn’t be allowed as a teacher, or allowed near any girls there. Can we say harassment charges and restraining orders.

[@robertdeffenbaugh9004]

So in Rean’s dream he’s a student at Yasogami High and Towa is a Teacher? Yeah this is too much.

[@firebreather4192]

I'm into this game at the moment, almost at the same point as this video (Blaze chapter). I also do like it as well, guess Falcom cannot make a bad game. Quite a mix of Ys and Trails, but somehow never as good as them. Thanks for the video, it's always great to see some new Falcom footage.

[@Adol28]

Same here. I also just started the Blaze chapter on my vita. I am also playing Lacrimosa of Dana.

[@00r99]

Nice video as always man! I might give this one a try! Im currently waiting for ffvii remake and the celceta but one day for sure!

[@TheKisekiNut]

My Celceta pre order just got charged from my account, so hopefully it will be in my hands soon! :)

[@MrGlutting]

I bought this game on release for PS4 but I didn't own a PS4 at the time, so, It has been collecting dust in my drawer ever since. Honestly, I don't know if I'll ever come back to this game even though I finally bought my own PS4 in late 2019.

[@buckroger6456]

Great review! I really enjoyed this game a bunch, so much that I got the platinum for it. I was planning on buying the game day 1 but ended up passing since I was still working on 2 other games at the time. The only thing I really didn't like about the game and this goes for any game that does this, is when they split your team up and later you regroup the team only to have all your equipment and stuff taken off your whole team. That just drove me nuts!!! I ended up spending about 1 hour re-equipping the whole team.

[@TheKisekiNut]

YES! Oh my goodness, how did I forget that end part. Absolute ball-ache to get it all sorted out again!

[@buckroger6456]

@@TheKisekiNut I was steaming mad after that. I ended up writing everything down so I was ready when I did new game+

[@TheKisekiNut]

@@buckroger6456 Solid idea, I should have done the same. I swear that Falcom games do that quite often as well. I understand WHY it's there, but it doesn't lessen the annoyance.

[@buckroger6456]

@@TheKisekiNut they really do. Even cold steel does that if memory serves me right. Wish they would drop that idea already. Worse part is you often don't know that you lost your hear till later in the game when your team isn't hitting hard or doesn't have some spells an such you had before.

[@rintothacha3543]

Hope thie game gets a sequel soon. Recently bought on sale after watching this video and enjoying it so far. Good break from ys and trails

[@unrealsimon93]

Thanks for your recommendation, wouldn't even have known about this game! I played trails in the sky a decade ago and felt like picking up another Falcom game, decided to try this instead of the other Kiseki games and really glad I picked this up. I might even like it better than Persona 5 because I like the unrestricted free time when I can do everything instead of feeling pressured, plus the real time combat is a very nice change of pace from turn-based combat which I'm not a fan of. Now I really really wish for a sequel though it likely won't happen :'(

[@creekandseminole]

I hope this gets a Switch port. Today (08/06/2021) is an Aksys Games showcase for upcoming games and I am crossing my fingers that they will do a stealth announcement for this on Switch lol.

[@lucariojet]

Really appreciate this review! Hit many of the points I valued from this game and the video flowed beautifully. Will definitely be watching more!

[@TheKisekiNut]

Thank you for the kind words mate! :)

[@KudaGeatsune3821]

Despite them wanting it to be different it's essentially a mishmash of the main franchises Trails character development with Ys Combat heck they even took a trails character Towa And stitched her into the game like she was a literal mascot Which would be an incredible reference to CS2 And in Cs4 towa in a shrine maiden outfit Was an accessory you could get But the major point was its characters Kou was basically Crow if he was slighty more like rean Asuka was a more serious Alisa But my favorite has to be Sora especially considering her awkward yet endearing Interactions with yuuki Also shio & mitsuki are basically the grown-ups of the group

[@eh9888]

I just finished the game again and it was really good, I hope it gets a sequel at some point

[@seyahtan24]

Love the opening as well. Never skipped it every time it played in the game.

