In the English market, ChangYou isn’t really known for making waves with its games, relying only on Dragon Oath for some mainstream news. Over in China, the developer/ publisher is preparing to launch its next-generation games, starting with Xuanyuan Sword Online.
Also known as Xuanyuan Sword 7 Online, this long-running series is known as the “Final Fantasy” series of Taiwan. Developed using the in-house Darkfire Engine together with IP owner, Softstar, the game will feature aerial, naval, ground combat and large-scale sieges as seen in the new trailer.
Although the combat is not full-action, such as Dragon Nest or TERA, it will be somewhere in the middle of tab-target and full action. There will be active dodge and non-target skill shots, as well as making the physics of hitting objects feel close to that found in action titles.
Other features teased thus far includes dynamic weather and time system, which will affect little things such as movement speed and activating different scenarios. In development is also a boss weakness/ specific part target system, something similar to Monster Hunter’s.
There will be also a forge system, where players can mix and match random items together and get another new one. If you played Guild Wars 2, you will have an idea how this will work. There will be a mobile application for this as well, allowing players to forge on the go.
Xuanyuan Sword 6 just launched for the PC, and the teams in China and Taiwan are currently working hard on Xuanyuan Sword Online, which currently has 20 hours of actual playtime developed. Hopefully, the game will be brought to the English market to really announce ChangYou’s arrival in the West.
