Imagine yourself back in the "golden age" of Japanese role playing games. When everyone loved Final Fantasy, Dragon Warrior, and Chrono Trigger. Then the next big generation brought us Parasite Eve, and the very first three dimensional role playing games. When the Playstation 2 was released it brought us even more stunning visuals with deep storylines, such as Magna Carta. Now we come to the current age of role playing games, with stunning realistic visuals, deep enticing stories and great game play. And now Nintendo releases a new game to be counted among the classics. But is Xenoblade Chronicles really worthy of a place among the classics? Let's find out.
Visual - 7
I hope you still remember what the Playstation 2 rpgs looked like, because this game will give you a nice bit of nostalgia. Xenoblade's graphics have not evolved much past that of the previous generation of consoles. Since the game is on the Nintendo Wii, it is understandable. Had it been released on either of the other consoles, it would be much more disappointing. Now having mediocre graphics on its own is not that bad, however, that's not the only problem with the visuals. The designers did not even make an attempt to match up the mouth movements with the English voice actors while the game was being brought to America. This presents a huge eyesore while characters talk. They're mouths and body language appear to be saying something while their voice conveys a different feel all together.
On the Positive side the movement and battle animation are very well done. The environments are beautiful and the creatures interesting. Have a look for yourself with the U.S. trailer, courtesy of IGN.
Audio - 8
Similar to the visual, the audio is below par. The voice acting overall is not the greatest. For some reason all the characters have British accents. I don't understand how the developers translated Japanese characters for an American audience only to give them British accents. It wouldn't be bad if they tapped into the vast number of amazing British actors and voice actors, but there are no notable names within Xenoblade Chronicle's cast. Once again, I will drive home the point that the mouth movements do not match the English voice over.
The main thing that pulls the audio through to get an 8, is the music. The soundtrack for the game is amazing. It gives a great feeling of adventure and grandeur to the game. It also provides great mood to punctuate the emotions of a cinematic and intensity to a boss battle.
Story - 8
The story revolves around an strange sword with mystical powers and it's wielder, an 18 year old boy named Shulk. Shulk seems to have an aptitude for wielding this alien weapon while others cannot touch it without experiencing immense pain. His town comes under attack and he and his friends defend it against the ancient enemy army called the Mechon. The leader of this assault is a Mechon by the name of "Metal Face". Metal Face kills Shulk's childhood love and Shulk vows to avenge her death.
It seems interesting, but it is a very basic plot line. A story about vengeance bringing a young boy into a battle and turning him into a war hero. Of course there's more too it than that but overall the story is fairly cliche for the gaming industry. Though cliche, it is still a solid story. Remember, stick with what works.
Gameplay - 8
Xenoblade gives us a game play style reminiscent of games like Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age, and Final Fantasy XII. It is a hybrid of turn-based and real time battle system, while having a free roam environment. One blessing and curse in Xenoblade, is that almost nothing "walled off". What I mean is, you can pass over or around almost any obstacle that you would normally be humanly capable of doing so. An interesting feature, but with out a good mini map, or in game map, it makes it very easy to get lost. Overall the game play is fun but there's nothing special about it, and nothing new or fancy. In battle you have your basic commands like attack and defend. you can also perform skill shots that deal extra damage but have a cool-down time. And you have a special move which deals a lot of damage and charges as you take or deal damage. Like I said game play is good but nothing special.
Currently Xenoblade Chronicles is ranked as the best reviewed game of 2012. To me, it doesn't look like it should even be in the top 10. Overall the quality of the game should rank it about a 7.75. As for me, I did not find any part of the game overly appealing. Personally, I'd give it no higher than a 6.5, but I'm really not a fan of JRPGs.
What do you think of Japanese Role Playing games? Is each one actually unique? Or do they seem to clone various parts off of older games? Should a game be called "Role Playing" simply because you play a character? Or should it have more customization to allow you to personalize your gaming experience?
I hope you enjoyed my review and found it helpful. Please leave your answers, comments, questions and suggestions below. If you really liked it don't forget to subscribe, and if you really really liked it, you can share it on facebook or twitter. Thanks for reading!
Tune in Next Weekend for Oh! I Play this Game... Lord of the Rings: War in the North! Will good be victorious, or is it just a losing battle?
Also, keep your eyes open during the week for the first ever "Breaking the Limit"!
