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Xenoblade Chronicles 3D: reviews thread

foxuzamaki

Doesn't read OPs, especially not his own
Question:

Do the sidequests add anything of substance to the experience, or do they simply exist for grinding? FE:Awakening had side missions that varied in depth, some of which purely existed for gaining experience and money. Should I just skip the sidequests?

For context, I haven't played any of Xenoblade and I'm looking for advice as to how I should approach my first playthrough.

Sidequests does both well, they exist for grinding but as you do more of them, specially in a specific area, you get more complex and compelling quests that advances sidestories and affects relationships with the people of bionis.
 
Idk if it was reported but my digital version has faster loading times than the Wii one. Don't know if it's the same for the retail one.
 

JMDSO

Unconfirmed Member
I almost wonder if it would have been better to skip the 3D part of the game and use the processing power from the 3D to improve some aspects of the port.
 

Jaymageck

Member
I'm really undecided on this.

I have really wanted to play the original, but don't have it on Wii. I've considered buying it on Wii, but I really don't dislike playing standard def games on HDTV now. Games like Mario Galaxy where the art style scales up well I can do, but Xenoblade...

The reviews suggest this is a big visual downgrade, but my question is this: Is it a downgrade compared to playing a blown up jaggy version of Xenoblade?

If not, I'm tempted by this as the idea of playing it on handheld appeals to me.
 
I'm really undecided on this.

I have really wanted to play the original, but don't have it on Wii. I've considered buying it on Wii, but I really don't dislike playing standard def games on HDTV now. Games like Mario Galaxy where the art style scales up well I can do, but Xenoblade...

The reviews suggest this is a big visual downgrade, but my question is this: Is it a downgrade compared to playing a blown up jaggy version of Xenoblade?

If not, I'm tempted by this as the idea of playing it on handheld appeals to me.
If you are going to play on a 42 inches LED TV then you should definitely think about the 3DS version. Xeno is perfect on a CRT + RGB.
I almost wonder if it would have been better to skip the 3D part of the game and use the processing power from the 3D to improve some aspects of the port.
If only the 3D effect was a little stronger! After Majora's Mask 3D this felt a little flat. No ghosting by the way.
 

daxy

Member
As a admitted xenoblade fanboy, power unlimited's review score offends me.

Haven't read the review, perhaps their arguments against it or the port job are legit, but that magazine went steeply downhill like 8 years ago already with its immaturity and bloated scores. Dunno what's up nowadays.

Couldn't get into this game on Wii and stopped at around the 15 hour mark. I didn't really like the combat system, the voice acting seemed kinda bad and the cliche story couldn't keep me engaged either. Seems like I had the polar opposite experience of most people who played it.
 

Z3M0G

Member
Japan still got it.

youre-goddamn-right-gif.gif
 

Sadist

Member
As a admitted xenoblade fanboy, power unlimited's review score offends me.
Power Unlimited?

Huge chance that review is done by Jurjen Tiersma who's a big Nintendo fan, (huge fan as in he has a Nintendo logo tat on his left leg...) but isn't afraid to dish out some criticism when he think it's justified. Haven't read the review, but I'm fairly certain he'll find the port to be lackluster and would recommend the Wii version over it. Well, in my experience with his reviews.

He gave Ocarina of Time 3D a 78 because he thought Nintendo could have polished it even more.
 
It's interesting that GameSpot is harsh on the port, but is absolutely glowing about some of the aspects that critics often complain about in the original, namely the battle system and the side quest narratives.
 

Risarovi

Banned
It seems like the graphic cut has been more than expected. I am a little dissapointed.

I understand the low graphics, but I cannot deal with the careless menus: this quote of Destructoid cares me a lot:

It's really strange to look out into the horizon and see a vast beautiful tundra, then go to a shop and flip through the user interface as if it were a PS1-era RPG with fuzzy, muted menus

Usually, I'm very fussy with the interfaces, menus and texts.

I hate Pokemon X/Y for having no consistency in its interface.
 

BiggNife

Member
So basically I'm getting that this port isn't perfect but it's perfectly serviceable? Because that's good enough for me. I've been wanting to try XC before XCX comes out. And yes, I know they're technically not sequels, but I've heard too many good things about XC to not try it.
 
Never played this on the Wii (yeah I know, shameful), so I'm very interested in picking this one up. SD card can handle it, but the sheer size is making me ever so slightly consider getting a physical copy, which I haven't done since...2012.
 

jackal27

Banned
I absolutely adore this game, but I'll just stick to my Wii copy. Should have been on Wii U honestly. My guess is that they thought it would have more of an audience on the 3DS though.

If you haven't played this game, by all means buy the 3DS version.
 