[@Miyakolover]

Your review is much better than Tarks Guantlet...I had an argument with him and it wasn't pleasant due to him being stubborn about his personal preferences in how a game's story should be told. He claimed the game has "No story" because he just dislikes the episodic format or as he put it "lack of over-arching plot"...and what annoyed me the most is him claiming his personal views are "objective" when they're just personal preference. It seems to me he doesn't care about world building and character development...even the Persona series (Persona 4 and 5 mainly) did this formula by having each chapter revolving around certain characters and their plots while the over-arching story was on the back burner for the final act...yet they are praised for having some of the best narratives in gaming. Simply put, balanced reviews like yours are really needed for these great games and hopefully we'll get a sequel : 3.

[@nickmaestro]

Ys + Kiseki = Tokyo Xanadu. Super underrated gem. I loved every second of it. Got the platinum on the VITA and PS4.

[@lnsflare1]

I would argue that it's also basically "What if Persona 3 was also Kingdom Hearts?" Or maybe replace Persona 3 with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, to replicate the episodic nature of the game .

[@michaeljakeusman]

@@lnsflare1 sorry... never liked kingdom hearts... it's too.... how do i say it, a game for kids. 😂

[@GiordanDiodato]

@@michaeljakeusman someone has never played Kingdom Hearts.

[@GiordanDiodato]

eh more like Ys + Persona

[@nickmaestro]

@@GiordanDiodato Fast paced combat mechanics of Ys, and layout of Trails of Cold Steel. Almost a carbon copy.

[@Luke-hg5si]

In my opinion is a Okay/good game. My favorite thing about TX is Kugayama Rion, I just fu*king love her character, development, personality, gameplay and especially her arc.

[@zemenerrichey1980]

My favorite part of the gameplay was floating around as Rion and just blasting everything with lasers. Definitely my favorite character. Such a great game though. All around. A bit tropey, but that just comes with the JRPG genre. Actually the characters surprised me a bit which is a nice change of pace.

[@InTheMindOfDavid]

So Tokyo Xanadu is what you’d get if Falcom took DNA from Adol and spliced it with the DNA of one of the Protagonists from Persona, thus creating the Homunculus that is Tokyo Xanadu.

[@Speznas96]

Wow thanks for this video! Almost every great song from this game got into your video in the mid part :D

[@jakobfel2]

Other than a couple of the Yakuza games and very brief exposure to one of the Gameboy Final Fantasy games, I've never really played any JRPGs as I'm more of a fan of the style of western RPGs. However, I've been gaining interest in Japan over the past couple years and I've been exploring some Japanese culture as well; before, I didn't have anything AGAINST Japan but it just never piqued my interest. A great example of this paradigm shift is how I previously despised anime because I thought it was pretty much all just corny DBZ stuff or otherwise kooky stuff that I couldn't get into. Now, I love the Ghost in the Shell franchise and have been exploring many others. Anyways, that's a long way of saying that because of my recent interest in Japan, I've been meaning to try some JRPGs. I have Valkyria Chronicles 4 and the aforementioned Yakuza games but I just grabbed this one from Fanatical as someone recommended it to me. I have no idea if it'll be a good starter for the genre but I guess we'll see! I just really hate the fact that JRPGs are usually so expensive, even on sale. I'm pretty broke, I don't do Game Pass type stuff either so it's pretty expensive to try to explore a whole new genre I'm not even 100% that I'll end up liking lol

[@hrgaming4plebs570]

I actually played this before I started Cold Steel because I was a Ys fan before I ever touched any Trails games. It was pretty fun for what it was and the soundtrack is pretty damn good. I really like how the op plays every new chapter since it feels like a new anime episode everytime. Honestly it kinda feel like they probably worked on some action combat for Cold Steel but scrapped it only to scavenge it for this title? And I kinda wish the normal end is the true end since that bittersweet feel is just that much better than the fantasy happy ending. Really hoped for a sequel though.

[@JRPGforlife]

I hope there's a sequel in the future as well falcom games are just soo good, My first falcom game was Cold Steel 1

[@TheKisekiNut]

They have said that they want to make 'Tokyo Xanadu' a franchise all of it's own, so a franchise of a franchise so to speak. I can't see it happening any time soon though with all their current projects and the YS anniversary coming up :(

[@narius_jaden215]

But i like the happy fantasy end.

[@ZSleepingDragonZ]

Well, happy ending has its consequences, by releasing the true final boss from 10 years ago as a result.

