Review cover Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Nintendo Switch)
Official GBAtemp Review

Product Information:

  • Release Date (NA): December 1, 2017
  • Release Date (EU): December 1, 2017
  • Release Date (JP): December 1, 2017
  • Publisher: Nintendo
  • Developer: Monolith Soft
  • Genres: JRPG

Game Features:

Single player
Local Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer
Co-operative
Walking with Titans.

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Released as one of the Wii's big-hitting JRPG trio, the Xenoblade series has quite rightly found itself a devoted fanbase, eager to see a repeat of its initial success. With Xenoblade Chronicles X proving mediocre for many, both fans and Nintendo alike look to Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (XC2) to be the Switch's December star. Will it guide the way for future entries, or doom the series to a black hole of irrelevance?

That Which Lies Beyond a Stormy Sky

Upon starting the game, you are greeted with a title screen that, for a lack of simpler term, feels wrong. With no logo for the game, no bright field to draw hope, it feels dark, ominous, as though the world you are about to enter is long-since broken. Contrary to the scenic nature of its Wii predecessor, you are lead into this world expecting a tragedy; in oppose to the scenic nuances of the Bionis. Paired with a remorseful piano melody, XC2 sets a tone largely unfamiliar to the series. While these tones are soon cast aside as you burst through the storm into the light, they are not forgotten as you advance through the game.

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As with many a modern JRPG, XC2 starts out slowly, taking time to teach the player many of its interesting features and systems. These are presented in short bursts of interaction with the HUD, casually breaking the fourth wall in a conversational way. I wouldn't call it particularly entertaining, but it does strike a good balance in presenting features, whilst not being overwhelming to the player. While I appreciate getting through these can feel like a pain initially, their contribution to the slow start does an incredible job in highlighting the shift in pace when it finally hits. It changes what would have been just an interesting event to a rite of passage; it forces upon you an appreciation for the fluid action and tense events that wrap up the introduction so well.

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To be Scene and Heard

Large, action-packed cutscenes such as the introduction finale put forward some of the game's greatest strengths. Demonstrating clean and interestingly choreographed movement, along with engaging dialogue passionately delivered by the cast, I found it difficult to avoid becoming engrossed in the ongoing events. Each swing of the oversized sword, each falling drop of rain, you feel every element of the scene come to life around you. These scenes take the Xenoblade name further than any previous iteration, delivering enjoyable and captivating content. I just wish this content could have remained consistent.

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The problems become clear when looking at smaller-scale cutscenes; those that sadly occupy the majority of the game. The root of these stems from a simple issue—lip syncing, or lack thereof. Through my hours of playing, this was never something I truly adapted to. My only fix came from occasionally blurring my vision (not recommended) or simply focusing on the subtitles, instead of the characters themselves. The cutscenes are quite possibly my favourite thing about XC2; and to have them held back by something so glaringly obvious truly saddens me, and all I can really hope for at this point is a day one patch. It is worth noting I was playing with the English audio, so one can assume the Japanese track is synced properly. Or at least one can hope, as I never got a chance to try the JP audio while playing.

Looking past lip syncing, and onto the voice actors themselves, you may find yourself conflicted. I'm sure by this point, the majority of people reading this will have seen a trailer for XC2, and already formed an opinion on how they plan to boycott the English audio track. In my opinion, this would be a mistake. I obviously cannot speak for the quality of the Japanese voice actors, but I can say for certain avoiding the English cast because of an initial impression would be doing yourself a disservice. Initially, the characters feel wrong, the voices and the designs mismatched. First listening to Rex's voice, I recall comparing him to a hoodlum on the streets of London. It's bizarre, but as time went on, the dialogue soon felt catered to the voice actor, playing the part quite fantastically. The main cast is an amalgamation of English, Welsh, American, and everything in between; and yet it works.

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To back up what I believe to be a fantastic cast, we also have some of the best writing I've seen in the series. Playing this, I felt the writers' passion from small quips and deep conversations alike; XC2 has dialogue from across the spectrum and knows just when to hit you hard, or when to break tension with a clever line of ineptitude. The lines feel as though they were written with both the character and voice actor in mind, and I find myself smiling to myself even as I write this thinking back on what I experienced.

Despite their faults, I couldn't help but enjoy the cutscenes. While lip syncing issues definitely detract from what could have been something truly spectacular, the fact I still hold them in such high regard should speak volumes on the quality of the content itself.

