Xenoblade Chronicles is a thoroughly satisfying role-play game that almost anyone can enjoy.
(-) some of the plot devices could have been constructed better / clumsy menu system makes equipping armor tricky / camera can be occasionally difficult to manage during combat / some low-poly textures and environments make appearances
Anyone who anticipated this critically acclaimed Japanese role-play game to release in North America could tell you that having it brought over here wasn't an easy task. After a fan driven effort known as Operation Rainfall more or less begged Nintendo of America to bring this game stateside, they left a stern, cold statement that left many Nintendo fans in the dark. So that makes it close to a miracle to say that, even after two years, it's finally found its way here. It's clear that the fan-driven campaign brought about a lot of awareness of this game, but judging from the hype it built up, you'd have to wonder if its really as great as the fans have been raving out. The good news is, with deep, engrossing game-play that'll intoxicate you for hours on end, a deep, innovative combat system, and a great narrative with characters you'll really care about, Xenoblade more than meets up its high expectations. And not just in a "last drop of cold water in the Wii software drought" neither, a game of this quality would be just as impressive on any other system.
Before getting caught up in Xenoblades myriad nooks and crannies, let's get to the basics. Xenoblade Chronicles is a Japanese role-play game constructed on a massive map similar to most MMO games. You're born and raised in a world which came to be through an ancient tall tale about a brawl between two mythical gods, the Bionis (nature god) and the Mechonis (machine god). Their battle ended in a stalemate, and their lifeless corpses remain stagnant as continents where the various species, like people, machines, and furry little monsters, inhabit as their own. You can already tell by the get-go that a game based around such a broad world is going to be huge, and by assuming that your first impressions would be right on the money.
And what about the main protagonist? You play as the stereotypical sensitive pretty boy by the name of Shulk, who starts out as a fragile, starry-eyed youngster looking for his purpose in life. He has a few friends handy, a brawn-over-brains tough guy called Reyn, and of course a beautiful sweet-heart named Fiora. He's been researching this much revered sword called the Monodo for years, anxious to uncover its hidden secrets. Early on in the game, he figures out he can use its power to see into the future, stopping dangerous attacks on his loved ones. But (spoilers abound), during an invasion from the race of nemesis monsters called the Mechon, he was still relatively inexperienced and watched in horror as his friend Fiora was killed. Without giving away any further details, it seems like something of a cruel joke on the player's emotions killing off a characters so magnetic to the player's emotions so close to the beginning of the game, but at least it makes a convenient excuse to plow through different colonies on a revenge mission. You'll meat a host of new characters along the adventure, many of which playable, and other guests characters that breath more life into this huge, thriving world. On that note, the whole "revenge" theme does go over the limit at some points in the story's cut-scenes.
You'll look forward to these cut-scenes though. You're missing out on half the game if you skip them on your first play-through. They're emotionally fulfilling affairs, which'll bring your joy and heart-ache depending on the situation, as well as some lighthearted, and some truly hilarious moments. Almost every human emotion is represented here somehow. There's also an incredible amount of flexibility in the character's actions during intense battle scenes, making them feel more like a high-budget movie. The music is equally compelling, having different well-composed tunes to add either innocence or drama which add to the impact of the story in a big way. The voice acting, as you might expect, is also incredible. The whole hastily slapped together Nintendo of Europe translation was sort of a lazy move by the developers, but considering this game was never intended for release over here you have to cut them some slack. But its amazing how quickly you get used to it, though some of the repetitive one liners during combat can become vexatious (apparently Sharla has a constant need for a shower. That's a good thing. I like dirty girls.) And even better, if you want to experience the game as it was meant to be heard in its native region, you're free to switch over to subbed Japanese tracks as well.
The heart of Xenoblade chronicles exists in the game's combat system, which blends different genres together into one to create and incredibly addictive, in depth, and fun experience. You're given an interface with a menu of bright icons for attacks, and you use them immediately as you click on them. There's a cool-down period though, so you can't spam the same move over and over again. Just getting started on the combat's numerous nuances, some attacks do more damage or generate new effects depending on their position (you control one of up to three fighters on screen). You can shout orders to your team mates to lock onto one particular enemy or come to you for a revive. Through doing critical attacks, helping your neighbors out by encouraging them to build their tension (high tension makes critical hits more likely, low makes a fighter miss more often), you gain points in the party gauge which can be used for up to three revives, or initiate a chain attack, where you can use whatever combos you can pull off to blast a foe to kingdom kong.
And that's not even mentioning the aforementioned vision system, where Shulk's Monodo will sense a warning of a powerful attack from the enemy, often fatal, which'll happen in ten or so seconds. Before then, you can perform any action to neutralize the attack, be it a healing art, drawing an enemy's attention, or warning another available fighter to use one of their arts. There's enough added depth to make the battles, from small monsters happening to live in the field, or a taxing boss fights, an enjoyable affair that stays fresh no matter how long you play. Though the combat does have its problems, like an occasionally stubborn camera which'll lose sight of the action at the most unfortunate of times.
Of course to succeed in Xenoblade you'll need to do a number of things expected out of an RPG, like level up attacks through art books, grind for levels, or just do some side quests. Though the side quests usually only amount to killing X amount of enemies, or gathering a certain item, so they're a comparatively boring way to play the game. They also tend to farm more experience points than they sometime should, making over-leveling a likely hazard for those who wish to do the bulk of them to really sink into the game. After killing an enemy a treasure chest will drop, where you'll get collectibles you can use for side quests or gift giving to improve your character's relationship with one another. Building up relationships, or affinity, will allow better battle strategies as well as inheritable traits and skills that'll help you succeed in battle. You'll also customize the weapon and wardrobe of your characters every now and then, be it from a battle, merchant, or otherwise, to keep up to speed with the latest challenges. Though a clunky, unwieldy, and outdated menu system can make this undesirable at times. Because you can also craft gems which help boost attributes ranging from attack power, agility, ether, to burn defense, it can be harder than it needs to be to both cycle through your possessions and see a clear before/after idea of your characters stats.
The combat's certainly a big deal, but much of your time might not be spent battling at all, and to no fault of your own. Thanks to the superb scale of the game's world, you'll find yourself taking your sweet time just simply cruising through the beautifully rendered Bionis Leg, a grassy meadow area with various mountains and caves, or the moody Satarl Marsh, with bright, stunning waves of light covering the place. Not only are some of these areas pure eye candy, they're very huge, giving you all the freedom in the world to cut loose of a predetermined path to grasp your surroundings. It can be fun discovering new areas, and simply taking all the detail in. Unfortunately the levels aren't always consistent with their beauty. Later in the game's plot you'll find yourself invading the machine towns, where the former grassy pastures are now replaced with barren grays and browns, and could be an easy candidate for a player's least captivating hours with the title. Close up shots in the cut-scenes also tend to show off some of the graphic's rough edges, particularly character models which clearly weren't afforded the detail they deserved in a game of this massive scale.
And with the average play-through clocking in at over seventy hours, assuming you bypass the side-guests, you're left with a truly captivating, beautifully presented role play game that'll earn a place in any gamer's collection. The characters and their experiences will sway your mind long after you've completed the game, you'll still make assumptions and debates on the stories plot, and eventually you'll long to return to the precious fantasy world once again. It doesn't matter if you've never been big on RPG's or you've been one of the many gamers impatiently waiting for one more compelling title for Nintendo's aging system. Xenoblade Chronicles is a thoroughly satisfying role-play game that almost anyone can enjoy.