Xenoblade X is the best RPG of the generation and it's not even close

Despite being on the less popular platform, and having the least amount of GOTY awards, in terms of what defines a game it's by far the best.

It may not have the best writing, it may not have the best plot (nothing matches Witcher's 3 sidequests, although I find it good enough and in terms of main quests it's better than the one in Witcher 3) but it has the best gameplay by far.

After having played more than 100 hours into it and being at less than half the game, and after having 100%'d The Witcher 3 (I found every single treasure chest) and put a couple dozen hours at Fallout 4 I think I can speak of some objective qualities Xenoblade X has that the other game lack.

Firstly, the world has been handcrafted to the point where despite it being bigger than the other two games put together, you won't find a single spot that isn't designed with a clear intention behind. Small rocks that allow you to infiltrate past high level creatures, dozens of secret paths that reward you for exploring...

Secondly, the traversal mechanics are much better. You move through the map much faster and with much more precision than in any of those games, and useless backtracking is minimized because of how many fast-travel points you unlock and how fast the game loads (it's at least 5 times faster than both Witcher 3 or Fallout 4 even if you travel through different continents).

Thirdly, the content. Not only the quantity but also de quality. In the W3, I reached a point where I was collecting the treasure chests only to complete the different interrogation marks spread through the map. Most of what those chests contained was useless and it was tedious to go through all of them. On the other hand, Xenoblade X handles this much better. Not only you gain Action Points for discovering those chests (points that you can spend on improving your arts or abilities) but they usually have something you're going to use.

And unlike in those other games, in Xenoblade X you won't reach a point where your character is so strong that there's no one in the whole world who he can't beat. I mean, in the Witcher 3, after you've upgraded certain skills there's no enemy that will be able to defeat you. Not in Xenoblade, despite you having more things to upgrade than in The Witcher. In fact, if you want to 100% the game you'll have to beat level 90 beasts even when you will never go past level 60.

Finally, and that's more a personal opinion, Xenoblade is the more beautiful game. It's not that The Witcher 3 or Fallout 4 aren't beautiful, but Xenoblade goes the extra mile when it comes to amazing views and landscapes.

I prefer Bravely Default

Content?

It's pretty much kill X,gather Y and get some points and cash. Nothing creative here

I really need to get back to it. Love the world.

I think it goes neck to neck with the Witcher 3, although imo the W3 wins because it delivers a more tight package. The open-world in W3 is amazing but Mira will remain unrivaled for some years, I believe. Also I must say I loved Xeno's narrative structure, mostly due to how the affinity missions work. Superb game.

I always had to wonder why Nintendo decided to localize the game by using "Chronicles" attached to the game's title. I see no point for the additional word, and I feel long game titles unmarketable. It should have remained Xenoblade X as used in Japan.

There is no way that it is better than Witcher 3 and in a crazy universe where it is, persona 5 will crush it in quality. RPG of the generation? Not even close

I agree that it is a fun game, but it's not the best this gen and certainly not "not even close".

Well, it's not even the best RPG of the year. Pillars of Eternity was quite a bit better.

Xenoblade X felt like a single player MMO. Jesus that combat system was bad...

I completely disagree. The most part of an RPG is its narrative in my opinion, and XBX falls flat on its face in that regard. I couldn't care less about any of the characters, and as such, couldn't care less about what happens next.

I'm still playing through the first one, which I love, but my love for the original is for its story and characters- areas where X falls short substantially, I am given to understand.

At least it has what appears to be a great world.

Preach, Xenoblade X is best JRPG this gen hands down, one of the best of all time. Most innovating, most beautiful JRPG, biggest JRPG, best combat, most hardcore, most risky JRPG, most diverse, its got it all. The game is just way too sexy. Its ahead of its time. Its a masterpiece.

@MonsieurX: Content?

It's pretty much kill X,gather Y and get some points and cash. Nothing creative here

Let's not pretend that the Witcher 3 or Fallout 4 do anything different here. Every single mission in The Witcher 3 is "go to X, follow the trails using your witcher senses and kill Y once you reach the spot".

