Xenoblade Chronicles confirmed for Europe

European Wii gamers are about to receive an anticipated export from Nintendo, as the company today announced that it would be bringing last year's man-versus-machine-themed Xenoblade to the continent later this year.

Now called Xenoblade Chronicles, the game is set in a fantasy universe where the robotic army of the Mechonis seeks to conquer the flesh-and-blood Bionis. With the help of two companions, players will traverse the world attempting to discover the truth behind a magic sword called the Monado. When it launches in Europe, the game will feature an optional English-language voice track, as well as subtitles in five languages.

While a Nintendo representative had not updated the game's North American release status with GameSpot as of press time, a Western release for Xenoblade has been in the cards for some time. Nintendo unveiled the game at the 2009 Electronic Entertainment Expo under the name Monado: Beginning of the World. As recently as January, when the publisher reported its financial third quarter results, it still listed Monado: Beginning of the World on its "launch schedule of primary Nintendo products" for North America. However, it noted that the game's title was temporary, and the release window was given as "TBA."

Xenoblade isn't the only Nintendo-published RPG that Western fans have been waiting for. The Mistwalker-developed The Last Story--perhaps the final game from Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakuguchi--debuted in Japan in January but has yet to be confirmed for other regions.