Xenoblade Chronicles X

davewhite04 · 5 Dec 2015 at 22:47

Couldn't find a thread for this which is strange.

Started last night, found the inventory system complicated, graphics pretty good, player models below par(their faces), it just feels like a game that is going to take a lot of effort to play.

With Fallout 4 vying for my time I just can't see this getting my attention, big let-down considering I thought the first one was excellent.

Anyone enjoying this?

theonejat · 5 Dec 2015 at 22:55

People have been posting in the WiiU thread but its probably best there is a separate thread. Mine is being delivered on Monday. Is the inventory system that different to the first game?

davewhite04 · 5 Dec 2015 at 23:31

theonejat said:
People have been posting in the WiiU thread but its probably best there is a separate thread. Mine is being delivered on Monday. Is the inventory system that different to the first game?

It is different, the menu is pretty complicated for a game of this nature. The text for the items is small and, well I just think it's a bit of a mess.

The first game had a standard easy to navigate menu, and it paused the game.

megalomanic · 6 Dec 2015 at 09:36

I can't say I've had much trouble navigating the menu's, seems self explanatory for the most part.
It takes a bit longer to navigate the main menu yes, as it has 2 tiers, but with there being far more components to X than the original it kinda needed to be broken down like that.

Yeah the text is definitely too small in a few places but never so small that I can't read it. I guess it depends on your setup/eyesight if it will be a problem or not.

The inventory has items categorized like in the original, but the design of the layout is different. On lists, it's more text based with generic icons used, but functionally it's quite similar to me. I find being able to see the names of items without having to highlight them more convenient when selling stuff.

I love the game, it's RPG systems/layers don't feel 'tacked on' like in some RPG's and MMOs. Everything works quite well together with the exploration, I like managing my mining probes etc and having so much choice when it comes to progression too.
The game isn't really as complex as it seems at first, and the digital manual explains pretty much everything well.

I only recently finished MGSV and Witcher 3+Hearts of Stone, so this is only 'big' game i'm playing right now. Fallout didn't really interest me at all.

davewhite04 said:
The first game had a standard easy to navigate menu, and it paused the game.

This game does pause when you go into a full-screen menu. The first game did not pause on the main menu either though, iirc.

adey · 6 Dec 2015 at 18:04

My copy is on Ebay...

mahius · 6 Dec 2015 at 19:29

As I posted in the main thread, my copy of the Collector's Edition arrived yesterday but remains boxed. I did save a bunch of money buying it on a quick offer, but it's probably not worth the extra £20 otherwise (the extras aren't worth £20). The game is pretty complex and there's an issue with the music being so loud that it drowns out dialogue, so be sure to put on subtitles. From what I hear, the game also sounds slow to get going, only after a good many hours does the real game start.

megalomanic · 7 Dec 2015 at 08:29

mahius said:
The game is pretty complex and there's an issue with the music being so loud that it drowns out dialogue, so be sure to put on subtitles. From what I hear, the game also sounds slow to get going, only after a good many hours does the real game start.

Yeah I've had the dialogue/music be an issue in 2 cut-scenes so far, but just for 3-4 lines of dialogue.
For a game of this scale the pacing seems just right, it feels like you are introduced to things at the right times. You are left to explore quite freely from an early-ish point too.

The game does have minor issues here and there, but the core experience is very solid and I'm having so much fun that the few little odd issues feel almost redundant.

On Story Mission 4 now and I'm really feeling it!, like the first game it gets better and better the further you go. Again, the pacing is well done.

more screenshots

oweneades · 7 Dec 2015 at 09:40

As a complete JRPG (MMO before TNA corrected me) "noob" I bought X on the strength of the release trailers alone (heck I bought the WiiU bundle and not just the game...). I didn't get caught up in any of the pre release hype or spend much time investigating the game before picking it up (In fact my purchasing decision comes down to "it looks bright, colourful and above all, fun" - things sorely lacking in a lot o f AAA releases). All I can say after playing approximately 12 hours is I am not disappointed.

From my viewpoint (new to JRPG's) the pacing seems to be bang on. The combat whilst unfamiliar is also a massive amount of fun once it clicks. Nailing the soul voice, art choice can lead to some frantic action and hilariously quick kills.

The art style, visuals and sound track (when in combat at least) are fantastic.

I have some criticisms specifically relating to the way the introduces specific mechanics (or doesn't) but overall these haven't affected my enjoyment of the game.

I may do a more in depth "review" when I have spent more time with the game, but at the moment I am enjoying it to much.

TNA · 7 Dec 2015 at 11:22

oweneades said:
As a complete MMO "noob" I bought X on the strength of the release trailers alone (heck I bought the WiiU bundle and not just the game...). I didn't get caught up in any of the pre release hype or spend much time investigating the game before picking it up (In fact my purchasing decision comes down to "it looks bright, colourful and above all, fun" - things sorely lacking in a lot o f AAA releases). All I can say after playing approximately 12 hours is I am not disappointed.

From my viewpoint (new to MMO's) the pacing seems to be bang on. The combat whilst unfamiliar is also a massive amount of fun once it clicks. Nailing the soul voice, art choice can lead to some frantic action and hilariously quick kills.

