Xenoblade Chronicles X is my Game of the Year, edging out Bloodborne and MGSV.
I discuss why in my illustrated writeup.
I only skimmed this thread, but to address a few points:
- The presence of high-level enemies is intentional. They're cleverly placed in such a way that they form a dynamic maze you must navigate. You can sneak past them when their backs are turned, like a stealth game, or you can keep a respectful distance as you run between them. The controls in this game are excellent, allowing you to nimbly move around your enemies. And the varied terrain provides plenty of alternate routes. The world is well-designed with all of this in mind.
The high-level enemies create suspense when you're exploring, keeping you on guard at all times. Even in your skell, there are still plenty of enemies strong enough to defeat you. It's always exciting to find new places, but at the same time you have to be cautious since you don't know what lies in wait.
For less skillful players, the high-level enemies can be a roadblock and gate off certain areas. Those players will be funneled through a certain progression. But if you're cunning, you can find ways around these enemies and access challenging areas earlier than expected. Doing so will reward you with more probe sites, intel, treasure, etc. It's risk vs. reward. The world is vast and entirely open from the start, so if you're willing to outwit and outrun strong enemies, you can tackle the core of the game (exploration) in nonlinear fashion.
It's intoxicating, really. Makes exploration incredibly addictive.
- Regarding performance, I have all four data packs installed (about 10 gigs the equivalent of what similar games on other systems would do for a mandatory install). And with all four data packs, load times are super-short and only appear when you first boot up the game or when you fast-travel. Beyond that, it's seamless traveling between the five continents and every area therein (including the city of NLA). No loading whatsoever at that point. And pop-in is minimal I only notice it when certain skells pop into sight at the entrance to NLA. Enemy pop-in happens at a distance, so there's no risk they can surprise you.
- You can play the game however you want. Elma and Lin receive priority for the main story, but you get to spend plenty of time with your other party members in the normal missions (received from NPCs) and affinity missions (fully voiced side stories involving other main characters). So pick the party members you like and focus on them. And if/when you want to level up the others, there are easy ways to do so.
In terms of how you spend your time, again, it's up to you. I could've knocked out the main story in the amount of time I've been playing, but I keep sidetracking myself with exploration, sidequests, customization, etc. Everything is interconnected, in terms of gameplay and plot. It all adds up in the big picture.