What's creative about Xenoblade is the world layout and it's complexity. In various occasions you'll find yourself forced to go through areas with enemies that are 20 or even 30 levels above you with no other option than to sneak past them (it's not a MGS either) and then you also have the absurdly huge number of different mechanics you'll have to deal with (upgrading your character, your character's class, your abilities, your arts, your frontier nav, your skells) that bring you new gameplay elements even after you've sunk dozens and dozens of hours into de game.

It's way better than Witcher 3 in a lot of aspects so....

Not while persona is a series

And a lot worse in other aspects...

You can keep it. Ill take Xenoblade anyday.

The only aspect (besides things that are not an essential part of a game like the plot, the characters or the story) where I find the Witcher 3 superior is in the accessibility (it's a much easier game to get into although it's also a much simpler experience).

Personally I liked the gameplay in TW3 a lot more.

I dont know what you find to be essential then (especially in a RPG)... And those are the aspects XCX really tanked in

HELL NO! The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has more critical acclaims than Xenoblade, also, 10>8

@aigis: I wouldnt say that, many reviewers praised Xenoblade X story, just some didnt like how they told it. Xenoblade is just not really a story driven game, it dont hold your hand either. Xenoblade X has a very rich story for those who want it. Some complain about the comedy, says they try to be too funny. But i love the humor in it, as do many others.

XCX's strengths where more in the open world and the mech combat, but the story was serviceable at best and the characters... ugghhhhh

Yup

Characters? Nope

Story? Nope.

Gameplay is great in Xenoblades and the world is huge. But besides that...

BTW, I don't think the TC has played the Witcher 3, he seems to make a comparison but is very vague of the Witchers universe.

Legit, since it is really different than the one in Xenoblade X. But besides what one can like the most, it's undeniable than TW3 gameplay is simpler than the one in XCX and what's worst, it's broken.

@Aigis_said: I dont know what you find to be essential then (especially in a RPG)... And those are the aspects XCX really tanked in

I don't think you can say XCX tanked in those departments (it has some really interesting sidequests and in terms of the main plot I think it's better than the simple "looking for Ciri" story in TW3), but what defines a game is the gameplay first and foremost, regardless of the genre.

@aigis said:

@mesome713 said:

@aigis: I wouldnt say that, many reviewers praised Xenoblade X Story, just some didnt like how they told it. Xenoblade X has a very rich story for those who want it.

XCX's strengths where more in the open world and the mech combat, but the story was serviceable at best and the characters... ugghhhhh

lol, hes one of my favorites.

Sure I can and there are people that agree with me. To look over the areas the Xenoblade failed and chalking them up to non-essential aspects is absurd. Story and characters are a large part of rpgs (and jrpgs specifically) seeing as the world is only as cool to explore as you are invested in it.

@freezamite: Broken? How so?

@Epak_: Witcher 3 is still being patched. Maybe one day they will finish it. Witcher 3: Definitive Edition, coming soon.

Tatsu's dialogue is so cringe worthy and he is such a lame comic relief... But what really gets me is that voice...

@aigis: Hes misunderstood, i think a lot of his humor goes over peoples heads. Hes funny though, just a little dry. Him and Lin are awesome together. Xenoblade X has many amazing characters., its deep. Xenoblade X has everything, its like an almost perfect game.

I have not finished it, i ran in to a wall of to much grinding etc and got bored. Kinda same with the first game i lost interest 50-75% in...

@mesome713: You keep saying that, yet you still haven't played it. Keep dreaming because Xenoblade X still has issue of it's own as well

I keep saying that cause its a fact. Half fact.

@mesome713: I like dry humor on occasion, but Tatsu's humor is just really childish and simple... Story and characters really go a long way for me in games and XCX just kinda lost me...

@aigis: Sad to hear i guess, i love the story and the characters.

It's Singleplayer game that plays like an MMO. What's so special ?

Play Guild Wars 2 or something if you want that.

@faizanhd: Guild Wars 2 has better PvP, but everything else is kinda not even close. Im not even sure the voice acting is better in Guild Wars 2.

