Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Nintendo Switch)

Finished it over the weekend, think my playtime was around 110 hours. Happy to take a break for a while now, maybe go back in for a new game plus down the line. Only fully powered up about 5-6 blades and I think there were around 7 or 8 blades that I hadn't found so there's plenty of extra stuff still to do. Also only got one area up to 5* dev level. Depending on the dlc, I might go for the season pass.

Absolutely loved it, it had some moments where the pace lagged a bit (the bit in Mor Ardain in the factory for example). It's almost certainly my favourite ever JRPG and would go into my top 10 games of all time.

Rex Kramer wrote:Finished it over the weekend, think my playtime was around 110 hours.... It's almost certainly my favourite ever JRPG and would go into my top 10 games of all time.

Nice going, Rex - it sounds like a really cool adventure and an all-time top ten placing is a high recommendation!

Just got to the first save point. There have been a lot of cutscenes

Hyperion wrote:Just got to the first save point. There have been a lot of cutscenes

It goes in periods of having a fairly intense burst of cutscenes followed by long stretches without. The end of each chapter tends to be fairly cutscene heavy - but they're usually worth it!

I still need to collect my thoughts after completing this a week or so ago - it's a truly fantastic game and the first JRPG to really grip me in quite a long time, but it does have some flaws as well!

Hyperion wrote:Just got to the first save point. There have been a lot of cutscenes

The story has almost 14 hours of cut scenes I believe.

Jenuall wrote:it's a truly fantastic game and the first JRPG to really grip me in quite a long time, but it does have some flaws as well!

I’m not yet finished (mid way through Chapter 8) but I would describe it as the most flawed game I’ve ever loved. It has a lot of flaws for sure but fortunately, when it’s good, it’s so good it makes up for it.

I'd have to agree. It has sections that are so boring, the art style of some of the characters is ridiculous, too many fetch quests, too many cut scenes. But running right through that is a combat system that is probably as perfect as you'll ever get in a JRPG. Fighting never gets old because there are just so many variables to manage or ways to tackle it. And it drip feeds them through to you so well that you never feel too overwhelmed.

110 hours and done and I'm having to fight the urge to drop straight back in and finish levelling up those other blades.

Tomous wrote:
Jenuall wrote:it's a truly fantastic game and the first JRPG to really grip me in quite a long time, but it does have some flaws as well!

I’m not yet finished (mid way through Chapter 8) but I would describe it as the most flawed game I’ve ever loved. It has a lot of flaws for sure but fortunately, when it’s good, it’s so good it makes up for it.

As Rex might say: "I like your attitude!"

This is pretty much the way I think about it as well. There are some really odd decisions and features that are wonky but there is a delicious core to it that overcomes any of that!

Rex Kramer wrote:I'd have to agree. It has sections that are so boring, the art style of some of the characters is ridiculous, too many fetch quests, too many cut scenes. But running right through that is a combat system that is probably as perfect as you'll ever get in a JRPG. Fighting never gets old because there are just so many variables to manage or ways to tackle it. And it drip feeds them through to you so well that you never feel too overwhelmed.

I would agree that this is a key element - the combat system really is great and it finds some really nice ways to actually incentivise you to make the most of it rather than just sticking with a tried and tested approach.

One of my biggest annoyances is field skills.

Going in to the menu to change your setup to find a random blade to get you up to the required fire mastery. Doing the thing. Going back into the menu to revert back to your proper setup. Again. And again.

Field skills should just work if you’re party has the ability to meet them.

Tomous wrote:One of my biggest annoyances is field skills.

Going in to the menu to change your setup to find a random blade to get you up to the required fire mastery. Doing the thing. Going back into the menu to revert back to your proper setup. Again. And again.

Field skills should just work if you’re party has the ability to meet them.

That actually would be perfect, it did grate to have to constantly switch. I wouldnt be that hard to fix it so any blades not away on missions would count towards the level needed.

Yeah field skills should just be whether you have them at all not whether you have currently engaged the blade. Listening to the repetitive soundbites when they use their skills did grate after a while as well:

"Flora heals an aching soul!"
"Here fishy fishy fishy!"
"In my experience"
"Maybe agriculture is Poppy's specialist field?!"

SHUT UP!!!! :lol:

Japanese voice overs FTW.

It wasn't the voices so much as the repetition that I had an issue with. I really liked the English voice cast for the most part - if nothing else but to hear what a war between Australia and Scotland might sound like! :lol:

I think for the most part the English voice cast is brilliant and really gives the game character. Pyra and Mythra are particurlay well done.

The issue is the repetition, as Jenuall points out, of sound bites during battle and for field skills. I think you can turn them off though? Or at least the battle cries you can.

You haven't experienced Xenoblade 2 until you mishear Welsh Nia calling out 'falcon turn' as 'strawberry floating turd' in battle. :shifty:

I don't know what irked me so much about the English voice over that I switched to Japanese but it must have been early on because I've got no recollection of how it sounded. Maybe something to try on ng+.

Rex's screams might've done it - they're the only things that bothered me. Other than that I loved the English dub.

Also the soundtrack is on iTunes for £30, with the amount of tracks that seems a decent price, but £30 is more than I should currently be spending on a soundtrack so I'll begrudgingly leave it for now.

Jenuall wrote:It wasn't the voices so much as the repetition that I had an issue with. I really liked the English voice cast for the most part - if nothing else but to hear what a war between Australia and Scotland might sound like!

who had the australian accent?

shy guy 64 wrote:
Jenuall wrote:It wasn't the voices so much as the repetition that I had an issue with. I really liked the English voice cast for the most part - if nothing else but to hear what a war between Australia and Scotland might sound like!

who had the australian accent?

Most of the Uryans I believe - the Queen and Vandham certainly were!

Vandham’s accent is great, really suits the character.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Nintendo Switch)

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