[@VitaminDGR]

I'm actually streaming this myself! It's very underrated but an absolute gem to me so far!!

[@RglMrn]

Loved the energy man, great video.

[@davidtimmer596]

I like to think of Tokyo Xanadu as a modern Cold Steel spin-off.

[@ashleyward3277]

Bought this in a sale for just under £10 a few months ago on GOG (I could hardly say no at that price) but haven't gotten around to playing it yet. Certainly on my to do list over the next few months! As someone who loves both Ys and Trails it looks like something I'll enjoy quite a lot (though perhaps not as much as those two series).

[@TheKisekiNut]

I think you will enjoy it! Admittedly, I compared it a lot to Trails and YS as well, but you just need to see it as a fresh experience separate from those two other series. It's great as it's own stand alone title.

[@crazyanimegamer5667]

As long as your not a fish, your soul is safe from demon prince rean! 😂

[@wasabikemosabe1773]

I swear, that high school corridor looks the same as any other high school corridor on Persona series.

[@TheKisekiNut]

You'd be surprised how similar they look in general. When I worked in Japan, these corridors were pretty much copy and pasted from one school to the next.

[@Reirainsong]

I personally consider this game's combat system a great deal more balanced than Ys 8, due to how heavily slanted the latter is towards the requirement to pull off arbitrary perfect dodges and counters to trigger slo-mo and damage boost. On bosses at least - ordinary mooks just rush you without much rhyme or reason and are fought by button spam. This, on the other hand, is very technical, precise, reliant on correct use of attacks and pattern knowledge, sort of like Soulslite/beat-em-up hybrid, naturally lending itself to speedruns. Plot's relatively predictable and doesn't really kick into high gear until the very end, and a certain character's significance is sudden and feels pushed. Would make much more sense if the protagonist himself was the culprit all along, which I thought the game sort of hinted at when he struggled to understand just why does he readily help others in mundane and dangerous matters. That being said, the entire cast up to the very last NPC are memorable and likeable, and in general the setting is a much less cynical and more welcoming take on slice of life anime stories in modern Japan than the environment in Persona series. Great game to stave off depression.

[@neoncreator]

This was the first falcom game I ever played, it introduced me to these lit games

[@MGSDude01]

For years I struggled to really sink a lot of time into RPGs since they’re usually pretty long. But I once roamed my local GameStop a couple years ago and stumbled upon this game. Liked the box art and what’s advertised on the back so I decided to give it a shot. Of course it took me quite a while to beat it through the after story, but I really did enjoy the game. Several plot twists, great writing and character interaction. Gameplay feels easy to adapt, and the soundtrack is pretty good. Unfortunately though judging by the trophies it’s as if the game is BEGGING you to play-through multiple times. Which I don’t think I have time for personally. And there’s a bit of things I missed like filling up the Niar posts and customizations to Kou’s room. But other than that it’s a very good game that’s worth checking out.

[@Makuro_XIII]

Thanks for the review bro :-) ! So you like Code Lyoko too... I see you're a man of culture as well ;-) !

[@TheKisekiNut]

Code Lyoko is the shit mate! I recently watched it through again, still awesome even now!

[@thesilentgamer7031]

While it's no Trails, it's a great game in its own right and well worth playing, especially if you're already a Falcom fan. I'm on Chapter 6 now and have enjoyed it the whole way through so far. Would definitely like to see more!

[@Miyakolover]

Some how I am going to bit you're going to change your mind regarding the soundtrack and the story (for the better that is) once you get to finish the game. ;) I have played so many JRPGs in my time and Tokyo Xanadu is one of these games that pretty much moved me emotionally (Other games that did that for me was Persona 3 and 4, Trails of Cold Steel series, Ys 8 just to name off the top of my head~) Looking forward to hear from you after you finish the game and for that I'll subscribe!

[@S3lph131]

My favorite "Shout move" was in Ar Tonelico 2 using a lance the character shouts "ULTIMATE PENETRATION!!!!" XD

[@FatherShnazzy]

I actually liked the more straight-forward dungeon structure. To me, the biggest draw of TX, was playing out a level all as one massive chain. Going from one enemy to the next, continuing your combo from where you left off, breaking boxes to fill in the gaps, managing those boxes as a resource when you hit a 4 way intersection and know your gonna be backtracking a bit. The satisfaction of doing so made me as a player feel great, and I got real mad when they popped out anything that stopped me from both running and hitting things for my chain. The game does throw a puzzle at you here and there, and considering how monkey brain they are, they only serve to stop you from playing what I belive to be the actual game.

