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StarTopic Xeno Series Community |ST|
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Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Is A Genius JRPG Vision That Began 25 Years Ago
With his latest JRPG epic, Tetsuya Takahashi has reached the culmination of a profound artistic quest
kotaku.com
Excellent article that really captures a lot of my own feelings about the series, particularly in relation to 3. Even if the shift in focus of 3 relative to past games did lead to disappointment for me personally. The earnestness and sincerity that forms the emotional core of the series for me is still there, and I think its that that the industry really needs now. Moreover, regardless of my own tastes, I'll always be glad that Takahashi is getting to make what he wants, even if what he wants doesn't match my tastes or expectations as well now.
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I just finished reading this and was considering posting it myself! What a great summary of the.. I was gonna say "the Xeno Saga" but.. that's already a thingXenoblade Chronicles 3 Is A Genius JRPG Vision That Began 25 Years Ago
With his latest JRPG epic, Tetsuya Takahashi has reached the culmination of a profound artistic quest
Excellent article that really captures a lot of my own feelings about the series, particularly in relation to 3. Even if the shift in focus of 3 relative to past games did lead to disappointment for me personally. The earnestness and sincerity that forms the emotional core of the series for me is still there, and I think its that that the industry really needs now. Moreover, regardless of my own tastes, I'll always be glad that Takahashi is getting to make what he wants, even if what he wants doesn't match my tastes or expectations as well now.
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So this might be weird but I've been having thoughts about how these games keep coming out when I need them the most. Especially after the end of 3. It's personal so I don't wanna come across like I'm trying to gunk the thread up but I wanna get it off my chest because this series really is a big, big deal to me and the timing has just been.. almost weirdly perfect.
So here goes:
ANYWAY yeah.
Xenoblade, yall.
So here goes:
Hidden content is only available for registered users. Sharing it outside of Famiboards is subject to moderation.
ANYWAY yeah.
Xenoblade, yall.
Got 15 hours in my second attempt at finishing Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and, holy shit, the difference that
1) Having those DLC boosts alongside QoL features such as skippable awakenings
2) Knowing what's going on gameplay-wise
is making is immense. I'm actually enjoying strategising and thinking about how I'm gonna build my party and such. Elements like Poppi Swap that I saw as this inscrutable thing before is something I could see myself genuinely putting time into (helped considerably by the
With that said, I do have some questions that might help. I'm on Chapter 3 and have just fought the Wide Australian:
I'll probably have more questions as I make my way through the games, but this is where I'm at right now. Definitely enjoying it for sure!
Though, damn... this game really needs a resolution boost. I forgot just how ridiculously blurry it can get sometimes:
(tbf this is portable mode but still)
1) Having those DLC boosts alongside QoL features such as skippable awakenings
2) Knowing what's going on gameplay-wise
is making is immense. I'm actually enjoying strategising and thinking about how I'm gonna build my party and such. Elements like Poppi Swap that I saw as this inscrutable thing before is something I could see myself genuinely putting time into (helped considerably by the
With that said, I do have some questions that might help. I'm on Chapter 3 and have just fought the Wide Australian:
- In Argentum should I be sending money away to Rex's home, and should I care about the warehouse thingy?
- When bonding new blades, should I just try and spread them out equally?
- Is there any good way to grind trust with your blades and/or development levels?
I'll probably have more questions as I make my way through the games, but this is where I'm at right now. Definitely enjoying it for sure!
Though, damn... this game really needs a resolution boost. I forgot just how ridiculously blurry it can get sometimes:
(tbf this is portable mode but still)
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Neverx
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1. Sending money away to Rex's home triggers a side-quest but other than that it's not important to the story. For the warehouse I think it's for a blade quest but I can't remember, it's not important to the overall game though.Got 15 hours in my second run of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and, holy shit, the difference that
1) Having those DLC boosts alongside QoL features such as skippable awakenings
2) Knowing what's going on gameplay-wise
is making is immense. I'm actually enjoying strategising and thinking about how I'm gonna build my party and such. Elements like Poppi Swap that I saw as this inscrutable thing before is something I could see myself genuinely putting time into (helped considerably by the
With that said, I do have some questions that might help. I'm on Chapter 3 and have just fought the Wide Australian:
- In Argentum should I be sending money away to Rex's home, and should I care about the warehouse thingy?
