Xenoblade Chronicles X Review (Wii U)

            Despite how amazing the original Xenoblade Chronicles was, the thought of a sequel or successor being created never crossed my mind since the game was so niche. Prior to Operation Rainfall’s attempts to get Xenoblade Chronicles localized in America and Europe, I had never even heard of Tetsuya Takahashi or his previous titles while working under Squaresoft or Namco. But in January of 2013, Monolith Soft revealed Xenoblade Chronicles X in that month’s Nintendo Direct, where it was only known as “X”. It’s been nearly three years since that initial reveal, but the long wait for the game’s release was well worth it.

Story

            Xenoblade Chronicles X begins with a unique premise that averts the cliché that many RPGs fall into. You’re not trying to save the world or anything like that; Earth is blown to pieces in the introduction. With most of humanity dead, one ship that managed to evacuate Earth before its destruction crash lands on Planet Mira; the survivors establish the goal of staying alive and thriving in this new hostile world. Due to the game’s larger scope (and bigger emphasis on gameplay as a result), however, the actual plot is a little more straightforward and isn’t as deep as the prior game’s. Despite that, it’s still quite enjoyable.

            The total amount of playable characters in this game is more than double of that in the original Xenoblade Chronicles. However, Xenoblade Chronicles X manages to avert a major flaw that games with very large playable casts tend to have: little to no character development. Even though there are a lot of playable characters in this game, each one has several affinity missions that give them backstory and character development. It’s not extremely deep, but it helps make each party member feel more unique instead of just being a generic unit.

            The story and character development in this game are also structured quite differently than in the original game. If the original Xenoblade Chronicles’ narrative can be equated to a linear path, then this game has a more “web-like” structure. A lot of character development and world building in this game is found through sidequests. This really helps create a feel and atmosphere for humanity’s new home, but you’ll need to put the time and dedication into these optional things if you want to see it all.

Gameplay

            Gameplay-wise, Xenoblade Chronicles X differs greatly from its predecessor. Many new gameplay mechanics have been introduced. In battles, your arts now have secondary cooldowns. When an art finishes recharging, it’ll start charging up a second level (indicated by a green ring around the art). When fully charged, the art will gain additional effects or damage boosts upon execution.

            Xenoblade Chronicles X introduces a class system that keeps things much more varied. You start out in the Drifter class, and can eventually upgrade to Striker, Commando, and Enforcer. From there, each of those three classes continues into two separate branches with unique arts, weapons, and playstyles. Each class has 10 levels (20 for your other party members as they cannot change classes), and you gain class points by defeating enemies. This provides a deep level of customization, but only for your ground team, as there are also Skells to consider.

            Later in the game, you unlock the ability to pilot a Skell. These are basically customizable giant mecha and are quite formidable in battle. Unlike your on-foot characters, Skells have set levels are aren’t defined by classes the same way your characters are. Instead, they’re classified as light, medium, or heavy. Light Skells have high evasion and accuracy, but tend to have less HP and fuel capacity than the others. Heavy Skells sacrifice mobility for much higher HP, defenses, and fuel capacity. The Medium Skells tend to fall between the Lights and Heavies in terms of abilities. While your characters will learn arts by leveling up their classes, Skell arts are determined entirely by what weapons you equip it with, allowing for complete control over what moves you use.

            Outside of battle, you have tons of sidequests to pursue. As I mentioned before, they allow for a lot of character development and world building. While many of these quests require you to fetch particular items or defeat certain enemies, it’s less tedious than in the original Xenoblade Chronicles. As long as you take the time to explore Mira, you’ll most likely end up with all of the items necessary for completing a quest before even accepting said quest. Enemies that a quest wants you to slay are also marked both on the field and in the game’s two maps.

            Speaking of maps, Xenoblade Chronicles X uses both a mini-map and a more detailed one. Your more detailed map (called FrontierNav) is displayed on the Wii U GamePad, and has several unique functions. Once you discover landmarks or mining points, you’ll be able to fast travel to them again at any time via the GamePad. Early in the game, you’ll also gain the ability to plant probes at potential mining sites. This unlocks the spot on the Wii U GamePad; you’ll be able to replace the basic probe with specialized probes that can mine matierials and Miranium (an important resource with several different uses) or bring you money.

