This is my favorite stretch of any piece of fiction. The end of Chapter 5 to the start of Chapter 6 is what I genuinely think of when I hear the phrase "Peak Fiction."
@@OnlyGoken Normaly when I hear someone call "peak fiction" a videogame segment I think "they must not read much" but in this instance I agree, this is peak fiction
Honestly after Noah showing a considerably low amount of emotion over the course of the entire game seeing him slowly break in that prison cell was a incredibly satisfying in all the wrong ways. I felt so bad for him the entire time. I've never cried because of any game or movie but I seriously can't think of a time I got this close especially during the scene of Mio's homecoming.
I always felt he was sensitive at heart, but the endless fighting forced him to put on a more stoic front and hide his emotions. Seeing him completely shut down emotionally as he gives into despair is agonizing to watch.
@@Laterose15 Obviously he had emotions but you're right he was just more on the reserved side. A giggle here and there but he puts up a rather serious and direct personality most of the time. That just made this scene in particular just so much more powerful. I do have some problems with it but that mostly has to do with how it is handled later down the line. (Minor spoiler in case you haven't finished the game): After everything that happens in chapter 5 & 6 you'd think he'd be scarred for live and become a little more pessimistic. Could also have resulted in some kind of ptsd like Eunie had with her previous live or maybe something else entirely. When everything just went back to happy sunshine and rainbows immediatly after the chapter 6 opening played out I was a little disappointed. Would have been nice to see the rest of the group help Noah slowly build up his courage and optimism again until he finally comes to his senses after his rematch with N in chapter 7. Kind of a missed opportunity to further refine Noah's character if you asked me.
@@ze_darku_magician5504 I actually had that same issue with the later chapters. Everything went back to normal wayyyy too quickly, without a lot of time for either the party or the player to adjust to what just happened. Even just one scene where the party recovers from their extended time in prison both physically and emotionally would've done a lot. Both chapters 6 and 7 felt like just a mad dash towards the ending and therefore more hollow then the first 5.
I completely lost it when that happened. I honestly actually predicted that Mio would actually die at some point in the game but come back in some way later on, but it still completely wrecked my nerves when it actually happened. I've never cried at any story this hard, normally I might not be able to hold back a tear or smth, that's usually it. This time I was literally sobbing.
It was so good, the build up to seeing this side of Noah was pure positive pathos! And in such a short frame we got to see so many new sides to Noah, bolstered further by the contrast with N. And the victory at the end brings it to perfection!
I love the fake out sequence at 24:00 , you're average JRPG story would have Noah draw Lucky Seven and have some big badass power up scene. But here it's just false hope, and they follow through with it.
I mean to be fair Riku would absolutely know what he's talking about here, but Noah was too broken to really focus on trying. And he does take Riku's words to heart after Mio saves everyone so it did'nt go to waste either.
14:30 brilliant writing here. Props to the original and localization writing team. Mio: “I was watching you. Trying so hard. You saved us so many times… never giving up. You helped us get here. Sometimes…you can be really hard on yourself. I think…that’s why you’ve always been so hungry, always striving for more.” Sena: “Yeah…” Mio: “Come now… I know you’ve touched so many lives. I think…we’ve all seen that.” Sena: “Yeah… Yeah. I know. I see it now… I’m sorry.” Mio: “Come on. You really need to stop saying you’re sorry.” Sena: “Yeah… Sorry!” Mio: “It’s all right. Don’t give up. Because time… is still on our side.” Talk about a dialogue that covers so many parts of a human condition in the modern lens. The imposter syndrome in success, the anxiety and needing to apologize unnecessarily, almost in a way that reflects neurodivergent behavior that feels like very human humor. Why the fuck wasn’t this nominated for best narrative? Writing is gold, this game blew me away more than GOW Ragnarok tbqh, and I still find GOW Ragnarok a masterclass for its type of narrative.
I do think XC3 had lots of flaws in its narrative and pacing as well. Ragnrok had less pacing issues. Xc3 was just horrendous in xc6 and ch 7. Like the worst in any xc game. That drags down the game a lot and its narrative suffers for it. FR certainly redeemed it but hey base game still stands on its own. Ragbarok altho it had bad ending imo (thor dying for no reason, rushed and shot ragnarok battle, bad Odin fight and character arc etc) it is still a better game as a whole than XC3 imo. I do thinK Xc3 is a profoundly unique game but is still.overrated by the fans. Both Xc1 and XC2 is just better and MUCH MORE polished complete experiences with a better paced plot and narratives imo. Honestly lorewise, XC2 is still unbeatable and XC1 is my favourite game of all time all around strong in every aspect for me. Xc3 just fails to hit the same way for me. But that is in comparison to XC trilogy. Im highly impressed by the story Takahashi san told here and it is my favourite JRPG ever since XC2 came out 6 years ago
Let's be real, Ragnarok only won because it's more in line with general audiences' tastes. Xenoblade is gonna get shafted purely for having an anime artstyle. Unless you're a household name that someone's grandma can name like Zelda, Mario or Pac Man you're not winning any awards with an anime look. Or just be a Sony exclusive.
Mio’s final conversation with Noah means a lot knowing that it was actually Moebius M saying those words. Obviously they have similar feelings, but M reached a point where she knew N was no longer the Noah she fell in love with. She never asked to be brought back to life as a killing machine just to live alongside him. She knew the only way out was through this plan to swap bodies with Mio. And yet after seeing Noah struggle so much in the cell next to her, she is reminded of the Noah she fell in love with. After just seeing how much N used to actually care for her, she almost regrets putting her plan in motion. She doesn’t want to go out like this. She might be wishing some part of this old Noah must still be left inside N. At the same time, she knows this would be the only way. I heard someone say her words mean a little less since they don’t actually come from Mio. Personally I think it means more coming from M, someone who saw the worst parts of Noah completely overtake the man she loved. She wishes she could spend her days with her Noah, just like Mio will be able to once she’s gone.
