I just use XCXGecko to boost my level to the appropriate level for the story missions.
-
Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!
I just can't get over my disappointment with Xenoblade Chronicles X
- Thread starter skypunch
- Start date
I just use XCXGecko to boost my level to the appropriate level for the story missions.
Adam Prime
hates soccer, is Mexican
I agree. Only thing Xenoblade Wii has on X is story and characters, and arguably the OST. That said, I think Xenoblade Wii is GOAT and X is #2, because the story and characters are that good in Wii.
Completely agree. Flying in the Skell is AMAZING. But you can easily get out of the Skell and transverse on foot knowing you have a bad ass mech as backup. The only thing they implemented wrong is not allowing you to "jump" once you have the flight mod, they should've still given you that option so you can transverse on ground in the mech.
Absolutely agree. JRPGs either fall into the "Pre battle strategy" or "During battle strategy" in their implementations of a battle system. Xenoblade Wii and X both fall into pre-battle category... most of the time during battles you are just using the same offensive game plan despite the situation, the decisions you make during combat are minor and handled on the fly easily. Think: Final Fantasy XII - it's all about that pre battle setup.
While games like Persona 4, weigh more heavily on making the proper decisions in the actual fight itself. You can fail the same fight multiple times, use the same setup, and win because you executed a better strategy. That's not really the case in Xenoblade series, if you can't win the fight you need to go to the menu screens and rethink your setup.
Adam Prime
hates soccer, is Mexican
Oh wow, you need to play the original.. it's on the eShop and you can play the whole thing off the Gamepad. It's REALLY good, and pretty different than X.
I think the story and premise of X was excellent 10/10, but they never went anywhere with it. How hilarious is it that the opening problem in the first hour in the game does not get resolved until ~80 HOURS LATER in the final cutscene in the game? LOL Xenoblade Wii does the opposite of this by evolving what you think you know about the world and situation, every few hours to keep you engaged, and by the end of the game the opening premise is entirely different than the ending resolution. It really is one of the best JRPG story/premises of all time. Very few games keep you hooked and guessing for ~70 hours experience, and they don't manage to lose you along the way with what's happening *COUGHCOUGHXENOGEARSCOUGHCOUGH*
Obviously story wasn't the focus here, which is a huge bummer because the premise and ending are so so so good. I would love to see a sequel or follow up DLC to expand on the world and premise, especially the ending - where they leave the story, are ripe for an interesting world. So much potential left on the table....
But it is not a bad game at all, an opencritic of 84 tells u that much.
Vigilant Gambit
Member
I watched this documentary where a dude said that he did some of the music in Xenoblade Chronicles X. He said the examples that they gave him of what they wanted was generic rap, so he phoned it in and they ate it up.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenoblade_Chronicles_X#Music
Not Spaceghost
Spaceghost
I liked it more when I realized it was just the JRPG version of Battlestar Galactica but it just felt so weird for a game, the battle system was awesome and really interesting but the game felt really busy work for so long, it takes ages for your character to get strong enough for regular battles to be shorter than 2 minutes. You're constantly swamped with side quests and you're forced to explore for story progression that doesn't even have a particularly satisfying pay off.
That being said, just naturally exploring and wandering around the world felt really great, it was all the forced exploration that felt annoying.
That being said, just naturally exploring and wandering around the world felt really great, it was all the forced exploration that felt annoying.
It was the complete opposite for me, I was extremely disappointed when I saw the credits rolling and thought "That's it?"
Story was so barebones, the sidemissions focusing on everything else that had nothing to do with the main plot, that it felt unsatisfying and left so many questions unanswered with no assurance that a sequel will come around to tell the answers.
In the end, I think XC1 was way more satisfying with its storytelling.
Nocturnowl
Member
I played this again yesterday for the first time in months and the only cutscene I encountered in my brief playtime for a sidequest still managed to insert a Tatsu is not food situation.
Boy that sure hasn't got old after the first hundred times!
It's a decent enough game and I respect its ambition but it just feels like way too much, I went back after realising that I'd never actually taken a look around Sylvium and spent most of the time constantly being mugged by anything and everything, when my Skell can fly I'll consider that my personal endgame.
Boy that sure hasn't got old after the first hundred times!
