I was a huge fan of the original Xenoblade Chronicles.  I followed it when it was part of Operation Rainfall and it seemed unlikely to be released in the States.  I was one of the first people to preorder it at my local GameStop (even though they screwed me out of the artbook you were supposed to get for preordering…).  I spent somewhere around 180 hour running around the game world, taking in the sights (which were pretty spectacular for the Wii and its much bemoaned lack of power), the side quests, the gameplay, and the characters.  It was a great RPG experience that a lot of people probably missed out on, even after it became available on the 3DS and on the Wii U eShop.

The follow-up, Xenoblade Chronicles X, while visually pleasing, didn’t pull me into the world the same way the original did.  For a Wii U title, it was stunning graphically, and the gameplay was smooth and reminiscent of the original, but it didn’t have the same draw for me.  Additionally, I played the original after work when I was working 12 hour night shift in a lab, so my social options were limited anyway.  That might have been a factor…

But now, a new title in the series is about to be released that looks very promising.

All images from Nintendo’s Xenoblade Chronicles 2 site unless otherwise noted.

Nintendo dropped a new Direct early this morning about Xenoblade Chronicles 2 with a decent mix of new and old information.  The first announcement, which was music to my ears, was that a Japanese voice over pack will be available as free DLC on day one!  JRPGs often have notoriously awful English dubs (no offense to the talent of the voice actors involved), so the option to switch to the original Japanese vocal track is always a welcome one.  I wonder if Japanese people think the Japanese audio sounds terrible and prefer the English dubs….

The trailer proceeded to show a brief story description.  As I was watching it, I couldn’t help but think it seemed very familiar and then it hit me!  The main portion they showed was very similar to the beginning of Granblue Fantasy, a mobile RPG/anime series I had seen a few months back.  Borrowing story and plot devices is nothing new and I doubt it will detract from the game, but I figured it was worth mentioning.  My Japanese teacher always did call me an otaku…  :'(  The trailer showed off a plethora of characters, including a giant white tiger-Red XIII-esque Blade named Dromarch!

Worth noting is that the trailer called out that this game will feature a day and night cycle, as well as weather effects.  This has an effect on the type monsters that will show up in the wild and the conversations that could be available, as per the other entries in the series.  Also making a return is the fast travel mechanic to specific landmarks within the game world.  This feature was particular impressive in the original game on the Wii because there were no loads times between fast travel points within the same areas (which were very large).

Interesting logo wallpaper, also featured on the Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Pro Controller

A dive into game mechanics followed the story trailer segment, describing Drivers and Blades.  Blades, like the main character Pyra, are artificial lifeforms with a variety of powers and serve as weapons for the Drivers, like the main character Rex.  Drivers are able to bring up to 3 Blades into battle with them and each Blade is classified in a traditional RPG role: tank, damage, healer.  The combinations of Blades you equip affect your characters’ class and add variety to the gameplay.  As your Blades level up, they open up new segments of a skill tree for you to drive a unique style of fighting for yourself.  This feeds into a social aspect of the game, where gaining your Blade’s trust through social events, as well as use in battle, raises their affinity with you and opens up further options of customization.

In combat, there are 3 combo types at your disposal.  Driver combos are created by chaining together Arts (abilities) and triggering physical effects like knockdown and stun.  Blade combos are created by chaining together special Blade abilities through elemental attacks and damage.  If enough Blade combos are chained, an elemental orb will appear around the enemies.  The final type is Fusion combos.  Fusion combos link together Drive and Blade combos into one cohesive attack.  Chain attacks can be initiated at certain points when a meter is filled during the course of battle.  This meter can also be used to resurrect party members, so use it wisely.  If you complete a Chain attack while an elemental orb is on the enemy, the chain will link a bit further, causing more damage.  The system seems to borrow a decent amount from past Xenoblade games, while introducing a bit more variety through the Blades.  It’ll be interesting to see how the system plays out.

An Expansion Pass was also announced for Xenoblade Chronicles 2 during this Direct.  Between the game’s release and next Fall, the Expansion Pass will unlock new support items, a new story quest, a rare new Blade, a challenge mode, and a new story and adventure, released in that order.  No further details were given on what each item means for the game, so we’ll just have to wait and see.

The final announcement was that starting November 9th, a new quest will be added to Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild that will earn Link Rex’s outfit from Xenoblade Chronicles 2.  No cost was mentioned, so I assume that will be free to anyone who owns the game.  See below:

Image from Polygon

With release less than a month away at this point, I’m excited to see how this new entry is received.  If it’s even half as sprawling and engaging as the original, coupled with the fact that it’s portable with the Switch, this game could be a solid contender for your gaming time for the foreseeable future!

 

What’re your thoughts on the game?  Did you catch the Nintendo Direct?  Feel free to shoot me an e-mail or find me on Twitch the next time I’m streaming, and thanks for stopping in!