            Xenoblade Chronicles X is much deeper and more complicated than its predecessor, and to cover absolutely every new gameplay mechanic would make this review unreasonably long. It will take time to learn about every feature that the game has to offer, but it ends up feeling very rewarding. Of the gameplay mechanics that this game inherits from the original Xenoblade Chronicles, almost all of them have been streamlined or altered to be more interesting. And the game’s new features (especially the Skells) are very well-integrated.

Graphics

            The Wii U isn’t as strong as the PS4 and Xbox One. But the power it DOES have ensures that the game’s graphics aren’t held back by weak hardware. Xenoblade Chronicles X is an absolutely beautiful game to look at, and there’s no shortage of scenic views here. The artstyle and world design also really help keep things fresh. Each continent in this game is based off of a typical video game setting. You have your grassy plains, desert, jungle, and so on. But each of these archetypes has a unique twist that makes them look refreshingly alien. Sylvalum and Noctilum are the stand-out examples here; the former looks very surreal, while the latter has plant life that looks stranger the deeper you venture in. Character models also look better and more detailed than in the first Xenoblade Chronicles, and many cutscenes feel less static. All of this comes together to produce a very pretty final product.

Soundtrack and Voice Acting

            Xenoblade Chronicles X sports solid voice acting for the entire cast. Everyone’s voices fit well with their personalities and designs, for the most part. The only issue I have is with one particular alien race (which you’ll meet at a certain point in the game) that speaks in a high-pitched and squeaky voice (like Alvin and the Chipmunks). However, they did stop grating on me after a while. The voices in question do at least somewhat fit their small builds.

            The music is probably one of the most divisive parts in the entire game. Some people think that the lyrics in the battle themes like Black Tar and Uncontrollable are absolutely terrible, while others love them. I personally really enjoy those two particular themes, and I believe that the soundtrack in this game is refreshingly different. Instead of using the “fantasy adventure” style presented in the original Xenoblade Chronicles, Monolith Soft opted to create something more exotic to reflect the sci-fi approach that this game takes.

Length

            The game’s length can really vary depending on how much optional stuff you do. If you do the bare minimum in order to complete the main story, it’s relatively short compared to the previous game. But you’d be doing the game an injustice by skipping many of the quests the game has to offer, all of which provide lots of character development and world building. There’s even more to the game than that; a lot of time can be spent optimizing your character and Skell builds, as well as simply exploring the vast world of Mira. At the time of this review’s writing, I only have one chapter left to do in the main story. But I’ve spent over 100 hours doing as many optional things as I could along the way. Even once the main story is over, there’s still the postgame, as Xenoblade Chronicles X has no New Game Plus. Several quests and affinity missions won’t even be unlocked until after you finish the game. And if, like me, you intend to defeat the strongest foes that Mira has to offer, you’ll spend even more time getting your team properly set up. If you’re looking for a game that’ll last you a VERY long time, Xenoblade Chronicles X is the perfect choice.

Verdict: 10/10

Pros

• Decent main story backed up by lots of sidequests that provide additional character development and world-building

• Enormous, seamless, and beautiful world with tons of secrets to discover

• Uses the Wii U’s GamePad more effectively than most other major games on the system

• Excellent battle system

• Lots of customizability with your characters and Skells

• Great soundtrack and voice acting

•  More innovative and bold than many modern sequels

• Fixes several issues (both minor and major) that the original Xenoblade Chronicles had

• Tons of content that will last you hundreds of hours

• Flying around in a giant robot (that can also transform into a vehicle) is absolutely awesome

Cons

• Can be overwhelming to those new to the genre (subjective)
• Initial character progression can feel slow
• Could have benefited from more quality of life features and slightly more sensible design (i.e, not requiring you to physically find your party members in NLA to add them to your team each time)

            Many sequels and successors go by a certain formula: they take what worked or didn’t work, and refine or fix them while adding a few new features and a fresh coat of paint. And that’s perfectly fine! That approach has given gamers countless amazing titles throughout gaming history, and 2015 alone brought us the likes of Bloodborne, Arkham Knight, and Fallout 4 among others. But Tetsuya Takahashi and Monolith Soft went above and beyond for Xenoblade Chronicles X. Instead of incremental changes, they opted to make something much more unique that still shared the blood of its predecessor. Many new mechanics were introduced, existing ones were overhauled, and the game’s entire structure was drastically changed. Xenoblade Chronicles X was a very ambitious risk that really paid off; they strived to make the game feel fresh and alien to RPG veterans. Despite the steep learning curve (due having so many features and mechanics), I believe that every RPG fan should give this game a shot. Xenoblade Chronicles X is one of (if not) the best games of 2015.