It's a decent enough game and I respect its ambition but it just feels like way too much, I went back after realising that I'd never actually taken a look around Sylvium and spent most of the time constantly being mugged by anything and everything, when my Skell can fly I'll consider that my personal endgame.
X was the better game of the two. The improvements to the combat, exploration, NPC interactions (seriously the NPCs in this game are unmatched by almost anything other than Trails games), and sidequests outweigh the gap in quality between the main quest and music. I spent 180 hours 100%ing the game and I never once felt bored.
Regarding the music: I think most of the soundtrack is quite good, with some tracks that equal or surpass even the best BGM in Xenoblade. The problem is that all of the worst songs (the normal battle theme, NLA theme, that one cutscene track with the ridiculously overpowering vocals) are the ones that play the most often.
Regarding the music: I think most of the soundtrack is quite good, with some tracks that equal or surpass even the best BGM in Xenoblade. The problem is that all of the worst songs (the normal battle theme, NLA theme, that one cutscene track with the ridiculously overpowering vocals) are the ones that play the most often.
Adam Prime
hates soccer, is Mexican
I think this game is going to be well regarded in about five years, more than it is today.
I can see this game being a "Phantasy Star Online" type of experience for a lot of people... well received at the time, but with a lot of criticism... now its revered as most as a classic experience.
I can see this game being a "Phantasy Star Online" type of experience for a lot of people... well received at the time, but with a lot of criticism... now its revered as most as a classic experience.
I haven't beaten XCX yet, but I'd say it is the better game. I just met
and I've played for about
.
The world is just so fun to explore. I love that each hexagon on the map has its own 'task' for you to complete. The 'gathering' missions aren't as tedious as the ones in the original XC. Lots more characters and optional side stories.
The one downside is that Tatsu makes me hungry.
Celica
100 hours
The world is just so fun to explore. I love that each hexagon on the map has its own 'task' for you to complete. The 'gathering' missions aren't as tedious as the ones in the original XC. Lots more characters and optional side stories.
The one downside is that Tatsu makes me hungry.
EdwardTivrusky
Member
I stopped doing the gathering missions a while ago. I just collect the shit out of stuff and when i'm back in town i put the quest thing on page 2 to see the requirements and any that say 5/5 or whatever are the ones i accept. Exit out of mission terminal and presto! A whole bunch of "Completed" dialogs appear. Super simple.
Of course if there's a reward i really, really want then i'll grab it when see it as the gathering missions do time-out eventually. I usually get at least 2 or 3 mission rewards that way. Just be careful not to give away all your rare items by mistake!
Of course if there's a reward i really, really want then i'll grab it when see it as the gathering missions do time-out eventually. I usually get at least 2 or 3 mission rewards that way. Just be careful not to give away all your rare items by mistake!
Borboleta Amarela
Member
I sunk 100 hours into this game and I still wonder why sometimes. I can't remember anything about the game...
thebisonxrc
Member
I picked up Xenoblade Chronicles 3D for N3DS, so it's just a matter of time before I play through it. I've heard a lot of positive things about it. Definitely looking forward to finally giving it a go!
It was awful, some people liked it which is fine. But yeah it was a huge disappointment, the game would had been better off becoming a MMO then anything with the game we got at the end of the day. The game only accomplished one thing, that it made it clear that Monolith doesn't know what made the first game successful and not everything they touch is gold.
But honestly there were so many flaws with this game I wonder if anyone at the company actually bothered to try and addressed them and was bluntly ignored. I can't believe how many poor game-making decisions were made with this game, I've never counted so many before in my life. I did come in with reasonable expectations and have every expectation taken, twisted, and destroyed. If I can blame anyone or anything on why this game is terrible, I blame the atmosphere. Damm atmosphere, ruining all of are games by just being there surrounding our Earth. Bastard.
But honestly there were so many flaws with this game I wonder if anyone at the company actually bothered to try and addressed them and was bluntly ignored. I can't believe how many poor game-making decisions were made with this game, I've never counted so many before in my life. I did come in with reasonable expectations and have every expectation taken, twisted, and destroyed. If I can blame anyone or anything on why this game is terrible, I blame the atmosphere. Damm atmosphere, ruining all of are games by just being there surrounding our Earth. Bastard.
DecoReturns
Member
I actually wouldn't compare X and Xenoblade.
