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MilkBeard · Jun 10, 2016

I enjoyed it more than the first game, because I felt the gameplay to be more addictive and open.

The original Xenoblade had a more developed story, but it took ages for it to build up. And the exploration-areas weren't as good (the game falls off hard halfway through).

A lot of people really loved the first, but I just couldn't get into it, while the heavy emphasis on gameplay of the second made it more appealing.

And I liked the soundtrack as well.

EDIT: However, if you are going to play both, you should start with Xenoblade Chronicles first. It is simpler, and a better way to be introduced to the mechanics, and it's worth playing for the story. Xenoblade Chronicles X focuses on expanding the gameplay and giving you more true freedom.

GinoFelino · Jun 10, 2016

XBX kicked ass.

But now that all the Chronicles fanboys/experts are in this thread complaining....

Chronicles 3DS on a normal New 3DS, yay or nay?

Zombegoast · Jun 10, 2016

I started playing the game again after months of not touching it and finished chapter 12.

I strongly disagree, The Skell added so much by the time you get the flight module it felt like a different game. And you guys are missing the point if you find the story disappointing. The main focus was the affinity quests this time around and seeing how the citizens in NLA change when they see something new.

HawthorneKitty · Jun 13, 2016

Zombegoast said:
I started playing the game again after months of not touching it and finished chapter 12.

I strongly disagree, The Skell added so much by the time you get the flight module it felt like a different game. And you guys are missing the point if you find the story disappointing. The main focus was the affinity quests this time around and seeing how the citizens in NLA change when they see something new.

Yeah, some may think flying around trivializes the sense of exploration, but I think they introduce it at the perfect time that beckons you to fill your mental map of the game.

casiopao · Jun 13, 2016

HawthorneKitty said:
Yeah, some may think flying around trivializes the sense of exploration, but I think they introduce it at the perfect time that beckons you to fill your mental map of the game.

Yup. Some said that Skell makes us don't explore anymore but it can't be more wrong than that. There are still some locations which only can be accessed with Skells and of course some caves which also only can be accessed with human walking. So it is not like they totally throw away all the on foot exploration. They simply open the game scope even more so there are no limit anymore this time.

jdstorm · Jun 13, 2016

Yarbskoo said:
It really isn't. X's world design is one of it's strong points. It's weaknesses mainly have to do with plot, characters, and sound design. X would be a lesser game without the freedom to overcome the challenges of exploring its world.

Come on now. No one who actually did affinity missions thinks that the characters are bad. And I'm not talking about the required ones. Sure the Tatsu jokes get a bit old if you are just doing the main story. But that's about it.

redcrayon · Jun 13, 2016

I thought it was great, a huge alien world that looks alien, is full of creatures that look alien, and which rewards exploring on foot as well
as by air.

Getting the Skell, setting probes etc made me feel like an adventurer, which is all I want from an rpg really. Combat was cool too.

I didn't mind the blank slate character but thought most of the rest were forgettable.

Burai · Jun 13, 2016

People really overhyped themselves over this one after the initial "X" reveal, talking up a gameworld that was never going to meet their expectations.

Thankfully these people have learned their lesson and aren't doing the exact same thing over Zelda U based on a couple of concept arts. Oh.

Valkerionseven · Jun 13, 2016

Started replaying and this time using cheats to make stronger weapons. Still somewhat challenging to play but way more interesting now. Being able to chain attacks thanks to modding in TP gain on arts is way to fun.

Now that I can proceed at a slightly faster pace I am enjoying the game more. Ignoring gathering quests ect. has also done wonders for my interest level in this game.

Gambit · Jun 13, 2016

HawthorneKitty said:
Yeah, some may think flying around trivializes the sense of exploration, but I think they introduce it at the perfect time that beckons you to fill your mental map of the game.

I agree, it was introduced at the perfect time and didn't hinder my enjoyment of the exploration too much (except fo Sylvalum). But I did mind that it trivialised combat on the ground. It was utterly meaningless all of a sudden.

