Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Version 1.3.0 Will Go Live Next Week

Finally, I've been waiting for a reason to pick up XC2 again!

It’s been a while I left Xeno 2 to play some games in my backlog list... now it’s time to get back to it!

Well, that makes some of my gripes with the game go away. I still think that their minimap feature is somewhat bad and should have been figured out from the get-go.

Please, another Male Blades...

I am really beginning to hate the "Quality of Life" term.

What I would really love, is some textures improvement. When I see how bad these are when you're on a ship, I can't help but feel some parts of the game are still unfinished...

This new game plus definitely makes me want to get back to finishing the game and start off again. I didn't want to finish it yet as I wanted to do all the side-quests. But, if blades and levels carry over, and there are new things to find, I'd love to 100% new game plus instead!

Love the updates to this game!!!

Skipping the blade bonding cutscene was THE most wanted improvement for me. Finally I don't have to sit through this tedious animation anymore every time.

I'll definitly start a new game + when the update hits.

Still haven’t finished my first playthrough. Then again I never have done a replay of an RPG. Too many games in existance to play the same long experience.

Cool. Still on my backlog

Cool!

All the changes are awesome and I was looking forward to the new game +.

I just wish there was an alternative to that tiger tiger crap.

Easy mode😱

I’m on final boss fight 105 hrs in

@Tingel seriously?!

@Tingel No, it's not. It's a masterpiece.

Skipping the Blade Bonding cut-scene? Improving the mini-map? Argh, now I wish I hadn’t finished it recently! Nonetheless, top support for a top game.

Now patch ‘THINK YOU CAN TAKE ME’ back in, that was the funniest part of it. 😠

Great update, love the support from the developers. Can't wait to start New Game +.

That's a nice list of stuff that stays, and some extra people to pick up along the way, I'm satisfied and will be pursuing NG+ asap.

Also are people still whining about them patching out the meme stuff? sigh

Having not yet played XC2, I wouldn't say any of that was spoilers haha

It was all depending on if blades would be retained for the new game plus. They are, and I am super pumped for this! Can't wait to jump back into this!

Thank goodness I've held off purchasing XC2. Although I'm still waiting for framerate and portable improvements the improvements so far all seem good. I look forward to when it's finally complete.

They should have made swapping blades around with different drivers a lot more accessible. Still a great update though.

Currently in Chapter 7 with a 65 hour play time. I was doing all of the side quests and things but now I may as well just race through to the end and do all the side quest stuff in NG+. That's if I get to NG+. I haven't even played with any of the Zelda DLC yet

Great game but 80 hours is enough for me.

I have been afraid of this one because everyone says the combat system is quite hard to follow and not sufficiently explained. I would like to know what easy mode is.

After having spent almost 150 hours .. what hurts me the most is that you can now skip those core crystal opening animation .. in all honesty guys - I don’t know how much of my playtime I’ve spent enduring that overly long scenes... my stomach crumbles now lol anyways - I’m getting somewhat excited for the new game plus! Hell I want those Torna Blades and drivers !!! Gosh - when will I be able to play someting else again lol it’s also great that they still work on improving the map and sorting options!

@MFD Yep. It was amusing. Also this is the first time I’ve moaned about it on this site, so... shrug

@Balladeer I didn't directly address you, did I?

@MFD I was the only person who mentioned ‘that meme stuff’, including the article, on this page. I’d say that’s pretty direct! If not aimed at me then fair enough, but I think it’s fair to say it looked that way.

Although for what it’s worth I found it funny before I knew it was a meme. /hipster

@Balladeer I've seen it mentioned plenty a times, not just here, so it was a general statement You just happened to be the one who reminded me.

Im only on chapter 5 so most of this will pass me over. (I don’t do new game plus modes) but it’s cool they are still working on the game.

@SBandy Why what's wrong with using the term "Quality of Life"?

Honestly these new features seem to fit the description of such. Skipping blade bonding cutscenes takes away lots of wasted time when grinding for rare blades. Having a lock also prevents you from accidentally getting rid of important blades like Wulfric which I read on reddit someone did once and they had to redraw it from the pool again.

You know I'm always happy when I wait on getting a game and then they add in "easy mode" @JaxonH Going to be hard to ever get a game day 1 again unless easy mode is in from the start.

