Xenoblade Chronicles is JRPG at its best! This is a remastered version of a 13 old game that did its own thing back then but remains in top shape to this day.
I'll start by stating the obvious. The thing that defines this game: Xenoblade Chronicles is an epic gargantuan JRPG!
The world is massive! Not only in scope, scale and in-game content, but also in its presentation. Just the ideia of a story taking place atop two endlessly clashing giants makes it as epic as it gets. And besides the well-told lore, you'll also come across many other imaginative surprises. XC is filled with well-written twists, incredible characters, great villains, good story development, nice pacing and a fantastic ending. XC's tale is, quite honestly, the best thing in this whole package.
But it doesn't end there. Complementing this colossal journey, Xenoblade packs a VERY addictive combat system. It may look weird, since it doesn't work like most action JRPGs, but it functions well. I thought I wasn't going to like it at first, but it clicked faster than I thought. In fact, one of the reasons why I spent around 100 hours playing XC is probably because the combat is just so smooth. It reminded of old PS2 gems like Rogue Galaxy, Radiata Stories and (somehow) even Kingdom Hearts.
All that happening on beautiful environments, urging for you to explore and take on enemies and objectives. This game already looked good back on the Wii, but this re-release made it untouchable. From character design to the most gorgeous landscapes and weirdest bosses. Add that to a pretty good soundtrack, as well.
Now, this game could be perfect, but to me, the thing that made this game incredible was also its greatest enemy. Xenoblade Chronicles more than overstays its welcome.
I can't fathom how obnoxious the sidequests were. They brought almost nothing new or interesting to the main quest, they were very repetitive, mostly unrewarding and just uninspiring. AND THERE ARE JUST TOO MANY OF THEM! It felt endless. The worst thing is that, although optional, without them, you'd end up underleveled, underequipped and missing quite a lot of places, bosses and etc. It's really a shame.
And the more you spend time with it (and you will), the more you'll notice a few cracks. The UI could use some work, enemy variety is lacking, you can easily get mobbed by monsters out of nowhere, the affinity system sucks, having to change time to find NPCs is a chore, you can miss out on a lot, Mechonis is bland and unbalanced as hell and Shulk is a VERY slow kid.
Also, the Future Connected expansion is alright, but it felt a little unnecessary. It's a solid new short story with a cool focus on Melia, but nothing to write home about. I'll just blame the writing and the Nene/Kino duo.
If I could trim a lot of this game, it'd easily transform into one of the best RPGs I've ever played. But the flaws are there and they're noticeable.
However, Xenoblade Chronicles gave me a feeling that few RPGs do and held me tight from beginning to end. I won't forget it so soon. It is intimidating, for sure, but it is worth it. Wether you play it for the story, characters or gameplay, you need to try this game someday at least once.
I'll start by stating the obvious. The thing that defines this game: Xenoblade Chronicles is an epic gargantuan JRPG!
The world is massive! Not only in scope, scale and in-game content, but also in its presentation. Just the ideia of a story taking place atop two endlessly clashing giants makes it as epic as it gets. And besides the well-told lore, you'll also come across many other imaginative surprises. XC is filled with well-written twists, incredible characters, great villains, good story development, nice pacing and a fantastic ending. XC's tale is, quite honestly, the best thing in this whole package.
But it doesn't end there. Complementing this colossal journey, Xenoblade packs a VERY addictive combat system. It may look weird, since it doesn't work like most action JRPGs, but it functions well. I thought I wasn't going to like it at first, but it clicked faster than I thought. In fact, one of the reasons why I spent around 100 hours playing XC is probably because the combat is just so smooth. It reminded of old PS2 gems like Rogue Galaxy, Radiata Stories and (somehow) even Kingdom Hearts.
All that happening on beautiful environments, urging for you to explore and take on enemies and objectives. This game already looked good back on the Wii, but this re-release made it untouchable. From character design to the most gorgeous landscapes and weirdest bosses. Add that to a pretty good soundtrack, as well.
Now, this game could be perfect, but to me, the thing that made this game incredible was also its greatest enemy. Xenoblade Chronicles more than overstays its welcome.
I can't fathom how obnoxious the sidequests were. They brought almost nothing new or interesting to the main quest, they were very repetitive, mostly unrewarding and just uninspiring. AND THERE ARE JUST TOO MANY OF THEM! It felt endless. The worst thing is that, although optional, without them, you'd end up underleveled, underequipped and missing quite a lot of places, bosses and etc. It's really a shame.
And the more you spend time with it (and you will), the more you'll notice a few cracks. The UI could use some work, enemy variety is lacking, you can easily get mobbed by monsters out of nowhere, the affinity system sucks, having to change time to find NPCs is a chore, you can miss out on a lot, Mechonis is bland and unbalanced as hell and Shulk is a VERY slow kid.
Also, the Future Connected expansion is alright, but it felt a little unnecessary. It's a solid new short story with a cool focus on Melia, but nothing to write home about. I'll just blame the writing and the Nene/Kino duo.
If I could trim a lot of this game, it'd easily transform into one of the best RPGs I've ever played. But the flaws are there and they're noticeable.
However, Xenoblade Chronicles gave me a feeling that few RPGs do and held me tight from beginning to end. I won't forget it so soon. It is intimidating, for sure, but it is worth it. Wether you play it for the story, characters or gameplay, you need to try this game someday at least once.
4 Comments
Side content in this game is a mess, indeed, but I was never underleveled. Maybe it's because I kept fighting at any opportunity I had. I really liked this game's combat system!
You're definitely right about the side quests.
Everytime I recommand the game to someone, I always tell them to ignore the side quests.
Well, to be more precise, I tell them to start every side quest they see, but never try to finish them, just progress in the main story and you'll complete some of those quests without even realizing it !
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is just as good as XC1, so I'd recommand it aswell. It improves on the combat, the soundtrack is just as great, and it has less obnoxious side quests (still kinda uninteresting tho)
The World is also gorgeous, lots of great landscapes!
Everytime I recommand the game to someone, I always tell them to ignore the side quests.
Well, to be more precise, I tell them to start every side quest they see, but never try to finish them, just progress in the main story and you'll complete some of those quests without even realizing it !
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is just as good as XC1, so I'd recommand it aswell. It improves on the combat, the soundtrack is just as great, and it has less obnoxious side quests (still kinda uninteresting tho)
The World is also gorgeous, lots of great landscapes!
I'm really excited to jump into the 2nd one! Just need to find the time. Those games are pretty huge.
Kipje
4 months ago