A big shame, imo, since it's much better developed than Skell combat, which feels very static, as the progression comes slowly from buying new weapons. Your characters don't learn anything in Skell combat.

casiopao · Jun 13, 2016

Valkerionseven said:
Started replaying and this time using cheats to make stronger weapons. Still somewhat challenging to play but way more interesting now. Being able to chain attacks thanks to modding in TP gain on arts is way to fun.

Now that I can proceed at a slightly faster pace I am enjoying the game more. Ignoring gathering quests ect. has also done wonders for my interest level in this game.

Wait? We can use cheat in Wii U game? What???

Rich! · Jun 13, 2016

Xenoblade Chronicles is basically one of the best games I have ever played. I bought it on UK launch day back in 2011 and finished it, then played through it again the year after. I then played through it on Dolphin, then eventually ended up playing it through again on the N3DS twice and then on Dolphin again. I love the characters, the world, the story, the battle system, the exploration, the music and the sheer beauty of the entire experience.

I couldn't even finish Xenoblade X. I forced myself through about 40 hours before admitting to myself that it's really, really not a good game by comparison. At all. I disliked the music, I disliked the characters, the story was weak as shit, I hated the mission structure of the gameplay, and I really felt the battle system was ruined. I also felt the world was just...too big for its own good. To the extent where it became simply boring.

I traded it in and will likely never play it again.

HawthorneKitty · Jun 21, 2016

Gambit said:
I agree, it was introduced at the perfect time and didn't hinder my enjoyment of the exploration too much (except fo Sylvalum). But I did mind that it trivialised combat on the ground. It was utterly meaningless all of a sudden.

A big shame, imo, since it's much better developed than Skell combat, which feels very static, as the progression comes slowly from buying new weapons. Your characters don't learn anything in Skell combat.

I prefer ground combat trumping skells in the end since fuel is an issue. There's always the charm of destroying something multitudes bigger than you.

Big0Bear · Jun 21, 2016

Visually it was superior but story was garbage. Lack of dual audio was another minus for me the dub didn't fit with the characters. And the create a character was horrible for me. Creating a black male who didn't look horrible was impossible for me.

Lumpy Onion · Jun 21, 2016

Not to sound cliche, but this game sucks!

AKC12 · Jun 21, 2016

Didn't bother getting this game after loving the first game because it focused on side quests over a fleshed out main plot. Just too much for me, and getting more lore and background from them won't make me do them.

Aalvi · Jun 21, 2016

oh two topics in one day, still strange to me considering I just beat the game today and never really saw threads about XCX for a while.

Twilight Princess · Jun 21, 2016

Most interesting overworld ever. I had a ton of fun flying in skells. The story is really disappointing but you can tell they didn't have enough time to do an epic story like the first game.
But overall, I think X is on par with Xenoblade1.

Teuoxton · Jun 21, 2016

It's good, but I would rate it much higher if a vocal toggle was added. Wir Fliegen (probably spelled wrong sorry) and other tracks have a version without vocals on the OST, so if you could switch to those I feel many complaints about the soundtrack would evaporate.

The Boat · Jun 21, 2016

I find that this game gets a very undeserved bad rep on GAF. As far as I'm concerned, it does most things better than the first one, which is saying a lot.
The world is fantastic, the combat is brilliant, Skells are incredible, the customization and depth is nuts, the affinity missions and good sidequests flesh out the characters and story A LOT (not that the story is particularly good, but then again, neither are most videogames' stories) and the amount of depth and complexity is insane. And then there's the multiplayer aspect, at first I wasn't sold, but it just adds so much to the game and makes it feel so different, I really appreciated it.
Oh and it's fucking gorgeous and the soundtrack is brilliant save for a few completely out of place tracks and bad sound mixing, which seems to be what everyone focuses on, a shame considering the gigantic amount of amazing tracks.

I could do without the blank character, it adds nothing other than being able to have someone with all the skills, Elma is basically the main character anyway. Then there are some things that really needed another touch like the UI, but overall, I can't for the life of me figure out how a game so well made gets this reception over here.

