Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Editionrecently released for theNintendo Switchjust a short time ago. Its arrival comes not too far after the release of its sequel,Xenoblade Chronicles 2and its expansion. The highly acclaimed core series had a lesser known sibling released on the Wii U in 2015.Xenoblade Chronicles Xdidn’t see the amount of players it deserved as the Wii U was the worst-sellingNintendoconsole since the Virtual Boy.
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It’s a shameXenoblade Chronicles Xhasn’t seen many players. In many ways, it’s the best game in the entireXenometa-series. However, the game was developed on a tight budget so some elements pale in comparison to the core series. The major emphasis is establishing and polishing new gameplay mechanics ahead ofXenoblade 2.
10Better: The Skells
Xenoblade Chronicles Xreally delivered here. Long-time fans of theXenometaseries will knowthese gigantic, Gundam-style suitscall back to the originalXenogears. It takes about thirty hours of play to gain access to the Skells, but they’re definitely worth the wait. Not only do they serve as insanely powerful exo-suits, but they also transform into all terrain vehicles. In addition, Skells are capable of flight and can be fully customized with gear and new paint jobs.
9Worse: The Soundtrack
JRPGs are known for their rich and beautifully epic scores.Xenoblade 1 and 2, scored by Yoko Shimomura and Yasunori Mitsuda respectively, are no exceptions. Both games have scores as big as their worlds and this helps the playerfeelthe size and expanse of them.
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The music rarely fits the scene and as a result does not provide the right atmosphere. This is one of the few places where the limited budget and focus on game-play becomes obvious. It’s a small thing, but a bigger score can provide much more immersion and make the world feel more full and complete.
8Better: The Class System
It can take over 100 hours to complete the main storyin many JRPGs. TheXenoseries is no stranger to this. One thingXenoblade Chronicles Xprovides to keep the game-play fun and exciting is a class system that encourages changing classes on the fly. Changing your class can be done easily at any time outside of battle. Starting back at first rank is no big deal since you’ll level quickly and you’re able to easily find some low-level creatures to fight until your new class is maxed. As a result, game-play stays varied and interesting for many hours.
7Worse: Party Characters
Xenoblade Chronicles Xreally failed when it came to interesting characters. Once again, it’s important to consider the focus ofXenoblade Xwas to establish new mechanics forXenoblade 2.
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It’s not that the characters inXare bad mechanically - they’re just boring to look at. There are so many to choose from and they all look like average people. It’s required to party up with specific characters outside of your three main characters for certain missions. Finding them can be annoying as they’re found randomly wandering the city and looking just like every other NPC. As a result, it’s often difficult to find these characters and start the mission.
6Better: A Centralized Home Base
The “home base” ofXenoblade Xis the city of New Los Angeles. The city itself is located in a massive spaceship and looks like something ripped right out of the present day. Most of the game is spent exploring and surveying a vast wilderness so the city and ship provide a nice change of scenery.
Most JRPGs emphasize a journey. As a result, there’s never a place that truly feels like home. New Los Angeles and the ship serve as a main hub for the party. Here the party will find everything they need. For instance, your Skell hangar, all playable characters, a trophy room, and even a lounge for the party are located in the biosphere.
5Worse: Light On Story
Thecore installments in theXenobladeserieshave incredible stories and fantastical worlds. They feel ancient and lived in and this results in better immersion. A great story is what drives a player to keep putting the time into these lengthy games so story is key.
Xenoblade Xemphasizes mechanics over story so things can drag on while completing missions for the next Chapter. FortunatelyXenoblade Xmakes switching classes and mechanics easy so there are tons of styles to try out. This mechanic is much needed as it can make the weak story more bearable.
4Better: Emphasis On Exploration And Reconnaissance
JRPGs tend to have a lot of “go-fetch quests” and this can get rather boring. There are only so many lost kittens and recipe items to be found and these things can add to the tedium. SinceXenoblade Xfocuses on the last hope for humanity exploring and surveying a new planet, it feels like there is more purpose to “go fetch” quests. The entirety of humanity depends on the party clearing beasts out of the surrounding area and finding various natural resources. This results in all the little “go fetch” quests feeling like they have a greater purpose. The scope is much bigger than one little kid and his missing cat.
3Worse: Lack Of Traditional Fantasy Elements
Due to its lack of traditional fantasy elements,Xenoblade Chronicles Xhas a much different feel than the core series. All the armor is very sleek and high-tech so the characters look very dressed down compared to the core series. The various races of the new planet don’t have a deep lore or connection to the humans which is not the case in the core series. It’s very cool that relationships need to be built, but the lack of deeper lore can make the game feel generic at times.
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The more vibrant and decorative clothing in the core series would really help break up the monotony inX. The game is exclusively hard science fiction which is a bit of a stray from the usual feel of the series.
2Better: Character Creation
It’s a small thing, but being able to create your own avatar really makesXenoblade Chronicles Xstick out from the core series. Shulk and Rex fromXenoblade1 and 2respectively, are the same generic hero. Since the player gets to build a character of their own design, the feeling of being immersed in this beautiful world increases. Playing a game as an extension of oneself or role-playing a character of one’s own design is always a much better alternative when playing an RPG.
1Worse: The Nopon
What might be the most egregious difference betweenChronicles Xand the core series is the lack of a playable Nopon character. The Nopon are a short, egg-shaped race and serve as one of the main elements of theXenometa-series that hold it all together. Both games in the coreXenoblade Chroniclesseries have playable Nopon. Tora is incredibly fun to play inChronicles 2so playable Nopon are greatly missed. Tatsu fromChronicles Xmostly serves as a glorified path marker to the next quest.
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