- When bonding new blades, should I just try and spread them out equally?
- Is there any good way to grind trust with your blades and/or development levels?
I'll probably have more questions as I make my way through the games, but this is where I'm at right now. Definitely enjoying it for sure!
Though, damn... this game really needs a resolution boost. I forgot just how ridiculously blurry it can get sometimes:
(tbf this is portable mode but still)
2. I'd recommend opening blades/cores on other characters outside of Rex as later in the game you can put any blade on Rex.
3. Raising trust level comes from combat with blades but also using favorite pouch items for the blades. That said raising trust level is kind of grindy so just do it at whatever pace you want. For development levels do side quests and spend money in the shops.
Vladimir
Loves Xenoblade 2
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Yes friend, I dream of the day we can play the game in higher res on a Nintendo console.Got 15 hours in my second run of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and, holy shit, the difference that
1) Having those DLC boosts alongside QoL features such as skippable awakenings
2) Knowing what's going on gameplay-wise
is making is immense. I'm actually enjoying strategising and thinking about how I'm gonna build my party and such. Elements like Poppi Swap that I saw as this inscrutable thing before is something I could see myself genuinely putting time into (helped considerably by the
With that said, I do have some questions that might help. I'm on Chapter 3 and have just fought the Wide Australian:
- In Argentum should I be sending money away to Rex's home, and should I care about the warehouse thingy?
- When bonding new blades, should I just try and spread them out equally?
- Is there any good way to grind trust with your blades and/or development levels?
I'll probably have more questions as I make my way through the games, but this is where I'm at right now. Definitely enjoying it for sure!
Though, damn... this game really needs a resolution boost. I forgot just how ridiculously blurry it can get sometimes:
(tbf this is portable mode but still)
I know there is ways currently to make it happen now but I want a way provided by Nintendo and I'm willing to wait.
Enjoy your 2nd playthrough buddy. Keep us updated! =)
Thanks! I'm finding that using the cheapest favourite item types over and over is a relatively decent way of getting some trust. I'll keep going on and seeing how things are.
Tbh I'm playing the game now because I don't expect a resolution update; if it does happen it'll probably be a definitive edition type thing.
And my bad, I wrote the post wrong. Haven't actually finished the game ever, and this is just the 2nd attempt I've had. Decided to delete my old 20 hour save file and start over, and that's been a great decision so far.
Mr.Fletcher
Bob-omb
If you can push through some of the early annoyances and some obtuse design decisions, there's a special game there. The back half is, for my money, peak Xenoblade. Hope you enjoy it.
I'm near the start of Chapter 4 and, yeah, the game's really picking up for me. Now that the combat has opened up more, and with me knowing a lot more about how things should be done, the entire experience has sort of 'come together.' Stuff like Merc Missions for instance adds a really good reason to keep a bunch of blades around, and helps a ton with the "sorting anxiety," I get from systems like that. Similarly, the DLC items - whilst technically 'cheating' - really help in giving me some leeway when it comes to being able to make some decisions and such. Also really appreciate the QoL features that weren't there for me near launch. Being able to skip awakening animations is a god-send. Overall it just feels significantly less 'overwhelming' than I initially thought... something that really shows how kinda crap the game is at tutorialising itself.
The story is still being marred a bit by some of the more... cliche moments, but I'm really looking forward to seeing where it goes from here. Unfortunately a bunch of plot points have been spoiled for me, but the general gist of how things fit together hasn't.