Ode to a Titan

Supporting the cutscenes from start to end is a masterfully crafted soundtrack. Rarely do I see audio so wonderfully capture the essence of a game; from the whimsical and vast open areas, to the dark, uneasy air of war on the horizon. You hear it in every cutscene, tense or timid; in every environment, every encounter or shift in the tide. It stands out exactly where it needs to, and blends seamlessly into the background as an ambient track to encourage immersion when exploring. It goes beyond what I expect from an experience such as this, despite having no real need to in this context. For such efforts, I find myself excited to listen, eager to engage.

Uncharted Territory

Fans of the original Xenoblade Chronicles will likely feel at home in the living environments we call Titans. Reminiscent of the Bionis, they each harbour their own nation; a small civilisation to which they guide across the Sea of Clouds. Each Titan offers a unique landscape to explore, vast and visually stunning on the screen of the Switch.

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These areas provide incentive to explore in the form of treasure troves scattered around the environment. Each trove offers something different, be it money or crystals required to get new Blades, it will almost always be worth the time spent finding if you're willing to go off the beaten track. For those wanting to follow a map through to the end, XC2 also has interesting means of assisting. Even early on, environments feel interactive, and far more alive than previous games in the series. An example that springs to mind is the floor of an ancient ship. At first glance, it seems weak; as one might expect from a ship so old. What caught me by surprise was falling through the aforementioned floor after stepping on it. It's a small addition, yet acts as a means of pushing the player in the right direction naturally. Of course, you could still rely on map icons to guide you to where you're going, but small changes like this go a long way in making you forget to check your map. You soon feel little need to.

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That's not to say the environments are perfect. While the game puts good effort into natural progression through maps, it does little in the way of natural limitation when it comes to exploration. For the truly adventurous amongst us, we may want to see exactly what lies at the end of the map. A secret message? Perhaps a treasure trove? Alas, the possibility of such things is ruled out with a simple dialogue box. "Turn back," to put it simply. I suppose you could call it a secret message, as dissatisfying as it may be.

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Live to Fight Another Day

Combat in XC2 is as it has always been in Xenoblade; simple, but engaging. At its core, you just have to move your character close to an enemy, and you'll start attacking automatically. Standard, bordering on basic, but not necessarily in a bad way. The simplistic nature of automated attacking allows the player's focus to shift to Arts; skills charged with each automatic hit. Each art requires a different amount of hits to charge, and different conditions to be met for an optimal attack. This may come down to positioning, or the current state of the opponent. Moving while the enemy is distracted to land perfect hits soon becomes a challenge as more allies and enemies are added to the fray. Add to this powerful specials and the possibility of combos with allied Blades, and you have a deep, immersive system to play with.

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New Blades are acquired in a system not dissimilar to the ever-popular loot box that has been running rampant around the games industry as of late. Requiring a Core Crystal, the bonding process randomly gives you a blade of rarity one through five. What I'm sure will be of no surprise, all of this is done in-game, with none of the negative strings attached you usually see associated with loot boxes. I would go so far as to say this system is wholly beneficial to the game. Through its random nature, it offers a unique gameplay experience to each of its players, having them rely on different Blades, and in turn, different skills and combos. It also offers a degree of replayability for those wanting a reason to come back. While the distribution of Core Crystals sometimes felt lacking, I never felt as though I was underequipped for battle. The thought of a unique Blade always kept me looking for more.

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Questlife

Quests have always been an integral part of the Xenoblade formula, and as they always have, are distributed across the world to solve a variety of issues. Whether it be a game of hide and seek, or saving a travelling merchant from a horde of enemies, there will always be something to do. The variety in quest types really didn't disappoint me, and while there were some duplicates in structure, the story and dialogue throughout kept them feeling unique and interesting

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The real catch of the quests in XC2 comes in the management of rewards. For each quest, you will get a distribution of Gold, EXP, and SP; and sometimes an item or two for your trouble. While it sounds standard, I came to appreciate how the game distributes the EXP gained. Instead of directly inheriting it, it gets stockpiled as Bonus EXP. Bonus EXP can then be accessed by sleeping at a local Inn, where you get to decide how much of it you want. If you feel the game is too challenging, you can use up all your Bonus EXP to level up your character as much as possible. If you feel the game is fine as it is, you it can be completely ignores until deemed necessary. To me, this system is fantastic. It presents the player with choice of difficulty without forcing their hand; it keeps a struggling player engaged, instead of being too stubborn to change the difficulty to Easy. Perhaps most interestingly to me, it gives completionists a chance to experience a challenge while playing the game, instead of being constantly over-levelled because of the plethora of quests already completed. Such flexibility from a small design choice goes a long way in providing a memorable and player-tailored gameplay experience.

