Well I meant the criticism I pointed out.
I think.. pointing out that the game wants to remind you that you have a major quest.. to not be a major deal breaker, but maybe that's me.
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Xenoblade |OT| Sorry I Kept You Waiting!
- Thread starter SecretMoblin
- Start date
Well I meant the criticism I pointed out.
I think.. pointing out that the game wants to remind you that you have a major quest.. to not be a major deal breaker, but maybe that's me.
The first bit of that review puts me off. A guy is allowed his opinion, but to open it up with 2 paragraphs of "how dare the internet trick me, do you guys actually play JRPGs, etc" is very shallow to me.
Why not just objectively review the game isolated from whatever circumstances you happen to be playing it in.
Why not just objectively review the game isolated from whatever circumstances you happen to be playing it in.
Because reviews can never be objective and some have come to terms with it.
So the next best thing is to tell the reader where you're coming from so they can decide if your circumstances are similar and/or you're interested in that perspective.
His statement about questioning whether the praise is from people who don't even play JRPGs is a bit uncalled for though.
Fair.
I guess the "[I doubt if] whether any of those people actually play JRPGs." line is the worst for me. Because we know those who really play JRPGs would never place such high accolades on a game like Xenoblade.
Edit: Oh I see you added a similar criticism to your post as on mine.
Yeah, it does. The problem with a game receiving so much hype (and I'm as guilty as anyone of hyping Xenoblade) is that it can change people's expectations from hoping for a great game to hoping for a flawless game.
They're different things. A flawless game is one absent of problems and idiosyncrasies. Xenoblade is not that. Xenoblade, while about as polished a JRPG as I can remember, still has some issues (which vary in importance from player to player).
And though it does manage to smooth out many of the annoying issues with past JRPGs, it also embraces many cliches of the genre. (And even subverting JRPG cliches has become a JRPG cliche.) That's okay. In fact, it's part of what makes Xenoblade great. Heck, I think it exemplifies the genre, in that it's what I always wanted from an RPG.
Umberto Eco wrote a fantastic essay -- "Casablanca, or, The Cliches are Having a Ball" -- on how a "perfect" film (Stagecoach is his example) can be less memorable than a flawed film (e.g., Casablanca) that throws a bunch of cliches and archetypes into a blender and becomes something better than should be: "Thus Casablanca is not just one film. It is many films, an anthology... When all the archetypes burst in shamelessly, we reach Homeric depths. Two cliches make us laugh. A hundred cliches move us."
There are plenty of things to be critical of in Xenoblade - the map desperately needs to know where certain characters are, the quests can be tedious and boring, the affinity map is a bit confusing, the menu isn't your best friend... but in general, those issues are outweighed by everything else.
It still is the best jRPG that's been released this generation.
It still is the best jRPG that's been released this generation.
Q
qizah
Unconfirmed Member
Where's that from?
Yep. Exactly. (I think it's actually my favorite of any generation, nostalgia be damned.)
SecretMoblin
Member
Just a friendly tip, regardless of the control scheme used: as soon as you can, go into the options and set the camera speed to the fastest setting. It makes things much nicer.
I certainly don't agree with that. Nothing about the quest system stands out above others, really, aside from being able to complete a quest in the field without returning to the person which is absolutely a big plus. The UI for it could use tons of work, though, and the design of the individual quests varies from good to really poor. But in general, I'm not at all a fan of MMO-style questing in my single-player games.
That was the point.
There was too many quests because I'm a bit OCD, but I liked the style of questing.
SA poster.
dancrane212
Member
Ran down to EB during lunch and picked up the game + artbook.
Seeing as I'll be putting ME3 on hold until it's closer to the Summer DLC launch I'll be playing this game once I'm done all my final assignments.
Seeing as I'll be putting ME3 on hold until it's closer to the Summer DLC launch I'll be playing this game once I'm done all my final assignments.
At the risk of sounding negative on the game (which I'm not), I want to address parts of this "best quote".
I guess to most people, me placing FF13 above it kind of says a lot about me and my tastes though.
And I'm not sure I would say Xenoblade's story is "down to earth", but I might just not understand the idiom.
Opinions and all but I like both FF12 and FF13 more than Xenoblade. And I don't feel that either of them "wish they were" like Xenoblade.
I guess to most people, me placing FF13 above it kind of says a lot about me and my tastes though.
I don't know about realistic. Keeping in line with FF comparisons, I found FFXIII-2 Serah and Noel to be more realistic characters.
And I'm not sure I would say Xenoblade's story is "down to earth", but I might just not understand the idiom.
I don't agree. But highly subjective. I tend to favour characters so the battle system didn't last as long for me I guess. I guess I could branch out and play some of the characters I like less but... I don't like them. So...
Tons of boring quests? Even fans of the game tell you not to focus on the quest system too much because it'll wear you down before you get anywhere close to finishing.
