_Alkaline_
Member
Turn off the mini-map and Xenoblade might just be the scariest game ever.
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Xenoblade Chronicles |OT| Man, what a bunch of jokers.
- Thread starter Sadist
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King of the Potato People said:
To be fair, European review sites tend to be quite happy to occasionally review import titles. It's quite possible that some had people with experience of the *game* from the Japanese release and just needed really to cover the key differences for Europe.
Laughing Banana
Weeping Pickle
Hiltz said:
Yep. I'll quote myself from a few pages back:
Laughing Banana said:
God I try to play "HD" RPGs that I haven't played/finished like Star Ocean 4, Last Remnant, Magna Carta 2... etc etc after Xenoblade but the feeling so far has been so hollow ;________________; Even Deus Ex HR has not been that exciting for me
I haven't really thought too much about it until this point (level 59/73 hours in/
), but is Spike Damage the reason why I'll be happily smacking the shit out of an enemy, then look at the health bar and discover I'm down to about 300 points of health without really getting hit?
Fallen Arm
Aveyn Knight
Member
Sounds like the correct symptons. If you're observant during battle, you should notice some smaller, blue (or different coloured) numbers that appear near your character when they suffer spike damage.
As a reminder, Purge can be used to temporarily disable spike damage. I can't remember if topple or daze works.
As a reminder, Purge can be used to temporarily disable spike damage. I can't remember if topple or daze works.
chaosblade
Unconfirmed Member
Topple usually does, but some enemies will start dealing spike damage when toppled. And I think Daze always removes spikes.Aveyn Knight said:
Purge does too, but it didn't work for me against the last boss before the last point of no return.
The unique Kromer (lv 87? 82?) has a sleep spike. Waking up sleeping allies gives you affinity. The rest should be obviousivysaur12 said:
Sleep/Debuff resist gems aren't really necessary if you're somewhat careful. I got some for that, but I ended up not even using them.
sammyCYBORG
Member
Damn, the drop rate on Hode Planks is being terrible towards me. I only want to fix the bridge! *cries*
On my way to the snowy mountain... place. The name escapes me. Is this the place featured in the flashbacks? Were kid Shulk is found with the Monado?
chaosblade
Unconfirmed Member
That was annoying, I got mine from the ones in Makna, not sure if the ones around Eryth sea drop them. Probably do.sammyCYBORG said:
As for your vaguely related unmarked spoiler, you probably won't find it to be particularly important but
yes, it is
Edit: Eh, somebody might care and since the spoiler isn't marked I'll spoiler my answer.
And one thing I never got, how is Valak Mountain considered the highest point on Bionis? That doesn't make much sense.
sammyCYBORG said:
LOL Aren't they annoying huh. I didn't bother with the hunting shit because I knew the drop rate on those sucked so I traded with LUPA. Goodness gracious, the very nopon that the researcher DIDN'T want her to know that she's missing out on her research BECAUSE the bridge isn't fixed yet lmao. But she's on 6th floor I think and usually at night. So trade with her and get those. You should be okay in whatever you trade with, the value on hode planks isn't much (definitely not more than 2k).
I should add that she's kinda hidden, she's standing underneath the wooden ledge. Tuzu is also found there during the day.
The trading system is really a nice touch to this game. When I first tested it out back in Colony 9, Sonia happens to be my first few and I happen to find the
Mantis
filling out that last page of Collectopedia.
So since then, I've been going to the trade menus with EVERYONE to find those items and I kinda saw there's those objective type of items on there too so I kept it in mind if I ever ran out of those, I'll return later to trade.
Lupa happens to be one of the few I remembered that had Hode Planks thank god.sammyCYBORG
Member
Right, heading there right now! Thank you very much, I think I need some spares forPhilia said:
Colony 6
And thanks for the answers everyone!
Oh and damn, that scene on
Prison Island
As soon as I realised the bronze-faced Mechon had duel-wielding claws, I thought that it could be Mumkhar. But Fiora, didn't really expect her in the Mechon suit! She reminded me a Aegis from Persona 4 in the reveal scene. They looked so similar
wakajawaka
Member
I have a sign all the time on the screen and it's driving me crazy. It says "Travel diaries" and I just won't go, I press "Z" on the options and it displays the diary, and I explore all the other diary options and it's still there. I even rebooted the console.