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The X-Factor

XC2 recaptures a lot of what made the original game so great to me. It provides a story with unpredictable twists and turns; it provides memorable experience after memorable experience in its landscapes, its dialogue, its humour. It encourages exploration through a lack of punishment in death; it encourages death in giving you the choice to explore areas far beyond your capabilities. Despite being a linear experience, Xenoblade has never felt more open, more alive. Should you journey to the skies of Alrest, you will not come back disappointed.

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Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Trailer

Verdict

What We Liked ...
  • Fantastically animated cutscenes
  • Builds well on traditional Xenoblade combat
  • Masterfully crafted soundtrack
  • Engaging plot with unexpected twists at every stage
  • Vast, interactive, and content-filled maps
What We Didn't Like ...
  • Lip syncing issues
  • English voice actors take some time to appreciate
  • Lazy limitation of movement
9
Gameplay
Building on each aspect that made both the original game and its sequel so enjoyable, XC2 presents the series' most polished and enjoyable gameplay experience yet.
8
Presentation
Held back only by lack of proper lip syncing, XC2 shows us a vast, beautiful world can be available to us anywhere.
9
Lasting Appeal
Between dialogue I wish to experience again and again, a degree of custom difficulty, and the random nature of Blade summoning, XC2 gives players plenty of options to come back. Should you choose not to, I have no doubt this game will stay on your mind for a good time to come.
9.2
out of 10

Overall

XC2 puts forward a strong message of what the Switch is capable of. Providing a full JRPG experience, in tandem with lush visual and audio design both on the go and at home, it sets the bar for future games to grace the system; and it sets it high.
great review tho, Am i sinnerful and egoist that i'm going to use 1st reply just to ask what FW has in stock??
 
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Gameplay 9

most of the enemies just stand there in the middle of the screen.
So much less physical enemy movements.

Even dark soul don't get Gameplay 9 in some reviews.
You must be enjoying this game a lot.
 
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Gameplay 9

most of the enemies just stand there in the middle of the screen.
So much less physical enemy movements.

Even dark soul don't get Gameplay 9 in some reviews.
You must be enjoying this game a lot.
Gameplay isn't solely combat. It's how each element comes together for the overall gameplay experience. This might include controls, map interactions, generally how the game feels to play.

That's how I give gameplay a value anyway. But yeah, I really did find myself enjoying the game!
 
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I actually read your review. I usually don't read reviews because I just don't care about them. (Not because they bother me, but I just don't care.)

Its good that the soundtrack well made. That was XC1 strong point so its good this game also has good music.
I can only assume this game's story gets into convoluted Final Fantasy'ish super nerd territory.

Don't know if I want to get into a huge JRPG though. I haven't been playing many games as of late, so don't know if I want to get into a big one like this.

Paired with a remorseful piano melody, XC2 sets a tone largely unfamiliar to the series.
When you said this, XC1 went dark pretty quick with death. Dark tones is what the series is about. Don't know why that would be unfamiliar with the series.
 
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I actually read your review. I usually don't read reviews because I just don't care about them. (Not because they bother me, but I just don't care.)

Its good that the soundtrack well made. That was XC1 strong point so its good this game also has good music.
I can only assume this game's story gets into convoluted Final Fantasy'ish super nerd territory.

Don't know if I want to get into a huge JRPG though. I haven't been playing many games as of late, so don't know if I want to get into a big one like this.

Paired with a remorseful piano melody, XC2 sets a tone largely unfamiliar to the series.
When you said this, XC1 went dark pretty quick with death. Dark tones is what the series is about. Don't know why that would be unfamiliar with the series.
You actually put forward a good point. I suppose I meant what I associate with the game, and while death and despair definitely make themselves prominent, the brighter elements were what stuck.

But my bad, you're reminding me I'm due a replay of Xenoblade Chronicles lol

Edit: I appreciate you reading the review regardless. Here's hoping I haven't put you off caring about more Temp reviews!
 
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If the english voice acting is too bad, I will change the voices to japanese.
I haven't seen much of this game, but it doesn't seem bad per se, just very English, much like XC1. If that REALLY bothers you then I guess japanese is an option, but as the review says, try giving it some time to get used to it first.
 