Maybe it meant XIII and XIII-2? I think FFXII edges out Xenoblade, but that game has a lot more people who don't seem to like it compared to Xenoblade.
Xenoblade's story seems to avoid (or at least tactfully approach) most JRPG tropes very well..until the end boss fights. Then it's motivational teamwork garbage ad nauseum. Overall I liked the story and writing.
Other than that my other complaint is: what is with the heavy armors? They all look super dumb to keep it concise.
Xenoblade's story seems to avoid (or at least tactfully approach) most JRPG tropes very well..until the end boss fights. Then it's motivational teamwork garbage ad nauseum. Overall I liked the story and writing.
Other than that my other complaint is: what is with the heavy armors? They all look super dumb to keep it concise.
djplaeskool
Member
The FF fanbase is a fragile, fickle, and finicky faction.
If you haven't tried XIII-2 it fixes a lot of the things XIII did poorly (exploration, actually being able to alter your party for the first 2/3rd's of the game, side quests, some non-linearity), I think you can get it for ~15 dollars from BB this week.
Don't buy it for its writing though, Xenoblade's not shakespeare but way better than those two titles.
Don't buy it for its writing though, Xenoblade's not shakespeare but way better than those two titles.
Except there are quests that DO make you go back and find the person who gave you the quest. Which is silly. Especially if its hard to find the character (the red ! help, though).
Some of the quests are really, really good. Most aren't.
RedNumberFive
Banned
Did GameStop / EB release this a day early or something? I was planning on skipping out of work early tomorrow to pick it up, but it seems some of you have it already.
Arpeggio23
Member
I've seen a few people post that they swung by their GameStop and picked up the game, but has anyone actually received a call from GameStop yet to pick up their pre-order?
RedNumberFive
Banned
Reading the other thread it looks like stores are closed tomorrow in Canada, which is why some are getting it early.
brettchalupa
Member
I called my local Gamestop where I pre-ordered the game today to check if the game was available for purchase (I keep seeing different dates on the web) because I'm busy tomorrow. The Gamestop employee said that the game was in and available for purchase. I was excited and surprised, so I drove over to the Gamestop. After asking if I could pick up the game, the two employees argued over the release date. They then proceeded the check the system, see it wasn't until tomorrow that it comes out, and tell me that I can't pick it up. I asked politely if I could pick it up today, as I drove out and was told over the phone it was available. The employees said if I wanted to pay $10,000 they could (jokingly), and then said no that they can't sell it to me.
I'm not frustrated that they didn't break the street date; I'm frustrated the employee didn't check when I called. I've had my fair share of Gamestop employees who tell me lies in-store about what I am purchasing or try to talk to me about games when they don't even know what they are saying. That stuff never bothered me in the past, as it didn't really inconvenience me. Today kind of pushed me over the edge, and I don't think I'll be buying from Gamestop in the future.
I'm not frustrated that they didn't break the street date; I'm frustrated the employee didn't check when I called. I've had my fair share of Gamestop employees who tell me lies in-store about what I am purchasing or try to talk to me about games when they don't even know what they are saying. That stuff never bothered me in the past, as it didn't really inconvenience me. Today kind of pushed me over the edge, and I don't think I'll be buying from Gamestop in the future.
Rebel Leader
THE POWER OF BUTTERSCOTCH BOTTOMS
Or atleast that particular gamestop...right?
But usually the quests that force you to go back and find someone.. is done because the quest has multiple parts
brettchalupa
Member
From the 4~5 Gamestops I've shopped at regularly over the past 10 years and couple places I've lived, I've always had a pretty poor experience. :/
damn you, I'm still in Chapter 5
Rebel Leader
THE POWER OF BUTTERSCOTCH BOTTOMS
Awwwwww =(
ttocs
Member
For people wondering how the game is already out for some, apparently Canada GameStops are able to release the game a day early since most stores in Canada are closed during Good Friday apparently. I'm in the states so this doesn't benefit me, but I did take off work tomorrow, so I'll have the game early enough to enjoy a nice three day weekend.
MarkMclovin
Member
The night time music was better, but I didn't spend much time in that due to the change in monster levels. I just didn't like the look of that area either.Even the night-time music?
Yeah but it doesn't seem to make much difference when you want to be looking up at the sky. It's either have more character on screen, or zoom out and have more ground on the screen. And when targeting flying enemies, it's like you have to have the camera very low to look up.
Maybe I need to play with it more.
ErasureAcer
Banned
Wooo. The Gamestop I ordered at opens at 9am tomorrow. All the others in the area open at 10am. =)
So I called the EB I had preordered (in full) at. They said they weren't releasing it till Monday. Kinda shitty since I just picked it up at another EB (who's manager said that every location should have received an email telling them to release it today) but now I probably won't get that art book.
Ah well.
Ah well.
ttocs
Member
I don't think anyone takes Kotaku seriously anymore. I've never seen a news source become so irrelevant in such a small period of time before.
