Really really good, absolutely recommended, but I feel like the final stretch was half-baked, and too much critical story content is treated as optional and missable, leaving a few arcs potentially stonewalled if you didn't get to them.

Everything else about it is utterly sublime though.

I cried.

Really good expansion, love the combat to the point of wishing XB2 base could be played with these systems. All that being said I think the community gatelocking is far too awkward and should have been breadcrumbed better considering you only really get hit with it in the earlygame and literally right before the end. It's a pacekiller if you're not the type to inherently plug away at sidequests.

It was good, but I do feel like it's for the best it was just marketed as a bonus for DE rather than its own standalone package a la Torna, since not much really happens in the moment here. Still definitely worth playing for a number of reasons though.

Still gotta replay it through Definitive Edition but I still feel pretty confident in saying this is great. I do think it's a little safe for the greater Xeno lineage, but it's still pretty great. I do wish more of the primary cast had proper main story presence, because some like Sharla get shafted pretty hard.

This game is functionally held together by duct tape, but past that is a story that has resonated with me like no other. I need there to be an official remaster even on the caliber of Chrono Cross (post-patches). Absolutely special RPG, a must-play.

The best Xenosaga entry, but even it has its fair share of troubles. I'm a little more excusing due to the circumstances surrounding it at this point, but there's a lot of plot threads that end too unceremoniously, among other snags. That being said when it hits, it hits hard.

Also the combat is the most well-rounded of the trilogy. Superbosses are contenders for best in the genre. Music is utterly sublime too, has Kajiura's best compositions.

Yuki Kajiura (and Shinji Hosoe) bangers can only get you so far. Some plot beats like the URTV arc are absolutely amazing but so much nothing happens otherwise and the combat sucks so much ass. God I wish 1&2 DS got translated.

I like a lot about Episode 1, but it has a lot of growing pains as well as signs of lacking budget. The lack of music along with how weirdly it leaves off left me feeling off about things.

Creators should have to obtain an official certification before they can write about themes of suicide.

Yo, Buddy. Still alive?

Some routes could have used more screentime and some of the somniums could have been beefier, but I still love this game to bits. Absolutely endearing adventure game.

I could not care less about the artifact hunt, I still think this game is my unbeatable all-time best.

The best Xenoblade game

waiting for Vengeance

Aged amazingly well despite some jank, also think there's still some unnecessary padding, though the gunplay is so fun that I hardly mind.