Overview:
I've played this game over 100 hours
already and it still feels like I only barely scratched the surface.
This alone shows what a massive game Xenoblade Chronicles X is. The
spiritual prequel of this game on the Wii (Xenoblade Chronicles) is
lauded as on of the best games of the previous generation. In a year
that is quite loaded with RPG and open world games, can Xenoblade
hold its own?
Story:
The Earth is destroyed! This game
starts with quite the grim outlook. The Story follows one of the few
Arcs that managed to avoid the Earths destruction. The White Whale,
as it's called, wandered space for two years before the Aliens caught
up to them and shot the Arc down over a unknown Planet called Mira.
From there on Xenoblade Chronicles X tells a story of survival in an
unkown world against all odds. The Story of the game takes its time
to wind up and if you only play the Story Missions you miss a huge
chunk of it, but it kept me on the edge from start to finish.
Unexpected twists and turns coupled with some awe inspiring cut
scenes (for example all of Chapter Eight) really pull you into the
foreign world of Mira.
Also the characters are damn likeable.
Some people may get annoyed by Tatsu and/or Lin, but to me these two
were among the highlights of the game. Another unique aspect of
Xenoblade is that you Avatar isn't considered the main protagonist.
This role is filled by Elma and in my opinion she fills it quite
well. A negative aspect of this is, that although your Character is
often offered decisions, in the End they don't truly matter. They
have another important role however, but more on that later.
The biggest chunk of Xenoblade
Chronicles isn't the main quest, but the countless affinity and side
quests that tell the story of New L.A., its residents and how they
all try to survive in this new unknown world. There is also a big
chunk of quests that only open up after you finished the main story,
so the epilogue in this game is quite extensive.
Gameplay:
Xenoblade Chronicles X is huge. Often
times overwhelmingly huge. And it doesn't do the best work in
explaining everything to the player. This can lead to a lot of
confusion, and some features I still don't fully understand, even
after 100 hours of play time. Generally speaking X feels more like an
MMO than a classic single player game. From the Combat, to the
exploration and, sadly, most of the quests. That, by no means, should
imply that the Quests are badly written. Far from it. But most of
them boil down to simple kill and collect missions.
But lets start with the basics first.
Your Avatar is fully customizable and offers tons of possibilities.
Even a fierce warrior with a Panda face. Some may say that the Anime
Style of the characters clashes with the beauty of the immense
landscapes. I don't think that, but I can't deny that it took some
time getting used to the presentation of humans in this game.
After getting picked up by Elma and
naming your character, you're then thrown out into the first tutorial
area. This is a good chance for getting used to the controls and
movements of your character. Jumping several feet high into the air
feels great. And it helps a lot in traversing the huge word.
Planet Mira is absolutely enormous.
Gigantic doesn't do it justice. Exploring this beautiful alien Planet
is one of X strongest points. While many of the continents may feel
familiar at first sight, Monolith Soft managed to give them a unique
alien twist.
These continents are also littered with
things to explore. From Hidden caves to majestic peaks there is
something to satisfy every inner explorer. Scattered across the land
you'll find small blue orbs, which symbolize different collectible
items. These are used for Quests, Crafting or just to complete your
Encyclopedia. You'll also find tons of treasures. These come in three
categories, which also require a matching skill level.
The Way you traverse the terrain is
heavily changed two times in the game. Once you acquire your Skell
(huge humanoid Mechs) and once you unlock the flight module and start
conquering the skies of Mira. Flying high above the lands and taking
in the impressive view distance and beautiful landscapes was truly
awe inspiring.
All across the land you'll also find
points where you can use probes. These probes have different offer
different bonuses, but mostly they are used to mine Miranium, credits
and other scarce materials. Miranium is used to refill the tank of
your Skell, upgrade Arms Manufacturer or research new weapons and
armor. Different Probes offer different bonuses and if you use
several probes of the same category next to each other they form a
link and improve their performance. Generally it's important to
install many probes early on, because they not only supply you with
Miranium, but each probe also unlocks surrounding areas on the map,
showing you the location of treasures, quests or Tyrants (Elite
Enemies).
