Arguably the best JRPG of this generation and my all time favorite Wii game.
Story: 10/10
Yes it's still the typical teenage boy sets out on his own personal journey that eventually becomes a save the world thing, but the journey and world this game takes you through is something quite special and very original. You play as Shulk, a 17 year old trying to figure out the mysteries of the Monado (aka the Xenoblade). The world he lives in is on a giant robot named the Bionis in which organic life rose from and on the other side is the Mechonis, the Bionis's arch rival in which synthetic life arose. The Mechons have been terrorizing the citizens of Bionis and Shulk and friends set out on a journey to destroy the Mechons. Not wanting to spoil anything, the journey this game takes you through is very much filled with twists and surprises. I can almost guarantee whatever prediction you will have while playing will most likely be wrong.
Graphics: 9.5/10
So forget that we're in an HD era of gaming, actually, even when taking that into consideration, it's hard to not be impressed with the beauty that this game presents. The character models are a bit flat in terms of their faces and expressions but are highly detailed (and change clothes as you equip them with different gear) but aside from that, the environments are gorgeous and the colonies are also a site to behold. Monsters are varied in appearance and go from small animals to giant dinosaurs. That first time you witness the landscape of the Bionis is probably one of the most iconic scenes of the whole game.
Music: 10/10
Masterful, each song is beautifully orchestrated and suits each environment and colony perfectly. Part of the reason it was such a joy to traverse through each area along with how stunning each area looked was also the music.
Gameplay: 10/10
Taking notes from MMORPGs, the battle system is fast, strategic, addicting and fun. Instead of being turn based, you control one character and if they're close enough to their target, will automatically attack. You can choose skills that run on a cooldown system instead of SP/MP. It is up to you how you organize your party to effectively take down monsters. Each skill will usually cause a status effect, the break/topple/daze effect being the most iconic of Xenoblade and the most useful. Break actually does nothing to the monster, but this status affect must be present in order to topple the monster, which will immobilize them and allow you to deal even more damage and for some monsters (like the Mechon) is the only way to damage them without the Monado. During topple, you can daze them to further extend the topple period. Characters like Reyn and Dunban are best for executing these (both make for excellent tanks so it's recommended you have one of them at all times). Another great feature to this game is the fast travel system, allowing you to visit previously visited landmarks at almost any time.
Value: 10/10
I clocked in a little over 100 hours in my first playthrough and I knew there was still a ton of things I did not do. There's a ton of sidequests (many of which do not require you to return to the quest giver), each area has a handful of extremely powerful monsters that just make you want to return later on at a much higher level to destroy, all your characters have an affinity chart that will benefit you if you max out for each member (although I recommend you keep Sharla and Riki's affinity with each other low for Gem crafting purposes). I also knew I missed out on extra skills and story events, so I'm sure if I set out to do everything, I could've probably spent another 30-40 hours.
Overall Xenoblade Chronicles is an outstanding achievement from Monolithsoft and if you have a Wii and haven't played this game, you must support this amazing game to ensure future releases. If you don't have a Wii and plan on getting a Wii U, this game can easily make any wait worthwhile.