Xenoblade

YouTube video
YouTube video
YouTube video

"Famitsu Review

Here's what they said in the review:

Target: RPG fans, gamers who take their time with games
Play Time: depends on one's play style

9
Exploring vast world and doing lots of side quest is so charming that the player may forget about the main quest.
The battle system where the player has to constantly keep the character's position and stance in mind makes it deep, while the ability to see future makes the combat extremely strategic and fun.
When there are numerous enemies on screen, it may confuse some players, but it gives a sense of chaotic battle, amplifying the intensity of the battle.

9
Big worlds with tons of things to do.
The MMO-style battle system where each character has distinct fighting style is strategic and fast-paced.
Although it takes a while to successfully manage the chaotic situations in battles, it is very rewarding to do so.

9
Unique world and quality story drives the game forward.
The fast-paced battle gets deeper and deeper as you play it, while the unique abilities for each characters makes the choices in battles significantly wider.
It has complex game system, so I would recommend to more experienced RPG players.
It is a little unfortunate that there are way too many items and abilities to use all of them effectively throughout the game.

9
It concentrates all the good qualities of recent RPGs into one game. The battle system has just the right amount of action and also has deep strategy behind it.
The transition between relaxed exploration and fast-paced battle is also superb.
There are tons of interesting gameplay elements to the point that it may overwhelm the newcomers.

I tried my best."

For a game that is both heavily story driven and gameplay driven it's a pretty promising score, given such games are generally rated on both fronts, so I think we (well I say we but it seems I'm the only person who's even going to be playing this game...) can expect a pretty complete experience. The Xeno name isn't exactly a huge name either (Famitsu has a habit of overating big name games but are much more realistic with the smaller ones) so I think it's safe to say it's a pretty reliable score, if not an undervalued one. It's also worth noting that it scored more highly than any of the other Xeno games (Xenogears getting a 31, Xenosaga Episode I a 32, Xenosaga Episode II a 33, Xenosaga III a 32, Xenosaga 1 & 2 a 31).

commander shepherd

Originally posted by Ms.Marvel
commander shepherd

What? Where?

YouTube video

Best. Vocal. Track. Ever.

Rumour has it that ArtificialGlory likes it.

I smell a sock.

The more I hear about this game the more hyped I am to play it. I don't even care if it hasn't been released over here yet, I know enough to know that it's going to quite easily be the very greatest game ever made.

1. According to some people who speak Japanese and have played the game the story is not only better than Xenosaga's but as good as Xenogears's. Yasunori Mitsuda referred to the script as "huge and very much a Takahashi production". The setting is conceptually speaking the most original one we've ever come across, and unlike Xenogears and Xenosaga the entire story is going to be told in the one game. Tetsuya Takahashi + Soraya Saga = epic win.

2. The music is sounding incredible; easily on par with anything that isn't Xenogears, Xenosaga Episode I, Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross and Radical Dreamers, which are all in a league of their own when it comes to music. It has the best vocal track I've ever come across, some of the best emotive pieces, and some of the best battle music. An entire team of composers, including Yasunori Mitsuda and Yoko Shimomura, over 90 tracks, and one that's over 9 minutes long.

3. Artistically the game looks absolutely breathtaking; some of the nicest art I've ever seen in a game (hands down the best box art/opening screen art); on par with the other Xeno games. Extremely diverse locations, with environments spanning vast distances and breathtaking views.

4. The sheer scale and variety of the gameplay is huge; arguably the very greatest I've ever seen in an RPG (RPG elements (including individual, distinct battle systems for each character, a levelling system that's as complex as FFX's sphere grid, and MMO like scale in the environment (that's apparently as large as Japan, in game), what is described as a tonne of side quests) mixed in with puzzle elements mixed in with platforming elements (which apparently utilise the unique components of the Wii control scheme) mixed in with city building elements mixed in with relationship building elements (among both random NPCs and playable characters; there are even reputation systems for each town)); its full of innovative features (the ability to look into the immediate future in battle and find ways to adapt to it in advance, as well as the ability to change the in-game time at your leisure which apparently adds an entirely new puzzle element to the gameplay), and apparently all of the mechanics are very well implemented. Nintendo seem to be having a good influence on Monolith Soft on the gameplay front.

5. Monolith Soft appear to have fixed what was perceived to be wrong with Xenogears and Xenosaga in the past: the story:gameplay ratio. The story is apparently as large as that of any of the other Xeno games, but instead of the endlessly long cutscenes that they were well known for the cutscenes in Xenoblade are apparently a lot shorter for the most part, and spread out over a huge gameplay experience. The gameplay in itself is as I said huge and MMO like in scale and freedom, with apparently the perfect amount of storyline to prevent players from feeling lost in the gameplay and losing focus of the storyline. They seem to have got the balance between story and gameplay spot on.

Suffice it to say, if you're an RPG fan and have a Wii, you need to buy this game when it comes out. And if you're an RPG fan and don't have a Wii, you need to get one for this alone (SMG 1 and 2, Super Paper Mario, Metroid: Other M, Tales of Graces, Arc Rise Fantasia, The Last Story, and the upcoming LOZ game etc.. are added perks).

Originally posted by OTNEMEM
Rumour has it that ArtificialGlory likes it.

You know I don't like Celine Dion.

Celine Dion wishes. Sarah Alainn is way better.

It's been getting good reviews.

http://www.metacritic.com/game/wii/xenoblade-chronicles/critic-reviews

Makes me want a Wii. It's coming out in Europe and Australia soon, but they've yet to officially confirm its US release.

I have a copy ordered of this actually; should arrive soon.

Inb4 Nebspooge.

Right! Just starting now.

I played Xenogears beforehand- the last of the big classic RPs that I had not played- and I found it disappointingly tedious. Still, I shall be open minded; what I hear about this one is good.

Hmm, ok! I am willing to say that this is actually pretty good.

How have you found it so far Ushgarak?

Still undecided on whether I should play it as it seems to be a pretty big departure from Xenogears/Xenosaga, but its reception has been pretty amazing so far (best reviewed JRPG and fourth best reviewed RPG of the current videogame generation).

Every way in which it is a departure from Xenogears has been a positive for me, but do bear in mind I was underwhelmed by that game.

It's not so good that I am playing it obsessively but It is a good game. I'll do a full review at some point.

Originally posted by Ushgarak
but do bear in mind I was underwhelmed by that game.

Even the story/music? Though I will admit that the gameplay and graphics haven't aged too well and that the pacing was at times pretty terrible, particularly the famed disc 2, though it did have some nice art design and a pretty innovative battle system for the time.

How would you say Xenoblade's story is?

Music was good, no arguments there, but I thought the story was not good and made all the worse by the godawful pacing.

According to its GS score at gamestats.com (which I believe is generally considered to be the most credible aggregate of critic and gamer scores) Xenoblade Chronicles is currently the single most well received game of all time, once you factor in that the only games higher on the list have other editions/ports that bring their overall score down:

http://www.gamestats.com/index/gs/index.html

Interesting... 😐

Thoughts?

Discuss! 😄