The story is still being marred a bit by some of the more... cliche moments, but I'm really looking forward to seeing where it goes from here. Unfortunately a bunch of plot points have been spoiled for me, but the general gist of how things fit together hasn't.
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Neverx
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She’s decent when you max her but honestly not worth the time
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Aaaahhh the discovery of Ursula's Bearing Her Soul quest, a Xenoblade rite of passage
(seriously don't worry about her, there are so many other rare blades)
D
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Her merc missions are a good way to complete the affinity charts of other blades (especially common blades) because they're really short. So it's not all bad. Just mostly bad.
Yeah I'm gonna do it, but I'm not gonna worry about grinding it out. I'll just make sure I've done it by end/post-game cause, I mean, I've already started lol.
This is true. I can get a few rewards in my common blades and maybe one in a rare blade when I send them out. Seems good for the blades I don't plan on using much.
BradenAndEggs
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I only used “canon” story blades that appeared in story cutscenes and beat the game just fine, so don’t feel obligated to use any blades over the others beyond completionist stuff!
Mr.Fletcher
Bob-omb
Leftheria has wonderful music too. The night theme is dream-like. Peak fantasy.
Holy fucking shit what a grind that was. Absolutely insane that this is just... in here. Like a second 20-hour mini-game where the only gameplay is going through menus every 5-10 minutes. This took me from when I was at about 45 hours played, to now when I'm at 70. Though a fair few hours of that time was just pure idling.
Cause I'm compulsive and find things hard to ignore, I felt like I had to do this quest before I made significant progress in the game. I mean, I've still not left for Indol yet. However I'm kinda glad I did it, because now I don't have this Ursula-shaped cloud over my head. I can just focus on what blades and character I do have, instead of worrying about upkeeping this gargantuan quest.
Still. I genuinely don't know how they thought this was a good idea. I sort of understand that it's meant to be a game-long thing, but it really really fucks with the whole Merc Mission mechanic by forcing you to use it soooo much more than you would were you doing things normally.
Any which way...
Mr.Fletcher
Bob-omb
We are Ursula’s new groove!
OK, some story predictions at the start of Chapter 6:
I'm probably wrong on most of those but it's nice to speculate 
(Seriously thank god they let you skip them now)
- That guy in the hood in the flashback is totally either Shulk, or a reincarnation of Shulk.
- Indol is 100% gonna be this game's Alcamoth. It's pretty much the same place, it's side-quests are limited and it has no unique items in its shops.
- Like 90% of the plot twists coming up are gonna be "WOOPS! ALL BLADES!"
- Jin is this game's version of Arvis
AND WE DO WHAT WE CAN
(Seriously thank god they let you skip them now)
Mr.Fletcher
Bob-omb
The coming chapters will give you much to speculate on. Lots of good stuff on the horizon. I feel like I’m repeating myself from above, but the back half is great.
I love the opening chapters because I found the world enchanting - the titans, the different nations, blades, the cloud sea… just the vibe of it all.
And the music stitches together the fantasy all together beautifully.
But there’s definitely an ebb and flow to the early chapters that will wear some people down, that’s not to mention how poor the tutorials are.
That said though, I think the payoff is excellent. And there’s lots of foreshadowing to go back and appreciate.
It’s one of those games that has issues for sure and for some, they will understandably prove too much. But for others, man when all the pieces fit together and you view it as a whole, it’s got a touch of magic.
I probably had more moments of outright frustration in XC2, than either XC or XC3, but it was worth it all.
Keep us posted. And anyone else playing any of the games at the moment. I’m in the DLC Wave 4 waiting room at the moment.
I might give the whole series a run through when the final DLC hits. Thank god the art community for the series is still so active. You love to see it.
I love the opening chapters because I found the world enchanting - the titans, the different nations, blades, the cloud sea… just the vibe of it all.
And the music stitches together the fantasy all together beautifully.
But there’s definitely an ebb and flow to the early chapters that will wear some people down, that’s not to mention how poor the tutorials are.
