Topic: Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition

I don't think I'll be catching up to @NintendoByNature at this point....Not a lot of time to game until tomorrow night lol. Why am I an adult again?

@Heavyarms55 I probably spent a good hour trying to find a way up to that question mark as I explored much of the river/lower part of Makna first. XD Then I discovered the broken bridge above and figured the game would lead me to the other side at some point lol. I thankfully had most of the materials already but still had to go beat up a couple of Hodes.

I have not found that quest, but I'll look for it now! Thanks for mentioning it! I rechecked both colonies but neglected to recheck Frontier Village.

@Tyranexx I've sadly been busy myself. I only put a little time in yesterday. Hoping to get at least 2 hours in tonight. Chapter 12, here we go!

@Tyranexx This one is seriously worth going back for. It's hella cool.

I'm forced to think that Linada was heavily inspired after Kevin nealon in little Nicky..

Level 61
56 hours according to save file
Mechonis Factory

I gotta be honest, I’ve rather enjoyed the Mechonis. But, I did just throw it on casual mode since there’s a lot of battling, and it makes battles like 50% quicker. I’ve been taking full advantage of that mode and I love it.

Been doing the time trials. Nopon archsage expecting GOOD record! Because I wanted as many of those crazy good gems the archsage has. Ultimately just grabbed some HP Up IV gems to go all around. But I really wanted Haste IV. I just couldn’t justify spending all my crystals on one Haste gem. But it would’ve been great because, by increasing auto attack speed you also increase the buildup speed for the Monado arts. I also wanted Heat Sink IV for Sharla, but I have a Heat Sink III already so I’ll make due.

@JaxonH Psychologically, I try to minimise use of it, because as a player of the original who had to put up with hours of losing to bosses, it feels like cheating. But, (no spoilers I promise) after beating the game, I went back, activated Casual Mode, and started killing enemies 20 levels above me. It was very satisfying, but it felt wrong somehow. Some bosses, like Solidum Telethia, and Jade Face, I deliberately kept Casual Mode off to keep some kind of challenge. I was also grossly overleveled because of quests. If anything, I should go back and play the game again to get that challenge.

@theJGG
I stopped caring about things like that, tbh. Nowadays I don’t have the patience for it. I’ve learned to just play games in the best way that makes them enjoyable. Mechonis has a ton of battling back to back, and with fights taking as long as they do, it’s hard not to just say ya know what? I’m gonna win all these fights anyways. Let’s streamline it a bit.

At first I told myself it would just be to get through a certain section with enemies every 10 steps, but it went so smoothly I was like mmm, I think I’ll just leave it on. And it’s just been so enjoyable ever since, I think I may just leave it on permanently until I get to the capital.

Ok well I've got to the end of the Mechonis. I liked that whole area more than I remembered.

Don't like any of it between now and the end though. The story really loses it's pacing and coherence in this last segment.

I'm at the mechonis field, I know I have a few Chapters left, but hours wise with a few side quests in each area, about what do i have left time wise?

@JaxonH For example during bosses, wouldn't it take away some satisfaction? It took me two months to beat Jade Face (Lv68), and I felt like I accomplished something massive!

@NintendoByNature Easily another twenty to thirty hours. After that point you get a lot of harder quests, for higher levelled parties (LV80 and up). The chapter when Miqol makes his request, was the shortest chapter. They get longer after that. The last one could fill up three early game chapters.

@theJGG ok thanks. Figured i only had 15-20 left, but that's cool. Im trying to finish before paper mario

Edit: I do agree with @JaxonH though. Alot of people don't have the time to replay sections or bosses over and over. Not even for a week straight, let alone a month or 2. Casual mode is welcome, even though i haven't had to use it yet. If i get to the end of the game though and I literally can't do it unless I spend hours and hours of grinding, I'll flip to casual

I finally got around to playing again both last night and this morning. I've now fully explored Valak Mountain; some of the methods used to get to some areas are interesting and take some trial & error, to say the least. At least some of them were creative! I believe I've wrapped up all the quests in the area too.

Plot-wise, I must say what happens right before you leave the area, while neat + entertaining, didn't exactly throw a curveball my way. Due to some subtle hints in the game, I sort of figured out who pilots Metal Face. Turns out I was right. I started Chapter 11 earlier and ended my last session near the beginning of Sword Valley after doing some much-needed equipment and inventory maintenance. I can't wait to see what Galahad Fortress brings!

My whole party is in the Level 51-52 range right now, and I'm a little over 45 hours in. Things are a bit easy at times due to my penchant to explore and pick up most quests I come across, but some golden boss fights have given me a run for my money. Shulk/Reyn/Sharla are still my favorite group.

@Heavyarms55 I went back and picked up that quest chain you mentioned (as well as a few others that also became available; the Nopon sage one was weird) and wow, that was great! Besides some insane EXP from the whole deal, it opens up some interesting dialogue and world lore as well. It kind of reminds me of a quest chain in Satorl Marsh to an extent. Thanks for mentioning it!

@theJGG
Ya not really. I'd originally thought that might be the case, hence only using it in a jam, but I've been having just as much fun as before I changed it (more, in fact, because it feels less tedious). Which is why I just left it on. It's not that much of an advantage (5 levels maybe? Same level enemies feel like they're 5 under me now). It just makes battles go sooo much faster. When you have to fight 57 enemies back to back getting to the next major story beat, trimming off 25% of the fat feels so good.

That's only about 2/3rds through the game. It's LONGGG

@Dezzy dang! I feel like how much more could go on? lol

@Tyranexx It reminds you of it because it's related. It's part of a long term quest chain.

And the Nopon sage quests will be important for Riki later.

Chapter six now. Had the luxury of putting in some hours after lunch. Starting to grow on me!

@JaxonH I completely understand where you're coming from. I'm glad they added that option, that and Expert Mode, for people who'd rather grind their way to the end. Maybe I'll do a pure grind only file or something. Glad to know you enjoy playing to begin with, it's so refreshing to see this game get more exposure because of it's Switch release.

Just made it to the data center. Having beaten Xenoblade 2 I’m eager to see how the two games tie in. I have a feeling I know what it is already, just from beating XC2. But it’ll be interesting to see how that plays out in this game.

The more I play the more I’m convinced XC3 should get back to basics and follow the blueprint of the first game. Not that the other games aren’t great. I just feel like this one stands out among the 3.

@theJGG
Oh I love Xenoblade. I beat Xenoblade X, Xenoblade 2 and Xenoblade Torna, got all the collector editions sealed and displayed, the Pyra, Mythra and (soon) KOS-MOS 1/7 scale statues. And certainly Melia once hers releases. One of my favorite series ever, alongside Fire Emblem and Monster Hunter. But this game is on another level. It has already dethroned Final Fantasy X as my favorite JRPG of all time (though FFX still holds that title for best turn based JRPG, and Idk where it fits in but Paper Mario Thousand Year Door is somewhere at the top also, I just don’t think it’s technically a J-rpg).