Editor’s note: We featured this article earlier in 2015, but with Xenoblade Chronicles X being right around the corner, it seemed fitting to let Nathan share his excitement and hopes for this title with you. Enjoy!
As Nintendo recently held a Direct focused on the upcoming Xenoblade Chronicles X for Wii U, here are the top 10 reasons I’m excited to play it later this year.
10. Easter Eggs
Although Xenoblade Chronicles X is connected to the original Xenoblade Chronicles on Wii (and the New 3DS port) in name only, there are still guaranteed to be various Easter eggs in X that will nod back to the previous game. For those who have either played or are currently playing either the Wii or New 3DS version of Xenoblade Chronicles, these will be a nice treat.
Although very subtle, Lin’s hair clips look just like the Monado, Shulk’s weapon from the original Xenoblade Chronicles.
9. Improved Movement
In Xenoblade Chronicles X, you are able to run and swim faster, jump higher, and fall from any height without taking damage (in Xenoblade Chronicles, you always took damage when falling and were unable to sprint or jump very high). Realism aside, it encourages more exploration.
Being able to run faster, jump higher, and fall without taking damage will make exploration even better than in the original Xenoblade Chronicles.
8. The Scale
One thing severely lacking on the Wii U at the moment is a game with a massive scale, particularly an RPG. But Xenoblade Chronicles X dwarfs the scale of practically any game out there, particularly in not just the size of the world, but the ability to reach any part of the environments. Furthermore, the world consists of five CONTINENTS, each of which boasts different environment types ranging from green hills and mountains to dense jungles and even volcanoes.
Most games with this sort of scale only allow you to look up at many environments. In this game, everything you see is accessible.
7. The Visuals
Not only do the graphics look very impressive on the Wii U, but the wide variety of locations provide some truly beautiful scenery to look at and explore.
WOW.
6. Variety in Tasks
Whether you want to move forward in the story, explore the massive world, grind for experience, help citizens of New Los Angeles, collect items, or even take on a monster leveled far above you, there’s always a wide variety in tasks you can take on. And considering there’s supposed to be 30 TIMES the quest content of Xenoblade Chronicles/3D, there should never be a shortage of things to do.
Using the Gamepad makes it easy to see where different types of quests are available, including locations of special items and unique monsters to kill.
5. Familiar Battle System
For those who have played (or are currently playing) Xenoblade Chronicles on Wii (or the New 3DS port), you’ll feel right at home with the battle system for Xenoblade Chronicles X. Apart from adding a couple of new things (including the ability to use both ranged and melee weapons and switch on the fly), the battle system remains virtually the same.
Apart from the addition of ranged and melee weapons that can be switched on the fly, the battle system remains essentially the same as in Xenoblade Chronicles.
4. Multiple Classes
In Xenoblade Chronicles X, there are a total of 16 different character classes you can take on, each of which have specialized ranged and melee weapons and Arts that fit with that particular class. Many of these are unlocked as you progress through a class and you have the option to change class as you please, meaning there’s plenty of chance for experimentation.
There are a lot of class choices and you are never bound to just one.
3. Music
After having seen multiple trailers and gameplay videos, I’m convinced that the soundtrack will be one I listen to even when I’m not playing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOzx6-VrsZY
2. The Story
While we don’t know a lot about the story of Xenoblade Chronicles X, what we do know sounds fascinating and considering how excellent the original Xenoblade Chronicles’ story is, I have high hopes.
1. Using Mechs (a.k.a. Skells)
Like almost everyone who saw the original trailer for this game, what easily excites me the most is the ability to pilot a mechanical exoskeletal suit (known in the North American version as “Skells”) for battling, flying, driving, and traversing across the massive environments of the game. In fact, some of the higher-up areas will only be accessible with a Skell. While Skells are not obtained right away, they will undoubtedly be a blast to use.
What about Xenoblade Chronicles X excites YOU? Share in the comments below!