When Xenoblade Chronicles 2

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So I put it to Monolith Soft studio head Tetsuya Takahashi: if this is being pitched as a sequel to the first Xenoblade, what will we find inside? “It's a completely different world, with completely new characters. It's a different game.”

Oh.

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Xenoblade Chronicles 2 feels most aptly described in the same terms as a fairytale - in the same way that cultures from two different parts of the world can both tell different versions of the Cinderella story, it boasts the same structure and kind of location as the first game, but filled out with new details. We still have a linear storyline, set along a string of vast, exploration-filled areas, and we’re still on (and inside) Titans, just not the same ones.

“The way I see it,” says Takahashi, “I feel as though Xenoblade 1 and 2 are connected and linked in the sense that they're linear and story-driven games, whereas Xenoblade Chronicles X was more focused on open world and exploration, and maybe an online aspect. I feel like I'd like to continue to create games separating those two aspects out.”

Jettisoning X’s character customisation and mech-assisted go-anywhere approach, this is a game that aims to build on the heritage of the Wii entry, right down to its awkward but lovable British-accented localisation.

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But that’s not to say there’s a lack of new ideas. The key mechanical change seems to be in the game’s adoption of two different kinds of party member, Drivers and Blades.

“Drivers are basically humans”, says Takahashi. “Then there are these things called Core Crystals. Throughout the game, you'll collect many of them, and if a Driver touches that Core Crystal, a lifeform is created. That lifeform is what we call a Blade.

“The Blades endow the Driver that they're linked with power and a weapon. Each Blade has different roles that it can play, so the concept is that, by attaching different Blades, the player can decide what kind of role they want to play in the game.”

There’s a Pokemon-like thrill to the idea of collecting new Blades and switching between them as main character Rex fights. It also brings a new element of intrigue to one of the series’ best features.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 E3 2017 Reveal Trailer Stills 15 IMAGES

The last two Xenoblade games’ Battle Arts - strings of abilities scrolled through at the bottom of the screen - have now been simplified to sets of four button presses, which alter depending on which Blade you’ve paired with at the time. Takahashi makes a point of saying that this doesn’t reflect a simplification of how Arts will work in-game, however.

“At the very base level, conceptually, it hasn't changed. In previous iterations, you had to select the icon and then activate the Arts. It's just, this time, the depiction of the icons is directly related to how the buttons are laid out. So it's a lot more direct and intuitive.”

There’s far more to discover about Xenoblade Chronicles 2 before it arrives this Holiday, but it’s clear already that this is far more than a simple sequel.