A majestic tale of Chinese fantasy and folklore, and one of the most influential games in Asian history.
Following its launch on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S platforms last November, the third-person action-adventure game The Legend of Sword and Fairy 7 is confirmed to arrive on Xbox Game Pass on July 6 this summer. Cary Chen, Head of Xbox Greater China, made the announcement today at the Taipei Game Show 2023 Xbox stage.
The Legend of Sword and Fairy 7 places a strong emphasis on both narrative and gameplay, particularly in how it evolves from its predecessor’s turn-based combat style to a full action RPG. The game is set in a world where humans, gods, and demons collide, and it features a revamped battle system that includes real-time, third-person combat and seamless transitions between fighting and exploration for an immersive experience.
The Legend of Sword and Fairy is a multimedia franchise created by the Taiwanese company Softstar, and is mainly based on Chinese mythology. Yao Zhuangxian — the creator and production manager — actually modeled the first game on his own love life and incorporated his own views on love into the story. The game sold 100,000 copies in Taiwan in just the first month of release, thanks to its authentic story and beautiful aesthetics, and a total of two million copies after its release in China.
Many consider The Legend of Sword and Fairy to be a pioneer of Chinese role-playing games and one of the most influential games ever made in Asia, largely due to its incorporation of elements of fantasy, Wuxia (Chinese martial arts), and Shenmo (fiction of gods and demons). Shenmo and other fantasy genres were denounced during China’s Cultural Revolution (1966-1967) because of their supernatural identity, and Chinese writers at the time favored literary realism, in addition to viewing stories of gods and monsters as obstacles to China’s modernization and scientific progress.
The genre later experienced a revival in Taiwan and Hong Kong after the end of the revolution, and The Legend of Sword and Fairy 7 carries the significance of bringing back this lost literary value. An important point to note is that Sword and Fairy 7 is published in the west by Eastasiasoft under the name Sword and Fairy: Together Forever, and this edition is currently available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC, in addition to Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S platforms.