18:49 Poor Eunie, trying to hold it together, but just can’t. 😢😢😢 Taion being angry at himself for losing another loved one. Sena grieving over the loss of her best friend. Lanz is just sitting there, wallowing in his feelings as he stays strong for the team while also feeling angry at himself like Taion. Riku feeling sorrowful as Manana hides behind him in despair. And, of course, Noah’s grief in losing the one person he cares about most. And Mio, who reminds everyone how much her life was made better by everyone; while she does feel sadness over not being with them physically, she’s content knowing that her life was well-lived without regrets. And then we all remember that “Mio” here was M the whole time, as the real Mio was posing as M as she talked to Monica and Ghondor. It kinda hits harder since she wasn’t just talking about Noah, but also N. 😭
One element of this I feel that get overlooked is Manana. Throughout the game she has taken pride in being able to cook for the party, however, since that has been taken away from her you can see her get more crestfallen throughout this section
@@samt3412 version 1.0 was manana serving us cartoonishly gross plates of food with purple gas eminating from them and us eating it and pretending it's good as not to hurt her feelings
"Do you think an offseer can ever reach others?" This. This is the line that ultimately broke me. Because I felt a connection to the offseeing tune. I felt like that was just like "of course. It has. It really has". And that was where I cried.
Man, that entire chapter 5 ending broke me so much; no lie, I had to drop the game for a couple of days. Having to hear Mio say "My Noah" just tore me into tears. It's my personal favorite chapter, cause it made me so emotional for so many reasons
19:10 most emotional 50 seconds of the game to me in my opinion.. she finally says his name and gets much needed development with him and all he could feel was despair.. then seeing Mio stare up at the stars while 19:35 played, ending with her crossing off the final mark in her book reminding us that we failed her.. it hurt my soul and I haven’t cried that hard since XC1 Vandham was right, they deserve so much better…
My thought when this scene played: did she really never say his name once in the lead up to this moment? Throughout the entire CH1-5 sequences, side content and quiet moments? I guess I'l have to listen/watch out when I inevitably replay the game
I honestly 'wow-ed' at Noah's breakdown because it was such a major shift from his usual stale bread personality. The folds under his eyes, his semi hysterical look and how he (N) chose his loved one over the world were absolutely gratifying to watch.
Ikr I also just played through this section and thought Noah's outburst was surprising and heartbreaking. If anything it shows how much he cares about Mio haha. Amazing character development.
15:40 and beyond broke me last night. Noah has been the glue to holding everyone's emotions in check the whole game, just seeing him finally break destroyed me. What a scene.
@@afix2285 The Aerith scene hits totally different though. I found it less heartbreaking but more shocking and cold back then. Totally didn’t expect it and especially not in that way. The Mio scene gives you catharsis briefly after her death which makes it a bit less impactful in retrospective but from an emotional point of view I was way more invested than in Aerith‘s death due to the masterful buildup (and the god tier soundtrack). It is most definitely the most mature scene in a Nintendo game I can think of.
...so spoiler bumper right in case somebody hasn't played this but is reading this (please play this) So a subtle detail I noticed ingame is that Mio, and in term M, if they convey a certain emotion their ears would visually show that emotion like an actual cat. Knowing what i did about mio, all this talk of her dying made me think like before her ears would go droopy in despair... however it struck it odd to me how they became the happy and giddy emotion during Noah's conversation with her. ...this was my subtle cue something was off before chapter 6
I'd just like to note the rest of the teams reactions: Taion's outward frustration, Sena and Eunie breaking down, Lanz's silent, but present sadness, and Manana holding onto Riku for comfort. All these are realistic reactions over not being able to save a friend no matter how hard you try. That to me, told me just how much they all care for each other when I witnessed this scene for the first time. What a game 😢
What I absolutely love about this whole climax of chapter 5 is how in every sense of the word, the main cast has completely and utterly lost. There is no ace up their sleeve that makes them get out of this mess (The Lucky Seven talk between Riku and Noah was a clever red herring to distract the viewers with some sort of last minute save to break free.). Their powers are gone. Their allies can't drop in and save them. Time has run out, quite literally. They failed to cure Mio from the Moebius cycle. The only reason we got a happy ending was because of the actions of the villains. N's madness blinded him from the truth that M never wanted this life. He just assumed that they could walk this path forever, no matter the cost. The cost was unbearable for M, so she created the ultimate plan once she met Mio. It is incredibly ironic how N's willingness to torture Noah led to him sacrificing his own beloved. By sacrificing his humanity he sacrificed his love for her as well. His complete breakdown in this scene is so darn good, with honestly my favourite piece of acting in the whole game. Such a good piece of writing. Also, I have to say what an utter bastard Shania is. Her willingness to sell out everyone in the City was honestly just as villainous as N's actions of resurrection M with less sympathetic goals than N. By the end of it all I just wanted to put her down myself for being such a loathsome traitor. I know about some of her backstory from a side quest, but even so, the lengths of which she betrayed her old allies and friends were utterly despicable.
Looking back, they did a really good job at making M’s dialogue to where it could be either her or Mio speaking. And you know Mio’s got to feel nervous standing beside N.
i just finished chapter 5 and man that was such a rolercoaster. In that 40 or 50 minute cutscene with a few fights inbetween i started crying like 4-5 times. This game is so different to its predecessors in all the good ways.
This set of cutscenes was amazing. It did such a great job at making you despise N as a villain and honestly when I saw N drop the flute in front of Noah I burst out laughing. I wasn't laughing because I thought it was funny. I was moreso laughing out of sheer disbelief at how much of an absolute bastard N was. It made the whole switcheroo reveal a little bit later so much more satisfying.