Not that I should need an easy mode in this JRPG having already played XC and XCX, and Xenogears and the 3 Xenosaga games. I'm playing H:ZD on easy now and it's just about right for me, would have never gotten past the proving or the first corrupter on normal I don't think. Took out my first bandit camp last night, that may have been a little too easy, but I also have 3 bars of health - always the first thing I level up in any game - so I probably would have taken it regardless.

My Target still has 1 $99 collectors ed., may have to pick it up now, can always put it away until later. Amazon also has it for $82, $80 3rd party. That $30 season pass is still a bit much though. Eventually.

So my whole family wants to know how long you've played MHW as you're on playing it every night when I put on the PS4 to play HZD. I told them you'd be awhile, probably at least 200 hours total, but you're probably only around 75-80 now, you're still young, you don't need sleep.

Wow, that's a really good update! Might just begin from scratch just to make sure I have all these things from the very beginning.

obrona yea

Yet another patch with no mention of fixing the huge performance bug that's present in the game. sigh

Loving this game and like many other i was trying to do all side quests but now i will finish the game and do 100% on new game +.

@Anti-Matter "Please, another Male Blades..."

Here ya go, maybe they can get this guy a role?

https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/09/sport/pita-taufatofua-tonga-shirtless-opening-ceremonies-trnd/index.html

Kind of spoilery about Akhos, Patroka, and Mikhail being blades isn't it? Still, looking forward to using them. I wonder what they'll bring to the table.

Instead of easy mode, should not we get hard mode?? Please dont say that I have to pay more for hard mode...

Imagine how powerful you are with all those carry over in normal and now you play easy mode, the enemy might had been killed before they get close to you lol

Have they addressed the weird resolution glitches or fixed framerate problems in handheld mode? I'd be much more interested in performance boosts than more glitchy content.

@fumowing I think Hard mode is New Game Plus. I'd guess Chapter 1 enemies in New Game Plus will be around 70 and it scales normally in a similar way to normal mode.

Currently 71 hours in and I think getting close to finishing Chapter 5. Still loving the game and looking forward to getting some good play in this weekend. I just keep finding more stuff to do whether it's side quests, leveling blades, trying to get the rare blades i'm missing (another damned gacha system, just without paying lol). I'm definitely interested in seeing how the story ends up going.

@fumowing I would think easy mode could potential take the joy out of the combat system if stuff dies to fast to fully utilize combos .

Glad I’ve held off playing, got it for XMAS but Fortnite has kept me busy, sounds like a lot of great quality of life improvements have happened since launch.

What a glorious Rusev day this is.

No performance boost no buy

@rjejr
I've already exceeded 100 hours. I'll be playing this game til summer. Obviously will be dipping into Shadow of the Colossus, DQ Builders, Bayonetta 2, Kirby, Hyrule Warriors, DKC Tropical Freeze, Dark Souls and Mario Tennis. But the main course is MH for the foreseeable future.

Probably wrap it up by DKC Tropical Freeze, gotta devote some time there. And Y's deserves a go after that.

Most of the big games I'm looking forward to though are fall titles. World Ends With You, Fire Emblem, Valkyria Chronicles 4 and Dragon Quest XI (hopefully anyways).

Xenoblade 2 is SO good though. Still uses some archaic design from yesteryear but, even that can't hold it back.

@dougphisig exactly

@Grumblevolcano that would be neat

@JaxonH Never, ever will I understand how you can get through so many games. I mean I play a lot. Too much. And I don't come close to keeping up.

I must find out your secret for folding space time. Either that or you're a legendary speed runner in the making.

@rjejr "My Target still has 1 $99 collectors ed., may have to pick it up now, can always put it away until later. Amazon also has it for $82, $80 3rd party. That $30 season pass is still a bit much though. Eventually."

Did you just say you might pick up XC2 BEFORE the DLC??

@NEStalgia
Really wanna know the secret?

(I don't finish them all, only a select few... most get played an average of 10 hours or less, but I like trying new games and seeing what sticks, and I like having an assortment for whatever mood I'm in).

@JaxonH You must be able to play DKTF w/ your eyes closed by now.

I'm expecting/hoping to finish HZD in around 100 hours. Honestly don't know what's next. May save money and keep going through the never ending backlog. If my library gets in God of War I'll borrow that. My library has the weirdest assortment of video games, there's no rhyme or reason - E, M, AAA, indie, but only about 2 dozen total.

I'm thinking about canceling my cable tv, you have cable or one of those other things? Sling, PSVue, YoutubeTV, DirectTV Now?

I prepurchased & downloaded this game, but still have yet to play it. I think Skyrim will keep me busy 'till summer, at least.

