QUOTE said:We've known for some time now that Xenoblade takes place on the back of two giant frozen gods. But what does this mean from the gameplay side of things? That answer came today as Nintendo shared details on the game's fields of play.
It looks like you'll be adventuring through some massive areas. Screens, which we've uploaded to our media gallery, show distant views -- and not just horizontal, but vertical as well.
You can see video footage of your party members running through the game's world in the official site's trailer section (you're looking for "Trailer 4").
The key term Nintendo uses to describe the game's world is "seamless." You'll be able to move through the world with minimal interruption for load time. The only loading you'll find is when you move between major areas of the god's body -- for instance, going from the leg to the knee.
There seems to be somewhat of an action component to navigating the world. You'll be able to freely jump as you move about. You can also jump off cliffs to the ground below, although if you're too high, you'll incur damage.
The game has some support functionality to help with navigation. You can select previously visited areas from a map to warp instantly without need to backtack. You can save anywhere from the camp menu. As you move about the world, you'll see an arrow at the top of the screen indicating your target location.
More mysteriously, it seems that you'll be able to freely adjust an in-game clock. Xenoblade has a day/night cycle, with NPC characters living their lives according to a schedule. One option from the camp menu lets you freely advance and rewind time. It's unclear how this will fit into the gameplay.
Xenoblade hits Japan on June 10, meaning a little over one month left until a true Wii RPG epic.
Screenies:
Source
Goddamn, we need a US or EU release of this game.