That said though, I think the payoff is excellent. And there’s lots of foreshadowing to go back and appreciate.
It’s one of those games that has issues for sure and for some, they will understandably prove too much. But for others, man when all the pieces fit together and you view it as a whole, it’s got a touch of magic.
I probably had more moments of outright frustration in XC2, than either XC or XC3, but it was worth it all.
Keep us posted. And anyone else playing any of the games at the moment. I’m in the DLC Wave 4 waiting room at the moment.
I might give the whole series a run through when the final DLC hits. Thank god the art community for the series is still so active. You love to see it.
Man God
Non Canon™
So I've been avoiding this place because of my shame in not playing XBC3. I'm now almost done with a first playthrough (I better be, I'm nearly 200 hours in) and gosh, I never thought they'd come up with a bleaker, more depressing world than that from XenoGears, but they managed it.
Yeah, one of my biggest issues story-wise with Xenoblade 2 so far is the complete and utter disregard for any semblance of gameplay-story cohesion in some areas. There's the multiple "absolutely destroy enemy in gameplay, struggle in cutscene," thing, but then there's stuff like:
I appreciate the openness, but I feel like the game could have used more guiding in some parts (with maybe a warning beforehand). At the very least block fast-travel lol
Cutscene Characters: "OH NO! GENBU IS GOING DOOOOWN! WE HAVE THREE HOURS OR ELSE WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!"
Gameplay Characters: "What? We're all going to die in three hours? Meh. Let's act as normal. Maybe even go on a world-wide tour to buy some Narcipear Jelly.
Gameplay Characters: "What? We're all going to die in three hours? Meh. Let's act as normal. Maybe even go on a world-wide tour to buy some Narcipear Jelly.
I appreciate the openness, but I feel like the game could have used more guiding in some parts (with maybe a warning beforehand). At the very least block fast-travel lol
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Ooooooh yeah, there are some points later in the game where I was definitely going "why am I still able to fast-travel? what is the canonical reason for my party being able to leave and go to another continent right now??"
Quick Question about Xenoblade 2:
So Pyra's just been kidnapped, should I focus on the story for now before I go back to side-questing and such? I'm gonna assume she'll be back, but I'm unsure as to how soon. In terms of resources I don't need any more XP or money and such as I was already far above Akhos/Mikhail/Patroka, making the fight a cake-walk.
BradenAndEggs
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I hardlined the story from there (I was caught in the drama lol), but you can get sidequests done if needed. It was more difficult for me without crutching on Pyra/Mythra, but if you are already dealing with fights easily, you should be fine. I will say there will be a moment soonish where it really won't make too much sense to go around the world sidequesting too much for the rest of the story, so if that sort of thing bothers you (it doesn't bother me too much personally), you might want to clear them out now.
Thanks! I think I'm gonna
Wait until I get Pyra back, then focus on side questing before going to the ending. That stuff does bother me, but I can't see anything as bad as "WE HAVE THREE HOURS AND WE'RE STUCK IN THIS PLACE! Lets go side-quest," happening again lol.
BradenAndEggs
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Haha yeah I don't think there's any moment as urgent as that one. (The specified time limit lol) There are upcoming moments where you may side-eye being able to fast travel and sidequest though. It didn't really impact me too much 'cause I was pretty minimalistic on sidequests. Again, caught up in the drama. 
Fuck, this is bad for my choice anxiety...
I just got Nia's blade form, and now I don't know what the hell to do. On one hand, Nia's apparently great for healing and would allow me to focus more on damage with Tora/Morag and Zeke alongside Rex. On the other hand, I've yet to fill out Driver-Nia's Affinity Chart, and I've still got a bunch of blades on here (that is, all my healer blades...). So using her as a blade will mean neither get any progress in their respective charts, leaving her behind in those terms.
Shit, I hate when stuff like this happens. What should I do?
Shit, I hate when stuff like this happens. What should I do?