Halp?
Halp?
Just finished the story. :') 98 or so hours. I can't remember the last time I put so much time into a game. If ever? And it was never once boring.
Lolol at all the New Game+ scenes at the beginning. I was giggling so bad when I saw (early game cutscene, late game spoilers)
Anyway. Story and ending. So good. SMH though at
Anyway I'm just rambling. Game of the forever, A+, 15/10, etc.
Lolol at all the New Game+ scenes at the beginning. I was giggling so bad when I saw (early game cutscene, late game spoilers)
Mumkhar in his machina outfit. Look out Dunban! I'm pretty certain the guy in the mechon clothes is a traitor!
Anyway. Story and ending. So good. SMH though at
people hating on the ending because "none of it was real it all took place inside a computer!!1!". That's almost the exact opposite of what happened.
Dickson and Zanza were both big bags of dicks, zero sympathy for them haha. Zanza's "I just want friends you guys D:" lol okay man. Eat my Monado.
I knew Alvis didn't hate me :') So he's, in a way, the true god of Xenoblade. Kind of. Haha at the super atheist ending. I guess that always happens in Xeno games. Humanoids as final bosses don't happen often in Xeno games do they. Other than Space Pope and Zanza, I think
they've all been monsters or machines.
Dickson and Zanza were both big bags of dicks, zero sympathy for them haha. Zanza's "I just want friends you guys D:" lol okay man. Eat my Monado.
I knew Alvis didn't hate me :') So he's, in a way, the true god of Xenoblade. Kind of. Haha at the super atheist ending. I guess that always happens in Xeno games. Humanoids as final bosses don't happen often in Xeno games do they. Other than Space Pope and Zanza, I think
they've all been monsters or machines.
Anyway I'm just rambling. Game of the forever, A+, 15/10, etc.
Rahxephon91
Banned
Beat the game today. Pretty much the best game this generation. No game comes close to to it. I really have nothing to say, it's just pretty much the best game this gen.
Boss Battle Dickson sure did look like Vayne at the end of FFXII.
SecretMoblin
Member
One of the things I didn't really love about the last fifth of the game was that it basically devolved into 'corridors and cutscenes' gameplay. Disappointing, since most of the rest of the game seemed like a deliberate reaction against that sort of thing. It really opened up just before the end, though (especially with new areas to explore), which I absolutely loved.EvilMario said:
So, I ordered Xenoblade from Zavvi on release and have been waiting anxiously for it. A month after it shipped out (as per their policy), my package still hadn't arrived so I emailed them and they offered to send a replacement. My package finally arrived yesterday (almost two months after the game was released. I ripped the package open with all haste... only to find a copy of Deus Ex: Human Revolution for the PC.
WTF. I just want to play this game!
WTF. I just want to play this game!
Android18a
Member
32 hours, just arrived at Elryn Sea. Beautiful area at Sunset! Exploring a bit by swimming around to start with Team currently hovering just below level 40. No idea where you guys with 90+ hours get the time, I'm a PAL gamer who got it on launch and I've struggled to get 32 hours in.
Team currently hovering just below level 40. No idea where you guys with 90+ hours get the time, I'm a PAL gamer who got it on launch and I've struggled to get 32 hours in.King of the Potato People
Member
His point in the game is to serve the purpose of being the quirky blob one because JRPGs apparently need them. Someone threw FF blobs Quina, Mog and Cait Sith into a blender and we got that 'thing'. Out of all the repetitive catchphrases, he would win an award for the worst. I wanted to plaster his mouth shut with stitches. Riki is sad now!
Still he's a tough cracker, he nailed
Zanza in the ultimate face off.
BlazingDarkness
Member
Riki is awesome ;(
Woo! Game complete!
If anyone says they saw that ending coming, they're either mad or lying. And yet it makes sense. (Ending spoilers, obviously)
(Again, this spoils EVERYTHING!)