Ohhh it was his realization on what had truly happened and his freak out was more pleasing to the ears like the flutes played at the beginning of the game during the first home coming scene
If you skip the knock on the third time, it will skip the cutscene starting at 1:30. I had to replay the entire thing in order to see it. If you skip on the scene on the third knock, it will take you all the way to chapter 6 so you'll miss the in-between.
I skipped the “are you prepared conversation” for the final boss because it was my second time going up to it so I just wanted to get to the prompt to continue and it skipped the entire cutscene leading up to the fight. Soon as I realized I had to close the game
@@tipsy634 Hold X just like you can do in all the cutscenes in the game and it will literally skip the entire animation of Noah trying to get out as well as skip the cutscene that follows said animation.
What's even more ironic is that the Xenogears, the first game in the Xeno series, started out as a story pitch for FF7! Even though they liked it Square thought it was too dark for their flagship title so they gave it it's own game. Oh and the ones that pitched it were Tetsuya Takahashi and Soraya Saga who met while working together on Chrono Trigger and went on to create MonolithSoft together!
First time playing a Xenoblade game and As a guy who just got to chapter 5 I’m really impressed with the story, brought a tear to my eye. Probably may favorite moment in this game so far. And it only took me two years to play it after I got the game for my birthday. My friend who got the game for me was thrilled to see I’m enjoying the game even if he’s not a JRPG fan. Thanks to him I’m a fan. Edit: also I just got to this part right after the eclipse took place recently. Funny how things work out.
Not entirely related but what is this game like for someone who hasn’t played the other two? There are some characters from past games that can cause a lack of context I feel like.
@@kolbra4170 Yeah I notice some characters and set pieces from previous games getting mentioned before that and certain parts of the story mentioning past events, but despite that I’m enjoying my time with it to the point were I’m looking up class building and team set ups for maximum efficiency. I’m planning on getting the previous 2 once I finish the game. Also I’m aware of the story of the first game, but don’t know the full scope of the plot and a name that kept getting mentioned around named “Zanza”. Edit: oh yeah my earlier knowledge of this franchise was through the first early parts of Chuggaconroy’s Play through of the game, Smash bros and amazing soundtracks. Edit: also do I need to play the past games before playing future redeemed DLC?
Even though the party slowly breaking down was enough to bring me to tears, I think the moment that really did it for me was 23:19, when the homecoming music began. Spending the entirety of the game up to that point fearing Mio's homecoming, only for it to come to pass all the same with the beginning of those first few notes was the definition of heartbreaking. You know her time is up, and you can truly only watch.
Noah goes from a very generic protag to slowly grow, until it reaches this point and completely breaks and you see show emotion in totally hearthbraking way, it gives you hope and then drops it several times
@@julesmcgarry819 because it's 2 UNNECESSARY scenes followed up by one massive story cutscene connected to an unnecessary cutscene. Hopefully they delink the two in an update
@@julesmcgarry819 You get shown Noah trying to open the cell door 3 times, and the first two times the game plays the exact same animation with nothing different about it. So yeah, by the third time I just opted to skip the animation and it ended up skipping all the way into the beginning of Ch 6.
Imo this is probably the best directed plot point in the Xenoblade series and by far the best moment in the game, so sad that it mostly goes downhill after this, but it still was worth it!
@@sLasHeRxXx07 what I mean by downhill is that after this chapter we get the ship fetch quest that was way too long and didn't really bring any development, following by the Nia reveal that was an ok explanation dump and the Joran/other guy fight that was okish but I found it a let down because the other guy is just a stereotype mad mass murderer with really no backstory. Then we get the origin part that I kinda hated because N/Y were just mid bosses that happears and are dealth with very swiftly (expecially Y made little sense imo). Most of all tho in the origin section all the characters lose their individuality and just became a shonen mouthpiece for single line inspiring dialogue yawn. The ending itself was very fitting and cool but the separation of planets came out of nowhere and didn't receive any build up at all considering the party objective was to not fear the merging of planets and an uncertain future. I really think some parts and dialogues before/after Z fight are missing and so the story loses cohesion.
@@Dras7 Yeah, I really agree with what you said right there. I really felt like the writing was very good up until the eclipse part. After that, it felt like the game didn't have that much to say anymore in terms of character growth/development. So most of the dialogue with the antagonists of the game (beside N) became about the "Will to protect the futur, the power of feelings" and some super generic shonen stuff like that. I kinda felt dissapointed I'll admit. Also, like you said, the whole point of the game was to get rid of Moebius, that was supposed to be the despair and fear of the tomorrow to put it simply. So to me, the fact that they ended up splitting the planet didn't really made sense. It seems contradictory to the whole point/message of the game.
@@Dras7 yeah looking back there was a few things I agree on mainly the Y and X fights Ns fight I didn’t quite mind as much and as for the joran fight I didn’t mind it too much since the guy was a very on the nose rehash of mumkar which I thought was ok
The "with my Noah" doesnt hit the same the second time but that is like the explosion of 2 slightly varible nukes, they both still can break break my heart
I think a lot about this scene, it was able to deliver a sense of loss that made the characters reactions feel realistic. You see how they develop a bond and want to fight together, and the grief of losing it
Whoever decided to put "A Step Away" here, I got two things to say 1. You are very effective at knowing what song to play where and i respect that. But also 2. I fucking hate you GIVE ME BACK MY TEARS!!!
This scene and the end of the game broke me. The hardest I've cried playing any game, or even watching any movie. I don't care if this game is even nominated for Game of the Year at The Game Awards or not. This game is my personal Game of the Year.
