What is Xenoblade Chronicles X? (XCX)
XCX is an openworld Scifi RPG made by Mononolith Soft (Nintendo) for the Wii U. It is an indirect sequel to the 2011 Wii title Xenoblade Chronicles.
Plot/Setup
Humanity is caught in the crossfire of two waring alien races and Earth is destroyed. A small subset of humanity manage to escape earth on ships called Arks each of which features a new version of the city it departed on. The game focus' on the white whale, home of New Los Angeles. After spending 3 years on the run fighting for their lives, the white whale crashes on a mysterious planet named Mira. This is where humanities last survivors are to rebuild their lives while under siege from the forces that destroyed earth.
Gameplay
Exploration
XCX has one of the most intricately designed open worlds in existance and its your job. (Should you choose) to join the Pathfinder division and explore Mira, planting probes that will give you resources to upgrade your gear/abilities as well as fast travel points should you wish to return to that area.
The open world can feel overwhelming as at first glance the game doesnt seem to care about the players level. You will quickly find yourself in over your head surrounded by enemies 20-30 levels higher then you.
On second glance however the genius of Monolith Soft starts to shine through. It turns out that this isnt your typical open world, which has been filled with random enemies as it first appears. Its actually an overwhelming series of linear paths perfectly stitched together that the player can follow to reach any required point on the map that their level allows.
Yet this world encourages you to take risks and branch off the designed path looking for secret mini dungeons within caves, amazing vistas and even Superbosses.
Combat
XCX uses a turn based battle system similar to an MMO (Auto Attacks + Abilities on cooldiwns to supliment them) within a typical party based combat of a jrpg. In many ways this feels like the propper evolution to older turnbased JRPG combat as it is still tactical but has the flow most like from modern action games. This is built upon a Stun -Stagger-Topple rythm as you work as a party to topple enemies to do increased damage.
How does it work?
XCX doesnt explain this very well. Combat uses a combination of several interlinking systems that the player has to master and learn how they interact with eachother. These are
1. Level. Players can level up from 1-60.
2. Gear Score: all weaons/armour deal damage and have elemental effects
3.GearAugments: a way to customise and enhance elemental effects, accuracy, evasion among other things
4.Arts: powered abilities that work on a cooldown timer. Have bonus' if stacked.
5. Passive abilities: players have up to 4 that will constantly give players boosts
6. Soul Voices: in battle a party member will make a comment, this will trigger a QTE and give a short term boost in that battle. Its the main way to heal party members
7: A Tension Point system: can be used to revive allies or do increased damage in an "Overdrive mode" tension points build up in battle by doing basic attacks (can be boosted by Weapons/Augments/Passive Abilities)
This is all constrained by your typical RPG trinity class system: with each class having 2 options. What class you chose determines what weapons and arts you are allowed to use. Thankfully the player is allowed to be an allrounder and can level up all classes. Though its best to master one fully before switching as ut allows you to take your gear to the next class you are leveling.
Its all a bit overwhelming. I followed a guide on my second run through. It helps to know that your build from the begining will be viable for the final boss. Especially since the final few chapters have rapid difficulty spikes should you not understand how the systems interact.
Story/Writing
Monolith fully committed to emergent storytelling in XCX. This is done through XCXs affinity system where the player will be presented with choices and if a party member likes that desison a heart will apear above their head if they agree. Its subtle but it allows the player to get to know their party members organically through the weight of multiple simple choices. These choices primarily occur in several mission types.
1. Main story missions
Fully voice acted, with cutscenes. These represent a critical path through the story. At approximately 50hours its pretty meaty, but gives the player little context to what is happening
2. Afinity Missions
Similar to the Mass Effect series loyalty missions, these are also fully voice acted with cutscenes designed to let you get to know your party members better. There are multiple affinity missions for most party members
3. Regular Missions
You get these from talking to NPCs. These shine a light on New LA and its residents and are also fully featured with cutscenes, player choice scenarios and branching quest chains, where decisions you make can have repercussions later.
I've heard the story sucks. Does it.
Yes and No. The Writing in XCX is great overall but most of it is hidden in side content. This writing contextualises the world and its characters. This makes it a rich experience on multiple playthroughs like the Devs must have experienced when testing the game. The main plot is very well set up and all key events are foreshadowed well if you play most of the sidequests, however without playing them the main story beats can feel inauthentic and melodramatic.
If you have 150+ hours to play through everything, potentially multiple times its the best written game this generation. If you only have 50 hours to rush through the main plot it will appear overly melodramatic and leave you feeling hollow and with a bad taste in your mouth. Especially after the multiple Tatsu is not food jokes.
Further thoughts on story
What i love about XCXs writing is that it is a deconstruction of the cost of doing the right thing through a mindset of optimism. Better still is its strong voice on racism and the difficulty of intergrating multiple cultures and people groups. XCX doesnt shy away from all sides of the debate (including presenting characters with racist views) it will even allow the player to agree with them on occasion. Yet the game is always firm in its stance that racism, fear and exclusion are wrong and makes sure to show the negative consaquences of xenophobia.
