I'm going to do something nightmarish and probably go and play (and MAYBE finish) XCX and XC2 before playing 3. I have no intention of replaying 1 and potentially invalidating a lot of my thoughts on it, because it does have issues.
The thrust of the main conceit largely centered around halfway through the narrative is dumb, for one. The whole both sidesy conclusion Shulk comes to with, ahem, "the big bad", is tacky if not downright callous treatment/response to the direct concentration camp theming laid out beforehand. Which leaves a genuinely bad set of things to just have in your head towards the finale when it gets largely spiritual. Granted, when I played this, my brain was fucking off, and that was a blessing in disguise.
Simultaneously, it's hard for me to really really hate. Even if things don't fit together, playing this on a dingy Wii in the late hours of night back from school was borderline transcendental because Xenoblade is just so pretty top to bottom. I love how everything looks, sounds, and feels, from exploring the secret areas of Eryth Sea, to the beautiful serenity of Satorl Marsh, it's lovely. In a way it is a "first mmo" experience in that respect, at least nailing what the mmo is supposed to capture in that sense of awe and scale. Something I wouldn't ever quite feel the same way again in an rpg. Even FFXIV which I still play religiously barely scratches at that side of the surface.
I also love the cast, they're so beautifully characterized, largely by the VA which at some points just carry the whole thing. I don't think there's very many people who can quite belt a scream like Shulk's Adam Howden out there and make it work, you know? It's because of that there's a genuine memetic quality to it that spreads out and surrounds the game with a lot of heart. That side of the text is also moderately kept, there's a lot of moments where the cast just gets to sit down and talk and those moments speak louder than the bombastic messy parts it gets to.
In a way I often liken Xenoblade Chronicles to Chrono Trigger. Practically rips off its whole idea of structuring its story really, there's very similar downtimes and pacing. I'd argue both don't really speak to larger themes either, both impart that unique "epic"ness through playing it, and vibes and energy are a core part of being strung along. CT certainly isn't as messy but neither does it really hit the same highs XC1 gives me. Ah, the point of the comparison though is that I think XC1 genuinely pays true on what the CT intro does. That rip-roaring 2 minute intro with the pendulum swinging through that embarks your journey? Xenoblade Chronicles does that same feel in its own way before expanding beyond that, becoming something much larger and visceral. So massive and sweeping me off my feet that with my feet high above the clouds I neglect to look at the ground below at all to see how it is.
That's magical. It's what adventure and journey can really impart. Whether or not the lessons in here are even worth discussing (they're not) I'll cherish those holy-shit-that's-a-lot-of-hours it gave me.
The thrust of the main conceit largely centered around halfway through the narrative is dumb, for one. The whole both sidesy conclusion Shulk comes to with, ahem, "the big bad", is tacky if not downright callous treatment/response to the direct concentration camp theming laid out beforehand. Which leaves a genuinely bad set of things to just have in your head towards the finale when it gets largely spiritual. Granted, when I played this, my brain was fucking off, and that was a blessing in disguise.
Simultaneously, it's hard for me to really really hate. Even if things don't fit together, playing this on a dingy Wii in the late hours of night back from school was borderline transcendental because Xenoblade is just so pretty top to bottom. I love how everything looks, sounds, and feels, from exploring the secret areas of Eryth Sea, to the beautiful serenity of Satorl Marsh, it's lovely. In a way it is a "first mmo" experience in that respect, at least nailing what the mmo is supposed to capture in that sense of awe and scale. Something I wouldn't ever quite feel the same way again in an rpg. Even FFXIV which I still play religiously barely scratches at that side of the surface.
I also love the cast, they're so beautifully characterized, largely by the VA which at some points just carry the whole thing. I don't think there's very many people who can quite belt a scream like Shulk's Adam Howden out there and make it work, you know? It's because of that there's a genuine memetic quality to it that spreads out and surrounds the game with a lot of heart. That side of the text is also moderately kept, there's a lot of moments where the cast just gets to sit down and talk and those moments speak louder than the bombastic messy parts it gets to.
