PC User Reviews

Don't know why I bought it. Laggy, stuttering, bland, boring. It tries to vibe on System Shock 2 (even F.E.A.R. sounds effects are used when the image flashed) but ultimately fails. Don't waste your time.

the creators of this game put a lot of heart and soul into one little spaceship. making it feel alive and atmospheric even without textures, the writing is excellent as well. this game captures exactly what it sets out to be. fun puzzles, exploration, stealth, light combat, and spookiness.

There's been a problem on a space ship far away. It was on an important mission, but communications have gone silent. You're sent to see what happened, make repairs, and have orders to bring the ship back if possible. Of course a mystery awaits when you arrive. I won't go much farther than that as it's a game best experienced without too much description. I consider Spirits of Xanadu to be an excellent game, with a good mix of first person action, exploration, stealth, mystery, and light puzzles. The story and method of exposition is excellent. There's just enough to clue you into what's happening and keep you moving forward, and the writing and performance (via audiologs) is effective in allowing you to see clearly. (I'm sometimes frustrated by games where the writing tries to trick and confuse the player w/ the unreliable narrator thing, and Xanadu does not do that - it lays out the story for you to discover without the intentional misdirection that some games use.) I got stuck at one point and had to seek out a hint, but it's probably something I should've figured out myself if I'd been more careful w/ my exploration. Another thing I like: the environments have a good degree of interactivity which helps make the world feel real and lived in. I enjoy games that reward exploring, and there are quite a few little "extras" that are not central to the game, but exist to help make the place feel real. So yes, I recommend this game. Quite an achievement for a small team - and I understand there was one developer doing the coding.