Damn this was a hard hitting scene and it was just so amazing how well they make everyone look so sad and hopeless. Even more N is super sadistic taunting the gang. Worst of all he drops the flute right in front of Noah prompting him to off see Mio. Now that is cruel. Fucking up N afterwards was totally deserved and 100% satisfying
This chapter just punches you in the gut repeatedly. N outright tortures them for his own amusement. Yet they still manage to replace that despair with hope in a fraction of the time they took to set it up. I think back to chapter 4 when the twist is revealed. “These are our lives here! They’re not some toys you can just play with!”
I was holding out hope for so long that Noah would draw his lucky seven. Until her clothes were on the ground and I just went blank. It didn’t take me long to accept Noah’s end considering that it’s the same blade that can easily cut through anything like a knife through butter. Nothing could have prepared me for what came after
Watching this back after the big reveal just a bit later really changes things. SPOILERS With Consul M saying "my Noah", and saying his name without thinking about it, and saying how she wants to actually live really hits harder
Remember guys: Never ask a woman her age. Never ask a man his salary. And... never ask a Xenoblade fan what happened at the end of Chapter 5 in Xenoblade 3.
Me at chap 5: dont worry they're all MCs they have plot armor they can break the iron bars right? Me at mio"s homecimg scene: She not gonna.. right? RIGHT? Mio: dies Noah: Gets executed by N Me: Did they also sealed the power of plot armor too?🗿 Game's script: Just shut up and wait
I played with the japanese voiceover, listening to the video I must say they made huge improvements with the english one compared to xenobalde 2... but still.. the nopon's voice... wtf? now that I think of it, having missed this cutscene, maybe I've never heard riku's voice before even in japanese?
This section gave off major finale vibes. It really did feel like you lost - game over. No happy end for you. Haven't reached the actual end yet but if this is a mid-game cutscene my expectations for the actual finale are high
Tbh this entire segment was one of the best moments in gaming imo.
Goated opinion from goated youtuber
This is my favorite stretch of any piece of fiction. The end of Chapter 5 to the start of Chapter 6 is what I genuinely think of when I hear the phrase "Peak Fiction."
for real
@@OnlyGoken Normaly when I hear someone call "peak fiction" a videogame segment I think "they must not read much" but in this instance I agree, this is peak fiction
Honestly after Noah showing a considerably low amount of emotion over the course of the entire game seeing him slowly break in that prison cell was a incredibly satisfying in all the wrong ways. I felt so bad for him the entire time. I've never cried because of any game or movie but I seriously can't think of a time I got this close especially during the scene of Mio's homecoming.
I always felt he was sensitive at heart, but the endless fighting forced him to put on a more stoic front and hide his emotions. Seeing him completely shut down emotionally as he gives into despair is agonizing to watch.
@@Laterose15 Obviously he had emotions but you're right he was just more on the reserved side. A giggle here and there but he puts up a rather serious and direct personality most of the time. That just made this scene in particular just so much more powerful.
I do have some problems with it but that mostly has to do with how it is handled later down the line. (Minor spoiler in case you haven't finished the game):
After everything that happens in chapter 5 & 6 you'd think he'd be scarred for live and become a little more pessimistic. Could also have resulted in some kind of ptsd like Eunie had with her previous live or maybe something else entirely. When everything just went back to happy sunshine and rainbows immediatly after the chapter 6 opening played out I was a little disappointed. Would have been nice to see the rest of the group help Noah slowly build up his courage and optimism again until he finally comes to his senses after his rematch with N in chapter 7. Kind of a missed opportunity to further refine Noah's character if you asked me.
@@ze_darku_magician5504 I actually had that same issue with the later chapters. Everything went back to normal wayyyy too quickly, without a lot of time for either the party or the player to adjust to what just happened. Even just one scene where the party recovers from their extended time in prison both physically and emotionally would've done a lot.
Both chapters 6 and 7 felt like just a mad dash towards the ending and therefore more hollow then the first 5.
I completely lost it when that happened. I honestly actually predicted that Mio would actually die at some point in the game but come back in some way later on, but it still completely wrecked my nerves when it actually happened. I've never cried at any story this hard, normally I might not be able to hold back a tear or smth, that's usually it. This time I was literally sobbing.
It was so good, the build up to seeing this side of Noah was pure positive pathos! And in such a short frame we got to see so many new sides to Noah, bolstered further by the contrast with N. And the victory at the end brings it to perfection!
Can’t believe Xenoblade writing has gotten this bad. How am I supposed to understand what’s going on if I’m bawling my eyes out the entire time!?
Had me in the first half. Like I didn't understand shit either the first time I watched all that but still I could tell that it was god damn awsome.
I accidentally skipped this scene and I regret it. Last save file for my dumb ass was during chapter 3. Don’t be stupid like I was
@@Starclover1 what did you do?
@@moero2256 I skipped the last part of chapter 5. Missed that whole scene
@@Starclover1 You can always rewatch the cutscenes on the event theater from the title screen. Might save you some time.
I love how much this scene makes you feel like “You lost” It’s done so well with the voices and everything!
Exactly. Got to this last night, and I have never felt so helpless in a game before. Not even in red dead redemption 2.
Yes I literally said in return “it’s to late for regrets now 🥺”
I love the fake out sequence at 24:00 , you're average JRPG story would have Noah draw Lucky Seven and have some big badass power up scene.
But here it's just false hope, and they follow through with it.
That was a really good subversion of the troupe. Giving the player hope again only to yank it away again
I mean to be fair Riku would absolutely know what he's talking about here, but Noah was too broken to really focus on trying. And he does take Riku's words to heart after Mio saves everyone so it did'nt go to waste either.
14:30 brilliant writing here. Props to the original and localization writing team.
Mio: “I was watching you. Trying so hard. You saved us so many times… never giving up. You helped us get here. Sometimes…you can be really hard on yourself. I think…that’s why you’ve always been so hungry, always striving for more.”