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Not just GBATemps reviews, but any other sites reviews I just don't bother with. So its nothing against Temp in particular.

GBATemp reviews don't typically get a whole lot of recognition. It seems many just don't care about this sites reviews.
Besides Chary's review, but I think that was due to her score for Mario Odyssey.

It wouldn't make much sense to associate the game with bright elements as its core, since the base of the game is war and destruction.

I guess what you mean is how the characters handles dark events. Since in the original Shulk tries to push forward in bad situations, and tries not to let depressing moments bring him down too much. And the characters at times tries to be upbeat. Although the death of Fiora was a huge motivation for him in the beginning to destroy the Mechon. And the situation with Melia, what happened to her family and her entire species.

To me the depressing moments is what stuck in XC1. Especially with the music that was playing during these events. Making them stick even more.
 
Not just GBATemps reviews, but any other sites reviews I just don't bother with. So its nothing against Temp in particular.

GBATemp reviews don't typically get a whole lot of recognition. It seems many just don't care about this sites reviews.
Besides Chary's review, but I think that was due to her score for Mario Odyssey.

It wouldn't make much sense to associate the game with bright elements as its core, since the base of the game is war and destruction.

I guess what you mean is how the characters handles dark events. Since in the the original Shulk tries to push forward in bad situations, and tries not to let depressing moments bring him down too much. And the characters at times tries to be upbeat. Although the death of Fiora was a huge motivation for him in the beginning to destroy the Mechon. And the situation with Melia, what happened to her family and her entire species.

To me the depressing moments is what stuck in XC1. Especially with the music that was playing during these events. Making them stick even more.
You should really write a Xenoblade Chronicles review mango. From what you've already said, I feel you could really put forward an interesting and well balanced opinion.
 
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Auto attacks? Seriously? I couldn't get into the first game due to what I consider a bad battle system. Guess I'll just be watching gameplay here. Sad...
 
Auto attacks? Seriously? I couldn't get into the first game due to what I consider a bad battle system. Guess I'll just be watching gameplay here. Sad...
How did you think you'd manage 3 drivers and 3 blades at the same time? Obviously there's a lot more to it than the auto-attacks, but you can't make every attack require input, either.
 
How did you think you'd manage 3 drivers and 3 blades at the same time? Obviously there's a lot more to it than the auto-attacks, but you can't make every attack require input, either.

Just not engaging enough to be worth my time. I prefer action and pushing buttons. Seems more passive than anything.

Oh well, I'm sure the game will be an instant classic for this console. I'll see if I can't borrow a copy at some point.. Just don't want to throw $60 at something that doesn't seem to be worth it for me.
 
Just not engaging enough to be worth my time. I prefer action and pushing buttons. Seems more passive than anything.
It's basically a different type of turn-based combat without the downtime when you think about it. It's definitely more active than the first game, because all your drivers have 3-6 abilities to use depending on your blade. You can micromanage your party in combat as much or as little as you want.

If you're looking for more of a Dark Souls, this obviously isn't it. At the same time, XC2 has way more RPG elements than Dark Souls.
 
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It's basically a different type of turn-based combat without the downtime when you think about it. It's definitely more active than the first game, because all your drivers have 3-6 abilities to use depending on your blade. You can micromanage your party in combat as much or as little as you want.

If you're looking for more of a Dark Souls, this obviously isn't it. At the same time, XC2 has way more RPG elements than Dark Souls.
I don't think Dark Souls is a good series to bring up in comparison. Watching a few videos and what not I may just set my stigmas aside and try it. Story looks to be something I'd be interested in.
 
D
Nice! Release day is tomorrow and there is already a Review.:)
 
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I don't think Dark Souls is a good series to bring up in comparison. Watching a few videos and what not I may just set my stigmas aside and try it. Story looks to be something I'd be interested in.
Well I was referencing DS as sort of the opposite: a single player character that controls almost in fighting-game style. With party RPGs you can't exactly have all the buttons assigned to a single character's various attacks.
 
You should really write a Xenoblade Chronicles review mango. From what you've already said, I feel you could really put forward an interesting and well balanced opinion.
Well thank you. I probably won't be interested in a review. I would have to replay the game since last I played it was 5 years ago. Its not fresh in my mind right now. I just remember a few things.

I probably would criticize the games story. And make fun of it. It just sometimes gets into ridiculous nerd territory. Not just nerd territory, but ridiculous nerd territory. Some parts were goofy. Shulk screaming "FIORA" was funny. Some parts made me go, "oh god." Rolling my eyes.