One Issue you'll most likely run into,
while exploring the land, is the vastly varying level of the fauna on
Mira. It sometimes happens that Level 10 and Level 40 creatures live
in the same vicinity. This can be quite frustrating, when your team
members keep pulling these high level monsters, which kill you in one
hit. It also happens during some story missions. One mission still
sticks to my mind. You'll have to destroy three Anti-Air cannons.
Inside the base you'll mostly find level 19-22 enemies, which was
also roughly the level of my crew. However there are also a couple of
Level 30 fiends patrolling through the area. This inconsistency
between levels is an issue that often dampens the enjoyment of the
game.
But before we delve too deep into the
Wildlife of Mira, lets first talk about the people exploring the
planet. Like it said in the beginning, your character is fully
customizable. This even includes the things you wear. Xenoblade
Chronicles X offers a option to change the look of your character,
without actually changing the armor. In World of Warcraft it's called
Transmogrification. This basically means that, even if you war a
full on body armor, your character can still look like he's wearing
Jeans and a Hoodie. It's a great way to see the faces of your crew
during cut scenes, which are all Ingame.
The casual clothes are mostly earned
through side missions, so this is another incentive to do them.
But enough with the aesthetics, let us
talk about the meaty part of the game. Classes, Talents and
Techniques. Your character has three parts in which he can raise his
level. Firstly the classic level, making him stronger and more
endurable until he reaches the max level of 60. Secondly his Class
Level, which unlocks new skills and talents and is capped at Level
10. And lastly his Blade Level, which unlocks different options to
design your barrack and improves your skill in Mechanics, Biology and
Archeology. After reaching Class Level 10 as Novice you then can
choose between three branching paths, which also branch of into two
paths each. This decision, however, isn't permanent. You can change
your Class at any moment outside of battle. Classes determine, apart
from the abilities you'll use of course, what weapons you'll use.
Techniques also come in two general
flavors. Normal abilities and attacks which use Special Points. More
on that later during the talk about combat.
Next come Talents. Talents are passive
traits that are always active. For example 30% more laser damage or
12% accuracy while using a melee weapon. These talents also remain
active while you're inside your Skell, so keep that in mind.
Talents and Techniques can be upgraded
a maximum of five times.
Your party members are also
customizable. The only thing you can't change are their classes.
The most amazing part about Xenoblade
are without a doubt the Skells. After earning your Skell license,
you're finally allowed to pilot your very own Mech. Later on you can
even take to the skies, aerial combat included.
One part about Skells, which I didn't
like, but also adds some tactical depth, is the fuel system. Flying
and the use of Arts during combat drain Fuel. Refilling happens
passively while your outside your Skell or actively through Miranium.
This leads to you planning the use of your Skell, but also slightly
punishes aimless exploration, because flying costs a lot fuel.
Skells are a different entity from your
Character. They come in three different classes. Light, which is
focused on avoidance and melee attacks. Medium, which are range
specialists, but sill well rounded in other departments. And Heavy,
which are classic tanks with a bulk of armor and health. This allows
you to build a well rounded team or One that excels in a special
department.
Skells come with their own weapons,
Arts and even level. Your character does need to have at least the
same level as the Skell, if he wants to use it. Arts do function
quite different. They are determined through the weapon you equip.
Skells can equip a total of eight weapons plus two used exclusively
for auto attacks. This can be quite overwhelming and confusing. It
took me a while till I got the hang of it, also because the game does
once again offer you little to no explanation.
However getting your Skell does
drastically change the way you approach situations. You now have an
even wider array of combat options, because you can exit and enter
your Skell fluently during battles. It also allows you to tackle many
of the huge creatures that roam Mira. And lastly you can even build
your equipment in a way that further supports your Skell, although it
limits your own combat possibilities.
Finally lets talk about the combat.
Just like in it's Quest department (more on that later) Xenoblade
Chronicles X feels like an MMO during battles. Like in its
predecessor on the Wii the battles run in real time. You can fluently
switch between melee and range auto attacks. These build Special
Points which can be used on special techniques, which require them.
