Xenoblade Chronicles X Review

All of these attributes and layers of customization are difficult to take in all at once, especially when they are typically not explained very well, if at all. Just like other aspects of the game, some of these took quite some time for me to even notice, let alone master. However, the game for the most part allows you to coast along to a certain degree without needing to fully grasp every little detail included. By throwing a relatively even distribution of some lower level enemies no matter where you set forth, for instance, players can generally opt for simpler, less intimidating battles and thus resort to more mindless art spamming, utilizing a less tactical approach if they so choose. Just don’t expect to progress as quickly.

On the flip side though, this uneven and random distribution of enemies can also lead to some frustrations and slow moments when seeking optimal level grinding. There will be moments where all you can seem to find are the smaller, lower level enemies that are barely worth your time engaging, despite venturing far from New LA. And on the other hand, sometimes the game will unfairly and inexplicably fling large concentrations of overpowered, higher level enemies your way at earlier parts of the game. This can be inconvenient to say the least when these enemies are hostile, and they often seem to roam in spots that block off a particular area you require access to for a quest you are looking to finish.

Speaking of the enemies, they offer their own share of subtle complexities as well. For example, most come with different appendages or body parts that can be targeted, some of which can be hacked off after enough fighting, and this can actually change the dynamic of the battle as it can often cripple the enemy, and they can no longer use that appendage to launch specific attacks. This adds yet another factor to think about when engaging in battle. Besides different species and mechanics, monsters will range in behaviors as well. You have your friendlier creatures that will mind their own business unless you make the first move, and the hostile enemies. The latter are more frequent and more powerful during the treacherous Mira nights. Some will come after you when you cross their line of sight, and others by a mere sound they pick up on. The monsters of Mira present a massive variance in size, appearance, and mannerisms that parallel the vastness of the game itself, and it was a joy to see the colorful variety of these imaginative beasts and intelligent alien life forms. On top of your typical breed of alien creatures, there are also super powered monsters, called Tyrants. These are typically a lot more tough, provide more ample reward, and are often used as objectives for various quests. This is where online multiplayer comes in handy, as you can team up with either friends, or randomly selected players to help you take on these tricky beasts.

The game takes on a bit of a Monster Hunters vibe when playing through various online quests, particularly when you’re all squaring off against those battle-hardened Tyrants that seem to take forever to bring down. It is a fun change of pace and adds a new element of excitement to an already thrilling experience. If online play isn’t really your thing, the game still enables you to stay semi-connected with the Xenoblade community through various ways. You will eventually be prompted to join a “squad” upon startup, which essentially acts as a sort of online community. While in these squads, you can indirectly participate in missions and read message postings while still going off and doing your own thing. It is a semi-amusing feature I suppose, though one that didn’t feel very necessary. The squad missions generally consist of killing groups of specified types of enemies, though I often found it difficult to determine which monsters I was required to kill.

Another neat online-esque feature is the ability to scout NPC versions of actual player creations, who you can basically borrow for a short period of time, swapping out a less desirable NPC in your party. You can even be scouted yourself, and should the avatar version of yourself fight well enough, you can redeem rewards at the scout console found in New LA. The online features generally feel like an afterthought, but the game is so massive, they largely don’t feel needed regardless. Still, they offer a unique change of pace and sense of connectivity for those who are seeking it.

Oh, and I feel I would be doing the game a disservice by not at least mentioning the giant mech fighting machines that assist you in battle against some of the larger enemies, known as Skells. In all fairness though, the game itself seems to take forever in getting around to them, as you don’t even get the opportunity to enjoy strapping into your first Skell until several chapters into the main story. This is a bit strange considering how much focus was placed on these badass looking machines in the various trailers and game demos. I did however, found them to be a little more trouble than they worth anyway. Don’t get me wrong, it was a joy to go joyriding for the first time, and it certainly makes travelling quicker and more enjoyable when taking to the skies or rocketing across the plains of Primordia or the deserts of Oblivia in vehicle mode. They also succeed in adding a new feel and dynamic to enemy battles, introducing a few new features like the ability to bind enemies, damaged Skell appendages, and the action-oriented “cockpit time”. Yet, you’ll find yourself worrying about keeping tabs on the fuel, which burns through relatively quickly, as well as your damage received. On top of this, they are also expensive to buy and overall a bit of a burden to maintain. Like the online play, these too come off as a bit of a tacked-on, rather than a core aspect of the game that you might expect.