I would not state that it was the best RPG last year, but it very likely IS the best JRPG. It does something very important, it makes JRPGs fun, relatively engaging, and it is simply a joy to play.

The characters are hit or miss the general quest range is rather pathetic, but the races are well constructed as a whole, the story is quite a bit better then average (I suppose that depends on who is playing as it goes way Anime in plot and presentation of story).

I will agre with some people who states that the open world and less directed gameplay does make the story suffer a bit, much like TW3 which would be the closest point of reference here.

Gameplay is nice, It almost makes me want to scratch the "J" in JRPG, since it shares much more with the old BG games in how combat works. But the term JRPG is nearly gone together with RPG so that is no surprise.

I REALLY wish they did not translate everything, the songs specifically grinds my gears like nothing, and I often wonder if that freakin little hairy potato is a case of horrible translation (although I would find the little bugger annoying no matter the language).

But better then TW3? No TW3 has a more coherent world, the quests are better told, and interwoven quite masterfully, the systems running in TW3 is far far superior then XBX

I can understand why someone would subjectively like XBX more, and I must say that the inclusion of an MP aspect is quite brilliant (although I have not touched it yet. So a good chunk of why XBX is such a good game might well come down to tastes, and little more. It is also quite impressive what they made doable on a Wii U.

I would consider it the best JRPG and one of the best RPGs last year. I would say :TW3, PoE, XBX would be the top three.

On a side note anyone really considers fallout 4 an RPG? *scratches head*

@mesome713: He was talking about the combat, I don't see how it is broken. Besides the game has been playable since launch.

Maybe the best if you only own a Wii U this generation

Well, I didn't need any good story to want to explore Mario 64's stages. If a world is well designed I don't think that the story or the character's are a comparable factor. In other words, if we were speaking of books instead of games I wouldn't compare the book structure (if it's linear or if it isn't) to the core quality of the writing.

@Epak_said: Broken? How so?

Try to level up the magical barrier ability to it's maximum level and you'll know how it's broken. Not in the sense of bugs (even if TW3 has more bugs than Xenoblade it wasn't about that that I was speaking) but in the sense where the gameplay isn't well designed and fighting becomes a trivial aspect because of lack of complexity/difficulty.

Here's some stuff about this game.

A game can be fine without a good story, but it cant be "the best of the generation"

Can't speak for WRPGs but Xenoblade Chronicles X is definitely one of the better JRPGs I've played in a long ass time, and the game was a huge improvement over the original Xenoblade Chronicles in almost every way, and yes I'm maybe even including story in that, although I still have to beat Xenoblade Chronicles X before I can say anything final.

OK, this might be an unpopular opinion, but I really liked Xeno's story. Overall I find it better than W3, although W3 makes a better job delivering it. Though due to it's structure it's possible to finish Xeno without diving too much into an enormous quantity of content that profoundly impacts into chracter and world building. I mean, it took me way over 100h to finish the game, yet I feel that I rushed in the last 20 or so hours and ended up ignoring some missions I was curious about. Seriously, can't even understand how a reviwer can have a "professional" understanding of this game with less than 100h. On the other hand, played roughly the same amount of hours on W3, and by the end the world felt kinda drained of its substance. Still, my vote goes for W3 but by a close margin.

No it isn't. The game is a flawed gem. The combat was enjoyable, Skells were amazing, the music really grew on me (Don't Worry in particular), the world truly felt alien, and it had a great system for breaking up the large world into more bite-sized tasks. On the other end they really goofed on the story, side quests mostly sucked, the characters were annoying, they wasted a great deal of worldbuilding, the world could often feel quite arbitrary with some of the Tyrant placements, and you don't end a 100 hour game with a giant sequel hook.

I would rate it highly for its strengths carrying the weak half, but they still exist and bring the game down in a major way.

Lol, Mesome's a fakeboy right? There's no way someone could actually be this dense and stubborn when it comes to what XBX does wrong.

No, I think he is genuine. Hes just fanboy-ing for nintendo most times

It doesn't have the best gameplay in a world where Bloodborne exists.