7.27.2015

Sword of Xolan: Short Review (Android)

     Developer Alper Sarikaya made a game hearkening back to the early days of adventure-platforming.  Sword of Xolan is free for Android devices, with a tiny, and very worth it just to support the developer, IAP of 99 cents.


     The game is about Xolan, a prince setting out to save his people from Borzandar the evil wizard and eliminate all the monsters infesting his kingdom.  Sword of Xolan contains just enough ingredients to claim there's a story- an evil wizard, a prince, and a whole lotta monsters.
     He is equipped with the most basic items, a sword and fireballs.  More than enough to slay everything in the 3 chapters of 10 levels each.  A wide variety of creatures and traps try to thwart progress, and grow at a nice and steady difficulty curve.  There isn't anything too difficult, and by the end there isn't anything really too easy.  Sword of Xolan somehow found a nice balance in between.

     Each level, aside from the 3 boss fight levels, has 3 townspeople and a treasure chest to find.  Many are in hidden areas, or require a little searching for a key to unlock a new path- but all in the singular level so there isn't much in the way of tedious backtracking.  Thrtoughout the levels, breaking things provides plenty of refills for health and magic, as well as a ton of coins to purchase in game cards to enhance Xolan in ways like beginning with an extra heart for health.   
     To be honest the only issue with the game is the dialogue that Xolan constantly spouts off.  He constantly says, "Yeee-Ahhhhhhh!!!" and "Xolan's in the House!" and it just doesn't fit with the game.  Because it sounds out of place it breaks the flow of an otherwise tremendous game.

     There's a lot of action, downright brilliant level design combined with clean art and animation, great (and customizeable!) controls, and tons of hidden goodies creating a perfect semblance of the golden age of adventure gaming from the 1980's.  Topping that is the fact that this game is truly fun to play.  There isn't much to Sword of Xolan, but what there is, is so well done that it's hard to find faults.

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