This is the battle system Xenoblade Chronicles should've adopted!



When I first picked up Xenoblade Chronicles, I expected the battle system This is the battle system Xenoblade Chronicles should've adopted!



When I first picked up Xenoblade Chronicles, I expected the battle system to be like that of Ys VIII. It wasn't, but I still finished that game. However, my itch for a real-time action battle system remained... until I discovered Ys VIII. I had no idea what kind of game it was until I stumbled upon some reviews... after reading them, I decided to buy it... and I've no regrets - this game managed scratched that itch that left the battles wanting in Xenoblade Chronicles.



Ys VIII is an action RPG, and it circumvents everything that I didn't like about Xenoblade. IN Ys VIII, I am fully in control of the battle, I use special moves when I want, I use normal moves when I want, I face the monster from the back / side / front, whenever I want. The upgrades to the weapons are straightforward, just keep going up, so I don't get flummoxed by complex systems. Almost all the time, I knew exactly where to go for my next quests / missions.



The story is relatively straightforward, almost without any plot twists, so really, it's the entire battle system that shines through in this game. As you level up you gain new special abilities which you can assign to one of 4 buttons to execute (there are lots of abilities to choose from as you progress). In Xenoblade Chronicles, sometimes you don't really feel "in control" of the battles because of the way it's implemented. With Ys VIII on the other hand, you're completely in control every single second of the battle, which means you feel more engaged during battles.



You also get to choose to play a number of characters each with different feel. You get the melee type character (the main character, Adol is one) which is great if you like it up close and personal. Then you get the "fencer" type which is a very agile and quick character but very good at "breaks". You get the tank which basically, well, the tank with huge HP and power hits but just slower than others. You get the AoE (area of effect) type which whacks everything around you, you get the gunner who actually has some super powerful moves, but can also jab when close up... this means you have a great variety of options to play.



Another great design I like about this game is that, unlike Pokemon, those characters you are not using in your party of 3 at any time will also passively level up so you don't have to grind unnecessarily. The ones not in your party doesn't level up as quickly as the 3 in your party, but it's still helpful that they do level up almost as quickly. This further gives you the flexibility to interchange characters and really have fun at the action part of this RPG. That said, you could grind if you wish to grind as everytime you enter an area again, the monster respawn. Good for parts collection to upgrade weapons and armor too.



It's a relatively long game, it took me about 60 hours to complete (I almost completed every single side quest), however, what I found was that often, when it started feeling repetitive, they introduce a new move, or new area, or new something, and it does help keep it fresh throughout. Admittedly, I changed from "Normal" to "Easy" about 3/4 way through because I wanted to get to the ending (note there's a "good", "normal" and "bad" ending depending on the reputation points you earn). Reputation points are earned as you complete side quests for characters, give gifts, etc.



If you're a fan of action RPGs, and you like to be in total control of your action / battles, then this is exactly the game for you. The story is a bit light, but hey, I played this for the action, I sure got them! … Expand