Topic: Xenoblade Series chat

Lots of XC3 screen grabs. Don't think there's anything I'd qualify as a spoiler, but I'll mark them so to be safe.

Finally got the Mythra scale! Hopefully I'll be able to get Pyra someday too. Also posted this in the "Memorabilia" thread, but figured it'd fit here as well.

@RR529 Just saw your post from 2 months ago because the statue post (nice) bumped the thread- whinging is a British word that means essentially the same thing as whining, but is a different word rather than an alternative spelling. The main difference is that whilst “whine” can be used to refer to a noise, “whinge” is almost exclusively used to refer to the act of complaining.

@Munchlax, thanks! I posted the screenshots over on Push Square & Pure Xbox at the time and got the "whinging" explanation from their users, so I'm all caught up on it now, but thanks for further clarification.

Know it may be self promotion but I think this is a genuinely interesting tidbit in XC3 that I luckily picked up on. There's a quest at Fort O'Virbus where you have to pick a Hero in your party to be modelled, and each character has a unique reaction to the artist! Spoilers of course.

Lol, took some screenshots of a mobile game ad that was blatantly stealing XC2 character models.

EDIT: Game's name is EDGE: Mech-Ascent.

@RR529 How much did that Mythra figure set you back, out of interest? I'm jealous as hell. It's gorgeous.

@Ralizah, just a little over $150 for the figure itself with the current exchange rate (the exact price like ¥20,166), though I paid a bit more for the fastest shipping option.

@RR529 It looks like poor Kirby's about to get heel stomped 😭

Hey everyone, I have a question about where to go with the Xenoblade series from where I am. So, I recently just beat Xenoblade: Definitive Edition, and overall, I thought it was okay. I thought the soundtrack was fantastic, the combat system was unique, and some of the areas were fun to traverse. On the flip side, though, I thought some areas were a drag to get through and basically just consisted of walking in a straight line for several minutes and fighting. Or even worse, areas where you just run and around and press buttons to unlock doors. I also thought the story was okay, but pretty unremarkable overall. When I finished the game, I was left with the feeling of “It was alright, but also had a lot of pacing issues and boring moments.”

However, from what I have seen and heard, Xenoblade 3 looks like a phenomenal game. Honestly, the main reason why I played Xenoblade 1 was so that I could get into the series and eventually play 3 to see what the hype is all about. But with me finishing 1, I’m left wondering if it’s worth it for me to stick with the series. Do 2 and 3 have substantial improvements in pacing and overworld traversal? I’ve heard 2’s story is divisive, but is 3 a significant improvement? Story isn’t a dealbreaker for me regardless. Should I play 2 and then 3 after that, or does it not matter too much?

I still would love to get into this series so I can understand why it’s so beloved, but Xenoblade 1 just didn’t leave me with the best impression. So I’m curious to see how the sequels are in comparison, and if they’re worth it for someone like me to pick up.

@StarPoint Xenoblade 2 and 3 are pretty different from the first game. Everyone seems to have their own favorite. It sounds like you're pretty much in the same boat as @Ralizah (they also thought XC1 was just okay but loved XC2 and XC3).

That being said I definitely think playing the games in order is the best way to go.

Most people seem to agree that the gameplay in the later games improved on what XC1 had. In XC2 and XC3 the chain attacks are a lot less RNG based compared to XC1 and as the game progresses, you can find ways to instantly recharge your arts instead of having them on cooldown.

As far as traversal goes XC2s locations are actually smaller compared to XC1 but I believe there are actually more things to discover by comparison. I also feel like the colors in XC2 pop a lot more than in the other games. XC3 has the biggest world out of all the games but you do get a boat eventually and you technically can increase your run speed through side quests There are also better side quests in each game moving forward (XC3 having some of the best IMO).

I would like to add if you're looking for traversal specifically you should look into Xenoblade X. It isn't related to the main games but it has so many methods of traversal and there isn't any fall damage. it's kinda crazy that they never went back to it.

@StarPoint Yeah, I'll never understand the acclaim for the original game. XCDE makes it more tolerable thanks to QoL improvements that reduce the tedium involved and the significant boost to visual fidelity, but it's just sort of a hassle. Environmental navigation is annoying (environments in the original game are either pointlessly gigantic and empty or involve a lot of busywork just to get around), the side-quests are MMO-tier trash, the story didn't grab me until Prison Island, and most of the characters barely even have a character arc. The last quarter of the game devolves into long-winded dialogues about fate and gods and destiny and blahblahblah.

