I came across Xiaoyao Xiuzhen by chance today. I didn't have high expectations, but playing it for a few hours directly brought back my memories of playing classic games like Legend of Sword and Fairy Tales and Xuanyuan Sword on Symbian. Not to brag, this game does have something.
Let's talk about the graphics first. Although it is 2D, the artistic conception of the ink-and-wash style is in place. The secret realms, tribulations, and wild ancient lands are all drawn very tastefully, unlike many games nowadays that are full of light pollution on the screen. The writing of the character dialogues also has an old-fashioned feel, not the kind of mindless online writing that just adds up to the word count.
What surprises me most is that it restores the core gameplay of cultivation novels quite well: getting started by chance, growing up as a casual cultivator, refining elixirs to cast magic weapons, going through heavenly tribulations to collect mythical beasts, and even finding Taoist companions to travel together, and finally ascending to immortality. This kind of openness is really rare on today's mobile phones. It reminds me of those stand-alone RPGs I used to play on Nokia using Java. I could explore a map for several days.
Moreover, this game is actually free, there are no messy krypton gold points, and the upgrade speed is also fast. Unlike some cultivation mobile games that I played before, the liver is stuck in the base building period for a month, completely forcing you to top up money. The threshold for transcending tribulations and ascension in Xiaoyao Xiuzhen is not high, and it is quite suitable for nostalgic old players looking for the pure experience of cultivating immortals back then.
Of course, there are also shortcomings. The depth of the plot is still not comparable to that of Sky Trace and Youcheng Fantasy Sword. After all, the size of mobile games is limited. But as a free game, it is very rare to achieve this level. Recommended for old players who also miss the Saipan era and like domestic Xianxia RPG.
I've been verbose so much without realizing it, maybe it's because I'm getting emotional easily as I get older😅 Are you guys enjoying the forum? Let's talk about those old games that kept you up all night.