So, yeah. Good final twist, the game did actually blindside me at the end with the
. I'm almost a little disappointed in the final boss, I guess level 80 is a level or two too high to get a difficult fight out of it. Not that I didn't have to stay focused, it has a nasty gimmick that no other enemy in the game does.
Anyway, so what do I think about the game as a whole? Awesome. So awesome. It's the best JRPG i've played this generation, and probably this millennium, too. If the Wii can do this, then what's Final Fantasy's excuse? But I'll keep on track. The game does so much right, the combat is fun and engaging, and not having items in the game was a great choice. The characters are all likable and the combat chatter they do is funny. The English voices are, apart from a few bad ones, pretty good and the music is great.
I have to highlight the little things the game does right, too. So many user-friendly features in this game. Setting the time of day, highlighting items you'll need in a future quest, even if you haven't been to that area yet, the combat visions that lets enemies be nasty, yet give you a chance to counter it on the first go, the friendly death penalties that lets you take risks and the skip travel with load times that make you go "What, already?!"
To conclude, I have this to say on Xenoblade Chronicles: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword has its work cut out for it if it wants to be the Wii Game of the Year, because right now, Xenoblade sets the bar so high that it's hard to imagine it being beat. I'd almost dare to call it this generation's Chrono Trigger, except this time it's the Europeans who get to play. If you have a Wii and like RPGs, then get Xenoblade. Even if you have to import and homebrew to play it. It basically is to JRPGs what Super Mario Galaxy is to 3D platformers.
If anyone says they saw that ending coming, they're either mad or lying. And yet it makes sense. (Ending spoilers, obviously)
Zanza's name is Klaus. He's a scientist from future Earth conducting an experiment that's on the MAD side of science. He blows up the universe. Whoops. Then he makes a new one, and as the geek he looks to be, it's based on giant mecha. His assistant also survived the end of the universe and became a giant mecha as well. They spawned life, because they were lonely, and then Zanza got a little upset and tried to kill Meyneth. Bad move, got beat up.
Shulk is dead. Except Zanza stole his body, and you play as Zanza for most of the game. Turns out, Shulk wasn't quite dead and manages to revive himself through sheer willpower after being killed by Dickson. Who's the right-hand man of Zanza.
But the real kicker here is Alvis. Go ahead. Guess! Guess as much as you want, because you're NOT guessing what Alvis is. Alvis is a computer. And the Monado, which explains how he could wield it, but basically he's the one running the show. Much to Zanza's regret. With Zanza dead, Alvis offers Shulk to be the new god, but Shulk refuses and destroys the world. And respawns it as an endless universe. Huh. Interesting choice.
And so the game ends and offers me the chance to replay the game at my current level and with the True Monado. Or rather, to beat the game with my eyes closed, because that's stupidly overpowered.
Shulk is dead. Except Zanza stole his body, and you play as Zanza for most of the game. Turns out, Shulk wasn't quite dead and manages to revive himself through sheer willpower after being killed by Dickson. Who's the right-hand man of Zanza.
But the real kicker here is Alvis. Go ahead. Guess! Guess as much as you want, because you're NOT guessing what Alvis is. Alvis is a computer. And the Monado, which explains how he could wield it, but basically he's the one running the show. Much to Zanza's regret. With Zanza dead, Alvis offers Shulk to be the new god, but Shulk refuses and destroys the world. And respawns it as an endless universe. Huh. Interesting choice.
And so the game ends and offers me the chance to replay the game at my current level and with the True Monado. Or rather, to beat the game with my eyes closed, because that's stupidly overpowered.
So, yeah. Good final twist, the game did actually blindside me at the end with the
space station
Anyway, so what do I think about the game as a whole? Awesome. So awesome. It's the best JRPG i've played this generation, and probably this millennium, too. If the Wii can do this, then what's Final Fantasy's excuse? But I'll keep on track. The game does so much right, the combat is fun and engaging, and not having items in the game was a great choice. The characters are all likable and the combat chatter they do is funny. The English voices are, apart from a few bad ones, pretty good and the music is great.