XC2 is a DEEPLY flawed game that introduces its own host of problems, but I liked it quite a bit more all the same. Among other things, the villains are dramatically more well-developed, the main cast has much better chemistry, the soundtrack is possibly the best in the series, the environments aren't as needlessly huge, the combat is more fun (although poorly explained in-game), and side-quests are... well, still not great, but they tend to have more to them. Heart-to-Hearts no longer have an affinity requirement, so you can trigger them as soon as you find them, and they're voice acted. Also, I personally liked how much more light-hearted and humorous the game was in its early hours, although the game's anime slapstick antics drive some people crazy and are the reason so many people criticize the game's tone. It probably has the best story of the bunch, and even critics tend to really enjoy it in the later half when the drama starts to ramp up. The game's voice acting and lip syncing are extremely uneven, unfortunately, and the gacha-esque system you use to summon new blades can be annoying.

XC3 can be played on its own and understood well enough, but there are returning characters from both previous games, so, if possible, it's best to play it after the first two. It's... a wonderful experience. Monolith Soft addressed almost every issue I had with the two previous releases. While the environments are huge once again, they're actually filled with interesting stuff to see and do. The side-quests are consistently incredible throughout. The game does a great job of achieving a balanced tone, keeping its story serious like XC1 while having levity and fun character humor throughout. The combat is well-explained and, again, strikes a nice balance between the overt simplicity of the first game and the craziness of the second game. It's one of the very best JRPGs I've ever played, full stop.

The games all share similarities, but it's not uncommon for fans of XC1 to dislike the sequels, and, conversely, many of us who enjoyed the sequels think the original is wildly overrated. Take from that what you will.

I like all three games, but I like XC2 less than the others, due to the meat of 2 just kinda being ruined by generic shonen anime jokes. The only good part of 2 is after you reach Tantal, and I still stand by that even after witnessing the story twice.

3 and 1 have the better stories, since while 1 isn't as well written it still takes itself seriously, and there's genuinely some moments that give me outright chills. 3's plot is extremely well written, keeping that serious tone from 1, but doing more with it's characters. A lot of 3's story is left for the player to really pick out at the current, but it feels like the DLC will amplify and perhaps even change context.

@Vortexeo RNG Chain Attacks were another problem I had with the game, so I'm glad that gets addressed. Also, being able to increase your run speed in 3 sounds great, as that was yet again another issue I had with this game. I have been wanting to try out Xenoblade X as it looks really interesting, but I, unfortunately, don't have a Wii U to play it on anymore. Here's hoping for a Switch port in the near future...

@Ralizah Well, I'm glad to know that I'm not alone in my... indifference to the first game. I completely agree that the majority of environments are pointlessly enormous; they really just felt like proof of what the Wii at the time was capable of more than anything else. I also hardly bothered with any of the side quests, as I feel like the majority of ones I encountered were literally just "give me a certain number of this item," or "defeat this number of enemies for me" which I do not think is enjoyable at all. Glad to know that both the side quests and overworld traversal are significantly improved in both entries. I really don't think I would have a problem with 2's lightheartedness, as I think I would rather that than the story taking itself wayyy too seriously, like the first game.

@VoidofLight I'm glad to hear that characters are expanded on in 3 because I thought the characters in the first one were pretty boring, and like Ralizah said, they hardly go through any arcs. Also, yeah that DLC trailer looked great, so that's definitely some motivation for me to stick with the series.

Thank you all for responding. I think after hearing about how the sequels specifically address multiple issues that I have with the first game, I'm a lot keener to check them out. Once I get through Advance Wars and TOTK (which who knows how long that'll take), I can definitely see myself checking out 2 and 3 later down the line. I appreciate the help and the knowledge that I now have that it's probably worth it for someone like myself to stick with the series, even though if I didn't really like the first game.

@StarPoint I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the other games! Your knowledge of the first game will definitely pay off whenever you get to the next one!