Sena: “Yeah…”
Mio: “Come now… I know you’ve touched so many lives. I think…we’ve all seen that.”
Sena: “Yeah… Yeah. I know. I see it now… I’m sorry.”
Mio: “Come on. You really need to stop saying you’re sorry.”
Sena: “Yeah… Sorry!”
Mio: “It’s all right. Don’t give up. Because time… is still on our side.”
Talk about a dialogue that covers so many parts of a human condition in the modern lens. The imposter syndrome in success, the anxiety and needing to apologize unnecessarily, almost in a way that reflects neurodivergent behavior that feels like very human humor.
Why the fuck wasn’t this nominated for best narrative? Writing is gold, this game blew me away more than GOW Ragnarok tbqh, and I still find GOW Ragnarok a masterclass for its type of narrative.
I do think XC3 had lots of flaws in its narrative and pacing as well. Ragnrok had less pacing issues. Xc3 was just horrendous in xc6 and ch 7. Like the worst in any xc game. That drags down the game a lot and its narrative suffers for it. FR certainly redeemed it but hey base game still stands on its own. Ragbarok altho it had bad ending imo (thor dying for no reason, rushed and shot ragnarok battle, bad Odin fight and character arc etc) it is still a better game as a whole than XC3 imo. I do thinK Xc3 is a profoundly unique game but is still.overrated by the fans. Both Xc1 and XC2 is just better and MUCH MORE polished complete experiences with a better paced plot and narratives imo. Honestly lorewise, XC2 is still unbeatable and XC1 is my favourite game of all time all around strong in every aspect for me. Xc3 just fails to hit the same way for me. But that is in comparison to XC trilogy. Im highly impressed by the story Takahashi san told here and it is my favourite JRPG ever since XC2 came out 6 years ago
Let's be real, Ragnarok only won because it's more in line with general audiences' tastes. Xenoblade is gonna get shafted purely for having an anime artstyle. Unless you're a household name that someone's grandma can name like Zelda, Mario or Pac Man you're not winning any awards with an anime look. Or just be a Sony exclusive.
@@Arda-dq4rtthe first 5 chapters alone carry XB3’s narrative to be the best of the series. The final 2 simply solidify its themes, nothing more.
Mio’s final conversation with Noah means a lot knowing that it was actually Moebius M saying those words. Obviously they have similar feelings, but M reached a point where she knew N was no longer the Noah she fell in love with. She never asked to be brought back to life as a killing machine just to live alongside him. She knew the only way out was through this plan to swap bodies with Mio.
And yet after seeing Noah struggle so much in the cell next to her, she is reminded of the Noah she fell in love with. After just seeing how much N used to actually care for her, she almost regrets putting her plan in motion. She doesn’t want to go out like this. She might be wishing some part of this old Noah must still be left inside N. At the same time, she knows this would be the only way.
I heard someone say her words mean a little less since they don’t actually come from Mio. Personally I think it means more coming from M, someone who saw the worst parts of Noah completely overtake the man she loved. She wishes she could spend her days with her Noah, just like Mio will be able to once she’s gone.
It’s also worth mentioning she probably did this so that our Noah wouldn’t do the same thing
rewatching this scene and now I catch this message... 😢
Imma keep it 100% real, hearing "my noah" broke me worse than vandham in xenoblade 2... That shit hurted😂
Seeing Manana's smile drop after seeing Noah's face is when that sadness really began to settle in🥲
@@karmiccrotal3480 she was trying her best to remain positive, but eventually even she gave in
@@karmiccrotal3480 Manana is always so peppy, seeing her get all sad made me tear up, then when Mio died I was bawling 😭
This and the beginning of chapter 6 is the best sequence in the entire series
18:49 Poor Eunie, trying to hold it together, but just can’t. 😢😢😢 Taion being angry at himself for losing another loved one. Sena grieving over the loss of her best friend. Lanz is just sitting there, wallowing in his feelings as he stays strong for the team while also feeling angry at himself like Taion. Riku feeling sorrowful as Manana hides behind him in despair. And, of course, Noah’s grief in losing the one person he cares about most.
And Mio, who reminds everyone how much her life was made better by everyone; while she does feel sadness over not being with them physically, she’s content knowing that her life was well-lived without regrets.
And then we all remember that “Mio” here was M the whole time, as the real Mio was posing as M as she talked to Monica and Ghondor. It kinda hits harder since she wasn’t just talking about Noah, but also N. 😭
One element of this I feel that get overlooked is Manana. Throughout the game she has taken pride in being able to cook for the party, however, since that has been taken away from her you can see her get more crestfallen throughout this section
Ironic, considering upon release Manana's cooking didn't work at all lmao
@@samt3412 Shhhh, she’s trying her best
It would have been a real gut punch if the stars in her eyes slowly faded as the days went on, and her smile is removed as she fails to feed noah
@@samt3412 version 1.0 was manana serving us cartoonishly gross plates of food with purple gas eminating from them and us eating it and pretending it's good as not to hurt her feelings
"Do you think an offseer can ever reach others?"
This. This is the line that ultimately broke me. Because I felt a connection to the offseeing tune. I felt like that was just like "of course. It has. It really has". And that was where I cried.
Man, that entire chapter 5 ending broke me so much; no lie, I had to drop the game for a couple of days. Having to hear Mio say "My Noah" just tore me into tears. It's my personal favorite chapter, cause it made me so emotional for so many reasons
Also, the start of Chapter 6 entirely recontextualizes that moment to make it even sadder because it was actually M saying that
If there were an award for the best cutscene in a video game this one would easily win it
Couldn’t agree more. Xenoblade 3’s cutscenes are amazing, this has some of the best cutscenes in modern video games. I love it!
