Key information
Nihon Falcom initially created Xanadu Next for the Nokia N-Gage, following its 1985 predecessor Xanadu Dragon Slayer 2. Following the initial mobile launch, a Japan-exclusive PC version arrived a few months later, and a 2016 English re-release eventually brought the game to Steam.
The reviewer notes that the isometric title features a safe central village alongside an outside world built on light puzzle-solving, circle and slash combat, and key-gated progression. Playing around six hours revealed a peaceful, meditative grind with an interconnected labyrinthine world.
Regarding limitations, the reviewer mentions that the rare PC JRPG lacks thorough controller support, requiring occasional mouse usage for equipment. Players must also manually run a separate config executable to configure graphics because it fails to auto-adjust displays.
Despite the Steam page listing the title as unsupported on Steam Deck, the reviewer confirms it functions well by launching the config tool first and using a community controller profile. The game is currently discounted by 70% during the Steam Autumn sale.
