I definitely think that was one of the coolest details I noticed during my exploration. If it was intentional then whoever made that design choice is a genius.
I mean they did that for the temple of time in botw. You see it on the one side when you first lay eyes on it. There's some destruction you can see but it's mainly stairs and door; nothing crazy...until you run to the other side and see not only it's in ruins but so is the rest of the kingdom
I just finished this game about a couple weeks ago and I still can't get enough of it, Kingdom Hearts was once my favourite RPG but I think now Xenoblade Chronicles is now my favourite RPG franchise
I wonder when we'll get another game like this... XC2's global overarching narrative, *especially* the bit with Klaus, is such a stark but powerful theme. **The price of godhood.** I feel it's a theme rarely explored in games. The hollow remains of that which once was, the reveal of all that was done to make that which is and what will be. But in particular, when you brought up how the "spirit of fun [...] was wholly overlooked" it really made my heart sink. It's so clearly true; Klaus was always blinded by what a human could be, and never managed to look back and see what a human once was. That's... such a somber revelation. One that, I feel, kind of rings doubly strongly as the revelation of a *video game.* He became so consumed with the desire to atone for his unforgivable sin, that while in remaking the world, he lost sight of the hopefulness humanity can have, the simple happiness of a time long gone. His last experiences with humanity were the dystopian conflict in 20XX, and a near eternity later with Amalthus, a man already jaded and resentful towards the world he was born into. That's... probably why he finally smiles when Rex thanks him for giving everyone life, thanks him for making the world. It was probably the first time in the memory of eons that knew he had... made someone happy. Can you imagine that kind of loneliness...? Feeling not a spark of happiness for untold millennia, even when encountering his own creations? I'm agonizingly lonely myself but even I can't begin to imagine how harrowing that would have been. He likely knew he couldn't even turn to Logos and Pneuma for companionship, knowing he'd taint their manifestations with his regrets. ...And, you know, what really makes it hit home is that you can feel that's a core of his being, that loneliness, when Ontos explains how he longed for friendship, even in the other world. How all that he enacts is spurred by the fear of being forgotten. It's... it's really tragic, and so well written too.
After playing the original, Klaus/Zanza was cool to me; however, he was nothing too special. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 turned him into one of my favorite characters in the entire series with how well constructed those themes of divinity and regret are. You make a great point about Klaus smiling there too. Countless years without in-person contact with another being and somebody finally gives you a kind gesture after wallowing in self-loathing? That's heartbreaking. That line from the original where Alvis says he longed for friendship felt weird in the hands of Zanza, but it makes perfect sense to describe Klaus. I would love to see them explore some of the other facets of Klaus, or even just how those around him were affected, in the future titles
Hey everyone! Two quick addendums that I didn't notice until post: 1.) I believe I kind of butchered the pronunciation of Theosoir. In the Greek word θεός that can translate to 'god' or 'divine' and likely serves as one part of the city's name, I skipped over the omicron when I mentioned it. I believe I said it that way because I couldn't find a cutscene that says the name in the English dub. Just a small thing that bugged me and I wanted to get off my chest. 2.) Elysium outside of flashbacks DOES actually appear a fourth time, which would be the cutscene named "Surprise Visit" where Malos trespasses into Elysium. Big thanks to Jeffrey H. for the correction! Anyways, thanks for watching the video and I hope you enjoyed it!
Elysium worn down and erriely calm is a refrence to Agnitha from xc1 both use subversion expectations trope like you said.It is also inverse and a counterpart of Prison Island because it is holy,from the cycle before ,end game level,where Klaus/Zanza resides.Area before hand had Mechanical enemies unlike beasts and organic blades and monsters while PI has mystical and mythology enemies compared to fighting Mechon for 75% time.
Such a nice touch that all the Drivers make different, personal comments in response to various objects in Elysium. People often talk about Xenoblade 2 having been rushed, and there are definitely plenty of signs of that - but there are also so many moments that show great attention to detail, and so much extra effort having been put into the game. Just look at all the different idle animations for the Rare Blades, or all the different post-battle dialogues that exist.
It really is and that level of detail is shocking when you consider the internal development team size. I think that love stood out the most to me with Torna's Vanguard Switch animations being unique for each character. Those got me so hype haha.
Yeah wait what about the game do people think is rushed? I could see the arguement that some voice acting may be considered as such but what else is there?
Angelsdevil It’s more in the sense of UI and certain performance issues that they didn’t have lots of time to iron out. And the dub was underfunded I think I heard. Bear in mind they were working with a pretty small team on this giant game. To meet the deadline, there were a few things they just didn’t have time to tweak. I’m damn well satisfied with it though!
Your Xenoblade analysis videos are amazing. I really liked your analysis videos about “Why Xenoblade 2 is an amazing sequel”, “Why Torna is an amazing prequel” and “Xenoblade 2’s greatest cutscene”. Definitely have to watch more of your videos. Keep up the great work!