XCX also takes a strong stance against the prevailing culture of the Anti hero and moral relitivity, with the characters of
and the Wrothians being held to account for why going against ones own values and beliefs or grey beliefs are wrong.
Fundamentally the tone of this game can be compared to a lightside playthrough of KotOR or JRPG Classic FFVI
What are the Characters like?
Elma the games real protagonist is one of the best characters of this generation. She would be what you would get if you combined all the best qualities of Natasha Romanov, Superman, Han Solo and Katara of the Water Tribe. Or Spoilers for XCX and Horizon Zero Dawn
Phog and his brother have a story that harkens back to the story of Edgar and Sabin
Im going to stop gushing right now. With 10+ characters all of whom are expertlty crafted XCX is a masterclass in character writing. Especially its female characters. XCX manages to write 7+ fully developed assertive female characters all of whom are unique and have agency in their choices. Its mind-boggling given the current gaming climate.
For instance if you chose a female player character, one of the dialogue options will be between elma and the player character about hair products. If Irina another female character is in your party she will make a quip about how this talk should stop. This is perfectly in character since Irina is more of a tomboy and uninterested in pursuits that are typically feminine.
There are hundreds possibly thousands of these scenarios littered throught the game.
I also personally think that the player character works better as a female, as it primarily sets the main party as all female. To me it serves as a nice antidote to the cynacism and masculinity of the gaming industry and makes the game feel a bit like the classic 1970s televison version of Charlies Angels. Hence the title of this RTTP: Nagi's Angels.
Soundtrack
You will either love it or hate it. The frequent repetition of its most polarizing tracks is problematic for some.
Conclusion
This game is fantastic, however its missing many basic quality of life features that you would expect of a game released in 2015.
Should I play it?
Its a very polarizing game. If you already own a WiiU, watch the opening cutscene and if you are immediately drawn to XCX play it.
If you love JRPGs and want to own a classic, buy it and a WiiU. This games reputation will improve as people finish it multiple times and good guides filter onto the internet as to how best to experience it.
If you dont fit into either of those categories, I'd skip it and hope for a Switch port with some basic quality of life changes and a better structured main path.
Also Nintendo if you are reading this please remove Afinity requirements for Afinity missions in any port. Thats a hugely problematic design choice that only serves to frustrate the player and lock them out of XCXs best content.
XCX is an openworld Scifi RPG made by Mononolith Soft (Nintendo) for the Wii U. It is an indirect sequel to the 2011 Wii title Xenoblade Chronicles.
Plot/Setup
Humanity is caught in the crossfire of two waring alien races and Earth is destroyed. A small subset of humanity manage to escape earth on ships called Arks each of which features a new version of the city it departed on. The game focus' on the white whale, home of New Los Angeles. After spending 3 years on the run fighting for their lives, the white whale crashes on a mysterious planet named Mira. This is where humanities last survivors are to rebuild their lives while under siege from the forces that destroyed earth.
Gameplay
Exploration
XCX has one of the most intricately designed open worlds in existance and its your job. (Should you choose) to join the Pathfinder division and explore Mira, planting probes that will give you resources to upgrade your gear/abilities as well as fast travel points should you wish to return to that area.
The open world can feel overwhelming as at first glance the game doesnt seem to care about the players level. You will quickly find yourself in over your head surrounded by enemies 20-30 levels higher then you.
On second glance however the genius of Monolith Soft starts to shine through. It turns out that this isnt your typical open world, which has been filled with random enemies as it first appears. Its actually an overwhelming series of linear paths perfectly stitched together that the player can follow to reach any required point on the map that their level allows.
Yet this world encourages you to take risks and branch off the designed path looking for secret mini dungeons within caves, amazing vistas and even Superbosses.
Combat
XCX uses a turn based battle system similar to an MMO (Auto Attacks + Abilities on cooldiwns to supliment them) within a typical party based combat of a jrpg. In many ways this feels like the propper evolution to older turnbased JRPG combat as it is still tactical but has the flow most like from modern action games. This is built upon a Stun -Stagger-Topple rythm as you work as a party to topple enemies to do increased damage.
How does it work?
XCX doesnt explain this very well. Combat uses a combination of several interlinking systems that the player has to master and learn how they interact with eachother. These are
1. Level. Players can level up from 1-60.
2. Gear Score: all weaons/armour deal damage and have elemental effects
3.GearAugments: a way to customise and enhance elemental effects, accuracy, evasion among other things
4.Arts: powered abilities that work on a cooldown timer. Have bonus' if stacked.
