Xenoblade Chronicles X

Diddler82

Hi All,

Just thought I would give my humble two cents. The closest I have ever come to a JRPG, RPG, MMO etc was playing the Zelda Series and the original Xenoblade for about 15 mins!

Initially I was a little bit apprehensive about getting this. I listened to the Nintendo Voice Chat podcast and they hyped it up a bit and on IGN they done a reasonably good job of hyping it up. Ended up coming home drunk a couple of days after release and buying it digitally for $90 :eek: (I live in Oz)

It took me a while to get my head around what the hell I was doing with the battle system, the levelling up etc etc and I was probably a bit overwhelmed. I fumbled through the first couple of Chapters of the main story and just kept doing my research online as the game doesn't do much hand holding! I have just finished chapter 4 and have a few affinity quests to do before I can start Chapter 5.

Thoughts so far

Overall - I am loving the exploration part of the game, it is amazing and I love just running around the terrain picking up the random blue orbs and then trying to fill the Collectopedia for Battle Points.
Battle Points - Figured out what they are on Chapter 3 and around Level 10 - So no I go around picking on all the aggressive indigens that I previously has to scarper from!
Battle System - I am getting to grips with it but I suspect I'm not using it to its full potential
Weapons - No idea why I still only have the option of the single gun and single blade for Battling, I'm sure this will figure itself out in time
Weapons Research - I have no idea really what pay off I will get by dumping all my Miranium into this
Fetch Quests - They can be an absolute nightmare especially when they land in the middle of a Side/Affinity Quest. You will need to admit defeat and get Googling - even then you will still drop a couple of hours searching!
Classes/Soul Voices/Affinity Chart - I really have not got a scooby what's going on here so I just look at them the odd time or fiddle about and then exit out!

I'm about 30 hours in because I have not really been ploughing through quests - last night for example I just spent 2.5 hours running around Nocturnia discovering new places, different routes and running from big ass Indigens who don't like the cut of my jib.

Anyone who is on the fence, I would recommend you to give it a crack and then continue to do your research and just try and learning one thing at a time of every few hours otherwise your head will just fall off! Manual is okay but I find online is better to search as it's quicker.

Retr0gamer

You really need the manual in this game and even at that there's a lot you'll need to look up online to understand. There's no real tutorials in the game at all.

CiDeRmAn

I'll get cracking in it later on but I'm not sure how an RPG can work without dungeons and puzzles.
Or am I too western in my RPG expectations?

Retr0gamer

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

I'll get cracking in it later on but I'm not sure how an RPG can work without dungeons and puzzles.
Or am I too western in my RPG expectations?

It's got more in common with something like Skyrim or a MMO than any JRPG.

CiDeRmAn

So much tutorial!
So much!

Retr0gamer

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

So much tutorial!
So much!

It will be 'not enough tutorial!' before long

CiDeRmAn

Retr0gamer wrote: »

It will be 'not enough tutorial!' before long

Actually found myself dropping off at one point..... the dangers of being a 44 year old gamer....

Pac1Man

Lads it sounds like a lot of effort!

Banjo

how does the voice acting compare to the original? I'm still in the early stages of that, but playing 2 repetitious essex bovver-boys running around on a giant's knee beating up rabbits and cows who aren't hurting anyone is starting to get tiresome. If they'd just shut up...

Kiith

Can you play this on the Pro controller? Might not have access to my TV for a while (family staying in there), and would consider getting this to keep me entertained. Plus it'd be another excuse to buy the WiiU, which i've been considering for a while.

Retr0gamer

Banjo wrote: »

how does the voice acting compare to the original? I'm still in the early stages of that, but playing 2 repetitious essex bovver-boys running around on a giant's knee beating up rabbits and cows who aren't hurting anyone is starting to get tiresome. If they'd just shut up...

It's not as intrusive as in the original Xenoblade but they do talk a lot (although it's a huge part of the battle mechanics as doing what the CPU asks is the only way to heal your entire party). I actually liked the first game's VO, it was refreshing after all the Californian/Texan accents in most games. This game has a good mix of accents but they are mostly American. If you are like me you can actually choose Shulks original VO for the MC. I can't get enough of 'I'm really feeling it!'.

