‘Xenoblade Chronicles X’ review: The bigger they are, the better they get

Monolith’s much-anticipated RPG “Xenoblade Chronicles X” just got released outside of Japan last Dec. 4, and fans who’ve laid their hands on the game are already amazed with many aspects of the Wii U title. There’s no doubt that the game is pushing the Wii U’s hardware to the limits and, luckily, there are no massive drawbacks to the game.

Similar to its predecessor, “Xenoblade Chronicles X” shares the same theme from the Wii classic “Xenoblade Chronicles.” Aside from the theme, “Xenoblade Chronicles X” also sports a massive and engagingly beautiful world which made its predecessor well-known.

The world of Mira in all its glory

The game tells the story of humanity’s struggle in a foreign world filled with dangers and beauty alike. Players are instantly taken into the massive and diverse world of Mira. It features five continents which are very different from each other. Whatever the player sees out in the distance, there’s a high probability that the area can be reached and explored and is not only a backdrop. One of the best features in “Xenoblade Chronicles X” is the massive map.

Aside from the lush world, Mira is also home to a massive ecology of creatures. Despite being hours deep into the game, players can still discover new creatures to either face or ignore. However, there’s a lack of interaction between the creatures in the game.

Players can see groups of one species altogether, but they can never see one predator hunting down a weaker prey. Although not necessary, it would be nice to see that the world of Mira thrives even without the actions of the player. As of now, it seems that the creature only notices the player and his party instead of the massive ecology around it.

Content-wise, however, the story of “Xenoblade Chronicles X” is rather flat and dull. It is flooded with literally hundreds of quest and sub-quests for the players to accomplish. Aside from this, there is little interaction between the player and other NPCs, which makes the game feel a bit barren at times.

Humans and machines

Upon beginning, players are given the chance to customise the main protagonist by choosing from a wide array of options including name, gender and facial features. The customisation options in “Xenoblade Chronicles X” are not in depth compared to more recent titles as it does not feature specific feature shaping. Despite this, players are given a wide array of preset features to choose from, allowing them to create a truly unique character.

Another factor that makes “Xenoblade Chronicles X” an authentic RPG experience is the class system. Originally, players will be given the chance to choose from 3 starter classes. These classes branch out to 12 more complex sub-classes. Each sub-class will feature unique weapon types, stats and special skills called Arts. Basically, players of varying play style can enjoy the game in their own ways.

Nearly 30 hours into the game, players will have access to Skells. These gigantic robots are probably the highlight of the game aside from the vast open-world. Players will be given the choice of using one of three different Skell types: Light, Medium and Heavy Skells. What’s even better is that the Skells are fully customisable with armour pieces and a slew of weapons. If players ever get tired of traversing Mira using Skells, they could easily transform the robots into a vehicle with the press of a button.

Gameplay woes and woos

Players who are avid fans of MMORPGs should not have a hard time getting the learning curve of “Xenoblade Chronicles X.” Similar to MMORPGs, the characters will auto-attack any locked on unit that’s in close proximity. Players can watch as their characters automatically attack, or they could plan out the proper usage of Arts. The simplistic combat system is also a part of its minor drawback as there is a lack of variety between battling on foot or on Skells.

Another issue several players have with the game is the ecology within Mira itself. Some players have reported seeing level 40 monsters during the early stages of the game. Perhaps this is intentional, as Monolith Studios may be prompting players to explore the world of Mira to get from one point to the other if an obstacle is on the way.

Later on in the game, players will have access to the powerful Skells. Some may think that Skells may be too overpowered and enemies are easily defeated by it, but players will be pitted against larger and stronger creatures as well. These creatures, can of course be only defeated through the use of Skells.

“Xenoblade Chronicles X” features Off TV-Play. This Wii U exclusive feature allows the use of the Gamepad only when playing. It sounds like a good idea at first, but the feature seems rather obsolete in the long run. The UI of “Xenoblade Chronicles X” has chockfull of information including the map, art list and status, making all the data hard to read when laid out on the Gamepad’s small screen.

Overall, “Xenoblade Chronicles X” is an excellent title for the Wii U. It is massive enough to push the console to its limits. What it lacks in story, it makes up for the in-game content, and “Xenoblade Chronicles X” is sure to capture the hearts of die-hard RPG fans.