Xenoblade Chronicles X Reviews
Xenoblade Chronicles X is epic in scope. Most of the time, it's better for it; other times, it's clear that the developers didn't have a golden thread sewing together all of its various parts.
A new direction for the series manages to lose what made the original so special.
Xenoblade Chronicles X is the ultimate game about exploring and conquering a hostile alien planet. Its design hitches, though occasionally annoying, simply cannot take away from the triumph that is the planet Mira and its fantastic creatures. There are literally hundreds of hours of potential gameplay here, but even if you don't tackle everything, getting to know Mira is exciting, full of breathtaking surprises, and downright fun. If you find the patience to get over its learning curve, Xenoblade Chronicles X will reward that patience with a wealth of memorable experiences.
Xenoblade Chronicles X is a masterclass of design that we don't often see in the JRPG genre, and easily stands besides the few heavyweights we've seen so far this generation. Once you get over the hump and understand its systems, X offers a simply huge world to seamlessly explore.
Massive open-world JRPG with astounding exploration but some pacing and storyline issues.
An outstanding achievement but not without flaws
Give it the chance it needs and your gaming year will be made.
For fans of Xenoblade, this is what we've waited for.
Xenoblade Chronicles X is a boundless exhibition of the relationship between scale and structure, and its myriad of frenzied ideas are willed into cohesion only by the congruence of its supporting systems. Xenoblade Chronicles X may be obsessed with scale (and proudly so), but it doesn't leave the player feeling consumed by it.
A content-rich sci-fi adventure that diverges from its predecessor in unexpected but delightful ways.
One of the biggest games you'll ever play.
Despite never reaching its true potential Xenoblade Chronicles X is still an amazing gaming accomplishment. No other game can provide such a huge world to explore, and one that is filled with variety throughout. If you're willing to embark on the lengthy quest that can easily eat up over 100 hours, and can put up with some technical shortcomings, then Xenoblade Chronicles X is worth picking up. Just be ready to grind.
In hindsight, many of the game's grueling lessons feel remarkably anti-climactic. Getting to the end feels like a definite achievement though the relative uselessness of its rewards make it hard to feel anything but stunned remorse for having gone to such lengths to achieve something of so little consequence. This kind of ego-centric delusion is essential to the spirit of video games, works that are often as terrifyingly wasteful as they are wondrous and energizing. "Xenoblade Chronicles X" manages both in equal measure.
Xenoblade Chronicles X is a highly enjoyable game. The exploration, scale, and freedom the game delivers is unmatched by anything on the Wii U. It's one of the Wii U's best games and may be the Wii U's best game for 2015. RPG fans will love what the game has to offer.
Xenoblade Chronicles X is a love letter to Japanese RPG fans thirsting for a large open-world experience. Progression admittedly can be a grind and just getting to the point where you get your first Skell requires a time investment that equals finishing a game or two in other genres. The game also could do a better job of explaining things, which would be especially helpful to newcomers to the series. At the same time, the breadth of content and things to do, combined with a wonderfully realized world, makes Xenoblade Chronicles X a mighty filling experience for fans of JRPGs that can last hundreds of hours. If you love the genre, this is one game you'll want to spend time with. A LOT of time.
Xenoblade Chronicles X is as sprawling, diverse, complex and entrancing as we hoped. It utilises the Wii U's capabilities not only to produce a beautiful world, but shows how something as simple as a map on the GamePad screen can be invaluable. What's most impressive is the dynamism and impression of freedom in play - level caps and grinding are naturally part of the equation, yet they're managed within a structure where even small missions or Affinity quests greatly enhance the narrative and sense of place. To truly experience the story of this human colony and the vast planet Mira requires exploration and patience, and Monolith Soft has found an impressive balance in bringing its vast range of gameplay systems and mechanics together.Occasional bottlenecks are infrequent and easily overcome in the broader experience, and overall Xenoblade Chronicles X delivers a hugely impressive RPG adventure. It's an enormous accomplishment for Monolith Soft and an irresistible part of the Wii U library.
Xenoblade Chronicles X excels when it emulates and improves upon the best parts of Xenoblade. X shines when it comes to combat, exploration, and vehicle systems, making this sequel more engrossing than its predecessor. Its richness makes it easier to overlook the shortcomings from both the technical limitations of the Wii U and the inconsistent soundtrack. Even without the multiplayer, there is plenty to do and see in X, but with that as an added component, the game should make a lot of Wii U owners happy well into 2017.
Xenoblade Chronicles X has a hard time providing a tale suitable for the massive world and complex systems that occupy it, but even the most fairweather RPG fans will need little convincing to pick up this Japanese addition to the open-world genre.
Xenoblade Chronicles X will likely be a mixed bag to those who step in with very little role-playing skill or knowledge of the series up until this point, so they may want to proceed with caution. Others, however, that absolutely love what Monolith Soft has done so far will enjoy this chapter the most, thanks to its immense gameplay options and fantastic looking world. It's certainly worth a look either way.
Xenoblade Chronicles X was absolutely worth the import, despite my struggles to progress through the game due to the language barrier. Despite that and my few misgivings, I was still able to completely enjoy the rest of the content: combat, exploration, quests and Dolls, which truly speaks to the quality of the game. I'll definitely be picking up Xenoblade Chronicles X when it releases in English so I can fully experience every aspect of this title as it was meant to be enjoyed.