Although there were parts I liked. And the music that plays during those scenes. I think the music really made the game. It made bad scenes somewhat bearable. Good scenes even better. I think I wouldn't have enjoyed this game as much if it wasn't for the music.

And I did find the constant repeating banter during battles to be annoying. I wanted to turn off voices but I couldn't.
Im not a fan of grinding in rpg's, I find them to be pointless. And I guess developers are realizing nowadays that not many people like it either, so they try to make their games less of a grind fest. XC1 did try to get rid of grinding by giving you enough exp for doing side quests missions, enough to level up and progress through the game without the need to grind enemies.

But i'm just not a fan of classic rpg's style. Fighting enemies over and over to get enough exp to progress feels like a huge time waister. I feel like I can use that time instead to learn about history or something more useful. And it doesn't provide a challenge like other types of genre of games do. Like a pattern you have to memorize and test your reflex skills, something you get in some side scrollers. Its just grind to level up and keep using your strongest attacks. It feels repetitive and pointless. It seems XC2 tries to get rid of that with how the level up system works and combat. Though I would have to play myself to see if I like it.

I did like XC1 though for what it is.
I guess this is sort of a mini review, Ha.
 
Oh, there is a review of this already. Guess I can focus on another game to review then. :unsure:

Wait did the person finish the game already?
I had a review copy I've been playing for around ten days. Anyway, just because I've done a review, it doesn't mean you can't add your own perspective. I know I missed a good number of things in my review lol, I really need to work on that.
 
I had a review copy I've been playing for around ten days. Anyway, just because I've done a review, it doesn't mean you can't add your own perspective. I know I missed a good number of things in my review lol, I really need to work on that.

I don't have the game yet. Usually i wouldn't comment unless I was able to finish the game. I mean It doesn't matter. I could just comment whenever possible. Also I dunno if you intentionally missed them to "keep the review shorter" But is your review, just do however you feel is right, in the end of the day that seem to be all we can do. :P
 
I don't have the game yet. Usually i wouldn't comment unless I was able to finish the game. I mean It doesn't matter. I could just comment whenever possible. Also I dunno if you intentionally missed them to "keep the review shorter" But is your review, just do however you feel is right, in the end of the day that seem to be all we can do. :P
I tend not to focus on a word count; instead how each section flows to the next. With proper flow, even a long text goes by seamlessly. Without it, 100 words can feel like a thousand. It is of course also my downfall, as putting such focus on flowing properly often leads to me missing out details I'd have otherwise liked to mention. It is in striking this balance I need to work on the most.
 
I honestly don't believe this game is better than zelda, but ok.
That's a fair opinion to have. Breath of the Wild at first offered an experience beyond anything I could have expected for the Switch. It was an incredible launch title that could be said to have redefined the Zelda series. Even considering that, it lacks memorability. I can't deny how much I enjoyed playing it, but even as soon as I finished it, I felt little need nor passion to dive back in, or look back.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 has that factor for me. While it doesn't have the same initial impact Zelda did, it remains on my mind. I have a desire to go back, and continue going back. Perhaps it's simply an attachment to the genre, but in my eyes it is a superior experience to Zelda.

That is of course only my look on the matter. It wasn't myself reviewing Zelda for Temp; but opinions are wonderful things to have, and I can certainly see where you're coming from.
 
So I'm not a particularly big fan of over the top anime tropes like tsundres and the like. I noticed in the trailer that it seems to have some of that and it worries me a bit. Is it more anime than the previous games or is it more like Xenoblade 1 where you can tell it's a JRPG but it doesn't feel anime-esque?
 
So I'm not a particularly big fan of over the top anime tropes like tsundres and the like. I noticed in the trailer that it seems to have some of that and it worries me a bit. Is it more anime than the previous games or is it more like Xenoblade 1 where you can tell it's a JRPG but it doesn't feel anime-esque?
The only thing that isn't anime-esque about the first one is the voice actors' (English) accents. I imagine the second is similar in that way.

Well, the aesthetic was different in XC1 too, but still had plenty of anime inspiration. A lot of the character designs from the get-go are 100% anime. The review says it doesn't stray into cheesy territory too much, so it's up to you if that's acceptable enough.
 
The only thing that isn't anime-esque about the first one is the voice actors' accents. I imagine the second is similar in that way.

