Xenoblade Chronicles is one of the best video games I have ever played. From the characters, the vast worlds, outstanding soundtrack, amazing art direction, and beautiful cut scenes. Though it may not be 1080p, the art direction is stunning, and the world is very detailed. Cut scenes are not pre-generated, but rather it is based off of your current equipment.
Though the characters and plot can be cliché, it is merely a matter of executing the clichés properly. For instance, Reyn is the big, dumb, brute. However, six of the seven characters are developed well. The characters are developed well, with the exception of the character referred to as "Seven" by the Xenoblade fan base. Seven is only there to be a love interest.
The voices of the characters of the different races (Hom, Nopon, High Entia, Machina) are also very different. The homs are tend to be humans, the nopon are fun, goofy, the High Entia are posh, and the machina feel like a foreign species. The voice actors do a good job on bringing out the world and makes it seem real.
The plot is the typical good vs evil, but the hero (Shulk) goes through the world in the form of the Road of Trials. The Road of Trials in the Hero's Journey archetype is done well here, the characters clearly learn from each experience.
The vast environments are very detailed, and non-linear. Some such as Sword Valley (the area where Dunban fought the Mechon) did a good job on being non-linear. The environments are very colorful, and unlike other video games, they include much more than just the color brown. Sword Valley may just be a valley, but it incorporates green into it's color palette very well.
Alongside the vast environments is the outstanding soundtrack. The soundtrack brings out the heroes' journey. In Gaur Plains, the soundtrack to accompany it is "The Beginning of the Journey" type of music. The soundtrack is pleasing to listen to, even without the environments to accompany it.
The pacing is relatively good, however there is only one major difficulty spike, which is near the end. The game has at least 400+ side quests to assist the player in grinding. The quests can reduce the workload and can allow you to learn about the world of Xenoblade. Some side quests are as simple as defeating monsters that you will meet on your way, getting materials from those monsters, getting collectibles. Others include back stories to the mythology of the races, etc.
I highly recommend getting this game whether if it is the Wii or the New 3DS version. Absolutely amazing, and a beautiful game. The world is truly alive and has wonderful replay value. I have invested at least 210 hours into it, and have always enjoyed it.
Though the characters and plot can be cliché, it is merely a matter of executing the clichés properly. For instance, Reyn is the big, dumb, brute. However, six of the seven characters are developed well. The characters are developed well, with the exception of the character referred to as "Seven" by the Xenoblade fan base. Seven is only there to be a love interest.
The voices of the characters of the different races (Hom, Nopon, High Entia, Machina) are also very different. The homs are tend to be humans, the nopon are fun, goofy, the High Entia are posh, and the machina feel like a foreign species. The voice actors do a good job on bringing out the world and makes it seem real.
The plot is the typical good vs evil, but the hero (Shulk) goes through the world in the form of the Road of Trials. The Road of Trials in the Hero's Journey archetype is done well here, the characters clearly learn from each experience.
The vast environments are very detailed, and non-linear. Some such as Sword Valley (the area where Dunban fought the Mechon) did a good job on being non-linear. The environments are very colorful, and unlike other video games, they include much more than just the color brown. Sword Valley may just be a valley, but it incorporates green into it's color palette very well.
Alongside the vast environments is the outstanding soundtrack. The soundtrack brings out the heroes' journey. In Gaur Plains, the soundtrack to accompany it is "The Beginning of the Journey" type of music. The soundtrack is pleasing to listen to, even without the environments to accompany it.
The pacing is relatively good, however there is only one major difficulty spike, which is near the end. The game has at least 400+ side quests to assist the player in grinding. The quests can reduce the workload and can allow you to learn about the world of Xenoblade. Some side quests are as simple as defeating monsters that you will meet on your way, getting materials from those monsters, getting collectibles. Others include back stories to the mythology of the races, etc.
I highly recommend getting this game whether if it is the Wii or the New 3DS version. Absolutely amazing, and a beautiful game. The world is truly alive and has wonderful replay value. I have invested at least 210 hours into it, and have always enjoyed it.