I have to highlight the little things the game does right, too. So many user-friendly features in this game. Setting the time of day, highlighting items you'll need in a future quest, even if you haven't been to that area yet, the combat visions that lets enemies be nasty, yet give you a chance to counter it on the first go, the friendly death penalties that lets you take risks and the skip travel with load times that make you go "What, already?!"
To conclude, I have this to say on Xenoblade Chronicles: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword has its work cut out for it if it wants to be the Wii Game of the Year, because right now, Xenoblade sets the bar so high that it's hard to imagine it being beat. I'd almost dare to call it this generation's Chrono Trigger, except this time it's the Europeans who get to play. If you have a Wii and like RPGs, then get Xenoblade. Even if you have to import and homebrew to play it. It basically is to JRPGs what Super Mario Galaxy is to 3D platformers.
Riki is a badass motherfucker. In fact, he rivals and quite possibly exceeds Dunban in the badass department. He gets a lot more compelling the more you learn about him and the Nopon tribe. Especially once you realize thatKing of the Potato People said:
His point in the game is to serve the purpose of being the quirky blob one because JRPGs apparently need them. Someone threw FF blobs Quina, Mog and Cait Sith into a blender and we got that 'thing'. Out of all the repetitive catchphrases, he would win an award for the worst. I wanted to plaster his mouth shut with stitches. Riki is sad now!
Still he's a tough cracker, he nailedSo don't completely hate the little guy.Zanza in the ultimate face off.
the whole cuteness and stupidity thing is just an act. Riki is by no means stupid, and knows very well what's going on. The game actually establishes that Nopon act stupid and cute because it helps being underestimated. Dunban even realizes and acknowledges that fact at some point.
SecretMoblin said:
One thing I didn't care for was the overuse of 'most lose / not finish this fight' sort of battles. In fact, all the battles that the main group loses, I felt like I could have won. Haha.
Definitely looking forward to the final couple of dungeons, and I'll probably spend a few more hours on the interesting side quest as well.
wsippel said:
I really enjoyed Dunban and Riki's conversation on the
Fallen Arm
King of the Potato People
Member
wsippel said:
Riki may be cooler than Dunban! Well there you have it.
The bazillion battles was enough to appreciate the battle music.MechaX said:
Lovely soundtrack, one to remember. Yoko Shimomura (composer of KH & Mario RPGs) continues to be awesome.
Favourites tracks, these might spoil it for players who have not finished it.
link
link
link
link
link
That final boss theme
it's just an awesome take on the one-winged-angel-style final bosses.
And it was really well done. He never even answered Dunban if I remember correctly. He simply paused for a moment, acted stupid, and then talked about something entirely different. That single scene added a ton of depth to the character. The game is really damn well written and directed.CoolS said:Definitely my favourite Riki moment, gave him so much more depth and made me appreciate him so much more
King of the Potato People
Member
Nice write-up, it's really one of those titles that's worth writing hours about.McNum said:
As for the ending it was weird as hell and reminded me of
2001. The space walk was nice.
This line was so cheesy it made me giggle
"We don't want to be gods anyway"
Now I want to know
who handed Dr. Klaus his science certificate, did he ever mention in graduation his desire to become a god? Just in passing?
I'd just like to say that Alvis' voice actor was one of the best ones, along with Dunban. He can make any event sound like it has the highest of importance. "I am going to fulfil my destiny and dispose of my internal waste". If only he was
more playable.
Yeah, that line was pretty cheesy, but after 80-ish hours of Xenoblade, you kind of get immune to that kind of cheesiness. Because, yes, the game can be very cheesy at times. But then it just takes the cheese and runs with it, taking it to its natural absurd conclusion and twisting that into something awesome. I mean, the game starts with a story about two giant mecha who fight, then die, then become the world. The rest of the game pretty much spends its time playing catch-up on that, and in the end, it's pretty much all explained and makes sense. For various degrees of "makes sense".King of the Potato People said:
And yes, I could listen to Alvis explain the most mundane thing like the fate of existence itself depended on it for hours and hours. Awesome voice.