"These are our lives here, they aren't just some toys you can play with!"
After almost ten years, and two disappointing follow-ups, Xenoblade 3 manages to succeed as a proper sequel to the original Xenoblade Chronicles. It uses the more powerful console and many lessons learned from development to bring a deeply rich experience. The combat system is flexible, yet not overly cumbersome, taking queues from both mainline games before it. The cast is as thoroughly characterized as anything in the genre period. The incredible scope and music that has always been present, show up once again with absolute splendor. This game almost transcends and overtakes its predecessors in almost every single category from visual fidelity to side quest depth. The world of Aionisis is rich with lore, history, and struggle, and all of it sets a bleak yet riveting tone from the initial moments of the narrative's start.
Unfortunately, the only thing this game does not manage to stick to is the landing at the very end. After a tremendous build-up that capitalizes on every core component, the story then stumbles and never quite finds a solution to this. Mostly at fault are two things of note. The first is the exposition required to truly grasp all the missing details from key story characters you work so hard to reach. Their moments are brief, almost for cameo's sake rather than blissful fusion of everything into one incredible sweeping motion. The latter problem is the ending takes away what is the hope of the players. It may give back the future to its denizens but it takes away the time invested into this world, the people we came to so closely align ourselves with, and all of those cherished memories built through those relationships. I love this game in most regards and would say it manages to do almost everything correctly, and the ending while it doesn't betray the themes and ideas presented beforehand, just leaves a notion of regret onto me. If you've ever seen the series Crash Landing onto You, this reminds me heavily of that journey. An uncertain beginning that forms into a spectacular ride, that leaves me absolutely gobsmacked by conflicted feelings as the credits roll.
I can say with certainty this game is utterly engrossing with a dense massive world of interest and charming characters that feel so real you want to be friends with them yourself. I can't quite ignore my own struggle with the lasting effect the final choices made and how they left me at three in the morning feeling troubled. I shan't forget my time, and will look forward to what the future holds with this series, the DLC, and of course my own path that I will decide upon.
We hereby award: Platinum Seal of Transcendence
After almost ten years, and two disappointing follow-ups, Xenoblade 3 manages to succeed as a proper sequel to the original Xenoblade Chronicles. It uses the more powerful console and many lessons learned from development to bring a deeply rich experience. The combat system is flexible, yet not overly cumbersome, taking queues from both mainline games before it. The cast is as thoroughly characterized as anything in the genre period. The incredible scope and music that has always been present, show up once again with absolute splendor. This game almost transcends and overtakes its predecessors in almost every single category from visual fidelity to side quest depth. The world of Aionisis is rich with lore, history, and struggle, and all of it sets a bleak yet riveting tone from the initial moments of the narrative's start.
Unfortunately, the only thing this game does not manage to stick to is the landing at the very end. After a tremendous build-up that capitalizes on every core component, the story then stumbles and never quite finds a solution to this. Mostly at fault are two things of note. The first is the exposition required to truly grasp all the missing details from key story characters you work so hard to reach. Their moments are brief, almost for cameo's sake rather than blissful fusion of everything into one incredible sweeping motion. The latter problem is the ending takes away what is the hope of the players. It may give back the future to its denizens but it takes away the time invested into this world, the people we came to so closely align ourselves with, and all of those cherished memories built through those relationships. I love this game in most regards and would say it manages to do almost everything correctly, and the ending while it doesn't betray the themes and ideas presented beforehand, just leaves a notion of regret onto me. If you've ever seen the series Crash Landing onto You, this reminds me heavily of that journey. An uncertain beginning that forms into a spectacular ride, that leaves me absolutely gobsmacked by conflicted feelings as the credits roll.
I can say with certainty this game is utterly engrossing with a dense massive world of interest and charming characters that feel so real you want to be friends with them yourself. I can't quite ignore my own struggle with the lasting effect the final choices made and how they left me at three in the morning feeling troubled. I shan't forget my time, and will look forward to what the future holds with this series, the DLC, and of course my own path that I will decide upon.
We hereby award: Platinum Seal of Transcendence