Xenoblade for the Wii is crazy good

[Sumez]

Finally got it yesterday
Mixed feelings so far, though I only just completed the first "dungeon" - world looks great and amazing, and depending on how expansive it turns out to be, it could be a great experience.
Graphics aren't anywhere near as good as I had hoped for (Monster Hunter 3 looks way better), but the environment design and such makes the game look great anyway, and brings back my memories of the PS1 generation RPGs, except without the horribly mangled textures.
I had hoped for something similar gameplay wise as well, even though I knew about the MMORPG/FF12-like combat system. And I totally dig the combat system, I think it works great and manages to maintain a decent flow, but the game in general seems very inspired by western RPGs (being hauntingly similar to Dragon Age), and the MMORPG way of doing things. Like filling a town with fetch quests, excessive grinding (this I like), and the way you traverse the world attacking a ton of innocent "mobs" based on which of them match your current level. Also the arrow constantly pointing you where to go in order to progress the game just seems too "system" like for my taste. I like playing an RPG by experiencing a foreign game world, and stuff like that really hurts the willing suspension of disbelief.

While all this would normally put me off, I think Xenoblade manages to do it well, and it's a great relief that I don't have to "turn in" all the fetch quests to complete them. The world looks beautiful and the music is catchy in a way that just makes me enjoy being in this game world, as opposed to the Dragon Age world which was entirely brown-on-brown.

[evil_ash_xero]

I can't get passed the "auto attack". This and "The Last Story" have that.

[Daigohji]

Also the arrow constantly pointing you where to go in order to progress the game just seems too "system" like for my taste. I like playing an RPG by experiencing a foreign game world, and stuff like that really hurts the willing suspension of disbelief.

I think there's an option in the game settings for switching the arrow off. Not sure though.

I can't get passed the "auto attack". This and "The Last Story" have that.

If you're using auto-attack for anything other than charging up the talent gauge, you're doing it wrong. Xenoblade's combat is all about using special abilities and managing their recharge times.

[Ebbo]

I think there's an option in the game settings for switching the arrow off. Not sure though.

Yes there is. You can even turn minimap off.

[Sumez]

About 35 hours into the game and nowhere near through it. Loving the hell out of it so far. Just felt like updating you guys and bump this thread in the process.

[Elixir]

So I went ahead and bought a new PC, I've been trying this out and it's amazingly high quality for a Wii game. British voice acting is great. Auto attacking feels weird though.

I'll wait till my CCP to PC adapter arrives before starting properly.

[Sumez]

Auto attacking quickly starts to make sense in this game, and I was never able to get accustomed to it in FF12, mind you.
Mainly, you'll soon start forgetting it even exists, since keeping an eye on your team members, watching agro, and activating your combat arts is a lot more important than the meager damage auto-attacking does.

One thing I would love though, would be the ability to pause the battle while picking your next art since you end up with quite a lot to choose from, as well as quickly switching characters, so you could take control of your healer or someone else with an important art whenever you feel it's needed.
Both of those work fine in Dragon Age, and since the combat system is about a hundred times more fun in Xenoblade, they should have considered including the one or two things that did work well in DA.

[Ebbo]

One thing I would love though, would be the ability to pause the battle while picking your next art since you end up with quite a lot to choose from, as well as quickly switching characters, so you could take control of your healer or someone else with an important art whenever you feel it's needed.

I really like how the game makes you think on your feet though. Overall the pacing of battles isn't too frantic either - it helps a lot if you arrange your arts so that arts that work well together are also next to eachother. And the battle does pause during Chain attacks and whenever you warn your buddy of the incoming vision.

Clocking about 40 hours in myself. Crazy good indeed.

[Sumez]

Well I'm not complaining about the way the game does work - as said, I really like the combat system. A nice, fresh take on something tested and tried.
I think it's the first time in years I've seen a party based RPG battle system without any use of Mana, MP, stamina, or similar depletable fuel for your special attacks.

[BulletMagnet]

Believe it or not the thing is finally coming to the US in April, though you'll either have to order it directly from Nintendo or pick it up at a Gamestop. Wonder if Last Story, Pandora's Tower or Earth Seeker are also on the radar...probably not, but at least we're getting SOMEthing.

Semi-related and semi-amusing aside here.

[TransatlanticFoe]

The Last Story and Pandora's Tower are confirmed for Europe (they were offered as a prize for a Xenoblade launch competition in an official Nintendo mailout), so as they'd have an English translation ready to go it would not surprise me if they're released in the US unless they utterly bomb here. Given how the initial stock of Xenoblade here was basically sold on pre-orders alone, I doubt that. Earth Seeker would be cutting it fine for Wii, given Wii U is scheduled next year and it's more than a year between Japanese release and European release for Xenoblade et al. - that'd have Earth Seeker at an August-ish release based on previous trends. Nintendo would probably want the focus to be on that (although it's meant to run Wii games) so a minority interest Wii game wouldn't be top priority.

I'm glad Xenoblade gets a US release though (even if it is limited distribution), because it is incredible. I completed it at about 90 hours and skipped a load of quests towards the end because the story was too compelling to break from. Tonnes to do with new game + at some point, as I left all the really hard (90+) unique monster quests so as not to grind to take them on then be overpowered for the endgame.

[evil_ash_xero]

I'm not really into this, but I can't believe Nintendo are being so difficult about releasing these "Rainfall" games. I mean, what the hell? I'm still wondering why they didn't release Fatal Frame 5 here.

I don't understand them at all. But those games probably won't sell that well. From what I understand, nothing really does sell well, on the Wii, except for Nintendo games. But to make the fans happy, they shouldn't be such bitches.

[BulletMagnet]

Rumor has it that we might get The Last Story if Xenoblade does well, but I get the feeling that said rumor arose mostly out of wishful thinking.

[Estebang]

Wasn't The Last Story confirmed for a Europe release next year? What really matters is that the game gets out in English somewhere--it can at least be emulated and imported.

[Obiwanshinobi]

I didn't expect it to look as sharp as on the workstation-rendered screenshots, but on my interlaced CRT (RGB SCART), boy, is the flicker/aliasing rampant like in early PS2 games. I don't recall, say, FFXII (or any GameCube game) being that uneasy on the eye. Letterboxing doesn't help, but after nicely deflickered Red Steel 2 (also letterboxed), Xenoblade's roughness came as a surprise. I wonder if the menus would even be decipherable on a 4:3 14'' interlaced telly.