They are just too different, similar battle system but everything else makes it look like X should've been called something else. Although giving it a different name would've possibly have a decline of sell since they lose Brand recognition
They are just too different, similar battle system but everything else makes it look like X should've been called something else. Although giving it a different name would've possibly have a decline of sell since they lose Brand recognition
linko9
Member
Yeah, it was a huge disappointment to me. I tried really hard to like it, but it was just too bloated with tedium. Too many characters, none of which were developed all that much, too many worthless quests, too many odd systems. Worst of all was the level-locked equipment. Stopped playing after 60 hours. Shame because there was so much to like in the game, but it was bogged down by bloated design.
Linkstrikesback
Member
It probably would, yeah.
I bought the game solely because I trusted the xenoblade name despite the warning sirens I had from trailers suggesting that I wouldn't like it.
fakeedit:
Me said:
I should have listened to myself.
Adam Prime
hates soccer, is Mexican
You're 100% correct about everything in this post.
They should've used the "Xeno" name but not kept the "Blade Chronicles". "XenoSkell" or something would've worked, ANYTHING to let people know that this was a spiritual sequel to the Xeno-series, but not a direct sequel or followup to Xenoblade Chronicles in particular.
You really had to "sift" through the "tedium" to not get bogged down by it. Yeah there are a lot of quests, they're there for people who want them, but you don't need or have to do any or all of them. The problem is people get to feeling that they "need to do it all", but you really don't in X. Hell, you never NEED to craft an agument for a weapon or level up Skills, Arts for your party members. You don't NEED to partcipate in the FrontierNav probe system outside of the mandatory checkpoints mid way through the game. You don't NEED to hunt for the best Skell weapons or any of that.
So much of the game is optional and so much is there for those who wish to partake in it's complex systems, but it was poorly communicated to the player that much of what it had to offer was optional business. As a result players felt "forced" to understand its many complex systems, and while I found it worthwhile to understand and partake in them, they were never required.
finalflame
Banned
Soundtrack is shit.
Gameplay was better.
Story isn't even in the same league.
Gameplay was better.
Story isn't even in the same league.
Adam Prime
hates soccer, is Mexican
Is there a JRPG story that people think is better than Xenoblade Wii? There are definitely better characters than Shulk and gang... but premise and execution of story, I don't think so.
Maaaaybe, you could argue Persona 3 or 4. That's really the only thing that comes to mind, but I prefer Xenoblade over that.
Xenogears is pretty good, but that's a game whose story is too much for its own good and needed some serious editing. I would love to see a Xenogears story remake/retelling.
Ploid 3.0
Member
^ I'd argue the premise is pretty standard JRPG fare, and I'd also argue the plot kinda falls apart in the final third. Nothing horrific, but still.
The original's narrative was very much held up by the likeable cast, the voice acting, and the production values that went into telling the tale.
I'd go as far as to say that X's narrative is actually relatively unique in dome respects - particularly with the emphasis on humanity's burgeoning efforts to survive and how the player protagonist doesn't completely stand above anyone in terms of importance, instead being part of a bigger whole.
The original's narrative was very much held up by the likeable cast, the voice acting, and the production values that went into telling the tale.
I'd go as far as to say that X's narrative is actually relatively unique in dome respects - particularly with the emphasis on humanity's burgeoning efforts to survive and how the player protagonist doesn't completely stand above anyone in terms of importance, instead being part of a bigger whole.
BruceLeeRoy
Banned
I actually really loved this game but I can certainly see where the OP is coming from
Weltall Zero
Member
Besides collectable quest which were not that much better in the original XC, I agree 100%. The original grabbed me and didn't let me go until I finished it, playing several hours a day. X sits incomplete and I intend to revisit it, but with Dark Souls 3 and Smite hoarding most of the time, who knows when that'll be.
By the time you get your mecha (let alone the flight packs) you have had to endure such an amount of badly animated, bloated character interaction that they become a respite rather than a crowning jewel. Oh, and you get a cheesy, vocal J-pop track starting over every time you use your jets, even to clear small obstacles.
Digital Devil Saga, Mother 3, and Trails in the Sky off the top of my head.