StarStabbedMoon · Jun 21, 2016

BossDarkseid said:
I havent played it because I sold my Wii U but didnt Takahashi say XcX was an experiment because they hadnt made an HD title before and what comes next would be more story heavy?

They said the first Xenoblade was an experiment too. Every game they make now is an experiment for the next one.

But yes Takahashi has spoken about doing a story driven game again.

mekes · Jun 21, 2016

Haven't played the Wii game, but never got so far in XCX that I got the mech. If a big game like this demands so much time, that time spent had better deliver some compelling narrative. It just lacked a little bit in that. I was fairly enjoying the game, but just not enough.

Peltz · Jun 25, 2016

Rich! said:
Xenoblade Chronicles is basically one of the best games I have ever played. I bought it on UK launch day back in 2011 and finished it, then played through it again the year after. I then played through it on Dolphin, then eventually ended up playing it through again on the N3DS twice and then on Dolphin again. I love the characters, the world, the story, the battle system, the exploration, the music and the sheer beauty of the entire experience.

I couldn't even finish Xenoblade X. I forced myself through about 40 hours before admitting to myself that it's really, really not a good game by comparison. At all. I disliked the music, I disliked the characters, the story was weak as shit, I hated the mission structure of the gameplay, and I really felt the battle system was ruined. I also felt the world was just...too big for its own good. To the extent where it became simply boring.

I traded it in and will likely never play it again.

I really feel you on this one, Rich. I basically played through OG Xenoblade twice, clocking in over 150 hours. It was expertly paced: the scale of the environments, gameplay/battle systems, and story unfolded swiftly, and grew in complexity over the 80 or so hours you played in a constantly satisfying way. The battle system just got better as time went on and you could customize everything to an extent in a very organic way.

In comparison, X a game that is really hampered by the lack of gameplay progression and structure. Sometimes, it's actually a good thing to have compelling content (i.e. new environments and battle mechanics) gated behind interesting gameplay tasks.

By being so wide open, X feels a little bit boring vs. it's predecessor. You can access too much of the map in the beginning which kind of ruins the feeling of discovery. The flat open-plain like layout also feels like a bit of a failure from a level-design perspective. It feels like you're exploring a totally flat area, even when there is verticality in the mountain regions. Boundlessness is not necessarily a good thing for open-world design in my humble opinion.

Some more "out of bounds" areas could give the game a much more enriching sense of discovery when you find a secret. The fact that almost nothing is out of bounds makes these "discoveries" feel kinda like you're still just out in the open - and nowhere secret at all. That's why the level design feels like it's almost non-existent in a way.

It's a shame, because it's clear that a lot of thought and hard work went into creating these environments and making them look spectacular. They just aren't fun from a gameplay standpoint though. It's like you're just plopped in this big, beautiful, open space and given the task to play what feels like an unfinished game.

The cutscenes and voice acting are also atrociously paced and feel like they were recorded in one take.

HawthorneKitty · Aug 15, 2016

The Boat said:
I find that this game gets a very undeserved bad rep on GAF. As far as I'm concerned, it does most things better than the first one, which is saying a lot.
The world is fantastic, the combat is brilliant, Skells are incredible, the customization and depth is nuts, the affinity missions and good sidequests flesh out the characters and story A LOT (not that the story is particularly good, but then again, neither are most videogames' stories) and the amount of depth and complexity is insane. And then there's the multiplayer aspect, at first I wasn't sold, but it just adds so much to the game and makes it feel so different, I really appreciated it.
Oh and it's fucking gorgeous and the soundtrack is brilliant save for a few completely out of place tracks and bad sound mixing, which seems to be what everyone focuses on, a shame considering the gigantic amount of amazing tracks.

I could do without the blank character, it adds nothing other than being able to have someone with all the skills, Elma is basically the main character anyway. Then there are some things that really needed another touch like the UI, but overall, I can't for the life of me figure out how a game so well made gets this reception over here.

I kinda wished direct multiplayer meant more, but it is impossible to balance imo.

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