When you think of a game that makes you fall in love with an entire genre, Xenoblade Chronicles 1 is one of the first that comes to mind. A game so good that literally lead to a fan petition to make Nintendo port it to the west, that is probably responsible for making me fall in love with JRPGs as a whole.

It is able to present a world you want to immerse in, with an imagination and a vibe that feels immaculate to this day despite the slightly outdated graphics.

A combat system that is really odd for jRPG standards, being more keen to a single player MMO. But it's still able to feel entising and fun, with really smart gimmicks that fits in the context od the story.

SPeaking of the story tho.... my god, the highs of this game are probably some of the best momnts I have ever experienced in a videogame. The narrative of Xenoblade 1 is able to convey so much emotions at once while able to narrate a story of war and revenge of man that struggle to change the his future. The narrative also features a large amount of twists, that creates a masterpiece of cinematic levels.

Incredible and phenomenal. A must play for everyone!

Starting my account with this, the absolute pinnacle of gaming. This is one of the greatest pieces of media ever made, and the bar that all games need to meet. It is by no means perfect, it has tedious sidequests, some issues with the narrative, and annoying enemy types. But the universe, characters. the narrative, the voice acting, the music... Just every aspect of this game is just on another level. This is one of the most magical experiences you can ever have. I played this for the first time in 2015 and to this day nothing has topped it.

It's hard for me to put into words everything I adore in this game. It was a world I could immerse myself in and find respite, during a time in my life where I felt lost and hopeless. I finished it right before a whole new chapter began. Would that mean a heavily detailed review would come with bias? Absolutely! But it has clearly left a profound impact in the many others who have also played. It's a fantastic game that fans of JRPGs should absolutely play. So I'll keep it simple:

The goods: Simple but engaging gameplay, a cast of characters that come from different walks of life, music made by legendary composers through JRPGs of old, a world the size of two literal titans the likes of which you'll never see anywhere else, a traversable environment that constantly invites you to explore every crevice of its twisting landscape, and a damn good story that continues to unfold in ways that keep you wanting to uncover the history of this mysterious world. And it's all somehow on the Wii.

Some bads: The textures on the characters models on the Wii are not...good. You get used to it, but it's not the prettiest first impression. Item sorting is downright terrible. The arrow that leads you to your next objective does not take into account the layers of elevation on some parts of the map and will get you lost. Team A.I. is helpful in parts, but bad when doing some things you need it to do. And 1 or 2 boss battles are straight up broken.

HOWEVER.

These issues were all fixed in the Definitive Edition for Switch. Clamorous fights with the casts' nonstop dialogue are still an issue and it unironically has become a trademark of the series (whether we like it or not). Anyway, please play that version instead if at all possible.

Out of every game I've played, I think this is the one that had the most profound impact on me. Xenoblade Chronicles holds a level of fantasy, writing, and grandeur that is unparalleled by most and I still can't believe this was all held on a Wii game. Its characters, world, and story have stuck with me for over a decade, and this game is an experience I wish I could have for the first time again and again.

Xenoblade is the game that introduced me to the Xeno meta-series and, while thought by Nintendo to not have been interesting enough to sell in North America, managed to spark an entire series of its own that bridged Xenoblade's grandeur with Xenosaga and Xenogears' magnificence.

I can't shake the feeling that every person involved in Xenoblade was a creative genius in some fashion, and I've always felt honored to have been shared the culmination of their works. Yasuyuki Honne is an incredibly underrepresented man whose level of creativity and imagination is unseen anywhere else in and out of the industry. The concepts and designs of the Bionis and Mechonis are incredulous and the myriad of unfathomable and fantastical environments like the floating reefs of Eryth or factory-city of Agniratha will always strike awe in me. It's an understatement to say that Honne has inspired me through the years and encouraged me to think more out of the box.

While not exactly as strong in writing as some of his previous works, Tetsuya Takahashi once again knocks it out of the park. Any disappointments found in the plot points being so far removed from his usual work are dispelled in later entries in the series, and what is left in Xenoblade is nothing short of a masterpiece. I can't say anything about the incredible soundtrack that hasn't already been discussed to death, but I can say that every composer put their entire heart and soul into every track (well, maybe not the Bionis' Interior and Ether Mines 😭). And lastly, each of the artists who contributed to the characters created such iconic, unique, and diverse designs.

I'll be honest, this game doesn't exactly gain high marks for its gameplay. Especially by today's standards, the exploration can seem empty and the combat often feels like you're waiting more than you're playing. The quests in particular suck hot ass, most of them are just fetch quests or "go here and talk to an NPC" quests. And yet, I still enjoy every moment I'm playing this game. Maybe it's the immersive atmosphere or the lively chatter between party members or how alive the world and its inhabitants feel, but I just can't put this game down whenever I'm playing.

The journey Xenoblade takes you on is one that leaps across its faults in strides. It's an experience I think that everyone should try at least once, and one that will stick with me forever. Thank you, Monolith Soft. 💕

possibly the worst game ever ⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️

no redeemable gameplay qualities

story is interesting at the start and then they introduce the nopon

impressive stuff

The story, music, world and characters be so good then boom, you have to do ten tedious fetch quests with no real directions half the time to keep up with the main story level jumps just so you can get back to fighting cool bosses with a combat system that is simultaneously quite deep and yet it plays so shallowly. Every encounter is a glorified stat check with a LOT of waiting around, and while Xenoblade 1's combat system can lead to some hype moments, generally it was something I tolerated for the sake of the 10/10 narrative rather than actively enjoyed. Also the AI in this game SUUUUCKS! Play definitive edition instead if you are interested in experiencing kinoblade the way it was meant to. Riki is the best character in fiction.