Tokyo Xanadu eX+ is a follow up to the previous PS Vita exclusive game Tokyo Xanadu. This PS4 version was released in Japan in September 2015. However, Aksys Games is releasing this latest edition with English menus and subtitles, the voices are still in Japanese.

The PS Vita version, and later the PS4 port, received generally good reviews. However, it didn't receive much attention from Western audiences because it lacked an English version. Nihon Falcom and Aksys Games are hoping to bring this title to the Western market and showcase why Tokyo Xanadu eX+ deserves a spot with the other mainstream JRPG.

TX+ is an anime RPG. So of course, you'll have a party-based system that allows you to upgrade weapons, abilities, armor, and team techniques. On top of that, the game has the NiAR system. This system keeps track of your side quests, information on characters you meet, battle history, and many other things.

Your Soul Device acts as your primary weapon in combating hordes of monsters in the Eclipse. It has a certain element (fire, steel, wind, etc.) that does extra damage or less damage to enemies depending on their affinity. You can open slots on your device (if you gather the necessary materials) that augment your elemental attacks or strengthen your stats. The Soul Device also gives you certain abilities such as Boost Combo (bonus damage), Brave Soul (survive a fatal blow with 1 HP), Auto Recover (regenerate health), and several others.

The other thing your Soul Device does is allow you to accumulate Soul Points which are then used to unlock Soul Abilities. First, your abilities are powered up versions of your normal attacks. But, later abilities expand your battle prowess with team attacks that are extremely useful in taking down end-dungeon bosses and floors where you are surrounded by strong enemies. Upgrading the various Soul Device functions and mastering the various skills are what will allow you to take down hard enemies, especially if you have your eyes set on tackling the higher level difficulty settings.

When you're not hacking your way through formidable dungeon monsters, you'll rely on the NiAR system to guide how you spend "free time". Free time is the freedom Kou (your character) isn't working at one of his part-time jobs. A lot of times, you'll have certain character interactions that are only available at a specific point in the game. If you decide to work at your job or enter the next dungeon, you lose access to those interactions and possible acquisitions of new items or abilities. So, you'll review information in NiAR to see which side quests you should take and how to spend your hard earned currency.

Ten years ago, catastrophe struck Japan in the form of a massive earthquake devastating Tokyo. Government emergency officials and citizens worked together to piece together cities and towns. One particular area, Morimiya city, was hit particularly hard. Even after the rubble was cleared and structures rebuilt, there are still so many people inexplicably missing. Fast forward ten years, people have mostly readjusted back to normal everyday life, but the shadow of that terrible day still looms in the back of everyone's mind.

Kou Tokisaka is a high school student at Morimiya High School. He is currently working several part-time jobs because his parents are overseas on a long-term business trip. His strong sense of justice leads him to help those in need. During one such situation, he attempts to save a fellow student, Asuka Hiiragi from a couple of thugs that have been harassing her. Right before he steps in to confront the goons, a crimson red gash appears right in front of them. It looks as if it's tearing this reality and opening another, darker one. What happens next shatters Kou's perception of reality and leads him on a journey to discover what Eclipse is and what he needs to do to prevent others from being harmed by its existence.

Tokyo Xanadu eX+ doesn't have a particularly original storyline, but it is interesting nonetheless. Demons feeding off of the negative emotions of people and seeping into our world makes for a curious plot device. However, it's cool seeing the story being played out as if it was an anime. There are several different chapters with their own subplot, each beginning with TX's opening anime sequence and being followed up by a side quest where you play as other main characters. It's a fresh take on plot structure within a game.

The characters themselves are all amusing and have distinct personalities. No characters come off as bland or swapped color palettes of other characters in the game. The main cast is Kou, Asuka, Sora, Yuuki, Mitsuki, Shio, and Rion. While initial introductions to a couple of these may be awkward, after seeing their motivations they really begin to grow on you. You get caught up in the main character's struggles and hope that they'll join your team permanently. In fact, we'd say most of the characters from this game are memorable and intriguing, with the possible exception of Akihiro (the current leader of Blaze) but even he has an emotional backstory that ties in with Shio's.

