Xeen's production values show that New World Computing wanted a grand game. The art is lush and detailed, the world is massive by any standard, there were voiced cutscenes not often seen, and the fact that the two entire games combined together to form a complete game set it apart from any other RPG.

Gameplay-wise, World of Xeen is a direct descendant of prior Might and Magic games and borrows many mechanics, particularly from the third game. You create a party of six characters of various classes and races. You have a standard selection of weapon users, spell slingers, and hybrid classes that can use heavy gear and spells. Your race choice gives you some benefits and penalties in the short term. Advancement comes from gaining new levels, as well as acquiring skills to help you in your adventures, such as Path-finding, Swimming and Linguistics. Items created by combining base types with random attributes also add to character power.

Power inflation is the hallmark of the Might and Magic games, and you see it clearly here. Your party starts out weak, but magical items and temporary buffs to statistics, hit points, or magic points can make any party's orders of magnitude more powerful. While this seems silly, it allows for the player's knowledge to give advantages that simply grinding levels could not. This power inflation also makes it so that the adjustments you got from your starting character choices have less of an impact at the endgame.

Movement and fighting are the usual grid- and turn-based affairs of first-person RPGs at the time. Characters with ranged weapons and spellcasters can fire at enemies approaching from a distance; but, be warned, enemies can do the same. Knowing how to move and not expose yourself to attacks can be the difference between victory and defeat.