Normal techniques don't need special points, but simply time to
recharge after using them.
There are many things to consider
during battle. Most attacks have a second or even third charge. These
slowly fill up, while using the corresponding weapon. These extra
charges buff the damage of the technique or allow several consecutive
uses. During battle you're often faced with the decision between
using the attack right away or waiting for a stronger effect.
Positioning is also very important.
Each Monster has several points, which can be attacked. You can lock
onto this attack points and tell your team to focus on them. This is
especially important, because some attacks can only be used as long
as the corresponding body part is intact. A Grex can only Tail Swipe
as long as he has a tail. Also your critical chance is increased
while attacking from behind.
You also should keep in mind how your
attacks interact with each other. One techniques, for example, lowers
the laser resistance of the enemy and you melee weapon deals laser
damage. Then you should build corresponding combinations to maximize
your damage.
Through a simple button press you can
also open up a menu to give your team rudimentary orders like, Focus,
Melee Attacks or use your Skells. It offers a nice possibilities for
a more tactical approach, but apart from the focus command I hardly
used them.
Special Points can be used on
techniques which require them, or you'll wait till you acquired 3000
and activate Overdrive. This greatly boosts your combat abilities.
Your techniques recharge faster, you'll deal more damage and you'll
take less. Knowing when to use your Overdrive can tip a hard battle
in your favour.
Skell combat works just like regular
battles, with the added possibilities of flight. The Overdrive System
is also present, but functions slightly different. Instead of a
simple boost of your abilities each Skell Model has it's own
overdrive, with different effects.
The last part about battles is the soul
voice system. Once again the game doesn’t really explain this
feature, but it's essential to build a well rounded character and
team. You may recognize your teammates or your own character shouting
commands during battle. For example: Now is the time to strike. Focus
on Melee attacks. These so called Soul Voices award you with
different benefits, if you follow the commands. On your own character
this is highlighted by the corresponding attacks blinking for a short
period of time. These Soul Voices offer buffs like 50% Melee damage
or a good chunk of Special Points.
These Effects can be customized. For
example, opening a battle with a Melee attack can either award 200
Special Points, a short term damage boost or a guaranteed stagger to
the enemy. With this in mind you can further customize your character
beyond your class choice. Heavy Melee Hitter, cautions Sniper or
Supporter. Anything is possible and mastering Soul Voices is the key
to mastering the combat of Xenoblade Chronciles X.
And now lastly a brief overview about
Quests in the game. And these prove to be a sword with two edges.
There are actually four kinds of quests in the game. At the bottom
there are the standard Blade quests offered at the Blade Terminal.
These are standard, MMO Cookie cutter quests. Gather ten of Item X or
kill five of enemy Y or hunt down Tyrant Z. These are only good to
farm some exp or affinity with your team. They have, however, a very
confusing difficulty curve. I've been offered quests to kill level 81
Tyrants, while being only level 40 myself. Also it doesn't tell you
the level of the enemy at the Terminal, but you'll have to find out
the hard way. And if you find yourself in over your head you can only
abandon the quest at the Terminal, which just adds an unnecessary
trip back to the city.
The next kind of Quests are those, who
tell a small story. These quests can be found all over New L.A. and
Mira and are marked through a red question mark. These are used to
flesh out the inhabitants of New L.A. and show their daily struggles.
The objectives, remain simple however. There is hardly more than
collecting specific objects or killing a special enemy. But the small
stories are told engagingly and even build upon one another. These
Quests really are the main part of the game, telling the story a an
ever evolving city, where Aliens and Humans have to live together and
the struggles this creates.
Next up are Affinity Missions. By
completing standard Quests or choosing specific dialog options you
build affinity towards the members in your team. Once you filled the
affinity meter of a specific character enough, you'll unlock an
affinity mission. These flesh out the character of your team and tell
their story. They are fully voice acted and often start with a little
Ingame cinematic. If the normal story missions are the meat of the
game, then these quests are the garnish. You'll learn much about the
characters you travel with. The objectives are once again pretty
standard, but the presentation will let you forget about that. There
are also affinity missions, which aren't tied to a specific character
and just develop the story of New L.A. further.
