It's hard to be objective when a game feels like it was tailor-made specifically for you, so I won't even try. This is probably the most fun I'll have with any game this year, and I enjoyed every minute from start to end. It's pure fanservice for any Xenoblade fan, which also means I can't recommend playing it if you haven't played the others, but that's just fine, as this is pretty much the epilogue of the series. All of the characters were likable and had a fun dynamic with each other, and seeing Shulk and Rex as middle-aged adults who act like proud fathers all the time plastered a permanent smile on my face.

I especially want to highlight the gameplay, as it really improved upon what Xenoblade 3 had established (which was already very good). Upgrading your character's abilities is now directly tied to completing Affinity Missions, which are a variety of tasks that encourage the player to engage with the world; such as completing the collectopedia (yes, it's back for real this time!) by picking up the items on the ground, or the enemypedia, which is a similar concept but for defeating 1-3 members of each enemy in the world, building ladders, ziplines, and other infrastructure, finding landmarks and secret areas, etc. I would love to see this feature in other open world or exploration-based games, just because it keeps the game engaging long after the main campaign has been finished. The Community is back from Torna, but no longer locks story progress behind itself, and lets the player complete it at their leisure. While I don't think it adds as much charm to the world as the NPC relationship chart (pretty much a staple of the series a this point), it's definitely more akin to the Bombers' Notebook from Majora's Mask, and it's very satisfying to complete as you make people happier.

Saying I feel like I've fallen in love with Xenoblade all over again basically sums everything up.