Xenoblade is a wonderful JRPG packed with many hours of exploration, combat and customizable goodness.
The story is pretty good as JRPGs go. I mean, it's not a masterpiece by any means, but if you enjoy popular Anime-style stories there is a lot to like here. There is a war between two different races, a mystical sword holds to key to victory, a young man sets off on a quest with a team of varied individuals, and they fight for revenge and to protect their friends and family from complete destruction. Not particularly unique, but the characters are likable and the story flows well. There are also some twists that you might not see coming, especially towards the end of the game.
Graphics are gorgeous. Well, the environments are gorgeous, but the people are a tad on the low-res side. The faces in particular have a...I don't know...dreamcast(?) feel to it. Still, they convey the emotions they need to, and the locations themselves instill a sense of wonder that overcomes the negatives.
The music is especially spectacular. Of course, music is heavily subjective, but even so, the soundtrack truly blows my mind at how many songs I find to be utterly enjoyable.
And of course, the gameplay. You run from point A to point B in a breathtaking world, killing monsters, doing quests, building relationships, crafting gems, finding loot, learning skills, etc. What really brings this game to life is the constant progression. Exploration awards you exp. Quests are plentiful. You're constantly leveling up something, be it the levels of the characters, their friendships, their arts/skills.
The game is also not punishing, which means you have freedom in your playing around with your party setup. Death is a minor setback as you don't lose anything. Tired of playing as a certain character? Switch to another. Each one is unique enough to account for a variety of play-styles.
And as an added bonus, the game comes with two voice tracks, Japanese and English. It's really impressive too. I love japanese voice-acting in general, but I'm also in love with the English dub in this game. Both are great in that regard, so pick which ever you want and change whenever you feel like it.
Speaking of options, the game also allows the choice of either wiimote+nunchuck vs classic controller. I prefer wiimote controls, but if you can't stand the weird positions it imposes upon your fingers, the classic controller is there for you.
Anyway, it's great and I wholeheartedly recommend everyone to give it a try.