Published December 2, 2012

Last Updated December 2, 2012

I spent 73 hours wandering the bodies of two titanic robots, slaughtering fearsome monsters and trading commodities with different variances of life. For years, people complained about the lack of core titles appearing on the Wii. This massive epic should shut them up. Rarely have I spent so much time and effort just to complete the main story line of a game. But in this case, It felt completely natural and necessary. There is just a certain quality to this game that makes it feel so large and so alive. But I can safely say that more is all the more merrier in this magnificent piece of gaming excellence.

Xenoblade won’t be remembered for reinventing the JRPG genre, but instead for trimming off so much of the frustrating and devastating aspects that have ruined so many games like it. Taking a somewhat unfocused genre (the Japanese Role Playing Game) and focusing it into a title worthy of greatness is no easy task, but thankfully, a couple breakthroughs for Nintendo and Monolith did just that. Starting on a small note, take a look at the way one travels across this giant and vast world. Quick Travel is basically never disabled outside of combat, which means that backtracking and second trips over certain empty terrains is no longer required, at all. In total, there are 97 landmarks, or quick travel hot spots, scattered throughout the universe, each of which are accessible from any point at practically any time (after it’s discovery). This just makes it that much easier to stay focused on important matters at hand such as questing and level grinding without having to trek across long and empty stretches of environment.

Some other key areas areas of optimization include the way Experience Points are earned and the fact that death never means a loss of progress. These little bits of freshness by there selves are somewhat useless. Note worthy, but useless. Together, they provide an extremely refreshing and magical experience that never fails to establish it’s own personal feel. And a unique feel is what a game needs to stay interesting for 70+ hours.

As for the graphics, the game has a great artistic direction but a terrible engine to back it up. The game doesn’t look as much outdated as it does simply sloppy. A slightly more modest approach would have probably been easier on the eyes, especially since the world design had such a fantastical and whimsical feel, but there are still plenty of breathtaking sites to observe. Overall, the game still looks plenty beautiful and colorful, just don’t expect it to look quite like most modern day RPG’s. Another downside is the fact that screen rates often drop in the midst of more intense battles, which can easily ruin a heroic moment.

From a sound perspective, this is a mixed bag. Beautifully orchestrated background music plays during the exploration of each of the worlds 20 or so environments, which is always a pleasure to listen to. Unfortunately, the brilliance ends as the more fearsome parts of the soundtrack shine through when in the midst of battle. And these rock focused tunes, unlike the environment based music, play where ever you go, whoever you are fighting. This makes them grow old very quickly, and take away some of the effect of the more serene atmosphere most of the game provides. But in the end, there are still hours of great music packed into your adventure. Voice acting on the other hand is at times close to being unbearable, but is never truly terrible (certainly not great either).

Combat is really nothing extraordinary, and never really amazes, but at the same time stays interesting throughout the whole journey. What is special is the way you develop your character by leveling up arts (attacks) and skills (lasting effects). These small additions make you feel slightly more in control of your party. Unfortunately, the money you earn from combat starts to feel useless after a couple dozen hours, as everything purchasable is basically just a stat upgrade. All weapons play the same, and are only usable by 1 character. From this angle, the game is amazingly linear, and makes the player seem somewhat powerless. This feeling of little to no power over your party was one of the biggest disappointments I developed throughout the game.

All in all, Xenoblade was an amazing experience, made up of a great atmosphere, a surprisingly deep story, and gameplay deep enough to be interesting for 70 hours. But for every triumph, there is a sizable hole in design that can leave the player feeling ripped off or helpless. But after all it’s faults, Xeboblade: Chronicles still shines strong as an epic JRPG strongly deserving a place in history for this odd but wonderful genre.

9.0 / 10

-Ayer