In a way I often liken Xenoblade Chronicles to Chrono Trigger. Practically rips off its whole idea of structuring its story really, there's very similar downtimes and pacing. I'd argue both don't really speak to larger themes either, both impart that unique "epic"ness through playing it, and vibes and energy are a core part of being strung along. CT certainly isn't as messy but neither does it really hit the same highs XC1 gives me. Ah, the point of the comparison though is that I think XC1 genuinely pays true on what the CT intro does. That rip-roaring 2 minute intro with the pendulum swinging through that embarks your journey? Xenoblade Chronicles does that same feel in its own way before expanding beyond that, becoming something much larger and visceral. So massive and sweeping me off my feet that with my feet high above the clouds I neglect to look at the ground below at all to see how it is.
That's magical. It's what adventure and journey can really impart. Whether or not the lessons in here are even worth discussing (they're not) I'll cherish those holy-shit-that's-a-lot-of-hours it gave me.
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Granted, when I played this, my brain was fucking off, and that was a blessing in disguise.
honestly i truly believe this is the only way to truly enjoy xenoblade. if you try to think through the Implications of what it suggests you will undoubtedly walk face-first into the absolutely uninterrogated wild ideas that these games have. i think it truly sucks ass and I wish someone at monolith soft would tell takahashi that he needs to stop dropping the most loaded stuff into these games if he never wants to actually do anything with them and will just continue to do all the shonen tropes. xenoblade 2 is MAYBE my least favorite game of all time but I do still have a soft spot for 1 (and am broadly enjoying 3 even if it is a complete mess in the same way) because the bad shit is not quite bad enough and i am able to just enjoy the dumb shonen bullshit. engage the enemy starts playing and i Hoot and i Holler. whereas 2's stuff is so much more visibly nasty. but i think i've said my piece on that front on this site ha i dont wanna make this comment section One Of Those. you've really articulated why I still enjoy xenoblade 1 despite the fact that if i think about it for like 5 minutes it falls apart!
that said though it is absolutely wild that a major subplot of this game is about Eugenics being the salvation for the race that most explicitly engages in Empire oh my god you CANNOT say that game
honestly i truly believe this is the only way to truly enjoy xenoblade. if you try to think through the Implications of what it suggests you will undoubtedly walk face-first into the absolutely uninterrogated wild ideas that these games have. i think it truly sucks ass and I wish someone at monolith soft would tell takahashi that he needs to stop dropping the most loaded stuff into these games if he never wants to actually do anything with them and will just continue to do all the shonen tropes. xenoblade 2 is MAYBE my least favorite game of all time but I do still have a soft spot for 1 (and am broadly enjoying 3 even if it is a complete mess in the same way) because the bad shit is not quite bad enough and i am able to just enjoy the dumb shonen bullshit. engage the enemy starts playing and i Hoot and i Holler. whereas 2's stuff is so much more visibly nasty. but i think i've said my piece on that front on this site ha i dont wanna make this comment section One Of Those. you've really articulated why I still enjoy xenoblade 1 despite the fact that if i think about it for like 5 minutes it falls apart!
that said though it is absolutely wild that a major subplot of this game is about Eugenics being the salvation for the race that most explicitly engages in Empire oh my god you CANNOT say that game
Yeah both of you are dead on, XC1 also just gets a bizarre appreciation curve straighttttt up because you just listen to the music outside the game and everytime you see a screencap you go LETS GOOOOOOOOO.
I am attempting to savor that energy so that I can maybe ignorantly pass by XCX and 3 having a good time…
2 is so going to suck if the exploration doesn’t land for me though omg I cannot believe how bad the designs for everything are I have to pretend I’m not seeing them (I hear I can just start with Torna if all else fails but LOL)
I am attempting to savor that energy so that I can maybe ignorantly pass by XCX and 3 having a good time…
2 is so going to suck if the exploration doesn’t land for me though omg I cannot believe how bad the designs for everything are I have to pretend I’m not seeing them (I hear I can just start with Torna if all else fails but LOL)
the most important thing to take away from xenoblade chronicles is absolutely that Dunban Is Cool and the second most important thing is that Riki Is Cool and the third most important thing is that Melia Is Cool
isn't it funny how dunban is like easily the best character for the first half in the game and then he turns into a prototype british chris redfield
I do agree that the final act of the game can be pretty messy, but I think calling the resolution with the main villain "genocide apologia" is a bit in bad faith, since I feel the game still makes it clear that he's too far gone for a full-on redemption
I feel confident in saying Xenoblade handles it relatively well with how often I've seen other media fall completely flat on its face in attempting similar resolutions (One of which I plan on writing about in the near future)
shulk is literally reaching out his hand to the villain before he gets got + he has a monologue as he dies about how his final act of sacrifice will be how he's remembered, as if that wipes clean thousands of years spent systematically perfecting genocide. sorry, but there's nothing you can do to convince me the game isn't at the very least incredibly tonedeaf about its portrayal of this subject matter.