[@christianmayle7792]

This is definitely a good game so far. It’s a simplified version of Trails Of Cold Steel & there’s nothing wrong with it. The action based type is lent my favorite but it surprisingly is easy & simplistic in this game. If you really don’t like it, you can always put it on easy mode for the story & characters. Of course that won’t attract newcomers but it should cause it’s simplified to less locations & quests to do. It’s an easy game to pick up & play. I do hope a sequel is made but has more locations & characters involved. This is a great intro to the world & has the potential to become great. Edit: Morimiya Is Okay has to be one of the best JRPG instrumentals I’ve heard!

[@allandomingo7383]

Only recently discovered Falcom games through Cold Steel 1 and 2; they were amazinggg. Been meaning to play this next, and now I've got my expectations set now for the game after watching the video, which was great btw hahaha. Just subbed, looking forward to more content sir!

[@TheKisekiNut]

Glad to have you on board the Falcom train! :) I will say as well if you enjoy this game, I would highly recommend YS VIII after, it's a beast game, and will feel quite similar in style to Xanadu.

[@seyahtan24]

Me too. When I discovered that it was also a falcom game, I immediately played it.

[@dotunfadairo8496]

Personally, I loved the opening being played at the beginning of every chapter. I always looked forward to it

[@SuiteLifeofDioBrando]

I need to play this game eventually.

[@TheKisekiNut]

Really think you should. It deserves a try, and it's not as bad as some people make it out to be. I think the issue is that a lot of people (including myself evidently) compare it to Trails and YS, but really it should be looked at as it's own unique experience.

[@RefShawnFox]

Just found this on sale in the Steam Store. As a newer Kiseki fan, I appreciate the recommendation.

[@cardboardsnail]

I bought this game years ago during a sale, but haven't gotten around to playing it. Maybe I'll finally get to playing it now.

[@nintendoswitchonlineisabad9491]

5 playthroughs of this great game and one platinum trophy later i definitely agree with this review 😊😊😃 Characters are so likeable in TX (especially Sora) And that opening “Seize the day” is fantastic.

[@TheKisekiNut]

5 playthroughs is nothing to be sniffed at! Fair play for doing that!

[@briand2521]

Undeterred game, fun and satisfying gameplay and good story and cast. I get into the game because I am waiting for cs4 release but didn’t expect it to become one of my favourite falcom games behind cs3. Maybe this game will get me into ys combat

[@TheKisekiNut]

It's a blast of a game, too bad that some people forego it because it's not 'flagship Falcom'. The game easily stands on it's own two feet, and delivers on what it sets out to do.

[@kyoki86]

Am I the only one who brought this on the vita

[@Omega77232]

Thanks for covering this I'll play this after ys origin

[@SoraDestiny471]

Tokyo xanadu is not my type of game but because of this, I met the legend of heroes series. I have zero regrets

[@TheMDZ79]

I've beat this game since yesterday including the after story. I did enjoyed the game so far, but it needed few improvements: Dungeons felt somewhat repetitive, soundtrack were decent comparing to other games, and story needed a bit more polish. Overall the game itself was enjoyable. I do hope the next Xanadu game is slightly better.

[@LucarioDXAuraStorm]

Watching this just because I beat this game for the second time on Calamity difficulty. That final boss was one hell of an experience but became a tricky breeze once I understood his attack patterns/animations.... Now I have to playthrough it once more after I missed ONE friend card from Wakaba. Playing this on easy with Lv 100+ characters until I get to Chapter 6. 😭

[@lnsflare1]