CiDeRmAn

I spent a good few hours on it this afternoon, on a training mission where the boss killed me about 4 times, went off, did half and hours grinding, updated some Arts stats, then back into the fray, wallop, job done!
I also see, for a Elder Scrolls person like myself, you can zoom right in for a first person view as well!
Healing the party seems random right now, I'm sure I'm not picking up on something.
But it is very enjoyable so far, though the visual pop in and texture issues makes it feel like an Xbox game at times, and the dubbing into english, while grand, isn't always matching up with what's on screen, some of the cutscenes run 5 or 6 seconds too long, and the lip syncing is not that good tbh.

Is Lin wearing little Monado hair clips?

Retr0gamer

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

Healing the party seems random right now, I'm sure I'm not picking up on something.

When the CPU asks you to do a move you'll see a text box on screen. Just do a move with text boxes colour and you'll heal your party a bit and get some stat boosts. It's pretty much essential for tougher fights.

Also upgrade your arts often, it makes a bigger difference than you think.

Never noticed Lin's hairclips!

CiDeRmAn

Hey, you notice deep strategic techniques, I notice a teenage girls accessories....
Oh dear....

Retr0gamer

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

Hey, you notice deep strategic techniques, I notice a teenage girls accessories....
Oh dear....

A reversal of roles maybe?

CiDeRmAn

You only noticed teenage girls when you were looking to date a Llama!

Ace Attorney

Tip for ye to save a lot of trouble later on: when your blade level goes up you get to choose either mechanical, archological or biological to level up, try to max out mechanical ability first so you can plant the probes in nearly all the areas of the game, it willl save you the headache of trying to level up your blade level to get those bonuses.

murphyebass

I'm very late to the party on this one but I'm about 10 hours or so in to it and it is so so so good. Scratch that, it's simply amazing.

So vast, so much to do, so much to see.

Can't believe I let this one sitting in my backlog since launch.

I can see it being at least 100 hours.

Playing it last night it's the first time in a while where I had to charge the gamepad!!

The gamepad works so well with this game as well being able to see the map as you're walking about and move place to place etc..

If anyone owning a Wii U hasn't picked this one up just go and do it.

I'm not even a huge RPG guy btw so don't be put off.

I'm too early into it to say for sure but it has hallmarks of being the best game on the system.

nix

I bought this and was underwhelmed when i loaded it up, it looks horrible so far, its predecessor looked far better and that was on the prior generations console

Havent loaded it up since :rolleyes:

murphyebass

nix wrote: »

I bought this and was underwhelmed when i loaded it up, it looks horrible so far, its predecessor looked far better and that was on the prior generations console

Havent loaded it up since :rolleyes:

I didn't play the first one as it was too expensive at the time. Will probably pick it up on he virtual console when I'm done with this one.

I don't know did you get the updates when you played it but there is free updates that reduce load times and pop up.

Graphically though i think it's gorgeous. Ive stopped in awe on dozens of occasions.

I was in an area last night that was spectacular, vibrant colours, crazy looking and sounding enemies, etc..

If I'm honest when I got the game originally I played about an hour or so and gave up. Too many things to learn etc but if you get past that there's a wonderful game in there.

CiDeRmAn

I am never going to get into this game, but the DNA of the game engine is throughout BotW, in a good way.

murphyebass

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

I am never going to get into this game, but the DNA of the game engine is throughout BotW, in a good way.

I'll absolutely be picking up botw on the Wii U. Probably in a few months time but for now I'm absolutely engrossed in this. Im 16 hours in and just started chapter 4.

If you can get past the first few hours which I know sounds like a lot to get into a game it is truely stunning. I can't wait to see where it's at in another 16 hours time!

CiDeRmAn

murphyebass wrote: »

I'll absolutely be picking up botw on the Wii U. Probably in a few months time but for now I'm absolutely engrossed in this. Im 16 hours in and just started chapter 4.

If you can get past the first few hours which I know sounds like a lot to get into a game it is truely stunning. I can't wait to see where it's at in another 16 hours time!

Maybe when BotW is done I'll find the game more interesting, I'm just finding missions and the weapons/collectibles hard going, as well as the combat... Christ i hate turn based combat...

murphyebass

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

Maybe when BotW is done I'll find the game more interesting, I'm just finding missions and the weapons/collectibles hard going, as well as the combat... Christ i hate turn based combat...

It's not really turned based though, well not in the conventional meaning of it anyway.
More about timing really and picking your fight with certain foes and avoiding others that are too high a level.

To be honest though if your not interested in investing lots of time then stay away as it demands your time and patience in terms of exploring, levelling up etc..and there is a learning curve. I'm still learning but getting to understand the world the more I play.

Also if this game had Zelda in the title it would have sold gazillions of copies.