The sanctimony!! Ruined!!!
I kid, in all intents I agree with straylight here, being of ye jewish upbringing the sort of imagery played with and attached to the entire mechonis sphere is like... let's say hypothetically I even agreed that it's not apologia it's still really unsettling??? It's not something I think I could ever really resolve peacefully, and yet Shulk sort of speaks past that cultural destruction toyed with to play,,, I don't want to say "a moral high ground" (lmao) but it's definitely fucking pompous of the developer
I kid, in all intents I agree with straylight here, being of ye jewish upbringing the sort of imagery played with and attached to the entire mechonis sphere is like... let's say hypothetically I even agreed that it's not apologia it's still really unsettling??? It's not something I think I could ever really resolve peacefully, and yet Shulk sort of speaks past that cultural destruction toyed with to play,,, I don't want to say "a moral high ground" (lmao) but it's definitely fucking pompous of the developer
games like this are honestly better enjoyed when you're an impressionable teen imo. if I had played something like XBC1 or XBC3 at 14 they'd definitely become instant favorites, but right now it's more like... I can see why they're so beloved but not resonate with them as much as I'd like to. definitely feels to me like these are great entry-level JRPGs, but can ring a bit hollow once you've experienced a ton of other stuff. XBC2 especially makes you conscious of how sloppy the writing of these games can get regarding political nuance, imo they'd just be so much better if they focused on the extrasensory feel of their world design + armchair philosophy + shounen hype 2000s mecha vibe.
Was honestly thinking of doing a review of this game but this comment's section almost summed up what I had to say.
I haven't played Chrono Trigger yet, so what Xenoblade Chronicles reminds me the most of is, weirdly, the opening FMV of Final Fantasy VII. The opening shot of Midgar is one purely to tout scope and spectacle and Xenoblade feels like that moment extended into an entire game.
Xenoblade is best enjoyed when your exploring the various landscapes and fighting enemies without a care. The art direction is stellar, main cast of characters have such charming banter and dynamics, and the story itself still knows how to hit it's emotional beats really well. The problem arises when you attempt to hold the game to scrutiny and realize the game doesn't have anything it truly wants to say apart from vague gestures at milquetoast messages it doesn't commit to. I didn't even think about the unfortunate implications aside from the game flirting with a romance between two characters at least 70 years apart.
I'm not saying that your taste is bad for rating it so high; There's a lot to love and there are plenty of games I unabashedly adore despite having a grocery list of problems with. However, I do agree with the sentiment that this is a game you play once and never again.
Also the memes this game produces are top notch, even the haters can't disagree with that.
I haven't played Chrono Trigger yet, so what Xenoblade Chronicles reminds me the most of is, weirdly, the opening FMV of Final Fantasy VII. The opening shot of Midgar is one purely to tout scope and spectacle and Xenoblade feels like that moment extended into an entire game.
Xenoblade is best enjoyed when your exploring the various landscapes and fighting enemies without a care. The art direction is stellar, main cast of characters have such charming banter and dynamics, and the story itself still knows how to hit it's emotional beats really well. The problem arises when you attempt to hold the game to scrutiny and realize the game doesn't have anything it truly wants to say apart from vague gestures at milquetoast messages it doesn't commit to. I didn't even think about the unfortunate implications aside from the game flirting with a romance between two characters at least 70 years apart.
I'm not saying that your taste is bad for rating it so high; There's a lot to love and there are plenty of games I unabashedly adore despite having a grocery list of problems with. However, I do agree with the sentiment that this is a game you play once and never again.
Also the memes this game produces are top notch, even the haters can't disagree with that.
straylight
1 year ago
will never forget seeing that one landscape in gaur plains as the song kicked in for the first time