I would actually disagree with you about the dungeons/labyrinths being poorly designed. I think that the narrow corridors are designed to encourage speedrunning the Eclipse Labyrinths without forcing you to do so, with enemies and objects placed pretty much perfectly to allow/encourage you to explore some dead-end paths for treasure while keeping up your combo meter (and the higher your combo meter is, the more Strike Points you earn to recharge your super moves). And while it's not necessary to beat the dungeons, beating the labyrinths under a set timeframe, getting a high enough combo, and breaking most/all of the objects contribute heavily to increasing your rank at the end, which in turn determined how many points Kou gets in one of his personality stats (which helps determine which ending you get and can also be shown to his grandpa for prizes at set intervals). Everything is intertwined and created an almost musical rhythm to clearing dungeons, IMO. Compare this to the level design in Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance, another game based around a time limit, only this one mandatory and causes you to switch to another story arc in another location. There big open spaces with lots of hidden collectibles are fun enough to explore, but doing so increases the chance of you accidentally blacking out and having to play as someone else, somewhere else for awhile, possibly while you are in the middle of a boss battle. Not to mention that grinding enemies for XP and loot is a bit annoying when they only appear when you get close to them, anywhere in the large zones. Also, I would say that the world building is top notch, with stuff like Xiphones and other deviations from reality showing what happens when realistic businesses/governments/etc... find out that dimensional incursions happen and figure out how to counter/exploit it. BTW, is it just me, or is the combat system based around a 3D version of Ys Origins', only with character swapping (ala Ys 7/Celceta/8) replacing elemental item swapping?

[@TheKisekiNut]

That'a s fair point, and I'll agree that they're laid out well so you can extend the combos and grind them for materials later on, but in my opinion they were a massive chore to play through. There wasn't one Eclipse dungeon that stood out in my mind, which I believe illustrates how forgettable they were. Granted, I'm not looking for something akin to a Zelda dungeon, but just something a little more creative. Granted, Falcom titles have always struggled with this (a certain dungeon in CS3 comes to mind), so I'm not gonna hate them for it. We play these games for the story and world building mostly anyway.

[@lnsflare1]

@@TheKisekiNut Personally, I found Moonlight Garden to be gorgeous and with a track that was so good it became the world map theme in the endgame and the Witch's Castle had a good mix of combat, traps and light puzzles. I also found myself really looking some of the dungeons that had icy floors, surprisingly enough. You might want to take a gander at Nayuta no Kiseki on the PSP, which is the prototype for the Tokyo Xanadu combat system, but less focused on combos and speedrunning and playing more like the halfway point between Ys Seven (since I think they use the same engine) and something like Zelda, with dungeons that have small puzzles and a variety of sub-goals to aim for in the various dungeons, and many of the dungeons have multiple variants depending on what season you set it for. There's a fan translation patch with the title "Nayuta: Endless Trails" that looks pretty good from what I've seen so far. It's also got what is likely the best art direction of any Falcom game ever, and I have no idea why they don't put that team in charge of all their world design. Seriously, if they ever made a Rune Factory clone using Nayuta no Kiseki's art, setting, music, and gameplay (though with a less floaty-looking grappling hook move), I would be fighting with every fiber of my being to not break my "No Pre-orders" rule.

[@DanteCrowlley]

I have a problem wiith games that mix dating sim, it can be funny 'n all, but when its heavy focused on it then it becomes a problem, I loved P Golden but the obligatory dating sim n time locked combat really got to my nerves

[@Kuusuna]

had a great time with this game the story is great but picked up after chapter 5 for me all the way till afterparty (final end) the characters were definitely the best part here, they're very human very well written compared to other titles imo they all have their own identities, internal problems, and tragedies that are connected to the main story of the game they are introduced as a trope but end up being built to be unique as the story progresses I'm personally heavy on characters and it was nice that the story advances the characters growth

[@user-wl6bb6sz7y]

Love your channel man.

[@Itsumi456]

I'm around halfway through xanadu ex+ and it's what finally got me to buy trails of cold steel. (I only have a ps4 so I can't try trails in the sky) I'm really excited to try it out when it arrives Wednesday tbh after how amazing I've heard the series is.

[@TheKisekiNut]

I hope you enjoy CS1 when you get around to it! It's very much a different experience to Xanadu, but the Trails series is my favourite collection of games for a reason.

[@RasenRendanX]

I only heard of Xanadu from that super old game when i watched the History of Falcom video. i never heard of this till now. well thats another game to play.