BradenAndEggs
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Like I said, I wasn't a completionist with charts and stuff, but the cutscenes' story beats imply Rex is "canonically" using Blade!Nia at this point in the story. (If that's important to you.)
I don't think it matters too much, however. If you have a team comp you would rather get done, go for it! I will say... there will be ample opportunity to utilize both Blade and Driver!Nia after this story segment as well. There's a bunch of freedom. I don't want to spoil too much lol
I don't think it matters too much, however. If you have a team comp you would rather get done, go for it! I will say... there will be ample opportunity to utilize both Blade and Driver!Nia after this story segment as well. There's a bunch of freedom. I don't want to spoil too much lol
Yep, I'm seeing it. The past few chapters of Xeno 2 have been so bad for the whole "story-gameplay discrepancy stuff."Ooooooh yeah, there are some points later in the game where I was definitely going "why am I still able to fast-travel? what is the canonical reason for my party being able to leave and go to another continent right now??"
"OH NO PYRA'S BEEN KIDNAPPED AND IS GONNA DIE!"
"OH NO GENBU IS FALLING"
"OH NO PYRA'S BEEN KIDNAPPED AND IS GONNA DIE!"
"OH NO WE'RE STUCK ON EARTH!"
"OH NO JIN ESCAPED! WE NEED TO HURRY!"
There really should have been a moment story-wise where they're like "OK. You've got past the big story bit and are free. Go do some side-questing and get some XP before the final confrontations." The way it is you go from entering Tantal's Palace to just non-stop crisis moments; it's so weird lol.
I just got to the base of the world tree and when I go up in the lift I'm gonna treat that as the "go do some side-questing," point. Don't care if it makes no sense as to why or how they'd leave at that point.
"OH NO GENBU IS FALLING"
"OH NO PYRA'S BEEN KIDNAPPED AND IS GONNA DIE!"
"OH NO WE'RE STUCK ON EARTH!"
"OH NO JIN ESCAPED! WE NEED TO HURRY!"
There really should have been a moment story-wise where they're like "OK. You've got past the big story bit and are free. Go do some side-questing and get some XP before the final confrontations." The way it is you go from entering Tantal's Palace to just non-stop crisis moments; it's so weird lol.
I just got to the base of the world tree and when I go up in the lift I'm gonna treat that as the "go do some side-questing," point. Don't care if it makes no sense as to why or how they'd leave at that point.
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So I'm at 115 hours into Xeno 2 - with my entire party at Level 72 - and I think I'm ready to finally go towards the end. What I'm realising is that a lot of these blade quests and such are probably best done in the post-game, so I'm gonna leave them for then. Having that looming thread of "you should probably go finish this," is definitely hurting things, especially when I don't realistically need much 'power' to actually do so. I mean, the DLC blades themselves are OP as fuck lol
I've just got to the bottom of the world tree. Reckon it's feasible for me to finish the game tonight and on my day off tomorrow? Thanks
I've just got to the bottom of the world tree. Reckon it's feasible for me to finish the game tonight and on my day off tomorrow? Thanks
Zeal543
Paratroopa
Yeah it's possibleSo I'm at 115 hours into Xeno 2 - with my entire party at Level 72 - and I think I'm ready to finally go towards the end. What I'm realising is that a lot of these blade quests and such are probably best done in the post-game, so I'm gonna leave them for then. Having that looming thread of "you should probably go finish this," is definitely hurting things, especially when I don't realistically need much 'power' to actually do so. I mean, the DLC blades themselves are OP as fuck lol
I've just got to the bottom of the world tree. Reckon it's feasible for me to finish the game tonight and on my day off tomorrow? Thanks
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I've been replaying Xenoblade 1, got to the Fallen Arm yesterday, it's one of my favorite parts. Damn, this game is gorgeous. Of course it has its flaws, it's a bit grindy, but overall Monolithsoft accomplished something truly great with this game
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Fallen Arm was where I realized it was gonna be one of my favorites of all time.
