Monolith Soft is well-known on Nintendo consoles, with numerous fans putting Xenoblade Chronicles on the best RPGs of all time list. Whether playing on the Wii U or the New 3DS, there’s plenty to enjoy in this adventure, including epic battles, polished visuals and the intricate battle system.
We covered Xenoblade extensively in the past, between coverage of the handheld version and quest footage from the original. Now it’s time to reach the next level, as the Wii U follow-up, Xenoblade Chronicles X, is on track for a late 2015 release.
Xenoblade tells a compelling story of survival. After Earth is left for dead following a war between two alien races, its inhabitants flee aboard evacuation ships. Playing as a hero who rode on the White Whale vessel, your ship crashes on the planet Mira.
Like the original games, Xenoblade Chronicles X features an open world to explore, either on foot or utilizing the Skell, large humanoid robots capable of covering quite a bit of ground in a hurry. They can fly, travel across water and even transform into motorcycles or tanks, depending on the situation.
When it comes to exploring, you can climb any surface. This lets you to reach new heights in Xenoblade Chronicles, or maybe even find secrets like treasure chests and side quests.
In addition, you will improve the character over time, either alone or with their Skell through a series of learned skills. There are two different types available, combat and defensive, both of which prove useful when it comes to dealing with creatures. Better yet, Monolith Soft added the ability to fight in the air instead of just on the ground.
Then we have Arts, special skills you unleash over the course of battle, either with your main melee weapon (for up-close strikes) or your gun (for distance attacks). The timing needs to be perfect, since using each Art will result in a cooldown period before it can be used again.
From what we’ve heard, Xenoblade Chronicles X will have a vast customization system. Players can change everything on their character, from gender to height to skin color and tattoos. They can create the ultimate warrior with no regard for life, or a do-gooder who vows to become humanity’s last hope. There’s also room to do something in-between, in case you feel like sampling both.
In addition, leveling plays a big role in how strong your character becomes. It’ll take quite a while to reach level 60, so you don’t want to rush into every single battle you come across. For instance, if you’re a level 10 and come across a level 50 creature, chances are you may become overwhelmed and get easily defeated. Luckily, you can set down a beacon on unlocked areas, so if you die, you can regenerate from that location.
We’ll have more coverage of Xenoblade Chronicles X in the months ahead, leading up to the game’s release later this year. If you’re a fan of the series, you shouldn’t miss this, since it could easily turn out to be the best Xenoblade adventure yet.
Published: May 21, 2015 05:00 pm