banachspacerider
I am totally overwhelmed by the beauty of this series.
The discovery of the third chapter, just a few months ago, has been an epiphany and, since then, Xenoblade Chronicles started to become one of my favorite videogame sagas.
Because of the fondness that I feel for my first contact with the universe, I cannot say that this original chapter does top the experience of the third one.
However, it is truly amazing nonetheless and I really understand why so many people love it so much.
While the characters are much more archetyped than I expected and the plot is very simple, the whole story is masterfully told.
Looking back, the prologue is the most classical of the Calls to Adventure, but also a very fine crafted one. And the little bits of foreshadowing here and there, all along the journey, just build up to the tension and the climax of the last few hours.
I really like both Shulk and Dunban, but my favourite character has to be Melia.
Because she's in XB3 and because she is the most complex character of the group from a narrative point of view.
But all the cast is great, even though it's probably the part that I enjoyed less.
I am not much of a gamer, so I won't talk much about gameplay. I will just say that I found it very fun to play and, mechanically, it aged like wine.
The music is stunning.
Since January I am listening to the soundtracks of the trilogy in loop and this one was the one that I liked less. However, it grew on me while playing the game and it adds a lot to the experience. It's arguably the very soul of the game.
After XB1 and XB3, I'm thinking I am officially into JRPG, a genre that I have guiltily avoided for years.
In a few weeks Tears of the Kingdom will be out, so I won't start XB2 just yet. But I surely have the time to dive into Future Connected.
One year ago I was completely unaware of the existence of this saga and in a few months I will probably be done with the second chapter, Torna and the DLC of XB3.
The time to weep is not now, but still, there is a touch of melancholy in all of that.
Xenoblade changed the way I think about videogames and, in a way, it ruined them for me, forever.
And I'm so grateful.
The discovery of the third chapter, just a few months ago, has been an epiphany and, since then, Xenoblade Chronicles started to become one of my favorite videogame sagas.
Because of the fondness that I feel for my first contact with the universe, I cannot say that this original chapter does top the experience of the third one.
However, it is truly amazing nonetheless and I really understand why so many people love it so much.
While the characters are much more archetyped than I expected and the plot is very simple, the whole story is masterfully told.
Looking back, the prologue is the most classical of the Calls to Adventure, but also a very fine crafted one. And the little bits of foreshadowing here and there, all along the journey, just build up to the tension and the climax of the last few hours.
I really like both Shulk and Dunban, but my favourite character has to be Melia.
Because she's in XB3 and because she is the most complex character of the group from a narrative point of view.
But all the cast is great, even though it's probably the part that I enjoyed less.
I am not much of a gamer, so I won't talk much about gameplay. I will just say that I found it very fun to play and, mechanically, it aged like wine.
The music is stunning.
Since January I am listening to the soundtracks of the trilogy in loop and this one was the one that I liked less. However, it grew on me while playing the game and it adds a lot to the experience. It's arguably the very soul of the game.
After XB1 and XB3, I'm thinking I am officially into JRPG, a genre that I have guiltily avoided for years.
In a few weeks Tears of the Kingdom will be out, so I won't start XB2 just yet. But I surely have the time to dive into Future Connected.
One year ago I was completely unaware of the existence of this saga and in a few months I will probably be done with the second chapter, Torna and the DLC of XB3.
The time to weep is not now, but still, there is a touch of melancholy in all of that.
Xenoblade changed the way I think about videogames and, in a way, it ruined them for me, forever.
And I'm so grateful.
It has been a while since I felt this kind of void, after a game. Just like N, I would have liked to crystallise these moments.
80+ hours with these characters and their stories is a lot of time and I grew fond of them. Seeing them leave is quite painful, but just like Noah and Mio learnt, it is important to let go in order to honour the time spent together.
This short circuit between the experience of the player and the ones of the characters is something that I rarely witnessed before and it is probably the only real reason why roleplaying games (and video games in general) exist.
I find amazing the way this game conveys catharsis, telling what is ultimately a love story in order to ponder the themes of regret, sorrow, contentment and peace.
The storytelling, the fun and the beautiful music make you share a small portion of these emotions with Noah, Mio and the rest of the group, in part because they leverage on our empathy, in part because this journey starts to feel real and close, after a while.
At the end, the need to go back is just as strong as the understanding that what makes the journey complete is its end.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a story that I will bring with me for a long long time.
And the day will come when we'll get to walk hand-in-hand again.
80+ hours with these characters and their stories is a lot of time and I grew fond of them. Seeing them leave is quite painful, but just like Noah and Mio learnt, it is important to let go in order to honour the time spent together.
This short circuit between the experience of the player and the ones of the characters is something that I rarely witnessed before and it is probably the only real reason why roleplaying games (and video games in general) exist.
I find amazing the way this game conveys catharsis, telling what is ultimately a love story in order to ponder the themes of regret, sorrow, contentment and peace.
The storytelling, the fun and the beautiful music make you share a small portion of these emotions with Noah, Mio and the rest of the group, in part because they leverage on our empathy, in part because this journey starts to feel real and close, after a while.
At the end, the need to go back is just as strong as the understanding that what makes the journey complete is its end.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a story that I will bring with me for a long long time.
And the day will come when we'll get to walk hand-in-hand again.