Mikey Jr.
Member
Yeah, so far the game is really really fun. I like the exploring, although the size of the entire first section, (colony 9) is really daunting.
One other thing that I'm not sure I'm going to like is the quests. There are too fucking many. I went to this one guy, and he literally had like 4 quests to give me. Luckily they just complete the quest when you finish it. That is a God send and hopefully other games start to do it as well.
Plus there are like 4 time settings, right? Like dawn, day, dusk, and night? New people show up in day and night, but do they also show up in dusk and dawn?
Its fun though. Gonna keep on going.
One other thing that I'm not sure I'm going to like is the quests. There are too fucking many. I went to this one guy, and he literally had like 4 quests to give me. Luckily they just complete the quest when you finish it. That is a God send and hopefully other games start to do it as well.
Plus there are like 4 time settings, right? Like dawn, day, dusk, and night? New people show up in day and night, but do they also show up in dusk and dawn?
Its fun though. Gonna keep on going.
ttocs
Member
I haven't played the game, but I thought I was hearing a lot of positive press about the character development and story. Everyone is going to have different opinions of course, but I just remember seeing praise for the characters more so than not.
SecretMoblin
Member
Eh, I don't really find the review all that offensive. It takes the predictable swipes at the graphics of the Wii and the general Japanese-ness of the game, praises the music, and recommends it.
It doesn't seem like he finished the game, though, and he certainly didn't play around with the options (you can turn off the arrow). And again: the combat system can be boring, yes. With a game that can easily be played for 100 hours, playing with the same character and the same team is going to get stale after a while. But there are many different party members, all of which have different play styles, and all of which you can choose to control.
It doesn't seem like he finished the game, though, and he certainly didn't play around with the options (you can turn off the arrow). And again: the combat system can be boring, yes. With a game that can easily be played for 100 hours, playing with the same character and the same team is going to get stale after a while. But there are many different party members, all of which have different play styles, and all of which you can choose to control.
Lateraleye
Member
I was just coming into this thread to ask about this, thank you. So basically the Canadians are the ones talking about playing it right now and the U.S. folks are just being quiet waiting for the Gamestop phone call/order shipment?
I'm in a weird situation because I placed an order on Gamestop's website for a local pickup so I wouldn't have to pay shipping costs and there was a good chance I'd actually get it April 6th. Problem is, there is no real update on order status besides to call the local store for questions. So I guess I won't know jack about what might be going on until tomorrow.
SecretMoblin
Member
Yes, in terms of environmental time, but the clock is a 24 hour one and some characters come out at odd times. Check the affinity chart if you want to see when they're available, though it won't tell you specifically where.
Edit: I should add, of course, that you can change the time whenever you want to whatever you want by going to the menu.
I'm really sorry to ask this here and I probably come off as stupid or something, but how exactly does this Gamestop and Nintendo.com exclusivity work? I mean, isn't this the best way to make sure a game doesn't sell? Or is this a way to keep the printing of the game low or something? I googled but only found a stupid Gamefaqs answer. Does this happen regularly with games in the US or is this a special case?
I thought most of the praise I hear is gameplay and environment/music and stuff like that.
I personally find many of the characters kind of dull and one of them really annoying.
The rest of the cast is serviceable and I liked them while I was playing, but they never really stuck with me afterwards.
I don't know. I feel like I never have anything positive to say in this thread - like I've been being negative the entire time. Eh. Xenoblade is a really good game. I should probably stop talking about it. I'm not sure why I feel like responding to what reads like hyperbole to me.
Pretty much a given with a JRPG(and 95% of RPG's in general). Even the very best JRPG's dont have non-stop exciting combat.
Mikey Jr.
Member
Ughh, ohh man. I don't know if I can handle all of this. There seems WAY too much to do.
ttocs
Member
Stores should have copies of the game already. I know my store has them behind the counter on display but they can't sell them until tomorrow. If you did store pickup, you should be fine. Hell, even if you didn't I'd imagine you would still be able to find a copy tomorrow. If you are able, just get to a gamestop first thing in the morning and pick one up to be certain.
SecretMoblin
Member
It's a special case.
Long story short: the game was released in Japan to great reviews, folks from other regions started clamoring for it, it was eventually announced and released in Europe with no similar announcement for North America, fan outrage got media attention, Nintendo of America decided on a limited release here.
Edit:
Some friendly advice: don't do all the C9 quests at once. Take some time, explore at your own pace, figure out the battle system, read the in-game tutorials twice, and talk to some NPCs. Unless the quests have a little clock next to them, you have the span of the entire game to do them.
Lateraleye
Member
Good idea. I am going to call them tomorrow regardless.
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Aaaaand just got a text message from Gamestop saying my order will be available tomorrow morning right before I hit the submit button, plus a helpful reminder that I get 30% bonus credit on all trade ins towards its purchase price. They have spies everywhere!