The artwork, music, and overall feel of this game are consistently on par with other RPG's that focus on high school students battling demonic entities (I'm looking at you Persona). The graphics don't look particularly impressive, they probably aren't greatly upgraded from the PS Vita version. But, they aren't hindering the gameplay experience in any way. Actually, we were pleasantly surprised that dungeons, though they lack puzzles, all have a different enough atmospheres and designs that they don't feel repetitive. They're also just long enough for you to master new abilities you've recently acquired, but not too long so that completing a dungeon feels like a chore. Kudos to Nihon Falcom!

The one thing we do wish Tokyo Xanadu eX+ had is more anime cutscenes. The opening sequence of the game is great, we see it before each chapter of the game, but that's the only time we see it. Cutscenes using that same animation would have been a great addition to this game.

The fighting system is great. Basic attacks, heavy attacks, X-strikes, X-Drive attacks, and other abilities allow you to have a nice variety of techniques to use in any given situation. On top of that, you have a double jump and a roll (which can be used in the air to evade) for evasiveness and defense. Rolling through the enemy's attacks is essential for taking down strong enemies, especially if you play on hard, nightmare, or calamity settings. Not to mention, that you can swap out characters instantly for some high damage combos and stylish sequences. Besides looking stylish, it is also a requirement, for high scores in the dungeons, to destroy enemies by using the element they are weak to. So, you do this most efficiently by swapping out characters according to the minions you're fighting.

Because fighting and movement are handled so well, an issue emerges when clearing dungeons. That problem is picking up gems and materials. Movement in battle feels so fluid. It's so good that slowing down, or worse having to backtrack a bit, to pick up gems and other items is an unnecessary nuisance. They don't automatically attract to your body when you break a box or defeat an enemy. This small missing feature greatly slows down dungeon efficiency, which is important because there isn't much platforming or puzzles. The main thing to do is open chests and fight enemies.

Coupled with the fact that breaking objects is also tied to your dungeon ranking score, obviously leads to items constantly being discovered. Lots of items + your character having to physically run over each of them = frustrating use of otherwise gratifying movement.

We talked a little bit about the NiAR system up above, but there's a couple of other things that should be mentioned in regards to side quests. Though there are several of them to complete within each chapter of the game, they are repetitive and don't seem to have enough pros to outweigh the cons. The money you earn from completing them is very low and that time could be better spent replaying dungeons for experience, materials, more money, and an overall more enjoyable time. Recipes that you collect in NiAR are generally unnecessary as you become better skilled at the game.

You'll use fewer recovery items as you transition into a more adept player because you'll take less damage. Other aspects of NiAR such as books and logs were very rarely used as well. This system could have been more streamlined and had better functions in our opinion.

Overall, Tokyo Xanadu eX+ is a very entertaining JRPG with a decent story, memorable characters, a high speed and intense battle system, and satisfying dungeons. Character movement, combos, and abilities are particularly exciting strengths of this title. The biggest critiques come from its bland NiAR system and lack of animated cutscenes within the game's chapters.

Fans of similar JRPGs, such as Persona, will undoubtedly enjoy this title as well. Tokyo Xanadu eX+ caters to casual fans as well as gamers who want to master the mechanics of the game inside and out. It does so many things well, that the negative aspects of the game can be overlooked with minimal energy expended.

Fans of similar JRPGs, such as Persona, will undoubtedly enjoy this title as well. Tokyo Xanadu eX+ caters to casual fans as well as gamers who want to master the mechanics of the game inside and out. It does so many things well, that the negative aspects of the game can be overlooked with minimal energy expended.

We really enjoyed our time with Tokyo Xanadu eX+ and we hope that you will as well. It's a great title that deserves to be played by Western audiences. There's no doubt that this game deserves a follow up from Nihon Falcom. With upgraded graphics, a rebuilt NiAR system, and a few minor features they could have a fantastic game.

Will you guys pick up this game during the holiday season? What games are you looking forward to releasing this month or in January? We're curious to hear your thoughts. Comment here or feel free to tweet at us. We'd love to hear from you! Thanks for reading and have a great day!