I really hope it gets another chance on switch. Even a port would be good to give more people a chance to experience it although the best way to play it is the two screens. Gamepad and monitor/tv

CiDeRmAn

Well, the game is getting a Switch based sequel, maybe a digital only port of the WiiU title to make way for it is on the cards.

I have the previous title in the series on both Wii and 3DS, with only the latter unwrapped!
Haven't gotten round to playing those either,
How does Xenoblade Chronicles compare with X then?

Retr0gamer

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

Well, the game is getting a Switch based sequel, maybe a digital only port of the WiiU title to make way for it is on the cards.

I have the previous title in the series on both Wii and 3DS, with only the latter unwrapped!
Haven't gotten round to playing those either,
How does Xenoblade Chronicles compare with X then?

Actually it's a sequel to Xenoblade Chronicles, X seems to be unrelated... I think.

I preferred Chronicles on the Wii personally. X is more of a massive open world with little structure that you go out and explore yourself. Chronicles is more linear as you travel from location to location but each of those locations is a massive world in and of itself that you can spend about 20 hours in. Chronicles is also more story focused with one of the best RPG storylines in a long time. It turns into a very satisfying hard sci-fi plot towards the end and also has one of the most mature love stories in a RPG since probably Lufia 2, there's nothing else like it in any game I've ever played besides Lufia 2 which is well ahead of its time.

LLMMLL

One of my fave game of all time. The forest continent is probably the best designed world I've ever encountered. So much to see and do. Every sub area a different style. Unfortunately the main story, which starts out like it's going to be classic Takahashi turns to absolute ****. But they're the best at making sidequests interesting. Every sidequests has a good story behind it.

murphyebass

Retr0gamer wrote: »

X is more of a massive open world with little structure that you go out and explore yourself.

It's weird I can easily get tired of open world games. I haven't enjoyed a grand theft auto game in years. I just end up running round crashing, shooting and then not bothering with the main story but X has just sucked me in.
It's the sense of vastness, the sheer scale of the enemies in front of you, knowing when to fight and when to run. It's an explorers paradise.

LLMMLL wrote: »

One of my fave game of all time. The forest continent is probably the best designed world I've ever encountered. So much to see and do. Every sub area a different style. Unfortunately the main story, which starts out like it's going to be classic Takahashi turns to absolute ****. But they're the best at making sidequests interesting. Every sidequests has a good story behind it.

I haven't gotten to the forest yet but that sounds cool.

Too early for me to comment really on the main story but I will say I really like the way you have to complete side missions, and reach a certain level before progressing it as they've so far been fun and I haven't felt bored or the urge to say come on get on with the story already. I think the game rewards you very well.

Retr0gamer

murphyebass wrote: »

It's weird I can easily get tired of open world games. I haven't enjoyed a grand theft auto game in years. I just end up running round crashing, shooting and then not bothering with the main story but X has just sucked me in.
It's the sense of vastness, the sheer scale of the enemies in front of you, knowing when to fight and when to run. It's an explorers paradise.

I'm the same, every open world game I just don't really enjoy, they just feel janky yet also restrictive as the game world becomes scripted when the writer wants to tell a story mission. Xenoblade X and more recently, Breath of the Wild are the only two open world games that I've thoroughly enjoyed. No hand holding, just go out there and explore and discover. Strange that they have both come from the supposedly backwards Nintendo. Those two games do open world far better than the likes of GTA, Horizon or countless Ubisoft games.

murphyebass

Retr0gamer wrote: »

I'm the same, every open world game I just don't really enjoy, they just feel janky yet also restrictive as the game world becomes scripted when the writer wants to tell a story mission. Xenoblade X and more recently, Breath of the Wild are the only two open world games that I've thoroughly enjoyed. No hand holding, just go out there and explore and discover. Strange that they have both come from the supposedly backwards Nintendo. Those two games do open world far better than the likes of GTA, Horizon or countless Ubisoft games.

I think it's the no hand holding, go in figure it out by exploring that I'm loving so much alright. Hopefully it keeps my interest. I really feel I haven't even scratched the surface at this point. Definately value for money here.
Can't believe I left it on the shelf until now. I've had it since launch!!!
So happy I gave it a second chance after my failed first try. I think Destiny was my game of choice at the time though so nothing else was getting any play at all.

Also dissapointed you didn't feel the love for Horizon. I was tempted to buy it but well now xenoblade and then Zelda it's a bit out of my way for now. Maybe the goty edition in a years time lol better value