I was looking to see if I had posted a substantial review of the game way back when I played it, but I didn't.
Alas, I have dozens of small posts.
That said, I LOVED the game. The things I loved about Xenoblade:
- The battle system. It's never too complicated, but it's never so overly simple that you wonder why the game isn't just doing it for you. You're always involved, you're always engaged, and the game gives every character a wealth of skills.
- The scope. As I said in the official thread, the one thing that constantly floored me about the game was the sheer scope. I don't mean the multitude of zones, or even the size of the zones. To me, what was really amazing was the sense of geography. Many zones are open air, and you'll find that you can actually see past zones or areas you've been in merely by looking out on the horizon. This really gives an amazing sense of direction and place. You can tell the designers knew exactly where you were at all times.
- The story. I hate to use the word "epic" when it's not appropriate, so please understand that when I say the story is epic, I seriously mean it. Xenoblade, from start to finish, is the story of an entire civilization's survival set upon a backdrop of political tension, brewing war, and constant, unrelenting genocide. Every character in your party is likable (and some are downright lovable), and the despite its use of JRPG tropes, manages to remain engaging, weaving all its tried and true elements into a tapestry I personally found totally unforgettable.
- The life. The game uses an MMORPG style zoning system, and every creature in the environment is constantly wandering the landscape. Just like an MMO, though, not every creature is hostile. Some are merely living their lives, while others are hostile creatures who want nothing more than you for dinner. Other creatures are hostile parents surrounded by their friendly young, and attacking their young will incur the wrath of their protective guardians, just like in real life. Some areas of the world are more dangerous at night time, and some quests require that you hunt a specific enemy that only comes out at night, comes out in the rain, or only appears when it's sunny. Exploration becomes more dangerous at certain times of day, and it's not unusual to wander into a section of your current zone and finding enemies 30-40 levels higher than you. Not everything is there to be fought. You can't kill everything. You are not a killing machine. You are merely a man with a powerful sword. Some things will downright destroy you.
- The mix of east and west. The game is a JRPG through and through, but it weaves into it so many things about MMOs that I love that it's hard to call it anything but the next generation of JRPG. The game offers Exploration XP for finding hidden spots. MMO style side quests are littered throughout the environment, and some take you all over the world. Bonds between teammates in battle increase their ability to use each other's abilities, as well as new conversations that open up based on friendship. Even the combat system takes into account concepts of aggro and enemy groups. Exploration is unhindered by invisible barriers. Shulk can jump to, and traverse nearly everything, and getting to spots you thought you couldn't could net you a unique quest, or even a chance to take out a rare monster. The game even has achievements!
I can't even think of bad things about the game right now. Seriously. I can't.
-