@NEStalgia buying it <> playing it.

I can stick it in my drawer until the DLC comes out. Though I may just wait, I keep forgetting the DLC is $30. That's half the price of the game, and from what I've read game is already huge, doubt they'll have another 50% more in there. Or I might just have to forego the DLC on this one. Or wait for $50 Complete like Wticher 3. Jax insists it won't happen b/c it never has before, but neither has Zelda Explorers Ed. or MK Tour on mobile. It's a whole new Nintneod, everything is possible, even cardboard.

@rjejr
Nah, cable is for the old fogeys like my dad.

You and me... You're generation X and I'm a first year millennial (think millenials started in the mid 80's?). We are accustomed to the times. Cable is like landline telephones... utterly pointless in this day and age.

Netflix covers it. And for like $14/mo (and that's the mega 4K streaming unlimited devices package). Amazon Prime Video to round it out. All the good shows come to those services anyways. And the Netflix Originals like Travellers, Orange is the New Black, Marco Polo, etc .. oh my goodness. So good.

No time for cable.

Boy this looks amazing!

@terry93 Played this for a couple hours on release day and decided to wait for some patches - was hoping they'd help out some textures...really was a huge turn off for me. Rather they made them less detailed/more stylized than so sharp and gross. Gross by my personal taste at least (love the art direction as far as design of the world and characters go, tho).

Really want to get into the game but waiting for comments sections being like "game feels soooo much better now."

@JaxonH I don't know, I think the kids will dig Josh Brolin bringing life to a 90s icon like that.

@JaxonH LOL, so THAT'S the trick!

Actually that's my trick too....I have a pretty similar M.O. with games and interest in "Try ALL the Games!', though I've shifted more to pushing to completion in the past year or two. Your record is still secure though, You still manage to try more games in aggregate than I!

@JaxonH "Cable is like landline telephones... utterly pointless in this day and age."

Land line phones are critical more than ever. How else do you receive phone calls after Animal Crossing, and FE Heroes has depleted your "phone" battery, and your power bank was consumed by Switch?

@rjejr " That's half the price of the game, and from what I've read game is already huge, doubt they'll have another 50% more in there"

Now you see the light! From my past XC experiences once I'm done with the 100 hour grind, I definitely don't WANT more until the next story!

Bundles...dunno. Rabbids was on eShop for $42. Gold edition with season pass for $74 or something....though Ubi might be driving that price more than Nintendo. That's Ubi's pricing/sale structure for most of their games. Still the Collector's ed is SO nice....just wish it was a full OST.

i just hope they fix the resolution and pump it up to atleast 600p on portable mode

@Balta666 I think this games battle system is the easiest one to understand and follow. It's not as hard or confusing as people are making it out to be.

@JaxonH "You're generation X"

I see myself as between generations as in the late 80's and early 90's people always referred to Baby Boomers as 46-64 and Gen X as 70-80 leaving out my 4 year cohort. I have since been retconned into Gen X though.

Netflix won't work for us, we still watch a few shows on a weekly basis or "live" (not live as in real time, but live as in when they air) so I probably have to go w/ a bundled package. I'm also just out of range of many HD antennas that do 30 miles, I'm about 32-36 depending on the antenna. May but a 40m one, they go up to 60m or 70m now, though if I ave to pay too much for my 2 tvs I might as well keep cable.

I really need to make a list of my shows and channels to see what I need. Thanks.

@NEStalgia I know I won't go back to it, but I'll want more of a game I like, which is why I'm waiting. I'm probably never going to complete the Zelda BotW DLC I paid for, no motorcycle for me, but had I waited for that cool Explorer's Ed w/ the map I would have done it while I was playing the game.

I didn't even want Zelda, my son bought it for Wii U the same time I bought my Xbox 1. I was prepared to play nothing but Xbox games until we got a Switch at Christmas but Zelda, but once I started Zelda I coudlnt stop.

So I'm waiting on XC2 until it's done. Or done enough, you never know these days.

....Free update, not DLC, right?...Coolz. lol
I keep forgetting to get back into this game for some reason, no idea why. :c

I've been waiting a better way to sort items since xenoblade 1! I think it's ridiculous that it was practically impossible to sort gems, or whatever they were called, in XCX. I've been dumbfounded as to why something pretty essential that was in the first game has until now been overlooked for the following two.

@Balta666 The combat system is really easy. I'd say too easy. Maybe a little not difficult to master though when compared to xenoblade 1. Without saying much about the plot. You basically carry 3 weapons and they have 3 attacks and one special move.

