Sword and Fairy: Together Forever review

There’s a depressing lack of wuxia games on consoles. Sword and Fairy: Together Forever helps alleviate that deficiency, with dazzling visuals, stirring storytelling, and action that’s engaging. If you’re able to overlook a few unpolished facets, you’ll discover a rare gem.

Much like its predecessors, the latest entry in the Sword and Fairy series suffers from a multitude of imperfections. Sporadically, the sound falls out of sync, undermining the impact of the game’s frequent cutscenes. The game’s localization is uneven and habitually dry, and the subtitle fonts can occasionally be muddled by background textures. When it comes to design decisions, there are an overabundance of straightforward fetch quests. Boss battles will test patience just as much as ability. And intermittently, the game’s frequent cutscenes exhibit subdued framerates (but importantly, the action remains persistently sinuous on the PlayStation 5).

But eschewing Sword and Fairy: Together Forever for these blemishes means skipping one of the most aesthetically enjoyable interactive experiences of the last few years. Beijing-based developer Softstar delivers a relentlessly breathtaking adventure, that will likely cause occasional pauses so you can admire the artistry. From walking across grassy plains strewn with thickets of deep-green bamboo, a sprawling village bustling with pastoral detail, and a ring where dozens of martial artists practice in perfect unison, Together Forever is filled with exquisite visuals.

Beauty Abounds

After scampering up a steep hillside, I found a vista that offered one of the most specular views in modern gaming. Flanked by a mountain of waterfalls, a procession of stone steps led to a stunningly rendered temple. And when Together Forever offers close-ups of its characters’ perfect complexions and flowing strands of hair, the game threatens to elevate heart rates. Deity Xiu Wu channels the arresting androgyny of the best Chinese drama series leads, while human swordswoman Yue Qingshu’s movement and clothing embody absolute elegance.

Like most wuxia, everything is impossibly beautiful, which might help you overlook the game’s minor technical transgressions. Much like Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim’s intoxicating sense of autonomy, it is easy to forgive any issues given the ambition and artistry here. And when the visuals are accompanied by music that draws on traditional Chinese instruments like the guzheng (a stringed zither) or the dizi (a bamboo flute), Sword and Fairy is transcendent. Perhaps I’m fatigued by dystopian games but being able to reconnoiter such a relentlessly picturesque realm felt like a virtual vacation.

A Compelling Cast

But naturally, there are some villainous disruptions on the retreat. The first is a battle between Xiu Wu and a demon general set across a procession of volcanic crags. Like many other action-driven games with light role-playing elements, the fight functions as both a tutorial and a sample of what a powered-up character feels like to control. But eventually, Xiu Wu begins to lose the battle and is forced to flee, where he loses a divine sword and plunges into the human realm.

There, Xiu meets Yue Qingshu, and it’s not long before their destiny is apparent- they are fated to save a child who is a reincarnated god. But depicting a synergistic bond between the pair wouldn’t offer much narrative substance on its own. In their travels, the duo meets Bai Moqing and Sangyou, and the whole team sets off to untangle a disagreement between humans, demons, and deities. As peacemakers who carry weapons, there’s some entertaining interaction between members as well as a few other characters, such as Yue’s grandfather. Pleasingly, Together Forever is fairly competent with injecting light comedy between the more serious plot points. And yes, there’s a procession of pulls on the heartstrings, most accompanied by affecting orchestral swells.

A Warrior’s Burden

Together Forever’s standard main- and sub-quests, as well as MMO-influenced movesets, might bring to mind 2012’s Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. The proper motivations and rewards are all here and accounted for, much like the collaboration between 38 Studios and Big Huge Games, the errands can feel uninspired. Typically, you’re tasked with having a brief conversation, defeating specific types of monsters, collecting some kind of resource, or some combination of these chores. But it’s all a bit too transactional, making me feel like an UberEats delivery person outfitted with a cache of weapons. Sure, there’s the occasional surprise, which I won’t spoil, but much of the time I was hunting down markers on the game’s mini-map.

Together Forever’s combat will likely feel familiar to seasoned players. Beyond a defense dodge, you’ll want to execute when enemies telegraph an attack, you’ll dish out light and heavy attacks. Unsurprisingly, different patterns of button presses can perform basic combos. But the real gratification comes from executing one of up to eight available magical attacks, activated by using a trigger in conjunction with a face button. As long as cool-down timers and your mana supply allow, you can summon some flashy, hard-hitting attack animations that often fill the screen with particles.

The Many Paths to Enemy Pummeling 

Typically, it’s a bit overkill against most of Together Forever’s subordinates. While there’s a healthy amount of enemy variety and some great foe designs, opponents don’t always put up much of a fight. Instead, you’ll face real resistance in the game’s boss battles. While almost all of these are creatively designed showdowns, that force you to scrutinize their behaviors, the intermittent glitch can prevent you from dishing out damage. Sword and Fairy: Together Forever has few moments of frustration, but the boss fights are a notable exception.

But here’s the potential upside for some players: there’s a lot of freedom to combat. As each character levels up, they earn additional abilities that can be mapped to the controller. As such, a lot of different playstyles can emerge, especially since you can freely swap between the four main playables. Together Forever goes out of its way to accommodate as many approaches as possible. So, whether you prefer ranged or melee weapons, a healer or a tank, you’re able to customize your team. Pleasingly, the allies you don’t control will maim or mend with a bit of acumen- at least against lesser foes.

Conclusion

For years, publishers like Koei Tecmo have offered interpretations of Chinese mythology, across series like Romance of the Three Kingdoms and the Dynasty Warriors series. As a Chinese game, Sword and Fairy: Together Forever more closely adheres to the themes, plots, and settings of wuxia. Here, characters manifest qi and sporadically take flight, offering a fantastical representation of the ancient world. If you’ve ever been dazzled by the sumptuousness of films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Hero, or Shadow, seek out Together Forever.

Sword and Fairy: Together Forever was played on
PlayStation 5 with review code provided by the publisher.