[@Veo87]

Just beat this game. I can tell is was less refined than Ys 8 and 9 in terms of some of its gameplay mechanics, but I still enjoyed it. It lasted longer than I expected though. I was actually kind of invested in the story of an inconsequential NPC character at the shrine who is on a quest to get his first girlfriend at 30 years old. lol The city the game takes place in, Morimiya, is the kind of place I'd like to live. I almost get depressed playing the game because I want to live in a walkable city full of people I know! It's a great setting.

[@kres6009]

I remember finding TX interesting back in 2015, when there weren't any news of a localization yet (I think). Was ecstatic learning about the Vita version getting localized, so I purchased it immediately, though with some apprehension since the eX+ version was also being localized but I didn't know if I should've waited until I got a PS4 since this is the definitive version. A bit of a waste of money, sure, but no regrets, though! Love the game - from its lovable cast, memorable soundtrack, and rather nice story. Worth the time to plat too. Might get the eX+ Limited Edition as well soon, but I'm debating whether or not to wait for a cheaper price. (It was $40 last year, but now it's near $60. Should've gone for it smh)

[@victorjimenezsanchez1802]

I remember calamity+infinity mode in NG+ without bringing levels HELL SUPREME!!! XD

[@dedstrock]

this lad seems like a cool guy. subbed

[@kugansivasakthy2091]

Glad I bought this game on PS4 I absolutely loved it and it is greatly underrated I pray that this game can get a sequel Also can we agree Shio is best bro XD

[@TheKisekiNut]

I need to buy myself that sweet Limited Edition! :) And I agree, Shio was one of my favourites of the group!

[@StorminNorman-sm8ro]

@@TheKisekiNut Her punch is so powerful. 😅

[@Maplebandit5]

Nice video. This is the only Falcom game that I've tried that I couldn't get into. I tried it for a few hours, but eh.

[@TheKisekiNut]

I will say that the story feels disjointed, but it starts to pick up big time about half way through. The reason I was able to go that far was due to my love of the setting and the characters dynamic, and I felt the game rewarded the time investment. I understand it won't be for everyone though, especially if they're coming from Trails/YS.

[@Norcoo]

I just found out about this game and the enchanced version is coming to Switch here in the west in 8 days!

[@uubhi]

My favortie game of all time is little tokyo xanadu, I cant wait for the next one

[@tocs777]

Absolutely Love this game!! I. Bought it a few months ago and played through it 3 times straight. I really hope we get news of a sequel. The music and fighting were my favorites. The only thing I really wished was better was the romance in the game. But being the first game I’d love to see how they could make a sequel even better.

[@TheKisekiNut]

I'll be interested to see what they improve on should a sequel come out. They have said they want to turn Tokyo Xanadu in itself in to a franchise, but that was like 3 years a go.

[@davidtimmer596]

@@TheKisekiNut I just got it on my PS4 and finished the main story, got the Asuka ending, now I'm doing the epilogue where Kou tries to get Shiori back.

[@drankclaw2095]

Can't get over how much "at least it's not Angelica" makes me laugh

[@skyknight0408]

Bought this game last year because it looked interesting. Finished about 2 months ago. I have to play some more games made by Falcom. Had never heard of them until 1-2 years ago, because I stopped buying consoles ages ago(got a used PS3 4-5 years ago, but before that my newest ones were the GameCube and PS2) and most of their older games never made it to my country. I'm glad that more Japanese games get ported to PC these days.

[@TheKisekiNut]

Falcom are an underappreciated gem of a developer. Always high quality, enjoyable games with rich and deep story-telling. Yes, they may have the odd title that doesn't hit the heights that people expect of them, but Falcom have set the bar so high, and they consistently reach it.

[@skyknight0408]

@@TheKisekiNut I heard all of that some time ago and put all the Trails/Kiseki games that are available for PC on my wishlist. but I still have so many games in my library that I haven't played yet, that I don't want to buy new ones at the moment. TX was something I found on a third party site, it looked like something I wanted to play just at that moment to have something different between Neptunia games(which I still haven't played all of because they keep spawning at ridiculous speed) and it was on sale. That it was also a Falcom game I found out after I got it. So I think it was a pretty good introduction to this developer. Long running series are a bit more intimidating for someone to start, because there are so many games. It feels more like a chore.