5. Passive abilities: players have up to 4 that will constantly give players boosts
6. Soul Voices: in battle a party member will make a comment, this will trigger a QTE and give a short term boost in that battle. Its the main way to heal party members
7: A Tension Point system: can be used to revive allies or do increased damage in an "Overdrive mode" tension points build up in battle by doing basic attacks (can be boosted by Weapons/Augments/Passive Abilities)
This is all constrained by your typical RPG trinity class system: with each class having 2 options. What class you chose determines what weapons and arts you are allowed to use. Thankfully the player is allowed to be an allrounder and can level up all classes. Though its best to master one fully before switching as ut allows you to take your gear to the next class you are leveling.
Its all a bit overwhelming. I followed a guide on my second run through. It helps to know that your build from the begining will be viable for the final boss. Especially since the final few chapters have rapid difficulty spikes should you not understand how the systems interact.
Story/Writing
Monolith fully committed to emergent storytelling in XCX. This is done through XCXs affinity system where the player will be presented with choices and if a party member likes that desison a heart will apear above their head if they agree. Its subtle but it allows the player to get to know their party members organically through the weight of multiple simple choices. These choices primarily occur in several mission types.
1. Main story missions
Fully voice acted, with cutscenes. These represent a critical path through the story. At approximately 50hours its pretty meaty, but gives the player little context to what is happening
2. Afinity Missions
Similar to the Mass Effect series loyalty missions, these are also fully voice acted with cutscenes designed to let you get to know your party members better. There are multiple affinity missions for most party members
3. Regular Missions
You get these from talking to NPCs. These shine a light on New LA and its residents and are also fully featured with cutscenes, player choice scenarios and branching quest chains, where decisions you make can have repercussions later.
I've heard the story sucks. Does it.
Yes and No. The Writing in XCX is great overall but most of it is hidden in side content. This writing contextualises the world and its characters. This makes it a rich experience on multiple playthroughs like the Devs must have experienced when testing the game. The main plot is very well set up and all key events are foreshadowed well if you play most of the sidequests, however without playing them the main story beats can feel inauthentic and melodramatic.
If you have 150+ hours to play through everything, potentially multiple times its the best written game this generation. If you only have 50 hours to rush through the main plot it will appear overly melodramatic and leave you feeling hollow and with a bad taste in your mouth. Especially after the multiple Tatsu is not food jokes.
Further thoughts on story
What i love about XCXs writing is that it is a deconstruction of the cost of doing the right thing through a mindset of optimism. Better still is its strong voice on racism and the difficulty of intergrating multiple cultures and people groups. XCX doesnt shy away from all sides of the debate (including presenting characters with racist views) it will even allow the player to agree with them on occasion. Yet the game is always firm in its stance that racism, fear and exclusion are wrong and makes sure to show the negative consaquences of xenophobia.
XCX also takes a strong stance against the prevailing culture of the Anti hero and moral relitivity, with the characters of
Lao .
Fundamentally the tone of this game can be compared to a lightside playthrough of KotOR or JRPG Classic FFVI
What are the Characters like?
Elma the games real protagonist is one of the best characters of this generation. She would be what you would get if you combined all the best qualities of Natasha Romanov, Superman, Han Solo and Katara of the Water Tribe. Or Spoilers for XCX and Horizon Zero Dawn
Elisabeth Sobec if she had ensured humanitys survival by singlehandedly fighting off an alien invasion in a mech. The remained alive to help rebuild it.
Phog and his brother have a story that harkens back to the story of Edgar and Sabin
Im going to stop gushing right now. With 10+ characters all of whom are expertlty crafted XCX is a masterclass in character writing. Especially its female characters. XCX manages to write 7+ fully developed assertive female characters all of whom are unique and have agency in their choices. Its mind-boggling given the current gaming climate.
For instance if you chose a female player character, one of the dialogue options will be between elma and the player character about hair products. If Irina another female character is in your party she will make a quip about how this talk should stop. This is perfectly in character since Irina is more of a tomboy and uninterested in pursuits that are typically feminine.
There are hundreds possibly thousands of these scenarios littered throught the game.
I also personally think that the player character works better as a female, as it primarily sets the main party as all female. To me it serves as a nice antidote to the cynacism and masculinity of the gaming industry and makes the game feel a bit like the classic 1970s televison version of Charlies Angels. Hence the title of this RTTP: Nagi's Angels.
Soundtrack
You will either love it or hate it. The frequent repetition of its most polarizing tracks is problematic for some.
Conclusion
This game is fantastic, however its missing many basic quality of life features that you would expect of a game released in 2015.
Should I play it?
Its a very polarizing game. If you already own a WiiU, watch the opening cutscene and if you are immediately drawn to XCX play it.
If you love JRPGs and want to own a classic, buy it and a WiiU. This games reputation will improve as people finish it multiple times and good guides filter onto the internet as to how best to experience it.
If you dont fit into either of those categories, I'd skip it and hope for a Switch port with some basic quality of life changes and a better structured main path.
Also Nintendo if you are reading this please remove Afinity requirements for Afinity missions in any port. Thats a hugely problematic design choice that only serves to frustrate the player and lock them out of XCXs best content.