The original Blade is still one of those few games that's the definition of 'lightning in a bottle'. As much as I like the rest of the Xeno games (or dislike in the case of Saga), there's nothing quite like the original Blade out there when it first launched, and while I think Blade 2 is still the best in the series, it still didn't manage to really replicate the uniqueness of the original. Takahashi and crew really knocked it straight out of the park 
Mr.Fletcher
Bob-omb
Yeah, the original has a vibe that‘s completely unique. Like Shadow, I think the second game is the best in the series, albeit, more uneven, but there’s a special sauce in the original.
I think that’s one of the reasons the second game is so different. They really swung for the fences and made some bold choices, as there was nowhere left to go.
XC3 feels like a more measured sequel than XC2, for better and worse.
I think that’s one of the reasons the second game is so different. They really swung for the fences and made some bold choices, as there was nowhere left to go.
XC3 feels like a more measured sequel than XC2, for better and worse.
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I've never played a Xeno game before. I mean, I did play Xenogears for a while back in the day, but didn't get too far, it didn't click with me.
I really wanted to play XC1 on the Wii but it took so long to get localized I had moved on by the time it happened. So I got the Switch version when it released, but never actually got in the mood to play it. I ended up impulse buying XC2 too a while ago because I saw the physical edition was back on print and I didn't want to risk missing it.
I've been finally getting the itch to play these games now, but been avoiding them because Zelda comes out in May and I don't want to get saturated on open world games. I'm really looking forward to play XC1 later this year though. I absolutely love highly customizable RPGs that go crazy with their systems, so the series looks like it's right up my alley (despite the sexualization stuff which I hope I can bear with).
I really wanted to play XC1 on the Wii but it took so long to get localized I had moved on by the time it happened. So I got the Switch version when it released, but never actually got in the mood to play it. I ended up impulse buying XC2 too a while ago because I saw the physical edition was back on print and I didn't want to risk missing it.
I've been finally getting the itch to play these games now, but been avoiding them because Zelda comes out in May and I don't want to get saturated on open world games. I'm really looking forward to play XC1 later this year though. I absolutely love highly customizable RPGs that go crazy with their systems, so the series looks like it's right up my alley (despite the sexualization stuff which I hope I can bear with).
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Yeah the worst thing about the series for me I think is that XB1 had such an impact on me that it set an impossible bar for any sequel. No matter how good any other XB game is there's always a piece of me comparing it to the way the first game made me feel and there's just no winning that fight.The original Blade is still one of those few games that's the definition of 'lightning in a bottle'. As much as I like the rest of the Xeno games (or dislike in the case of Saga), there's nothing quite like the original Blade out there when it first launched, and while I think Blade 2 is still the best in the series, it still didn't manage to really replicate the uniqueness of the original. Takahashi and crew really knocked it straight out of the park
Man God
Non Canon™
This happened to me...and then 2 came along and was better in pretty much every aspect, though it took multiple playthroughs for me to fully realize it.
Just finished Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and, I have some thoughts. It's quite late and I wouldn't mind getting to bed soon so I'll keep it in bullet points. Won't stop me being too verbose as usual lol
As for gameplay; overall I'd definitely say it's an improvement over the first. It feels like they took what worked in the first game and streamlined it, whilst adding more customisation and flair to things. Quests, for instance, are generally less annoying to complete. Similarly, whilst I still don't really like the whole "incredibly slow area level," thing, not having to worry about getting the best outcome in any particular quest is nice as well. The combat system felt like a side-grade; not really worse but not a massive step up either. To me my biggest issue was that the only good way to get consistent Driver Combos was to have Rex with Pyra/Mythra, a Great Axe, and a Smash art. However, I must admit that destroying some of the final enemies with insane damage driver/blade combos was immensely satisfying.
