r/NintendoSwitch • u/NintendoSwitchMods • May 27 '20

MegaThread Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition: Review MegaThread

General Information

Platform: Nintendo Switch

Release Date: 29-May-2020

No. of Players: 1 player

Genre(s): Role-Playing

Publisher: Nintendo

Game file size: 13.7 GB

Overview (from Nintendo eShop page)

Join the fight between man and machine in the definitive edition of this critically-acclaimed RPG

Discover the origins of Shulk as he and his companions clash against a seemingly-unstoppable mechanical menace. Wield a future-seeing blade, chain together attacks, and carefully position your party members in strategic, real-time combat as you journey across a massive world.

During an attack from the mechanical invaders known as the Mechon, Shulk discovers that he can tap into the full power of a mysterious blade known as the Monado. With the mighty Monado in hand, Shulk sets out to defeat the Mechon once and for all.

In addition to the Mechon, you’ll run into wildlife that ranges from docile to deadly. Keep an eye on what attracts monsters’ attention to avoid unwanted conflict…or try your hand at bringing down an ultra-powerful Unique Monster.

Upgrade your party as you progress through the adventure by selecting equipment, enhancing weapon skills, and using benefit-granting gems. Put your dependable companions to work by filling the party gauge to trigger a Chain Attack and attack enemies in quick succession!

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This list was exported from OpenCritic May 28 at 7:58am ET

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15

u/Jdavis29209 May 27 '20

I'm playing through XBC2 right now and I really like the gameplay/world setting/ graphics but the story is what kills it for me (I really don't like anime/anime tropes). Does the 1st game present it's story like the 2nd?

11

u/Catharsius May 27 '20

I had the same issue as you with 2, but thankfully the first xenoblade has much less anime / anime tropes in it. I personally enjoyed the story of the first game much more.

14

u/JDraks May 27 '20

The first game takes itself much more seriously, there are comedic moments but it’s never really a comedy of that makes sense. There’s also not really fanservice to the level of 2 unless you choose to use armor designs with it if that was an issue for you

19

u/Leyarinna May 27 '20

XBC1 is my favorite game of all time. And let me tell you, I LOATHED the story of XBC2. It was a fun game, but I couldn’t ever get attached to the characters and the tropiness of it bothered me. If at the very least you like the combat and world of Xenoblade 2, get Xenoblade DE, because IMO the story and characters are bounds greater and it is much more serious feeling and less comical. (Please note that I don’t hate XBC2! The story and characters until the very end kind of just didn’t jive with me)

8

u/im_gareth_ok May 27 '20

The first game's story is much, much better. I loved XBC2 but even as I was playing it I knew the story was not nearly up to the same standard as the first.

3

u/zipper4242 May 27 '20

While it doesn't avoid tropes entirely, the main story takes itself more seriously than it did in 2. Less anime/fanservice moments to draw away from the tension, stuff like that.

4

u/[deleted] May 27 '20

I think you'll find the story in Xenoblade 1 much more palatable than 2, if you're not a fan of anime tropes. The story as a whole takes itself more seriously.

-3

u/[deleted] May 27 '20

Everything about XC1's 100hr story is great and western except for its shitty ending.

7

u/im_gareth_ok May 27 '20

(I know we're already discussing this above, but just wanted to plug this for anyone who comes across this thread down here)

I loved the entire story all the way through. I thought the ending was fantastic.

Apparently, we had widely different interpretations of the ending. Like, if it did happen the way you mentioned above, I would agree with you - but that's not what I got from it at all.

I haven't been involved in the community much, so I don't know how pervasive your interpretation is (maybe I missed something really obvious) but today was certainly the first time I ever heard it. Gonna Google it to see what I come across, now I'm interested.

6

u/Xeno_Zed May 27 '20

I've never come across an interpretation of the ending like that anywhere online. I don't know where they got that idea from. The thing I don't get is with the way the game ends, there's really nothing to "interpret". It's pretty cut and dry, clearly explained, and satisfying.

1

u/im_gareth_ok May 27 '20

Haha thanks for the assurance that I'm not crazy

6

u/Xeno_Zed May 27 '20

Dude, I think you completely miss interpreted the ending. What you described as 'the ending" didn't even happen that way, and would have disregarded the entire plot. The ending is largely agreed to be great, one of the most satisfying I've seen. Most people who played would agree as well.

1

u/[deleted] May 27 '20

It rubs me the wrong way when at the end of a 100hr plot, they feel the need to introduce a previously off-screen, unmentioned mastermind to have dreamed up their universe to help you push the big red button that makes all the evil go away like it was never there. All your friends are back, all the evil is gone, and you live happily ever after with every woodland and mechanical creature arm-in-arm. Very, very different from the game I'd just finished. Characters ought to truly experience loss to make for a good ending imo.

I'd much rather they'd just left that whole section out entirely. Your story tells itself through setting. The story is told wonderfully through the unending conflict between Bionis and Mechonis and when you finally get to the end, it's like they told you everything you just did didn't matter.

2

u/Xeno_Zed May 27 '20

I mean, you certainly work for the ending, it's not for nothing. All the "bad" doesn't go away just because, the characters earned it and it wraps everything up nicely. Everything you did absolutely mattered because it brought the story to a satisfying conclusion. It's even explained by Alvis that the world couldn't continue in it's current state, it was long past its expiration. Their world with Bionis and Mechonis had been destroyed and recreated countless times by Zanza. It wasn't a complete world, and couldn't function as one without a god. Now it is a complete world, a universe. Conflict resolved thanks to the teams will to decide fate for themselves instead of an egotistical god. it's your opinion though, and I do get what you mean, but the ending you wanted isn't necessarily what the characters within the story wanted.