I'll wait for more framerate information, I can stand ugly textures but bad framerate is a no-go.

Gamesradar review said:
Larger boss creatures are prone to serious frame rate drops when all three party members start launching special attacks that better resemble firework displays.

I would still recommend the game. This was an issue even on the Wii version, and I can't imagine it's any better on 3DS, but the game quality really helps you forget about these things. I've never been strict with framerate consistency though.

Edit: Examiner.com calls the framerate impressively smooth and stable, while USgamer calls it choppy. Take those conflicting opinions for what you will, but knowing what I know about the original, Gamesradar is probably right that it pops up in specific but very complex situations.
 

Rich!

Member

Its out next Thursday here in the UK. USA release is a week later. I ordered mine from The Game Collection who always send their games out early. Was £29.

for example, I got Majoras Mask 3D from them on the 10th. Wasn't out until 13th Feb

Throw in the weekend too and yeah
 

Memory

Member
Between Monster Hunter, Xenoblade, Pokemon, Dark Souls and Bloodborne, I actually do not know why WRPG's have been considered superior than JRPG's over the last generation.

Polish and accessability mostly. It helps that the market can easily relate and identify with characters and theme better also.

I love Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Elderscrolls and Fallout but Japan has never stopped being rpg king for me. Its a great time to be a gamer, great games coming from both the east and west.
 

jorgejjvr

Member
Everyone here considering NEEDS to play this game, whether on Wii or 3DS. I have already played the Wii version, and it became one of my favorite games of all times, so I feel like i HAVE to buy it for 3ds, plus ive been looking for excuse to play it again. Portability serve this really long game well, and this game was never a looker, I mean it was on wii and it was as beautiful as it could have been there. The art style is still great and the game is so big and massive in scope that it is understandable. I've seen footage and honestly, having played the wii one, the 3ds does not look that bad, and I know it will look better on the system itself. If anything, this is better than playing it on a 50' screen hd tv, it helps with the size but it makes it look a bit muddy. All in all, this is a game that every gamer needs to experience. Its like a great book, that you want to know more, always with new twists and surprises, and once it ends you wish it didnt
 
Haven't read the review, perhaps their arguments against it or the port job are legit, but that magazine went steeply downhill like 8 years ago already with its immaturity and bloated scores. Dunno what's up nowadays.

Couldn't get into this game on Wii and stopped at around the 15 hour mark. I didn't really like the combat system, the voice acting seemed kinda bad and the cliche story couldn't keep me engaged either. Seems like I had the polar opposite experience of most people who played it.

The combat system is indeed pretty bad.

But the acting is quite good (and you get used to the voices), and the story is definitely not cliche as it seems to be.

If you can look past the battles, then you will find a pretty good game underneath it. You should try it again.
 
Its out next Thursday here in the UK. USA release is a week later. I ordered mine from The Game Collection who always send their games out early. Was £29.

for example, I got Majoras Mask 3D from them on the 10th. Wasn't out until 13th Feb

Throw in the weekend too and yeah
4-6 days early? Damn. I'm in the UK, might as well give this a go.
 

Lucifon

Junior Member
Its out next Thursday here in the UK. USA release is a week later. I ordered mine from The Game Collection who always send their games out early. Was £29.

for example, I got Majoras Mask 3D from them on the 10th. Wasn't out until 13th Feb

Throw in the weekend too and yeah

It's a very per-game basis with them. I've got Borderlands Handsome Collection on preorder and they won't have copies til tomorrow, so it won't arrive til release day. Monday seems v.unlikely, Tuesday maybe.
 

Rich!

Member
4-6 days early? Damn. I'm in the UK, might as well give this a go.

It's a very per-game basis with them. I've got Borderlands Handsome Collection on preorder and they won't have copies til tomorrow, so it won't arrive til release day. Monday seems v.unlikely, Tuesday maybe.

Hope is all I need

lol

But yeah...I was guessing a best case scenario. Regardless, I will guaranteed be playing this by this time next week
 

AwRy108

Member
The combat system is indeed pretty bad.

But the acting is quite good (and you get used to the voices), and the story is definitely not cliche as it seems to be.

If you can look past the battles, then you will find a pretty good game underneath it. You should try it again.


So, basically what you're saying here is: "If you can ignore at least half of what you'll be doing in this game, you'll enjoy it."

You should probably just recommend a different game; or, at the very least, elaborate on your opinions of the battle system.

I really enjoy the battle system, as it reminds me of a more action-packed MMO battle system. I feel like it works quite well, to the point that I never got tired of it.
 

MrPanic

Member
Very disappointed hearing about the mediocre 3d. I play most games with 3d on blast and love games with good 3d, so to hear that the game that could've looked amazing in 3d doesn't have good 3d is seriously disappointing. Oh well, still gonna get it day 1.
 

jorgejjvr

Member
The combat system is indeed pretty bad.