Well, the aesthetic was different in XC1 too, but still had plenty of anime inspiration. A lot of the character designs from the get-go are 100% anime. The review says it doesn't stray into cheesy territory too much, so it's up to you if that's acceptable enough.
Yeah, cheesy stuff is what I meant. It probably won't be a huge deal so I'll probably pick it up when I can
 
Yeah, cheesy stuff is what I meant. It probably won't be a huge deal so I'll probably pick it up when I can
OTOH, think I'll do my first play-through in Japanese unless the mouth sync issue is actually fixed by a day one patch. Would be slightly more than a minor annoyance for me, even if the English VO accents are varied and interesting.
 
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Yeah, cheesy stuff is what I meant. It probably won't be a huge deal so I'll probably pick it up when I can
It uses its art style well. The majority of the time, it plays like any other Xenoblade before it, but on occasion, it uses the style to get away with things previous games couldn't. I'd say it's a bit cheesy, but it's well executed. Things like the occasional pose or over to top reaction. I never felt it overly used.
 
just under 3 hours in and i have just awoke ontop my first titan. disclaimer. i been baking xmas cookies throughout the day. your milage may be faster gained. First Xeno game i have blade since xenosega ep2. I cant argue or dispute Scarlet's pros and cons...dammm first review on gbatemp i am 100% in agreement with. Now back to the game. As Bob and sprits would say "reboot", *click click*
 
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@Scarlet are you also gonna review the special edition contents? :P
The special edition is mainly about the art book which is quite large and fairly thick. It is a very nice, quality hardcover book compared to some of the cheap, flimsy rubbish I've seen in other special editions. The steel case is beautiful and the smallest I've seen, being a standard Switch sized case. There's also a music CD which is just a sampler, not a complete OST, which is pretty standard for this sort of deal, so nothing real special there even though the music is pretty good.
 
The special edition is mainly about the art book which is quite large and fairly thick. It is a very nice, quality hardcover book compared to some of the cheap, flimsy rubbish I've seen in other special editions. The steel case is beautiful and the smallest I've seen, being a standard Switch sized case. There's also a music CD which is just a sampler, not a complete OST, which is pretty standard for this sort of deal, so nothing real special there even though the music is pretty good.
But is it worth adding $40 to the game cost? :P
 
Well... probably not. There's not nearly as much cool stuff as the Persona 5 special edition, but I still couldn't resist. :unsure: If you really like the art, which is a bit generic anyway, then maybe.
As much as I like realistic stuff, I wish more devs had some gallery in the game itself kinda like Ultra Street Fighter 2 has, as much as people like to have actual collectable things, in game gallery stuff is also nice simply cause is part of the game and just more convenient as well, never worry about the condition of the book cause you don't have to take it out the case or whatever. :P
 
One thing I've really enjoyed in my 10 hours of playtime so far is just how beautifully the world is crafted. Often I stand there, just gazing at the visuals passing me by, listening to the wonderfully thematic soundtrack in the background and just... enjoying it. Something about the contrast between the character models and the world around them makes things stick out very well, and I'm left wondering if that is part of the reason their designs are often simplistic, compared to the world around them being very vibrant and detailed. My gaming time has been on a steady decline, but I am very glad I've taken a weekend out of my schedule to enjoy what has been, so far, an absolute masterpiece on the Nintendo Switch.

I got the special edition, and I am very eager to fully get through this artbook once I complete the game. And the steelbook is just ahsgskaghaskg I love it.
 
The special edition is mainly about the art book which is quite large and fairly thick. It is a very nice, quality hardcover book compared to some of the cheap, flimsy rubbish I've seen in other special editions. The steel case is beautiful and the smallest I've seen, being a standard Switch sized case. There's also a music CD which is just a sampler, not a complete OST, which is pretty standard for this sort of deal, so nothing real special there even though the music is pretty good.
I must say that also the big ass box that contains everything is beautiful. Specially how it opens sliding parts to the sides.
 
I must say that also the big ass box that contains everything is beautiful. Specially how it opens sliding parts to the sides.
Aw man, I just took a look to see what you meant and you guys in EU got a much nicer box than we did in US. I'm totally jealous now! :cry:
 
Great review! I do find it a bit odd that you mentioned the game not giving physical limitations to where you can explore. I'm over 20 hours in and the only place that has displayed the "You can't go any further." message, is a single story driven scene that you showed in the screen shot. Every other open environment has left me able to uncover the entire map all the way to the edges.
 
