Dans l’année 2017, we had great games like Zelda, Horizon, Nier: Automata and Persona 5. All these games can be portrayed as a kind of RPG or Action/RPG with epic story. Both conquered the position of best games of the year for many people. I loved all these games, but in this article I want to say that my game of the year was Xenoblade 2, exclusive to Nintendo Switch.
Zelda stood out for its infinite range of possibilities, Horizon for its graphics and story, Nier and Persona 5 for addressing philosophical questions. Personally, none of these games managed to surpass the story of Xenoblade (Wii) released in 2010 with an open world and beautiful graphics for its time. It has 10 hours of story scenes and a real-time tactical gameplay that distanced itself from the crowd of similar games.
I thought nothing could be better than the story of the first Xenoblade. When I saw the trailer for the second game (without being the spin-off X), I thought it would be « aaaah kinda cool ». I didn’t even want to accept that the soundtrack would be better, even with composer Yasunori Mitsuda. I thought the idea of having pilots and blades would be somewhat bizarre.
The graphics didn’t seem to be better than those of Xenoblade X (Wii U), the world also seemed to be much smaller. The characters changed their faces to look like anime, at first I found it strange, but even with that they managed to get it right. It’s good that I was wrong.
Of course, Xenoblade 2 is not for everyone. The game is a JRPG aimed mainly at the Japanese public and full of anime references and clichés. The battle system doesn’t please everyone, but I personally consider it much better than playing a traditional turn-based RPG.
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The story of Xenoblade 2
The game is composed of 10 chapters, being possible to navigate through the entire world of Alrest whenever you want, even after having entered locations that would theoretically be impossible to leave. Enabling you to improve your skills to fight against the bosses. I’m terrible at talking about synopses, let’s try:
The game universe takes place in a sea of clouds that have giant titans that serve as islands and countries where humans live. The story begins with a diver named Rex who lives on a small titan and joins a group called Torna in search of a shipwrecked place. There he finds the protagonist Pyra (Homura in Japanese).
The protagonist promises to take this girl to the top of the world tree in a place called Elysium (rakuen in Japanese which means paradise). Along the way, other people appear to help in this impossible mission. In the game, you use primordial crystals to release blades that are characters that help you in battle.
It seems cliché, but only by playing will you understand the depth of the story, how much it touches the bottom and questions things about life, truth and the universe. Each character can use 3 arts (skill) and 3 blades. Each blade has its weapon that you use, they also have 4 special arts. The battle system is complex and requires patience and time to get the hang of it.
I and most of the people who played didn’t expect anything from this cliché story. Only by playing will you deepen yourself in the universe and see how epic it becomes. There are issues involving politics, war and mainly the relationship between humans, blades and titans. The game is full of religious, mythological and cultural references everywhere.
Some may consider Spoiler: Just like the first game, Xenoblade 2 mixes science with fantasy. Heavy Spoiler: The creation of the universe was done by the same scientist from the first game, Klaus.
Why is Xenoblade 2 the best?
While the second game in the franchise (X) of the wii u followed a different route and provided an entire planet to explore, leaving the story completely aside. Xenoblade 2 managed to rescue the entire essence of the franchise from the first game in every way. If I were to list the reasons:
- Improved battle system;
- More charismatic characters;
- Infinite characters for battle (blades);
- Combo system;
- Chain attack system;
- More than 14 locations/gigantic worlds to explore;
- Huge replay factor;
- Surpassed Level 60 (something that was not possible in X);
- Perfect soundtrack;
- Side-Quests rich in details and dialogues;
Just like the first game, Xenoblade 2 gives the idea that it is ending but it is not. The feeling of playing it is the same as watching a high-quality anime with an epic story. I have already expressed in another article my desire for this franchise to receive a TV adaptation. (See a little of the soundtrack below:)
Xenoblade 2 manages to be one of the most ambitious games on the Nintendo Switch. The game has thousands of things to do, the universe is beautiful and well-crafted, with eye-catching epic scenarios, with a unique and lively ecosystem. Do not let the gossip about performance in portable mode or the 720p in the dock discourage you from acquiring this masterpiece.
Xenoblade 2 is mandatory!
After playing all these epic games in 2017, I am still able to say that Xenoblade 2 was the one that most hooked me in the universe. There are still thousands of things to do that provide more than 300 hours of gameplay calmly. The game has its flaws like any game, but it should be something mandatory on your Nintendo Switch.
I am not very good at writing detailed game reviews. I’m just telling you to buy this game without fear! If you were in doubt about buying the switch just because of Zelda and Mario, you can add this and several other releases to your priority list.
While most current games don’t teach anything to people beyond violence and misfortune, with Xenoblade 2 you will have a different and totally fun experience with an epic story that Nintendo games don’t usually deliver. The game manages to deliver action and adventure in a unique universe full of possibilities.
Congratulations to Monolith Software for once again delivering an epic story that makes us reflect on life. I hope that this time this game reaches more people, something that Xenoblade 1 failed to do due to being released at the end of the WII’s life and for seeming like a niche game.
Did you finish Xenoblade 1 and 2? Share your opinion about this franchise in the comments. Thanks for the comments and shares. We also recommend reading:
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