Xuanyuan Jian 4: Hei Long Wu xi Yun Fei Yang

221 BC was the year that marked the end of the Warring States Period in China. Ying Cheng, the ruler of the Qin kingdom, established a totalitarian state in his country, and soon began to invade other kingdoms, which resulted in the unification of China and the establishment of the Qin Empire. Ying Cheng became Qin Shihuang, the First Emperor. He mercilessly repressed rebellions and forbade all teachings except those who praised him and his regime. At this terrible time, Shuijing, a young girl who studied the secret science of the Mohists (followers of the great Chinese philosopher Mozi), saw how the teaching she followed became more and more deformed, departing from its original rules. From the point she realized that she broke two important rules of the Mohist school, Shuijing decided to dedicate her life to two purposes: reform the teaching of Mozi, and defeat the Qin Empire.

Xuanyuan Jian 4: Hei Long Wu xi Yun Fei Yang is the first 3D installment of the Xuanyuan Jian series. Both navigation and battles are fully 3D, and it is possible to rotate the camera 180 degrees during exploration. The game abandons the active time battle system of the third game, returning instead to full turn-based system of earlier games. There is a wide variety of techniques to learn, including the traditional magical spells and special attacks that require stamina. The game introduces a special bar that appears during battles, displaying the order of the participants’ turns. By attacking an enemy who is about to act, it is possible to “push” it down the bar, delaying its actions.

Like in the previous installments of the series, it is possible to capture monsters and then summon them during battles. However, Xuanyuan Jian 4 expands this gameplay element to the “Heavenly Book” system, which allows the player to build living quarters, weapon factories, shops, and temples, populating them with monsters. Each monster contributes unique parameters to the building he is in. By collecting various raw materials (wood, gold, etc.) and balancing the required parameters for the facilities, the player can create his or her own weapons, armor, accessories, and items, learn new spells, and enhance the abilities of summoned monsters.