Maximillion Galactica
Neo Member
Do so many people hate the soundtrack just because of the NLA themes and Black tar? That's four songs out of an 83 song soundtrack. I don't understand you guys. Have you forgotten the beauty of the Sylvalum theme? The utterly awe-inspiring THEMEX? CODENAMEZ? The beautiful So nah, so fern? The ocean theme? Oblivia, Noctilum, Primordia, Cauldros, and how perfectly they fit in each of their regions? The key we've lost? aBOreSSs being the perfect song for the chapter 11 boss? I can name so many other tracks that you guys seem to have completely ignored just because you don't like a handful of the songs. It's a shame, really.
I could argue that there are better Jrpgs. Several actually, on the top of my head, SMT Nocturne, SMT DDS-DDS2, Xenosaga Ep.3. FF Tactics (it's even much better than FFXII don't know why people consider FFXII the best FF Story). Thing is I felt Xenoblade had that Shonen feel, while nothing bad about it, it isn't anything special.
Persona 4 on the other hand had great character development, but the story was actually normal.
Danny Dudekisser
I paid good money for this Dynex!
The world themes fit the regions, but they weren't particularly memorable. The only ones I can really remember are the Primordia daytime theme and the Noctilum night theme, and both were pretty generic.
I mean, you compare this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-P4I3yu7Zc (Noctilim Night)
to this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TA7pFI4pEv0 (Satorl Marsh Night)
and it's like "what the fuck happened?"
bruh the flute is amazing in the noctilum theme
but i do agree overall xenoblade 1 soundtrack is superior
Maximillion Galactica
Neo Member
I'm actually one of the oddballs that didn't see anything special about the Satorl Marsh Night theme. It's a nice theme, with great vocals. But I don't see anything outstanding about it. Noctilum Night isn't my favorite either, but it fits. But this song is legendary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LW9nKlXyz_o
Borboleta Amarela
Member
Xenoblade Chronicles really has an amazing OST. I'm getting them feels listening to it again.
Danny Dudekisser
I paid good money for this Dynex!
I mean... it's alright. I don't think the melody is particular interesting, and I guess that's probably most of what I look for in RPG music.
There was also nothing like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_n9lMS3ahw
I could listen to that shit foreeeeevvvveeerrrr
??
Of course there are stories better than Xenoblade, it's not like story is the best part of Xenoblade anyway (I love the world). NieR? FFT? Personally I'd put FFIX and the Crossbell parts of Trails of series there too. Also P3 has a mediocre story and P4 has a straight bad story,P2 is better than both of them. Both games have some of the best character development though.
Maximillion Galactica
Neo Member
Oh, that song is my absolute favorite song from Xenoblade. That song is also legendary. I'm not sure if I like it or Sylvalum Night better, though. Both are amazing.
Yup, this is when the game lost me. Was forced to explore to continue the story mission. Just didn't feel fun after that at all. Made it like 30 hours, I think.
Mechanized
Member
Lack of a real story and soooooooo much filler really sucks. The story bits are pretty bad as well. There's something to be said for a directed narrative that unfolds the world. The ability to go wherever is cool, but I was often left wondering, should I be here? Is this really the way I should be going? Why are there enemies 20-40+ levels above me on the way to this level 5 quest location? Why is there a level 90 world boss just hanging out in this lake? It's a really bizarre design that just amounts to running away from a lot of shit or avoiding areas because you don't want to die.
I also found stats combined with stuff you slot into equipment that you have to make by funding manufacturers and crafting them from drops/resources to be nigh-incomprehensible. You can upgrade starting equipment that makes it viable until about 20 hours in, seemingly, meaning you have no use for new gear for ages which makes loot really underwhelming. It's very odd. Combat, while fun, I never really felt like I had a grasp on all the systems at play. It seemed over-complicated and messy. Not to mention map nodes and relationships. The world itself was beautiful but suffered thanks to being on the Wii U. When combat felt like it was going right, it did feel really fun though. Even if I wasn't sure if I was doing the right stuff.
It's an ambitious game that was way too ambitious for its own good. I feel the overall game suffered dramatically as a result.