19:10 most emotional 50 seconds of the game to me in my opinion.. she finally says his name and gets much needed development with him and all he could feel was despair.. then seeing Mio stare up at the stars while 19:35 played, ending with her crossing off the final mark in her book reminding us that we failed her.. it hurt my soul and I haven’t cried that hard since XC1
Vandham was right, they deserve so much better…
Do you know the name of the OST of that scene?
@@MinhLe19303 The night before Homecoming…
chapter six spoilers
@@danedmondson7604 wait huh? all I said was in the video I’m confused.
My thought when this scene played: did she really never say his name once in the lead up to this moment? Throughout the entire CH1-5 sequences, side content and quiet moments? I guess I'l have to listen/watch out when I inevitably replay the game
This is just fuckin incredible. Jaw was open the whole time while playing
I had to watch this again because I felt like crying...
Isnt that relatable
Same
I honestly 'wow-ed' at Noah's breakdown because it was such a major shift from his usual stale bread personality. The folds under his eyes, his semi hysterical look and how he (N) chose his loved one over the world were absolutely gratifying to watch.
Ikr I also just played through this section and thought Noah's outburst was surprising and heartbreaking. If anything it shows how much he cares about Mio haha. Amazing character development.
So how low do you wanna take the party?
Monolithsoft: *Yes*
Series defining cutscene
15:40 and beyond broke me last night. Noah has been the glue to holding everyone's emotions in check the whole game, just seeing him finally break destroyed me. What a scene.
I actually had to stop playing after this chapter for a little while. This scene fucking broke me more than any game I’ve ever played.
Never did a game make me think they would actually kill off a maim party member... until this one...
Aerith sends her regards.
@@FelixS. completely forgot about her lol, bad thing for me is I already knew that happened before I played the game, but still valid
@@afix2285 The Aerith scene hits totally different though. I found it less heartbreaking but more shocking and cold back then. Totally didn’t expect it and especially not in that way.
The Mio scene gives you catharsis briefly after her death which makes it a bit less impactful in retrospective but from an emotional point of view I was way more invested than in Aerith‘s death due to the masterful buildup (and the god tier soundtrack).
It is most definitely the most mature scene in a Nintendo game I can think of.
Glory to mankind
@@Lunarwolf141 Touché
“Even at edge, facing sheer drop, must never give up”..... 😭
The Mechonis Sword almost touching the Eclipse in the background is just an incredible sight to an already incredible scene.
...so spoiler bumper right in case somebody hasn't played this but is reading this (please play this)
So a subtle detail I noticed ingame is that Mio, and in term M, if they convey a certain emotion their ears would visually show that emotion like an actual cat.
Knowing what i did about mio, all this talk of her dying made me think like before her ears would go droopy in despair... however it struck it odd to me how they became the happy and giddy emotion during Noah's conversation with her.
...this was my subtle cue something was off before chapter 6
I noticed that too, but after I rewatched the scene many times. You noticed immediately, that's impressive.
I am not even joking when I say that I am glad I took my depression meds before going into this scene.
This cutscene really made me depressed
I'd just like to note the rest of the teams reactions: Taion's outward frustration, Sena and Eunie breaking down, Lanz's silent, but present sadness, and Manana holding onto Riku for comfort. All these are realistic reactions over not being able to save a friend no matter how hard you try. That to me, told me just how much they all care for each other when I witnessed this scene for the first time. What a game 😢
That ending was horrifying it felt like my heart drop when Mio is gone and Noah was Chop Off😭😭😭
finished this chapter last night
that's another addition to the games that have made me cry
What I absolutely love about this whole climax of chapter 5 is how in every sense of the word, the main cast has completely and utterly lost. There is no ace up their sleeve that makes them get out of this mess (The Lucky Seven talk between Riku and Noah was a clever red herring to distract the viewers with some sort of last minute save to break free.). Their powers are gone. Their allies can't drop in and save them. Time has run out, quite literally. They failed to cure Mio from the Moebius cycle. The only reason we got a happy ending was because of the actions of the villains.
N's madness blinded him from the truth that M never wanted this life. He just assumed that they could walk this path forever, no matter the cost. The cost was unbearable for M, so she created the ultimate plan once she met Mio. It is incredibly ironic how N's willingness to torture Noah led to him sacrificing his own beloved. By sacrificing his humanity he sacrificed his love for her as well. His complete breakdown in this scene is so darn good, with honestly my favourite piece of acting in the whole game. Such a good piece of writing.
Also, I have to say what an utter bastard Shania is. Her willingness to sell out everyone in the City was honestly just as villainous as N's actions of resurrection M with less sympathetic goals than N. By the end of it all I just wanted to put her down myself for being such a loathsome traitor. I know about some of her backstory from a side quest, but even so, the lengths of which she betrayed her old allies and friends were utterly despicable.
Looking back, they did a really good job at making M’s dialogue to where it could be either her or Mio speaking. And you know Mio’s got to feel nervous standing beside N.
I did not realize how long this scene was WOW!
Seeing our strong and calm Noah break down like this hurt me like nothing else...
When looking up the definition of emotionally cathartic these scenes should appear in the search bar
17:57 Stuff only someone who has a crush can catch.
Only to find out it wasn't even really her
i just finished chapter 5 and man that was such a rolercoaster. In that 40 or 50 minute cutscene with a few fights inbetween i started crying like 4-5 times.
This game is so different to its predecessors in all the good ways.
This set of cutscenes was amazing. It did such a great job at making you despise N as a villain and honestly when I saw N drop the flute in front of Noah I burst out laughing. I wasn't laughing because I thought it was funny. I was moreso laughing out of sheer disbelief at how much of an absolute bastard N was. It made the whole switcheroo reveal a little bit later so much more satisfying.
Ohhh it was his realization on what had truly happened and his freak out was more pleasing to the ears like the flutes played at the beginning of the game during the first home coming scene
The whole context: it is still wrecking to watch Eunie cry and Taion punch the ground, that's the part that gets to me.