But the acting is quite good (and you get used to the voices), and the story is definitely not cliche as it seems to be.

If you can look past the battles, then you will find a pretty good game underneath it. You should try it again.

The combat system is pretty great though o_O

I loved changing the future
 

//ARCANUM

Member
So I'm a Xenoblade noob. Can anyone explain how this pairs with Xenoblade Chronicles X for Wii U? Are they the same game (with the Wii U version being better graphically?). Is the Wii U title a sequel? Is it a different game all together in the same universe? Thanks!
 

Malus

Member
So I'm a Xenoblade noob. Can anyone explain how this pairs with Xenoblade Chronicles X for Wii U? Are they the same game (with the Wii U version being better graphically?). Is the Wii U title a sequel? Is it a different game all together in the same universe? Thanks!

I guess you could think of Xenoblade -> Xenoblade X as Dark Souls 2 -> Bloodborne. They're spiritual successors.
 
So I'm a Xenoblade noob. Can anyone explain how this pairs with Xenoblade Chronicles X for Wii U? Are they the same game (with the Wii U version being better graphically?). Is the Wii U title a sequel? Is it a different game all together in the same universe? Thanks!

Wii U version is a sequel.
 

Fandangox

Member
So I'm a Xenoblade noob. Can anyone explain how this pairs with Xenoblade Chronicles X for Wii U? Are they the same game (with the Wii U version being better graphically?). Is the Wii U title a sequel? Is it a different game all together in the same universe? Thanks!

Xenoblade Chronichles X (or Xenocross) is a sequel, although the developers stated its not in the same universe/world as the first Xenoblade.

Kind of like the Final Fantasy games.
 

random25

Member
So I'm a Xenoblade noob. Can anyone explain how this pairs with Xenoblade Chronicles X for Wii U? Are they the same game (with the Wii U version being better graphically?). Is the Wii U title a sequel? Is it a different game all together in the same universe? Thanks!

Spiritual successor. Does not have a concrete connection story-wise. Core gameplay is similar but with tweaks to fit the theme of the new game.
 
I guess you could think of Xenoblade -> Xenoblade X as Dark Souls 2 -> Bloodborne. They're spiritual successors.

Spiritual successor. Does not have a concrete connection story-wise. Core gameplay is similar but with tweaks to fit the theme of the new game.

eh It's a sequel. A spiritual successor would be more along the lines of Xenogears > Xenosaga >Xenoblade. Just because it's a new setting/story doesn't discount it from being considered a sequel unless you'd consider final fantasy X to be a "spiritual successor" to FF9 for example.
 

alvis.exe

Member
So I'm a Xenoblade noob. Can anyone explain how this pairs with Xenoblade Chronicles X for Wii U? Are they the same game (with the Wii U version being better graphically?). Is the Wii U title a sequel? Is it a different game all together in the same universe? Thanks!

There are two Xenoblade Chronicles games and one port. XC on the Wii is the same as XC 3D on the 3DS. XCX on the Wii U is a different unrelated game that shares a similar battle system/overall gameplay and certain concepts like the Nopon.

They're like how Final Fantasy VII is unrelated to FFVIII which is unrelated to FFX which is unrelated to FFXV despite sharing certain similar concepts like Chocobos. Or how Tales of Symphonia is unrelated to TotA which is unrelated to ToD which is unrelated to ToX despite sharing certain similar concepts like gels/gummies.

At least that's what we know at this point!

Edit: Beaten a ton of times lol.
 

//ARCANUM

Member
Awesome! That was really helpful. Thanks everyone! I'm gonna pick up Xenoblade 3DS and then the Wii U one when that comes out too. Thanks!!
 

Kriken

Member
So I'm a Xenoblade noob. Can anyone explain how this pairs with Xenoblade Chronicles X for Wii U? Are they the same game (with the Wii U version being better graphically?). Is the Wii U title a sequel? Is it a different game all together in the same universe? Thanks!

AFAIK, spiritual successor, I guess the best thing to take away from Xenoblade 3D is learning how the combat works. Admittedly it took me a while since I never played an MMO, but I got the hang of it and had fun
 

Malus

Member
eh It's a sequel. A spiritual successor would be more along the lines of Xenogears > Xenosaga >Xenoblade. Just because it's a new setting/story doesn't discount it from being considered a sequel unless you'd consider final fantasy X to be a "spiritual successor" to FF9 for example.

I think it's a more descriptive term than calling it a sequel. If you think X is a sequel you might expect returning characters and plot. I'd say it's somewhere in between a spitirual successor (different story and characters) and a sequel (core gameplay is very similar).
 
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