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Great review! I do find it a bit odd that you mentioned the game not giving physical limitations to where you can explore. I'm over 20 hours in and the only place that has displayed the "You can't go any further." message, is a single story driven scene that you showed in the screen shot. Every other open environment has left me able to uncover the entire map all the way to the edges.
It isn't something you notice unless you're like me and want to explore everything the maps have to offer. It's kinda the double edged sword of the fantastic motivations to look around. As another example, the first thing I did after gaining control of Rex in the first chapter was jump into to Cloud Sea and swim out. I'm sure it won't be an issue for most, but it was still a little saddening to see. Even something so small as a screen fade out would have felt more natural.
 
I must say that also the big ass box that contains everything is beautiful. Specially how it opens sliding parts to the sides.
This! I was shocked about the size when I got mine. Opening the box to the sides was pure magic, when you see and smell(!) the art book for the first time.
Of course the price is still too high and I would recommend it only for die hard fans, people who dont care about the price difference or
 
After playing infinite hours of this game and still just completing Chapter 2*1, I must say that this game in-engine cutscenes are probably the best quality 3d anime I've ever seen*2.

That is specially true when the lips synch correctly (i.e. Japanese dub), I actually like the English dub, but the non-existent lip synching is annoying, to the point that if they released a "correctly English lip-synched cutscenes" DLC I would sure buy it... j/k... well, actually perhaps I would buy it.

*1 what can I say? I love horsing around in the beautiful environments while enjoying the music.
*2 or my eyes just got adapted after playing that much...
 
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After playing infinite hours of this game and still just completing Chapter 2*1, I must say that this game in-engine cutscenes are probably the best quality 3d anime I've ever seen*2.

That is specially true when the lips synch correctly (i.e. Japanese dub), I actually like the English dub, but the non-existent lip synching is annoying, to the point that if they released a "correctly English lip-synched cutscenes" DLC I would sure buy it... j/k... well, actually perhaps I would buy it.

*1 what can I say? I love horsing around in the beautiful environments while enjoying the music.
*2 or my eyes just got adapted after playing that much...
I heard the JP audio doesn't sync properly either looking around on other sites. Still haven't downloaded the alternate audio track myself so I can't say. Does it seem fine to you, or are you just paying less attention because you're focusing on the subs more than the animations since you can't understand the audio?
 
I heard the JP audio doesn't sync properly either looking around on other sites. Still haven't downloaded the alternate audio track myself so I can't say. Does it seem fine to you, or are you just paying less attention because you're focusing on the subs more than the animations since you can't understand the audio?
It doesn't synch perfectly, specially in heart-to-hearts (sometimes the characters keep moving their mouths after the dialog is completed, for example), still it doesn't get annoying or distracting.

The main cutscenes are well synched up to now, not perfect perhaps, but they make sense. There is nothing as nerve-wrecking like the out-of-synch that happens with the English VA in e.g. the scene inside Pyra's "memories" where you first get Pyra and Rex starts screaming and beating his head to the ground or something. (hell the was so out of synch in English it lost me)
 
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Interesting. As someone who's wanted to get into the series but finds XC1 a tad slow, this one seems different enough to get me intrigued. Good review!

yes indeed, different is good..

i tried my best to play the one on the wii (which was also on the 3ds) i think chronicles?
i could not get into it..

and same goes for xeno x on wii u, x is really good but again i cannot get into it.

with this one they changed the art alot, it looks so much more cartoony/animeish , i might grab it sometime.
it will have jap audio free for download ,so it is good stuff.

(will just have to get over the idea of xenowaifu 2 thing that i made up in my mind, but i will have to look at some gameplays, as the game itself seems to be fun).

and to the op i say good review ,thanks.
 
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E
monolith now owns monolithic breasts XD
 
well, people were angry they removed the slider from xenoblade x's character creation and they couldn't go all the way, so here they kind of overcompensated. perhaps.
 
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Lolwut, where is the Monolith Soft bug report page? /s

Just yesterday I was way too fucking tired to play the game, and I suspended the game/switch in the middle of the event at the very beginning of Chapter 3 when they are speaking about sleeping "a long time" on an inn to wait for a tide to change (tutorials, tutorials).

Then I put the Switch to sleep/suspend, I had around 10 hours played total.
That was yesterday, around the same hour as it is now today.
Now I start the Switch up, watch the event until it ends and then save the game, surprise, the save now states "34 hours played".