I also found stats combined with stuff you slot into equipment that you have to make by funding manufacturers and crafting them from drops/resources to be nigh-incomprehensible. You can upgrade starting equipment that makes it viable until about 20 hours in, seemingly, meaning you have no use for new gear for ages which makes loot really underwhelming. It's very odd. Combat, while fun, I never really felt like I had a grasp on all the systems at play. It seemed over-complicated and messy. Not to mention map nodes and relationships. The world itself was beautiful but suffered thanks to being on the Wii U. When combat felt like it was going right, it did feel really fun though. Even if I wasn't sure if I was doing the right stuff.
It's an ambitious game that was way too ambitious for its own good. I feel the overall game suffered dramatically as a result.
PensivePen
Member
I actually didn't care all that much for the story in XC, it was serviceable but exploring the world was much more rewarding and was what I had far more fun with than waiting on the next cutscene or trying to get those affinity conversations. I was actually fine with the fact that XCX chose to place less emphasis on a straightforward narrative and centered itself all around what I liked most about the previous game, exploring the world. That said, when the writing and cutscenes do show up in XCX, they're often of much lower quality than the ones in the former game. It gets kind of annoying. I enjoyed most of the soundtrack in both games and I thought the combat was greatly improved in XCX. Plus I really enjoyed how bizarre and alien many of the creatures were in XCX.
AzureSkies
Member
I haven't finished the game (I took a break because of college around the time I got my Skell), but I really enjoyed the game. But then again, I really enjoy solo MMO questing, there's something relaxing about it.
Nocturnowl
Member
Probably because of how Black Tar is reminiscent of an early 2000 nu metal style track.
Do people still say nu metal? did they ever?
There's much better stories out there. Hell I would argue that Arc Rise Fantasia was better and that was on the Wii. Now that example is my opinion, and I can certainly see someone disagreeing.
It's a hostile alien world. It's supposed to feel dangerous, that's the whole point. You're not supposed to feel welcome, you're supposed to feel like you've crash landed on a world that existed just fine before you showed up and now you have to adapt or die.
Danny Dudekisser
I paid good money for this Dynex!
I mean, Xenoblade Chronicles did the same thing, but it made it a lot clearer where you are and aren't supposed to venture. I get that it's an alien world, but it's also supposed to be a game.
This has probably been covered (I haven't read through the entire thread), but my biggest complaint about XCX was the rate of progression in terms of Skell availability vs Continents accessed.
Basically, I feel as though I had only really had a chance to explore Primordia, Noctilum and 20%ish of Oblivia before getting access to a flying Skell. Basically once I could fly, I had zero reason to run, so I just flew around, unlocking Data Probes so I could quick travel.
I hadn't even seen Cauldros at this stage (some 45hours in). So I just flew around. I remember thinking, 'man this is an awesome castle overlooking a ravine, it would have been epic climbing these stairs' but I didn't get this opportunity, because i had zero incentive to.
Once the Skells come in, I had faster and easier transport, and more firepower for combat, rendering on-foot gameplay pretty much useless.
This is on me, I get that. The option to be on foot was there (I chose to use the Skell), but the balance of the game, and the rewards for non-Skell were severely lacking.
I really think that flying Skells should have been a post-game unlock, with areas only accessible via Skells being your End Game zones.
Basically, I feel as though I had only really had a chance to explore Primordia, Noctilum and 20%ish of Oblivia before getting access to a flying Skell. Basically once I could fly, I had zero reason to run, so I just flew around, unlocking Data Probes so I could quick travel.
I hadn't even seen Cauldros at this stage (some 45hours in). So I just flew around. I remember thinking, 'man this is an awesome castle overlooking a ravine, it would have been epic climbing these stairs' but I didn't get this opportunity, because i had zero incentive to.
Once the Skells come in, I had faster and easier transport, and more firepower for combat, rendering on-foot gameplay pretty much useless.
This is on me, I get that. The option to be on foot was there (I chose to use the Skell), but the balance of the game, and the rewards for non-Skell were severely lacking.
I really think that flying Skells should have been a post-game unlock, with areas only accessible via Skells being your End Game zones.
Danny Dudekisser
I paid good money for this Dynex!
I also remember spending like... no time in Cauldros, after they hyped that area up like it actually mattered. That was dumb. What I do remember doing a lot of at the end of the game was grinding for fucking money.
The more I think about it, the more I realize how garbage the overarching game design was.
The more I think about it, the more I realize how garbage the overarching game design was.