A QoL feature I really think the game needed was a "recommended level," description on quests. With quests having you jump across the globe so many times it's easy to get waaay too overlevelled for many quests. One particularly egregious case saw me leave a quest I could have done at level 30 until I was at level 65 because I didn't realise that you don't actually have to beat the level 90 enemy they throw at you.
Now, I can't write all this without praising the absolute hell out of the environmental designs in this game. It's often an issue I have in games that, despite being able to render literally anything they want, they tend to render, well, our own world but slightly different. Skyrim, for instance, is just Northern Europe with trolls n' shit. That's fine, but what this and the first game show is that they can do so much more than that. Uraya is the highlight for sure: it's just amazing.
Also, on a last note, I need to give some credit to the controllable camera system in the game. It's so flexible and easy to use that, despite the gameplay staying identical, I found myself constantly shifting how I viewed said gameplay. Sometimes I'd want to move to a 'modern open world' like over-the-shoulder close camera. Sometimes I'd want a much wider view to appreciate a landscape or fully incapsulate a big fight. Sometimes I'd just want to see things in first-person. AFAIK only Bethesda's open worlds do this as well, and they definitely don't do it as eloquently as this does.
So, do I regret putting 120 hours of my life into this game? No, not really. I think it has a lot to offer, and by god does it have an addicting gameplay loop. even if it's not right now I plan to put some more hours into the game, and I'm definitely gonna play Torna sometime (though now now. The story is both epic and filled with numerous little character moments, even if not all of them land. I just think it's held back by that need to, well, give the fans what they want.
Any which way, I present to you: My Journey to Elysium- In Pictures
(Goddamn do I wish these games had, at the very least, a way to hide the UI)
- So... Pyra and Mythra returning after their sacrifice at the end. Personally, not a fan. To me, it feels like the culmination of the main issue I have with the game: that of some amazing moments and storytelling let down by a seemingly base desire towards 'fan service.' I don't think the very idea of Pyra or Mythra coming back is in itself an issue; I don't think the ending should have been bittersweet just for the sake of being bittersweet. However, the way it's portrayed - with Rex not only getting one girl, but two at once, just rubbed me the wrong way and harmed what would have been a really excellent ending.
- I hate to be negative twice in a row, but said fan service is a major issue that harms so much of what the game is going for. For instance, below I praise Poppi as a character, and she is a good character. A child-like robot who learns to be more confident in herself as the game goes on. Oh, and Tora used her for maid roleplay.
- Despite that, I really liked how the story and all its elements wrapped up. The connection to the first game was so fun to realise, and so was the realisation of how blades and the like came into existence. Also unlike the first game it feels like they balanced each character much more throughout the entire plot, instead of having the bulk of their growth and relevance relegated to their own particular 'arc.' A small thing like Poppi's ability to lift people up - a funny, throw-away bit in the beginning - being used near the end to provide both a cool 'badass' moment and an emotional moment as well.
- However, many characters did fall flat. Patroka, Mikhail and Akhos just made no impression me so when they died all I could feel was a resounding "meh." The Tantal King
- Any which way, I did turn around on the lighter tone of things in this compared to the first game. Zeke's initial introductions, for instance, could be seen as just more cringe - but when you take it at face value and laugh alongside it, they're actually really fun. Same goes for much of the melodrama and scenes of characters going "NICE MOVE! BUT MY POWER IS MORE POWERFUL THAN YOUR POWER! WITNESS MY POWER!" Yeah, it's cheese, but cheese is nice sometimes. Just not when you're reminded that said cheese was used in maid roleplay.
As for gameplay; overall I'd definitely say it's an improvement over the first. It feels like they took what worked in the first game and streamlined it, whilst adding more customisation and flair to things. Quests, for instance, are generally less annoying to complete. Similarly, whilst I still don't really like the whole "incredibly slow area level," thing, not having to worry about getting the best outcome in any particular quest is nice as well. The combat system felt like a side-grade; not really worse but not a massive step up either. To me my biggest issue was that the only good way to get consistent Driver Combos was to have Rex with Pyra/Mythra, a Great Axe, and a Smash art. However, I must admit that destroying some of the final enemies with insane damage driver/blade combos was immensely satisfying.