The game counts "suspend/sleep" time as play time? Wut?
 
If i may be honest, I am not impressed. Somethings bothered me about it that reminds me of legend of zelda, the game JUST LIKE BREATH OF THE WILD cannot run at stable 30FPS, and the quality of the graphic seem similar to breath of the wild, so perhaps is why I don't seem impressed. Don't get me wrong, the atmosphere and environments are well done but comparing them both seem similar visually aside from character designs. Seriously this game could have been on wii u if they wanted. I bet it was planned but just not happened cause it was never advertised like breath of the wild was. I dunno if it's just me who thinks this but it seems like that much of the two games share some common interesting things, considering they both had Monolith soft involved in the projects. :unsure:
 
D
Watched the Digital Foundry Analysis Yesterday. This game needs an Patch to counter those Framerate and Dynamic Resolution Issues ASAP.
 
I played the game myself and I can say that while docked, resolution is ok and stable all the time, but FPS sure drops sometimes in places there weren't drops minutes before. It would be nice to get a patch for this sure.
Regarding dynamic resolution going low this only happens undocked, and I think this might be unfixable due to lack of raw power, but anyway they should do something about that sharpening filter that makes everything look like a badly compressed jpeg file, I would prefer it looking blurry than looking like that.

IMHO:
Experience docked: great, with some not so annoying yet fixable FPS problems.
Experience undocked: playable, but oh my eyes, better dock it, you're missing out big time.
 
There are some other annoyances related to the Switch lacking the raw power, like the low draw distance for extra details. E.g. the grass pops in not so far away, and you see some times hills or terrain features that look quite bald, and then extra detailed foliage starts poping in as you move forward. (oh well, I guess that might get fixed when the Nintendo Switch Pro X Scorpio releases next year or the other)

PS: I still love the game.
 
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Does the frame timing annoy anyone else as well? Game feels like a stuttering mess at times.

On another note, a really great review, though I feel you were being a tad too generous with the score. The "unexpected twists" were a bit cliche imo.
 
@TheDarkGreninja Yeah, at times it feels stuttering, but as I said, in the same zones it felt good just before. It is some kind of bug that was also pointed out in that analysis video from DigitalFoundry.
Regarding the filters, in docked mode the anti-aliasing filter makes it seem blurrier, but that doesn't annoy me, it is in undocked mode where the sharpening filter kicks in and everything looks like a badly compressed video, or if you are old enough to get this comparison, all the borders look like a VHS taped in EP mode (exactly like that).

PS: Hell it is hard to find a picture to describe what I mean. Like the image on the right side below:
dirt_clean.jpg
 
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I'm not actually bothered by what they did in undocked at all. The characters stick out from their environment perhaps even more than they do in docked. Resolution scaling is clearly below 720p and that's a bigger annoyance, but plenty playable none the less.
 
jumping is painful and you slide alot. timing jumps to see if you can get places sucks, its like your a stone falling instantly. ANd you slide... and rex has 1 voice line for jumping, so you hear is agonized-sounding grunt over and over if your jumping around. kinda annoyin otherwise its great
 
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jumping is painful and you slide alot. timing jumps to see if you can get places sucks, its like your a stone falling instantly. ANd you slide... and rex has 1 voice line for jumping, so you hear is agonized-sounding grunt over and over if your jumping around. kinda annoyin otherwise its great
Sure it is not like X, where you could run, jump over the Himalayas, fall back into the ground and receive no damage. That was kind of surreal.

PS: and I liked that.
 
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- Lip syncing issues <- None issue with JP dub as far as I can tell. Probably patched and polished it after release.
 
- Lip syncing issues <- None issue with JP dub as far as I can tell. Probably patched and polished it after release.
The "LIP SYNCH" is a dubbing problem. The lip synch is a issues with many games. The game's character models are made to match the japanese voice over, so playing it with the japanese voice wouldn't be a issue, the issues is when using other languages, they don't match the english language cause they are meant to match japanese one. Most games are like this, translation in words are not easy to do because during localization they use different terms and meanings as well as new refined script for a better understanding of target audience, while the lip synch for the english script doesn't exist at all. It is a common thing.
 
Review cover
Product Information:
  • Release Date (NA): December 1, 2017
  • Release Date (EU): December 1, 2017
  • Release Date (JP): December 1, 2017
  • Publisher: Nintendo
  • Developer: Monolith Soft
  • Genres: JRPG
Game Features:
Single player
Local Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer
Co-operative

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