Being a Wii U exclusive, the gamepad features should also be touched on. The screen on the controller essentially takes on a function not unlike the second screen of the Nintendo DS; that is to say that it adds a little something extra without becoming too gimmicky, or too much of a burden. The list of text blurbs and non-verbal communicative actions the screen provides help to grant at least some semblance of communication when playing with others, as the game does not come with voice chat.

The gamepad screen is primarily used as a detail map system, which is where it shines the most, as you’ll probably find yourself needing to scope things out regularly as you travel. Destinations for quests are marked on this map, as are a series of symbols on each “quadrant” which the game compartmentalizes each continent of Mira into. These symbols, like many aspects of X, are quite cryptic, and I still haven’t figured out what some of them mean, but I’d wager that they represent key points on the map that range from new quests to treasures. Oh, then there are mining probes, which are also marked at various points throughout Mira. Once you’ve reached these spots, you are given the opportunity to probe the designated site, which allows you to syphon precious Miranium and other resources, as well as reveal information and terrain from the surrounding area. While somewhat useful, it is an odd feature to say the least, and comes across as a bit of afterthought to shoehorn in the gamepad’s screen and touch features. Make no mistake though, the touchscreen functionality can come in handy at times, particularly when scrolling around the map or clicking conveniently on designated fast-travel spots.

I was a little concerned as to how the Wii U's bulky controller would feel for a complex RPG such as this one, but it works and feels surprisingly decent for the most part. Aside from some tricky button sequences to access a few of the more cryptic in-game commands, the controls just feel right. And even if you happen to swear by more traditional controllers, the game supports the pro controller as well. Xenoblade Chronicles X also allows for off-TV play, a feature that I usually place value in, but for a game like this, I wouldn’t bother. The main reason for this being that the text, annoyingly small and difficult to make out as it is, becomes nearly unreadable on the somewhat fuzzy and relatively tiny screen of the gamepad. The game is full of convoluted bits of information and has a lot to keep track of, and this amount of visual information to process just doesn’t lend itself to a small screen.

Besides, these slick and gorgeous graphics are best appreciated in HD, and I have to say, this is one of the nicest looking games to ever grace a Nintendo console. The textures are crisp, the draw distances are impressive, and the overall style treads the line nicely between a gritty semi-realistic look coupled with colorful and diverse fantasy environments. Besides roaming the robust colony of New LA, you’ll spending the vast majority of time trekking through one of five continents. These locations look so magnificent and hold such a distinct and unique style from one another, particularly the later ones, that you won’t likely care about the lack of diversity within them.

The musical score doesn’t come with a particularly huge variety either, but those tracks that do exist generally serve their purpose well, consisting of many rich melodies that are friendly on the ears. They help add to the feeling of adventure and grandiosity, coloring things with some emotion and generally act as a nice compliment to the environments they coincide with in both style and character. The main battle music is a pretty catchy, albeit strange hybrid of rock, hip hop, and Japanese pop, the intensity of which meshes with the adrenaline-pumping battle sequences quite nicely as well.

On the whole, Xenoblade Chronicles X is a very well crafted action RPG that provides more and more content the further you delve into it. The game can be learned and enjoyed relatively quickly at least on a basic level, and the enjoyable, generally fast-paced gameplay makes it inviting to more casual RPG fans. At the same time, it embeds subtle mechanics and features that are quite rich, ensuring that the diehards will get much out of it as well. Xenoblade Chronicles X is not without its flaws with ambiguities that drag the game down at times and frustratingly keep it from reaching a truly elite level of quality. Yet, it still provides a superb and addictive experience to those who have the patience to learn the ropes and deal with the occasional quirk and cryptic aspects.