27:34 My eyes were flooded with tears, and when Noah screamed “MIO!!!” I was just bawling.😢😢
24:42 - 28:00
In-sane. At least genre defining sequence.
If you skip the knock on the third time, it will skip the cutscene starting at 1:30.
I had to replay the entire thing in order to see it. If you skip on the scene on the third knock, it will take you all the way to chapter 6 so you'll miss the in-between.
exactly what happened to me hence I'm here lol
how do you even skip the knock???
I skipped the “are you prepared conversation” for the final boss because it was my second time going up to it so I just wanted to get to the prompt to continue and it skipped the entire cutscene leading up to the fight. Soon as I realized I had to close the game
I did that too
@@tipsy634 Hold X just like you can do in all the cutscenes in the game and it will literally skip the entire animation of Noah trying to get out as well as skip the cutscene that follows said animation.
it was like gut punch after gut punch, hardest i had cried playing a video game. it held that record up until the ending of this game
This is Aerith's scene brought into modern age
As a FFVII player, I can confirm you are correct.😢
What's even more ironic is that the Xenogears, the first game in the Xeno series, started out as a story pitch for FF7! Even though they liked it Square thought it was too dark for their flagship title so they gave it it's own game. Oh and the ones that pitched it were Tetsuya Takahashi and Soraya Saga who met while working together on Chrono Trigger and went on to create MonolithSoft together!
@@OMIMoxWhich is hilarious in hindsight now that FFXVI exists.
First time playing a Xenoblade game and As a guy who just got to chapter 5 I’m really impressed with the story, brought a tear to my eye. Probably may favorite moment in this game so far. And it only took me two years to play it after I got the game for my birthday. My friend who got the game for me was thrilled to see I’m enjoying the game even if he’s not a JRPG fan. Thanks to him I’m a fan.
Edit: also I just got to this part right after the eclipse took place recently. Funny how things work out.
Not entirely related but what is this game like for someone who hasn’t played the other two? There are some characters from past games that can cause a lack of context I feel like.
@@kolbra4170 Yeah I notice some characters and set pieces from previous games getting mentioned before that and certain parts of the story mentioning past events, but despite that I’m enjoying my time with it to the point were I’m looking up class building and team set ups for maximum efficiency. I’m planning on getting the previous 2 once I finish the game. Also I’m aware of the story of the first game, but don’t know the full scope of the plot and a name that kept getting mentioned around named “Zanza”.
Edit: oh yeah my earlier knowledge of this franchise was through the first early parts of Chuggaconroy’s Play through of the game, Smash bros and amazing soundtracks.
Edit: also do I need to play the past games before playing future redeemed DLC?
28:18 This... Just... This 😭
Yup...
this is the best part of the entire game
Even though the party slowly breaking down was enough to bring me to tears, I think the moment that really did it for me was 23:19, when the homecoming music began. Spending the entirety of the game up to that point fearing Mio's homecoming, only for it to come to pass all the same with the beginning of those first few notes was the definition of heartbreaking. You know her time is up, and you can truly only watch.
This is my favorite moment in any videogame ever. And you gotta love Sena. She's adorable!
Noah goes from a very generic protag to slowly grow, until it reaches this point and completely breaks and you see show emotion in totally hearthbraking way, it gives you hope and then drops it several times
The moment Manana stopped smiling. Is when we all stopped smiling.
This whole scene is truly majestic.
Dam is hard not cry
bruh i accidentally skipped these cutscenes by skipping the bar bashing animations
Thought I was the only one. Thank god for the event theatre
Me too. They need to disconnect those two scenes
Why skip anything in such a story driven game? Weird..
@@julesmcgarry819 because it's 2 UNNECESSARY scenes followed up by one massive story cutscene connected to an unnecessary cutscene. Hopefully they delink the two in an update
@@julesmcgarry819 You get shown Noah trying to open the cell door 3 times, and the first two times the game plays the exact same animation with nothing different about it. So yeah, by the third time I just opted to skip the animation and it ended up skipping all the way into the beginning of Ch 6.
spoil Beginning chapter 6:
25:51 Wow...for someone who was a good guy before, it was quite sadistic
Imo this is probably the best directed plot point in the Xenoblade series and by far the best moment in the game, so sad that it mostly goes downhill after this, but it still was worth it!
Wdym? I agree this was an incredible scene but I wouldn’t say it goes downhill afterwards
Wouldn’t say downhill coz after this chapter, It was pretty much the endgame
@@sLasHeRxXx07 what I mean by downhill is that after this chapter we get the ship fetch quest that was way too long and didn't really bring any development, following by the Nia reveal that was an ok explanation dump and the Joran/other guy fight that was okish but I found it a let down because the other guy is just a stereotype mad mass murderer with really no backstory. Then we get the origin part that I kinda hated because N/Y were just mid bosses that happears and are dealth with very swiftly (expecially Y made little sense imo). Most of all tho in the origin section all the characters lose their individuality and just became a shonen mouthpiece for single line inspiring dialogue yawn. The ending itself was very fitting and cool but the separation of planets came out of nowhere and didn't receive any build up at all considering the party objective was to not fear the merging of planets and an uncertain future. I really think some parts and dialogues before/after Z fight are missing and so the story loses cohesion.
@@Dras7 Yeah, I really agree with what you said right there. I really felt like the writing was very good up until the eclipse part. After that, it felt like the game didn't have that much to say anymore in terms of character growth/development. So most of the dialogue with the antagonists of the game (beside N) became about the "Will to protect the futur, the power of feelings" and some super generic shonen stuff like that. I kinda felt dissapointed I'll admit.