A QoL feature I really think the game needed was a "recommended level," description on quests. With quests having you jump across the globe so many times it's easy to get waaay too overlevelled for many quests. One particularly egregious case saw me leave a quest I could have done at level 30 until I was at level 65 because I didn't realise that you don't actually have to beat the level 90 enemy they throw at you.
Now, I can't write all this without praising the absolute hell out of the environmental designs in this game. It's often an issue I have in games that, despite being able to render literally anything they want, they tend to render, well, our own world but slightly different. Skyrim, for instance, is just Northern Europe with trolls n' shit. That's fine, but what this and the first game show is that they can do so much more than that. Uraya is the highlight for sure: it's just amazing.
Also, on a last note, I need to give some credit to the controllable camera system in the game. It's so flexible and easy to use that, despite the gameplay staying identical, I found myself constantly shifting how I viewed said gameplay. Sometimes I'd want to move to a 'modern open world' like over-the-shoulder close camera. Sometimes I'd want a much wider view to appreciate a landscape or fully incapsulate a big fight. Sometimes I'd just want to see things in first-person. AFAIK only Bethesda's open worlds do this as well, and they definitely don't do it as eloquently as this does.
So, do I regret putting 120 hours of my life into this game? No, not really. I think it has a lot to offer, and by god does it have an addicting gameplay loop. even if it's not right now I plan to put some more hours into the game, and I'm definitely gonna play Torna sometime (though now now. The story is both epic and filled with numerous little character moments, even if not all of them land. I just think it's held back by that need to, well, give the fans what they want.
Any which way, I present to you: My Journey to Elysium- In Pictures
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The wait for the dlc is so painful
I have a huge backlog but all that Im thinking is playing another Takahashi masterpiece.
I have a huge backlog but all that Im thinking is playing another Takahashi masterpiece.
BradenAndEggs
Like Like
The wait for the dlc is so painful
I have a huge backlog but all that Im thinking is playing another Takahashi masterpiece.
More than once, I've contemplated finally playing Xenogears while I wait.
You should. Story wise its still the best one. Battle system is not that great, but everything else holds up. I really love the graphics in that game and it was a blessing in disguise that they didnt have ff7 budget and didnt go 3d.
Question for people who played X - would you be satisfied if monolith made a remaster or would you rather get a remake of that game? I haven't played the game myself, but I've read mixed things about it. Controllable mechs are the main selling point for me, but there's supposedly not much focus on story and there are a lot of fetch quests. I wonder what will monolith do next. I would love they explored the idea of playable mechs, but Im not sure I want X in current state (I'd buy it day one anyway )
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Absolutely yes. Remaster, and barely one at that. It's gorgeous already and does not need to be remade imo, it just needs a console with more RAM and faster media read speeds to fix the atrocious pop-in. And Switch has both.Question for people who played X - would you be satisfied if monolith made a remaster or would you rather get a remake of that game? I haven't played the game myself, but I've read mixed things about it. Controllable mechs are the main selling point for me, but there's supposedly not much focus on story and there are a lot of fetch quests. I wonder what will monolith do next. I would love they explored the idea of playable mechs, but Im not sure I want X in current state (I'd buy it day one anyway
Zeal543
Paratroopa
remaster with QoL fixes would be cool. Doesn't need a remake, needs a sequel although I'm pretty sure they just incorporated stuff they were planning on doing with X into XC3 (and possible future titles).Question for people who played X - would you be satisfied if monolith made a remaster or would you rather get a remake of that game? I haven't played the game myself, but I've read mixed things about it. Controllable mechs are the main selling point for me, but there's supposedly not much focus on story and there are a lot of fetch quests. I wonder what will monolith do next. I would love they explored the idea of playable mechs, but Im not sure I want X in current state (I'd buy it day one anyway
