• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3D: reviews thread

//ARCANUM

//ARCANUM

Member
Kriken said:
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
Click to expand...

MMO? I thought it was a single player RPG?
 
F

Fandangox

Member
paulgandersman said:
MMO? I thought it was a single player RPG?
Click to expand...

It is. It has some similarities with MMOs, the battle system mainly. You go over "Arts" (Main attacks) in a menu, and after you select and use the art there's a cooldown period to be able to use it again. There's also gem crafting, Armor changing the appearance of the character and the huge areas.

It is still a single player RPG focused on its plot and world though.
 
F

freeofgreed

Member
Malus said:
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).
Click to expand...

I agree it's a very tricky term but if your going by that definition then there isn't a single jrp game with a sequel. All Final fantasys, dragon quests, Pokemon, etc... would all be spiritual successors then and not sequels. But yeah I guess I'm just arguing semantics at this point.
 
H

hzsn724

Member
This gives me a lot of hope for some exclusive n3dsxl games. Who would have thought that Xenoblade Chronicles, a rare Wii game, would have been the first to release on Nintendo's new handheld. I just hope we see releases of the other Operation Rainfall titles as well as some other Wii and even GCN classics.
 
A

alvis.exe

Member
Malus said:
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).
Click to expand...

freeofgreed said:
I agree it's a very tricky term but if your going by that definition then there isn't a single jrp game with a squeal. All Final fantasys, dragon quests, Pokemon, etc... would all be spiritual successors then and not sequels. But yeah I guess I'm just arguing semantics at this point.
Click to expand...

What about calling it a non-story sequel? That could work right?
 
T

Tom_Cody

Member
shark sandwich said:
Completing sidequests boosts your affinity with the town they are issued from. This unlocks...more sidequests. Eventually this way you can unlock quests that grant your characters their 4th and 5th skill tree.

So yeah they do provide a pretty huge reward if you keep at it. The good news is that you will naturally complete a ton of them just by exploring the environments, which are beautiful and compelling enough where exploration doesn't feel like a chore.
Click to expand...

Fandangox said:
Quests for the most part are very simple. MMO stuff like kill x enemy or get 3 items for whatever. The good thing is most of the generic quests can be accepted and one doesn't need to return to the quest giver to end them.

For example if someone asks you to kill 5 "enemy crabs" The quest reward will unlock as soon as you kill the fifth, which will most likely happen just by playing the game normally.

A few number of the sidequests are very good, few add lore to the game, like the one about the ruins of the
giants
. Others like the Nopon
drug-smuggling ring are very good too, plus that one has an hilarious ending.
Some other quests have interesting things to them like alternate solutions (which in turn branch to different quests)

The problem thought is that those are buried underneath a lot of very simple and repetitive quests. Plus the interesting quests are greatly outnumbered by the repetitive ones.

I recommend to just go about accepting whichever quests, see what you complete on the way, and once you feel like changing the pace a bit, go out of your way to complete whatever sidequests you want.
Click to expand...

Ysiadmihi said:
Personally I would recommend skipping any quests that aren't timed (these expire when you hit certain points in the story) or ones that don't sound appealing to you. You can always go back and do quests later, and since many of them are fetch quests or "go kill x number of y monster" quests, it makes them a bit less tedious.
Click to expand...

foxuzamaki said:
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.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the responses guys.

It sounds like I should just play through in whatever way feels natural.

I get that there is potential issue of become over-powered, but this is kind of a problem in most RPGs. Given that it is a gaming environment, it is natural to grant extra power as a reward.
 
H

Heng

Member
TheSlySoul said:
The only negative I see is mostly illustrated in this battle video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPDM5R1Wcos
Do they ever shut up?
Click to expand...
In my play through of the game, their banter was really annoying at first. Once I got further into the game and played with the other characters, I realize that they're just calling out the spell they cast. This was helpful once I realize this and it allowed me to time my topple or daze.

The game actually also puts a debuffs on the enemies themselves, so it maybe a bit redundant. I think this helps because some characters have 2 different spells that cast break on the enemy (I think? Or maybe I'm thinking of topple/daze) so if you missed one of their breaks, you could count the cool down and not waste you topple itself. You may get use to it after a while, and won't mind it after you learn to either zone them out or just get used to it.
 
Bardiche

Bardiche

Member
This is the main reason for my n3ds purchase.
Never played XC on the Wii, despite being a huge jrpg fan, so these reviews are getting me hyped to experience the world of XC for the first time.
 
T

threelights

Member
AwRy108 said:
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.
Click to expand...

Hmm, I already wrote a few posts detailing the problems with the battle system (tell me if you want me to look for those posts). But if you want a quick version.

The customization (equipment/skill/abilities/trees/affinity/gems/etc) is pretty great. And then the moment you get into a proper battle it is really boring, the comparisons to MMOs is fair and at the same time I've played MMOs with better battle systems. The only challenge comes if you actively gimp yourself by not leveling/removing equipment/gems. If you don't, the game is literally based around how fast you should mash all of your abilities out (playing a tank you gotta do it fast, playing as a DPS you gotta do it slowly). And then you add tiny differences like Shulk dealing more damage by circle strafing enemies.

The story is extremely rewarding, the characters are great and pretty much everything that is not the battle system is great. You can totally beat the game by exploring more than fighting, so fighting is not necessarily what you'll be doing for half the game unless you like playing it that way.
 