Lastly there are the big Main Story
Missions. Xenoblade Chronicles X has 12 chapters, but it's pretty
clear that the Main Story is not truly the main story of the game.
It's engaging, but the main part of the game lies in the affinity and
small story missions. Nearly each Main Story Mission can be completed
in about half an hour.
Xenoblade Chronicles X also offers a
nice online part. You can form squads with your friends, which hold
up to 32 members. You then can tackle specific squad missions, which
range from simple kill quests to time trials. It's a nice breath of
fresh air and offers tickets, which you can exchange for several rare
crafting materials. I haven't played to much of the online
multiplayer, but it adds another layer to this already huge and
complex game.
Presentation:
Presentation and music wise Xenoblade
Chronicles X is a sword with two edges. The landscapes, viewing
distances and general world design are beyond beautiful and don't
have to hide behind comparable titles on the X-Box One or PS 4. The
characters however look Doll like and often lack any visible emotion.
In my opinion the Anime Style of the characters doesn't mesh well
with the realistic design of the surrounding world.
From a technical standpoint it is
impressive what Monolith Soft managed to produce on the Wii-U. Apart
from Cut Scenes and one or two Areas the whole world is completely
seamless and without any loading times. This is achieved through
several tricks, which you'll hardly recognize out in the wild. Inside
New L.A. they become more apparent however. Pop-Ups and blurry, low
resolution textures, which only get replaced by high definition ones
after you come close, are a common sight inside the city. There is
also no collision detection with moving objects. Outside in the World
you won't recognize this problems, and if, only when traveling at
high speed with your skell.
Another issue, which you probably won't
notice, but should be mentioned anyway, is the absence of intelligent
shadows. Xenoblade features a dynamic day and night cycle. But while
the sun moves across the sky, the shadows don't follow. They remain
stationary the whole day and simply fade out when the evening dawns.
The game runs at a stable 30 Frames per
Second with only slight drops and offers 720p resolution.
Music wise I have to say that I love
the tracks, but others addressed the fact that the Hip-Hop heavy
soundtrack doesn't feel right on such an alien world. Apart from the
Battle Theme Black Tar I can't share their conclusion. There are some
incredible songs in this Game and they complement the feeling of
Xenoblade perfectly.
Bonusround or the game after the game:
(Small) Spoiler Warning:
After you finish the final boss a lot
of questions remain. These will probably (and hopefully) get answered
in a sequel. Finishing the Main Story also unlocks Level 60 skells
for you to use and opens up several new Affinity Missions, which act
as sort of epilogue, showing you how the story continued after the
''End.''
Apart from that there is still lot's to
do. I was Level 54 when I finished the final boss. After that the
game can become a little bit grindy. Especially when you're aiming to
defeat the strong level 90+ Tyrants that hide all across Mira.
Conclusion:
Xenoblade Chronicles X is one of the
biggest games released this year. You can easily spend over 200 hours
before even coming close to finishing 100% of it. Some times it
overwhelms you with its sheer size and complexity. And it doesn’t a
good job at explaining things to you. But it also creates a feeling,
where you just want to explore this huge alien world.
It often feels like an Offline MMO.
This is both, good and bad, but most of the time the Good wins
outright. Quest tracking is very sub par and the sometimes strange
enemy placement can really dampen your enjoyment some times, but
nonetheless you'll always return for another round of exploration.
The combat is very complex and you'll
need some time to get the hang of it, but it's also extremely
rewarding once you know how to utilize the countless tools the game
offers you.
Presentation wise the incredible
beautiful World of Mira often clashes with an Anime inspired
character design, which often lacks emotion.
Conclusion (One Sentence):
Xenoblade Chronicles X is a huge game,
which often infuriates me with small details, but always has me
return to explore more of its magnificent alien world.
Source of all Pictures: https://miiverse.nintendo.net/users/Dillian