Also, like you said, the whole point of the game was to get rid of Moebius, that was supposed to be the despair and fear of the tomorrow to put it simply. So to me, the fact that they ended up splitting the planet didn't really made sense. It seems contradictory to the whole point/message of the game.
@@Dras7 yeah looking back there was a few things I agree on mainly the Y and X fights Ns fight I didn’t quite mind as much and as for the joran fight I didn’t mind it too much since the guy was a very on the nose rehash of mumkar which I thought was ok
TFW when you realized Mio’s “It’s been fun Noah” wasn’t for Noah but for N
On japanese VA, she says "Arigato Noah" = Thank you Noah
So... in other words, Noah.
The "with my Noah" doesnt hit the same the second time but that is like the explosion of 2 slightly varible nukes, they both still can break break my heart
Poor Noah😢😢😢 I've never seen him so heartbroken..
He truly showing true emotions now 🥺
Never have I cried this hard in a video game.
Just finished this chapter and Daaamn. Noah really fell apart because of what’s gonna happen to Mio
I think a lot about this scene, it was able to deliver a sense of loss that made the characters reactions feel realistic. You see how they develop a bond and want to fight together, and the grief of losing it
Whoever decided to put "A Step Away" here, I got two things to say
1. You are very effective at knowing what song to play where and i respect that.
But also 2. I fucking hate you GIVE ME BACK MY TEARS!!!
This scene and the end of the game broke me. The hardest I've cried playing any game, or even watching any movie.
I don't care if this game is even nominated for Game of the Year at The Game Awards or not.
This game is my personal Game of the Year.
me going from just watching in horror to fucking bawling at 24:43 be like
This chapter 5 ending is crushing ... This is even more crushing than the Klaus Twist in xeno 1
The homecoming scene hits harder the more you watch it
Damn this was a hard hitting scene and it was just so amazing how well they make everyone look so sad and hopeless. Even more N is super sadistic taunting the gang. Worst of all he drops the flute right in front of Noah prompting him to off see Mio. Now that is cruel. Fucking up N afterwards was totally deserved and 100% satisfying
I skipped the last sequence where Noah was pulling the bars of the cell and I just now found out there was actually an ending to Chapter 5...
Oh my gosh...what?! I'm so sorry, dude 😥
They really had me going for a second there. I thought they were gonna turn this into an Aerith situation.
This entire segment was one of the best in xc3. And so far, with where I’m at currently in xc1, the best in the trilogy.
This chapter just punches you in the gut repeatedly. N outright tortures them for his own amusement.
Yet they still manage to replace that despair with hope in a fraction of the time they took to set it up. I think back to chapter 4 when the twist is revealed. “These are our lives here! They’re not some toys you can just play with!”
after playing yakuza 0 i tough no other video game could make a man cry, but this scene does it
I was holding out hope for so long that Noah would draw his lucky seven. Until her clothes were on the ground and I just went blank. It didn’t take me long to accept Noah’s end considering that it’s the same blade that can easily cut through anything like a knife through butter. Nothing could have prepared me for what came after
Watching this back after the big reveal just a bit later really changes things. SPOILERS
With Consul M saying "my Noah", and saying his name without thinking about it, and saying how she wants to actually live really hits harder
Shania is one of the best written characters in 3 imo, among such a strong cast
Shania: (watching the impending execution of Ouroboros) Happy trails, Ouroboros...!
The game was already good, but after this and the start of chapter 6. Oh my god, I almost cried
I'm crying again 😭😭
Remember guys:
Never ask a woman her age.
Never ask a man his salary.
And... never ask a Xenoblade fan what happened at the end of Chapter 5 in Xenoblade 3.
Such a beautiful sequence. Would anyone know the song that plays after a step away. Its just so good
this game scarred me
4:12
2:40 N: "Iam you"
Noah: "NOOO IAM NOT BRITISH"
N: "Stop lying to yourself"
OMG.
I cried like a baby when I saw this.
The more I watch sad cutscenes, the more sad I find them. I do sort of wish that Noah was forced to send Mio off, just adding to the sadness.
2:45 wait how said that ? Noah or N ?
Me at chap 5: dont worry they're all MCs they have plot armor they can break the iron bars right?
Me at mio"s homecimg scene: She not gonna.. right? RIGHT?
Mio: dies
Noah: Gets executed by N
Me: Did they also sealed the power of plot armor too?🗿
Game's script: Just shut up and wait
The thumbnail lowkey looks like Mikasa from Liberio.
I'd like to spend that time with my noah
I'm not crying you are
28:15 The End!
Imagine the outrage if credits started rolling there
@@justinsixdee30😂 I know right?
Rex would be disappointed with Nia if that was the real Nia
Is it a bad moment to say that today is also the eclips IRL ?
I finished this chapter recently after the eclipse. Funny how things work out.
I was already crying the moment I clicked a 3 times. And it kept getting worse
What's the track that's playing at 18:10 min mark? I can't find it's name
A life overflowing
this lost goty
honestly N deserved everything that happened to him for what he did to Noah. my most hated villain in gaming
You gotta remeber that N was Noah at one point. Z is the real villain he is the one who created N.
@@terraghost i know but N still chose to do this willingly
@@beltmenot2641 Noah wouldve done the same
I played with the japanese voiceover, listening to the video I must say they made huge improvements with the english one compared to xenobalde 2... but still.. the nopon's voice... wtf? now that I think of it, having missed this cutscene, maybe I've never heard riku's voice before even in japanese?
Riku absolute chadpon
Tbh the only Nopon in Xenoblade to sound close to the JP voice is Tora
You sure thats mio in the prison 🤨
This section gave off major finale vibes. It really did feel like you lost - game over. No happy end for you.
Haven't reached the actual end yet but if this is a mid-game cutscene my expectations for the actual finale are high
Well it dose kinda suck
Spoilers: The ending makes you want to be Moebius. 😭
sobbimg