S

Sterok

Member
I enjoyed the combat a lot, though I haven't played any MMOs. It can be as engaging as you want it to be, whether you just rely on the auto attack and occasionally selecting an art when needed, or whether you're constantly shifting positions and choosing your targets/buffs/debuffs where needed. I think it helps to switch whoever you're controlling every once in awhile so that you mix up styles.
 
G

Glix

Member
Niche game/genre

Only plays on "NEW" 3DS

I have a strong strong feeling that if you like physical copies, pick this up in the next 6 months.
 
R

Rich!

Member
MyNameIsRye said:
At this point I assume it's unlikely Nintendo announces a Xenoblade bundle for the US? Been holding out till the game releases.
Click to expand...

Not happening.

The best they are doing is the bundle with the Xenoblade faceplates here in Europe. An XL bundle would have been announced by now if there was one.
 
G

GiantEnemyCrab

Banned
GamesRadar said:
It may not be the best version of Xenoblade, but it’s a version of it – and that makes it a whole lot better than most.
Click to expand...

Does that mean it's a better version of Xenoblade than Yoshi's New Island was? Because I played Yoshi's New Island and was really disappointed at how un-Xenoblade it was.
 
L

leng jai

Member
These reviews are fairly useless. Where's the information about the sound compression and framerate? They should be concentrating on these things more since it's a port not just gushing about the actual game which everyone knows about already from the Wii version.
 
S

SimpleCRIPPLE

Member
Bardiche said:
This is the main reason for my n3ds purchase.
Never played XC on the Wii, despite being a huge jrpg fan, so these reviews are getting me hyped to experience the world of XC for the first time.
Click to expand...

Same here man. Skipped on Wii, can't wait to dive in on N3DS.

Its been wayyyyy too long since i've played through a JRPG. Like FFX long...

(Played FF12 and FF13, but didn't click with either. FFX is the last one I completed)
 
S

SuperCambot

Banned
leng jai said:
These reviews are fairly useless. Where's the information about the sound compression and framerate? They should be concentrating on these things more since it's a port not just gushing about the actual game which everyone knows about already from the Wii version.
Click to expand...

I agree even though I know i will buy this and I can tolerate said issues. These things would be useful to those on the fence.

Enthusiast press is enthused.
 
S

SimpleCRIPPLE

Member
leng jai said:
These reviews are fairly useless. Where's the information about the sound compression and framerate? They should be concentrating on these things more since it's a port not just gushing about the actual game which everyone knows about already from the Wii version.
Click to expand...

At least 2 of the reviews mention the framerate can get a little suspect during battles with large enemies or when a lot of effects are going off (which was expected). I haven't yet read anything that says you can shore up the framerate by turning off 3D, since it seems like all the reviewers are playing with 3D on.
 
R

ratcliffja

Member
I would love if they would release a demo for this, but I don't see it happening. I just want to see how well it plays on device.
 
E

E_Darkness

Member
It sounds like Xenoblade but on a handheld. Seeing as I never bought the original and I have a N3DS I'm getting it. I won't lie but Xenoblade 3D did play a part in getting a N3DS. Xenoblade X looks too rad and I've heard nothing but good things about Xenoblade. Shame it comes out April 2nd and I won't even play it for awhile because finals and stuff.
 
N

Nintendojitsu

Banned
NeoGAF's second latent superpower: The ability to adapt one's perception of an already great game based on other peoples opinions w/o playing the game first.
 
M

Mozz-eyes

Banned
Looking forward to this! I'd given up on the Wii by the time it came out. Plus, I've always found RPGs more suited to portable play.

Japanese version for me so no Reyn time, unfortunately.
 
M

mr-paul

Member
Having played and reviewed Xenoblade for the 3DS, pretty much the only time the game slows down/framerate drops is occasionally during the QTEs/B presses during battle. If anything, it can be a help rather than a hindrance, as it allows you to time your action better! There may be some other drops during battles, but to me, they were really not that noticeable.

As far as I'm aware, the performance of the 3DS port matches that of the Wii version. The graphics just look worse, which is expected.
 
L

Links_fantasy

Junior Member
This and Lost Odyssey were my two favourite home console RPGs last gen. As I have the Wii version I'll probably skip this version and replay it on WiiU in a few years. I can't wait for the sequel this year it's going to be a huge game so I need a breather before that hits.
 
H

Highwind

Member
B.K. said:
Worst RPG last generation. I'd honestly rather play Final Fantasy XIII again than Xenoblade.
Click to expand...

0WJ0EIb.jpg
 
alf717

alf717

Member
Strange two weeks ahead of schedule. I plan on picking this up now that I have a 3DS to play it on. Too bad the other games I want are ridiculous in price now. Wonder if Shulk Amiibo will get stocked again.
 
V

Vampirolol

Member
BetterWorldz said:
Apparently it adds very little depth, I wish I could see it for myself but I can't seem to find any 3D content online for that game.
Click to expand...
The 3D effect is almost like the one found in the average Lego game on the 3DS, just with a little more depth. Such a missed opportunity.
By the way some were asking about music compression and I can say that, with the headphones on, I can't hear any noticeable difference from the Wii version. Now, the 3DS speakers are another thing... (still really good)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes | Review Thread
Analysis Review 2 3
143
8K
BadBurger replied
Nintendo Insider Leaks Remake Of Xenoblade Chronicles X As Potential Switch 2 Title
Rumor 2 3
137
12K
StueyDuck replied
Animal Well | Review Thread
Analysis Review
4
651
Fbh replied
Homeworld 3 | Review Thread
Analysis Review
20
2K
P:axMagellanic replied
Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door Remake | Review Thread
Analysis Review 2 3 4
183
7K
Gambit2483 replied
Top Bottom