@StarPoint Not much I can add that hasn't already been discussed, but if you do like XC2...please play Torna: The Golden Country. It's a more focused, concise prequel that, IMO, is slightly better than the base game.

I mostly agree on Ralizah's general assessments of the three main entries, though I did quite like XC1 (though I've only played XC:DE, so it's possible I would like it less if I'd played the vanilla game). I do agree that 1 suffers from the pointless open space syndrome that was fairly common in games at the time it originally released. And the game by far has the worst quests in the series. Conversely I did like the plot, though there is a point where I felt it should've wrapped up earlier than it did. 1 still wins for me when it comes to best OST, though XC3 comes close.

I consider XC2 to be decent and worth playing, but deeply flawed. It's my least favorite of the bunch. When it has highs, it has highs. Same for the lows. Better villains, some decently written, believable characters, a more vibrant world with more condensed spaces, and IMO a more original plot. I will say some of the "anime" moments bothered me, the Blade gacha system is a nightmare, especially for completionists, and what I feel should be a fully optional feature does gate main story progress at one point.

XC3 is my favorite of the main bunch in many ways and fixes many of my issues with previous entries. Excellent, mature plot and writing, (mostly) decent characters, great side quests I actually cared about (best since some of the great finds in XCX), great music (though I don't think it ramps up much until the second half, barring a few decent earlier samples), a fun, versatile class system that allows for a ton of strategy, compelling exploration, and an ingenious, intuitive way that handles "fetch quests". Any criticisms I have of this game are mild.

Edit: Apologies, I intended this to be short.

@Tyranexx The Definitive Edition changes bumped it up a couple of notches to a 7/10 for me. It'll never be a great game because there are fundamental problems with it on a structural and design level, but it's now more easily playable, features an improved score (mostly), and isn't actively painful to look at now.

And yeah, Torna is, to date, my favorite DLC campaign for any game I've played. More than worth the cost of the Expansion Pass on its own. I'm hoping Future Redeemed is similarly excellent.

@Tyranexx I’ve heard Torna is great, so I’ll definitely check that out at some point after I beat 2. It’s interesting to see how people’s opinions on the series as a whole differ; some people love a game, others hate it, vice versa. It leads for interesting conversations which I’m always down for. But I am definitely interested to see how the sequels improve and change the Xenoblade formula. From the looks of it, 3 seems to be the one I would like the most. But 2 looks interesting as well.

@Ralizah In hindsight waiting until XC:DE was for the best. The funny thing is I wanted to play the original XC1 on Wii for years, but I could never justify the secondhand prices for it. And by the time I obtained a N3DS XL unit, those copies were scarce then too. The earlier versions were indeed rough on the eyes in comparison videos I've watched. I do quite like most of the original soundtrack, but the DE improved on it in many ways.

Torna was beyond worth it, and I still don't think I've played a game with addon content that tops it. I expected some semblance of the ending we received, but DANG...what an ending. It definitely colors in a few threads in the main game.

@StarPoint I do enjoy conversations with fellow fans of any series - and even those interested - as long as they're willing to accept differing opinions. I've had very little issues with this on NL, but other parts of the internet...ouch. A vocal, toxic minority of people seem to think either a franchise can do no wrong, or else its developers don't do anything right. It can take the fun out of discussions. XC2 is a particularly polarizing entry. To be fair, I've also played XC3 the most recently, thus recency bias, though I've played all the main series entries over the last three years.

My first series entry was XCX, which I also enjoyed despite it being a spinoff and more focused on exploration and world building instead of plot. Said plot is weird, though it did throw a couple curveballs I wasn't expecting. Until XC3, I'd argue it had some of the best side quests in the series that tackle some mature subject matter such as xenophobia and suicide. I really hope this receives a modern port eventually as it doesn't deserve to be stuck on the Wii U.

Man, it’s surprisingly hard to find a cheaper copy of Xenoblade 2 anywhere. Mostly all copies on eBay are around $60 USD, even if they’re used. I was thinking about picking this up after I get through most of TOTK, but I guess I’ll just have to wait for a sale to pick up a new copy. It’s pretty surprising to me that a game from 2017 is still full-priced, even used copies. I know Nintendo doesn’t put their games on sale often but usually a few years after a game comes out you can find some copies for ~$20 less. Oh well, guess probably wait a bit longer to give it a go.