Any love for Xenoblade Chronicles here on the forum?

[XplosiveNoctua99]

Well, I've never played anything else Monolith Soft did. However, while Xenoblade was an extremely lengthy game, the ending was conclusive- so much so that I haven't found a reason to replay it yet (although I plan to have a go at the new game plus feature). As someone who's almost one-sided in his harsh critique of all narratives in fiction I encounter, my evaluation of Xenoblade's story is high praise.

It's true, there's a little grinding involved, but this isn't completely mindless. There isn't a variable difficulty level, and from what I've seen, pure player skill makes a world of difference- much more so than the character levels. However, if your character builds don't work out as well as you expected or you just plain suck at a few things (admittedly, I did), you may have to grind up a level or two. 

That is not to say it isn't interesting- the highest experience rewards come from a certain extended rebuilding set of quests, exploration, and taking on foes with levels way above yours using creative methods and ingenious tactics. Another great way to get experience and enjoy the game is to discover waypoints- a few of which are (absolutely gorgeous) 'Secret areas' that reward several times the XP of a regular discovery. This is my favourite method, as the world of Xenoblade Chronicles is massive, varied, and breathtakingly beautiful. Despite the several interconnected zones not being seamlessly joined, it still feels like one massive open world, with each zone being an enormous map, and boy, do they have atmosphere.

It is a little biased of me to say so, but I cannot praise the game's narrative and gameplay elements enough. Do consider checking it out, especially if you already own a copy, although from what I've heard, it's better experienced on the Wii than the 3DS.

 

Wii is better experience but 3ds is top notch too

because 3ds is less powerful..

I haven't found any problems with 3ds version

[XplosiveNoctua99]

I haven't played much of it, like maybe 2-3 hours worth (I really need to go back and play it, it's just that stupid boss in the cave when you're leaving the first area) and it seems a lot like what I would imagine an mmo made into a single player game would be like. In terms of combat, quests, and items I mean.

It was fun while I played it though.

I hated that fight

[skywake]

I haven't played it, it's not really the sort of game I'm into. That and the fact that it was such a late game in the Wii's library stopped me from trying. Face it, by that point standard def was pretty hard to go back to. Also, from what I do know the New 3DS version is pretty paired back. So if you can get the Wii version.

 

oh my god, I just found out that it's available on the Wii U virtual console! This makes me a very happy person.

Probably the best way to get it if it's available in your region. Mostly because you get full off-TV play if you buy it that way given that the game supported the Classic Controller. It's also cheaper than what the game costs elsewhere even with the price they're charging. It's $26AU for Wii games in Australia which... would be pretty steep for some of the titles on there. Not Xenoblade. That said, there's currently an offer where you get a discount equal to half the price of Xenoblade Chronicles ($13AU) if you also buy Xenoblade Chronicles X. Which isn't fantastic, but it's something.