I can’t believe Xenoblade Chronicles almost didn’t make it to America. What was Nintendo thinking? The Wii can’t boast many JRPGs period (the only ones I can think of are Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn and those Final Fantasy games), and here Nintendo was trying to deny another one to American Wii owners. Fortunately, thanks to overwhelming fan support, the game found its way to the United States. After a recent slew of unimpressive JRPGs, I was hungry for a change, and Xenoblade Chronicles has satisfied my appetite.
One of the most explored game worlds ever to exist is within Xenoblade Chronicles. It is a huge game. Amazing sights and creatures exist around every corner. See that thing in the distance? You can go there. The game has a very Final Fantasy XII feel to it, which is great. The on-screen mini-map and the brilliant inclusion of fast travel both keep navigation hassle-free.
However, as interesting as the world is, the graphics are nothing to brag about. While I’m comparing the two games, I’ll point out that Final Fantasy XII’s graphics are about a thousand times better than what’s on display in Xenoblade Chronicles. Sure, the environments are cool and the draw distance is unbelievable, but everything just looks very PS2-ish. Facial animations are very PS1-ish.
That being said, I’ve always believed that as long as a game is fun, the graphics should take a backseat. Here we have a game that is pure enjoyment. The combat system is brilliant. The skills assigned to each character are awesome and only get better as the game progresses. Skills can be leveled up using points gained through victory. There are Skill Links in the game, meaning each character can share his or her skills with the other characters.
The main character, Shulk, has the ability to see the future. This comes in handy during especially tough battles. You can see when an enemy is about to unleash a devastating attack and take measures to avoid it. You can also warn your teammates when an attack is headed their way and even play as them if you desire to do so (you can do this at any point in the game). Shulk’s premonitions are also useful at other points in the game, for example, they are used to inform you of items that you need for side quests.
The story in Xenoblade Chronicles is filled with JRPG stereotypes, but I commend Monolith Soft for keeping it straightforward and not adding in something stupid like, say, time travel. The story takes place on the backs of two colossi that are frozen in time. I often forgot that at times while playing through the game, and when I did think about it, I was even more amazed. However, the characters involved in the story are somewhat boring. They can all be compared to characters from the Final Fantasy games.
The first JRPG I ever really sat down, played and cherished was Final Fantasy X. It appealed to me with its tremendous story, combat system and score. Since then, I had slowly begun to lose faith in JRPGs. Luckily, I stumbled across Xenoblade Chronicles. It has made me a believer again, as it is one of the best JRPGs of this generation.
