When I first started playing Xenoblade 2, I gotta be honest and say that it left a bad taste in my mouth.
After how much Xenoblade 1 did for me, as an imcredible story about a young man trying to change the future, with a tone that fitted the context of the war the characters lived, xenoblade 2 shift in tone left me confused.

"Why does the story has some many more ANIME stereotypes? Why are those designs so bizzarre? Why does the battle voice lines feels louder and much more repetitive?"

I may sound too rude, but feel like I was not the only one to feel that way: tons of people complained about the different selections of questionable designs, the goofier tone and cutscenes that feels put there just to fill the list of "anime moment" (Seriously, cutscenes like the "bed scene" I feel didn't need to be there imo).

And not to mention other questionable design choices of the game: the incredibly slow tutorial that kinda fails as a tutorial, the unnecessarily gacha-like mechanic to obtain new blades, and the fact that your story can be just straight up blocked by a stupid spider web in the middle of the cave that forces you to go back and famr for fire passives or something (Seriously Chamber of Offering, what the heck is your problem????)


But despite all of these weird decisions..... this game is still incredible. I don't know how they do that, but Xenoblade games are ALWAYS able to make you feel so may moments that will melt your heart, no matter how light or silly the tone of the story may be.

The world is still imaginative, full of wonderful set pieces and fascinating to explore. Once you get the hang of it, the combat becomes addictive, as you discover the various blade combinantios and the depths of it all. THe music is always divine, with set pieces that will literally make you cry on multiple occasions, no matter how invested you are in the moment.

And speaking of the story: I actually don't mind it now! Sure it is more light-hearted compared to what the other xenoblade games present, but the general tone and the various party members started to grow on me with time. I don't really like all of the main cast, but I can safely confirm that fellas like Zeke or Morag are my favorite Xenoblade characters.

Overall, I still prefer the tone and assets that Xenoblade 1 presented. But I can assure you that Xenoblade 2, while different in tone, is still an amazing title, able to put you into a world and a story it will stuck with you for years. DON'T FORGET IT

After the fantastic Xenoblade Chronicles 1, expectations for the second instalment are high. However, they are entirely fulfilled, albeit somewhat differently than initially expected. Everyone should find out for themselves how the game relates to the first instalment! The story is amazing, and the characters are all really likeable, with a compelling background story that makes them even more likeable. The voice acting in English is not bad (especially Malos), but sometimes there are moments where the tone doesn't quite fit or the emotions don't come across well. This is because the voice actors couldn't always see the cutscenes beforehand and had to do it "blindly".

The combat system is better than in XC1 and doesn't get boring; on the contrary, as you get stronger and stronger and new possibilities open up, it becomes more and more fun. The Titans and areas look fantastic, and exploring them is always fun. The OST is one of the best soundtracks in video game history, and I still love listening to it. There are fewer side quests than in XC1, but they are usually longer. Almost all blade quests are really good as you learn more about the blades, and they tell an interesting story. However, getting most of the blades through a gacha mechanic is annoying, as you must invest a lot of time and be lucky to get all the blades.

Overall, the game has some minor criticisms, but these are overshadowed by the positive aspects. I can only recommend it to everyone!