@WillTheLion

Because it is a term that hides the fact these are just fixes to problems that shouldn't have existed in the first place.

Plus Quality of Life is something I apply to actual important things like a kid being able to walk with the aid of new equipment or someone hearing for the first time and not a bloody videogame.

And I say this as someone who loves videogames. Some perspective please.

@Fooligan @cheez well I thought it was complex even before seeing comments confirming it. Let's say that my favourite RPG is FF vii and the main reason is because the battle system is so straight forward (no classes, every one can master the same attacks, etc). But I will probably buy this one on a sale in a few months

@rjejr "I didn't even want Zelda, my son bought it for Wii U the same time I bought my Xbox 1."

One of you got the short straw, and it wasn't him.

@Cheez XC1 combat was a really ungainly mess.

@SBandy "quality of life improvements" is common terminology in business and especially software. It's not something used exclusively in video games. It's often used for things that improve workflow, efficiency, navigation, stress reduction, etc. Generally it actually does refer to things that improves the quality/stress/flow of ones daily life. I suppose in a game you may play every day the same could apply even though it's entertainment.

@NEStalgia "One of you got the short straw, and it wasn't him."

Well we still have Zelda but traded in the Xbox, so no argument there.

@NEStalgia

Well then it is probably some term created by some consultant PR team and is ridiculous in my opinion.

The base game is already Easy Mode as it is. Why do they need a mode that's even easier?

@SBandy Does business ever use terminology not created by a consultant PR team?

@NEStalgia

Doesn't mean it isn't ridiculous.

The story is still fresh on my mind, so i'll probably rush through it on NG+ and then focus on completing all side-quests.

I'm glad they added the skip core crystal animation. I have about 50 Common Core Crystals stocked up that I need to burn through.

So what does this easy mode do?

Please, another Female Blades...

I’m glad NL is spoiler sensitive. I’ve barely had time to play lately but an update is good nonetheless.

@fumowing Or you can lower your level since you can lower your level at Inn. XD

That's a lot of stuff. :9

I’m 180 hours in, trying to 100% it, which is super annoying for some side quests since I like figuring things out by myself and never look anything up.
After a gazillion blade bonds I still have 4 more blades to unlock. And one of my main concerns is that some of the requirements for completeing an affinity tree is to speak to specific NPCs a certain number of times. I got all my towns fully developed and completed almost all non-blade side quests and merc missions, so I’m not able to get new dialogue. How am I suppose to complete those affinity charts?

I will be buying this game soon. I really can't wait to play it since the XC and XCX were excellent.

But will the Ardainians have their battle cries back?

Just finished and can’t see myself playing this again.
This game could have been so much better, but it’s still good and worth playing for sure. Just the whole saving the world in the hands of a 15 yr old kid who kings and the top people of the world all believe in? And the most powerful aegis is just a girl is portrayed as a lonely school girl with a crush and Rex also falls in the same cliche category. Some good humour in it though but also some very cheesy moments. I hate when the main characters are not believable as heroes and there is no one relatable. There are some decent characters that keep it interesting but all in all was predictable and just did not live up to the hype. If I was a kid playing this them I’m sure I would have loved it but the story was mediocre at best. Don’t get me wrong even with all this I would still class it as a good game...just never got to being great.

@DrLockdown Well, at least their wish came true; we didn't forget them.

@CapricornDavid But Nintendo thought they could take them...away from us.

I haven’t picked up Xenoblade 2 yet, it will be great to play it with all these improvements!

@Balta666
Over the past year I've actually had my wife play ffvii and xenoblade 1. She found XC1 a lot easier to play and actually ended up playing it a lot more. Playing ffvii she'd constantly hand me the controller during any battle. So I'd still have to say the battle system is easier in xc1.
The main reason being you have 6 max spells if you want to call them that, and 6 max of what's akin to limit breaks. In FF you could have 30 plus summons. Plus xc1 you attack automatically so you just have to worry about casting spells whenever they are ready.
I'd say the most complicated part of the game is the affinity tree. But just know that your characters have relationships they build as they fight together and they can learn each other's skills if you do that. Similar to fire emblem's relationships if you've played that.

@Luna_110
Honestly I still think xc1 is better to play. Maybe with these upgrades it will be easier to navigate your accessories and seek that you don't need. That would be a great improvement from where the game currently stands.

I'm still early on so... yay?