The art style, visuals and sound track (when in combat at least) are fantastic.

I have some criticisms specifically relating to the way the introduces specific mechanics (or doesn't) but overall these haven't affected my enjoyment of the game.

I may do a more in depth "review" when I have spent more time with the game, but at the moment I am enjoying it to much.

I thought this was a RPG, a JRPG if you will. You sure it is a MMO?

I plan to play this offline by myself like an RPG. If I missed something and it is a MMO, I will go cancel my order.

By the way, to me MMO = Massively multiplayer online game.

oweneades · 7 Dec 2015 at 11:40

No I think you are right. I get confused with the terminology sometimes.

Regardless I am noob when it comes to either JRPG's or MMO's...

EDIT: I am not sure where I got the idea it was an MMO from...

theonejat · 7 Dec 2015 at 12:12

mahius said:
As I posted in the main thread, my copy of the Collector's Edition arrived yesterday but remains boxed. I did save a bunch of money buying it on a quick offer, but it's probably not worth the extra £20 otherwise (the extras aren't worth £20). The game is pretty complex and there's an issue with the music being so loud that it drowns out dialogue, so be sure to put on subtitles. From what I hear, the game also sounds slow to get going, only after a good many hours does the real game start.

Agree regarding not worth the extra money for CE. Mine arrived today and although its nice to have its defo not worth. Just glad I purchased it for the same price as the standard via amazon.fr

megalomanic · 9 Dec 2015 at 13:24

Played another story chapter last night, and with what happened at the end I was like... :confused:

...

.

Story may not live up to the first game, but so far its more interesting and less predictable than in most popular games.

merlin · 9 Dec 2015 at 13:42

I'm only around 3 hours in - boy I'm loving it though, fabulous game that will probably last me 5 or 6 months.

mahius · 10 Dec 2015 at 22:45

theonejat said:
Agree regarding not worth the extra money for CE. Mine arrived today and although its nice to have its defo not worth. Just glad I purchased it for the same price as the standard via amazon.fr

Same here! I was worried it was all going to be in French at first but then I saw that the English version (on regular Amazon) had the same writing and everything too. It's not like Playstation games where the box would have been in French.

megalomanic said:
Played another story chapter last night, and with what happened at the end I was like... ... .

Story may not live up to the first game, but so far its more interesting and less predictable than in most popular games.

It's MGS5-esque in that it's open-world and improves in so many ways over previous Xenoblade, but the story suffers from the whole 'the player is the protagonist' thing. The player character never really speaks and for a game like this, it's a bit damaging to the narrative. I find stories in games are generally better with fixed/named characters. Then again, the most important thing in games is the gameplay. With good gameplay, I'll happily put up with lackluster story (like MGS5).

TNA · 12 Dec 2015 at 03:34

Ordered my copy from gameseek as they were cheapest, but those guys take ages to dispatch and delivery is slow too. Game was dispatched on Wednesday, still not here. Lol.

megalomanic · 12 Dec 2015 at 19:21

mahius said:
It's MGS5-esque in that it's open-world and improves in so many ways over previous Xenoblade, but the story suffers from the whole 'the player is the protagonist' thing. The player character never really speaks and for a game like this, it's a bit damaging to the narrative. I find stories in games are generally better with fixed/named characters.

Thing is I don't feel the player-created character is the protagonist in X, in my opinion it's Elma. This opinion may change as I get further into the story but seems unlikely.

Your character is just sort of 'there', you kind of feel like the narrator in a sense, experiencing the story in the third-person perspective or recounting it. I feel this is an interesting format that can only really be achieved this way in games. Not that I necessarily prefer this format overall, but I do think it has a place. I don't feel it should ever have a negative impact on a good storyline given the right execution. Same goes for silent protagonists, I feel some of the best characters in videogames are silent.

There are benefits for playing a custom/non-fixed character too. It gives the developers a different kind of freedom and it's not always a nice experience if you are playing a character you dislike.

Xenoblade X is not really designed from the ground up as a true story-driven RPG like the first game was. X is really about the the alien planet, and the struggles of exploring and securing it. They compromised a character driven story to give the player a bigger sense of freedom in the vast world. It works, but it does come at a price.

oweneades · 14 Dec 2015 at 08:09

Finally finished Lin's affinity mission last night.... waiting for the chroma thingy to be mined was starting to annoy me.

I didn't realise when I took the mission that it prevents you from continuing the story until it completes.

Also found the option to have fashion gear over the top of my normal gear. No longer does Lin look like a little Robocop..

Now that is out of the way I can carry on enjoying the rest of the game.

megalomanic · 14 Dec 2015 at 21:47

Yeah the fashion gear option is cool, here my current main team (almost all fashion geared)

I felt these sunglasses really suited Doug's personality...

merlin · 15 Dec 2015 at 07:52

^

This game is amazing.

merlin · 15 Dec 2015 at 09:31

I know I've posted this before in the main Wii U thread - but it's worthy of plonking in here just in case anyone is on the verge of "do I buy Xenoblade or not":