Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition - My opinion (without spoilers) after 5 hours of play

I talk about my feelings, my impressions and my opinion (not necessarily rational) of the game Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition after 5 hours of adventure.

After Astral Chain (we will talk about it in another article) I decided to go back to a game that was less intense in action and more oriented towards history. A really long Adventure JRPG was the kind I needed. It would give me time to save money and try other things.

When launching the console Nintendo Switch, we talked a lot about Xenoblade Chronicles 2 . Although tempting I decided to wait for the port of the first episode of the series Xenoblade Chronicles to get started.

In this article, after more than 5 hours of games, here are my impressions (without spoilers) on Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition.

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Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition - My opinion (without spoil) after 5 hours of play - Epic combat and turnaround in the rendezvous

This JRPG is first published on Nintendo Wii . Today it is ported to the Nintendo Switch console after some graphic overhauls and new adventures after the end of the game. Hence the term Definitive Edition.

If you've played Xenoblade on Wii before, you'll find it with improved music, new stories at the end of the game, and probably other surprises that I didn't mention. For the simple reason that this is my first time playing it.

If you're like me (playing it for the first time), you can play the musical theme from the Wii version or the new theme during the adventure without interruption.

We are lucky to be able to discover the game for the first time and enjoy new stories at the same time.

In case you don't know the game, don't panic, in the next section I will introduce you to Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition before getting to the heart of the matter.

Presentation - a simple trailer is enough

Embark on an adventure that will take you beyond the horizon, into a world ravaged by a devastating invasion. Will you be able to change the future, or are your people doomed to extinction?

My opinion after more than 5 hours of play

Overall the story is interesting and you can progress normally without doing side quests in the game.

The arcs are also full of twists and turns and many questions to be resolved. From the start of the adventure, the game wastes no time in presenting you with difficult opponents.

But you can avoid them at will. Let's start with the beginning.

Gameplay

At the beginning like most other players, I immediately look for action. You are in a plain and you have time to fight against wild monsters to know the game's combat system.

Besides, I recommend that you start combat very early to quickly level up because things can get complicated very quickly.

My observation the first time I tried fighting is the fact that the characters...scream too much.

This is the rather embarrassing observation that I made from the first fight as training. As you move forward, you will quickly form your first team of 3.

Later you will have the choice between several characters that you can integrate or replace in the main combat team.

As I told you, you will have the impression that the characters were doing too much for each little action, but...

As soon as the group is complete and you enter the atmosphere of the adventure, these cries that you find annoying will become elements which will facilitate immersion in the game.

For information: I like to put for movies and games, voices in the original language of the characters and the translations in subtitles. In the case of the Japanese game Xenoblade, I put Japanese as the spoken language and so far I am not disappointed.

The fights are designed to create hype when you have trouble with an opponent.

I found that the new powers and special combat abilities were added very quickly to the game and it gave me the uneasiness of having a little too much to master at the first time.

The great thing is that the more you fight wild animals and monsters, the more you get used to them.

Although it is possible to rush through the game's story quests, I highly recommend fighting all the monsters that are of your level or a few levels above to improve your character and train.

The reason is that you can quickly be surprised by a boss appearance cutscene and the latter will not do you any favors even if you have just started.

Footnotes : Last I heard, I had an experiment by deciding to level up before coming to face the bosses. I noticed that at the same time the boss's level increased. Conclusion, leveling up does not necessarily reduce the balance of power between you and certain opponents!

To conclude this little part, the game's combat system is well balanced and even if you train on the plains, you will always find opponents stronger than you in the story mode.

Even if you are at the same level, the difficulty lies there. Choose your fights wisely because there are monsters completely out of reach.

History and universe

The story of Xenoblade takes place in a special universe that immediately arouses the desire to explore.

I'm going to give you a fairly crude summary of the game's universe, but believe me it's fabulous.

You are one life among many others born on one of the two Titant corpses that killed each other several millennia ago.

In Xenoblade Chronicles, the names of the villages are like colony 1, colony 2…. and regions are like “Leg of bionis” “forearm of bionis” etc…

It's important for me to mention this because it took me a while to realize that I was on the leg, arm or knee of a corpse.

The game tells you this from the start but it's difficult to realize that you're walking over a corpse.

During the quest the parts that marked me the most are the fights against the bosses which can constitute an arc ofanime in its own right.

From the start of the game (after the first chapter), we have lots of questions about the famous sword Monado, the reasons why you are invaded.

Many questions about your opponent who comes from the other Titan corpse. So far in the adventure, I still wonder why these adversaries all look like robots?

Oh I didn't tell you, we don't even know why these two Titans were fighting each other.

I hope to find answers to all these questions by the end of the game.

Note: They responded largely following the games and... I'm not going to tell you!

As I said, my best parts are the well-animated boss fights and twists and turns that are integrated naturally into the gameplay.

I'm not yet talking about the cutscenes which integrate well into the game without preventing you from enjoying it.

Nothing is very spectacular in action except the plot when you know that the current event is going to end very badly and you have to change the course of history.

Each time, even if you know it will end badly, it is very difficult to know how to prevent it and how it will happen. Sometimes you will succeed and sometimes you won't!!!

it's part of the game and it's one of the elements that spice up the definitive version of Xenoblade Chronicles.

In short, you have the power to predict the future and every time it's tragic. I haven't seen any good predictions yet.

Some tips to better enjoy the game

You need to get into the habit of saving the game at every important point or just before a fight from very early on. The reason is that when you lose even by accident the game can take you very far back even with autosave.

Backing up often allows you to be closer to your goal or pick up where you struggled to achieve.

In short, the most valuable advice to remember during the game is to regularly save your progress. Even the games tell you that before you start.

What I remember from Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition

The story and the universe of the games is captivating. enough to want apprendre at every step on the secrets around the legendary sword, the war between the two great nations and a landscape that has formed on the corpses of Titans.
The combat system quickly becomes immersive and tiresome with difficulty. Especially since other members are added to the team when we progress in history.
We have the choice between different characters, which brings variations in the mechanics of the game.
The gameplay of the game is less punitive if you get into the habit of saving.
The endearing characters! J
Oh, a little love triangle in the game: I say that, I say nothing!

Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition game details

Xenoblade Chronicles is a video game open-world action role-playing game developed by Monolith Soft and published by Nintendo for the Wii console. Originally released in Japan in 2010, it was later released in PAL regions in 2011 and then in North America in 2012.

Initial release date: 10th June 2010

developer: Monolith Soft

Series: Xenoblade Chronicles

Composers: Yasunori Mitsuda, Yoko Shimomura, Manami Kiyota, ACE+

Creators: Tetsuya Takahashi, Koh Kojima

platforms: Wii, Wii U, New Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Switch

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