It was touched on a bit at the end of the video, but there are even stronger Judeo-Christian parallels than just the Garden of Eden when it comes to Elysium. If you recall Rex's words at the end of the game, "So Elysium, was here all along," this is a Biblical reference to Revelation 21 talking about how there will be a, "New Heaven, and New Earth," "for the first heaven and the first earth, had passed away and there was no longer any sea." (Revelation 21:1). We can see that in XC2, Elysium and the dying Titans, are thematically connected to the, "First Heaven and First Earth," respectively. They were both created and maintained by their creator/God, Klaus. Elysium is the dwelling place of Klaus much like Heaven is the dwelling place of God, but both ultimately pass away and give rise to the New Heaven and New Earth. Similarly, the Titans slowly dying parallels the Biblical interpretation of Earth, being that because of Mankind's fall, the Earth is cursed, sick, and beyond cure. When the Titans join with the land, the old Alrest/Earth passes away and is restored and there is no longer any, "Cloud Sea," which divides the people. Another powerful Biblical theme echoed by this New Elysium on Earth/Alrest, is the idea that finally in this New Heaven and New Earth, God would once again dwell and fellowship with his people. Klaus may depart this world at the end of the game but who returns "from the dead," at the very end of the game? It's Pyra and Mythra of course, and I do not think it takes a philosophy major to see the parallels between Pyra/Mythra and Christ (the laying down of their lives for the sake of the world, the bestowing of new life unto Rex, the dying and raising from the dead). Our symbolic Christ stand-in characters are resurrected and now will dwell with Rex and the rest of humanity in the New Elysium. The final implication I would draw attention to is the name of the Final Chapter in the game, "And Thus, Boy Met Girl." This might seem like a strange name for the last chapter in a game, since it might sound to some more like the end of an introduction than the ending to a story. That is exactly the point. All of the adventures Rex and Co. had throughout the course of the game, were essentially only the prequel, the preamble to what comes next for them. There journey was dedicated to finding salvation for this dying world and at last, they finally have accomplished this mission. Author, C. S. Lewis, described in his Chronicles of Narnia series his interpretation of Revelation's "New Heaven and New Earth," in his book, The Last Battle. "All their life in this world, and all their adventures (in Narnia) had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on Earth has read: which goes on for ever: in which each chapter is better than the one before." The chapter title implies that at long last, Rex and Pyra/Mythra's lives finally begin, here at the doorstep to Elysium. This is not the end of their story, but the start of a new one.
Just found this channel, but have something incredible to say. In the Xenoblade Chronicles 1 normal opening (the one with the Monado in the ground) you can see the tree Pyra was underneath in Xenoblade 2 in the right side of the screen. When I saw this is flipped out.
I haven’t played Xenoblade 2 in a while and just looking at this footage reminded me of how great it is. You spend most of the game in this magical fantasy world full of silly anime tropes, and then suddenly you’re just in a modern real-world city. Obviously this isn’t the first time Xeno has done this, Morytha is basically just Zeboim 2, but man it’s still such a cool way to end the story. I’ll never forget watching the chapter 10 opening cutscene and having that crazy surprise of “Wait a second, Klaus used the ZOHAR to make the Xenoblade 1 world?” That took me by surprise so much that it wasn’t until after I finished the game that I stopped and realized, “Holy crap this entire game took place on Earth the whole time.” It’s not quite as insane as the endgame reveals of Gears, but man is it just a bizarre thing to think about. Thanks for reminding me how great this game is, this video was a great trip down memory lane.
Probably my favourite part of Elysium is how it pushes you _out_ of immersion. The world of Elysium is one that can be traced back to a familiar one. While Morytha had a similar effect, I feel it much more strongly with Elysium because it was closer to suburbia. There wasn't as much steel and oppressive metal like the World Tree itself or Morytha, instead the structures, if imagined in their prime, would make a very comfortable place to live. As someone who lives in a suburban town, it feels so much closer to home than the dense city of Morytha. Even in its prime, Morytha wouldn't have that much greenery unless specifically built to include it, and that small playground has far more space than would be allowed in the city. Essentially, Elysium's past feels not just like today's Earth in general, but the place directly outside my own home.
I remember out loud going "WHAAAAAT" when I first got here. Not only did I feel betrayed by the fact that it was empty, I was pissed I didn't see this twist coming because it makes total sense
2020 has been a rough year for so many reasons, but the sheer rejuvenation that has occurred within the Xenoblade community gives me the refreshing feeling I find myself often needing to face the next dreadful headline one by one. All of this culminates into a feeling within me not unlike the duality of Elysium itself described in this essay. We could all use an Elysium in our lives when we all pull through this in the end. Rex and Pyra for Smash
This video was amazing. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 completely changed my life, and I owe a lot of respects to the game itself and to Monolithsoft/Nintendo as well as Etika (Desmond Daniel Amofa - Rest in peace 🖤) for introducing the series to me on stream back in 2017 during the Nintendo Switch event in march, and playing the game later that year. This was the first video game that truly opened my eyes to life and the wonderful yet spiralling world we live in. Some people will say “what the heck dude why do you care so much It’s just a video game…” But I believe that there is an unshakable power within this game, and that power expanded my mind to a whole new level. I see the world differently, and in ways more honestly and humbly and made me appreciate my life and others’ significantly more. Whether that’s talks about the gift of manifestation from Jin, or the act of simply believing in oneself, I’ve grown so much as a person but I’m not without my flaws. And when doubt or fear comes knocking, Gramp’s words soothingly echo in: “Believe in yourself, Rex…” A simple line that has so much power. This was the first game I ever played that had me balling multiple times during my play through, and months and years after just thinking of the characters and the story brought me to tears. They are tears of joy and heartache of the challenges rex and the group went through, and how this game makes me feel. The shattered illusion of a promised land. It saddens me to see so many game reviewers, and gamers online bash this game as being nothing more than just “anime” and waifus”. While I’ll agree it’s not a perfect game technically speaking (no game is), they hate without knowing the immense level of depth and passion it possesses. When I see the impact of negative influential people whether it be online or even with those in my own life, I remember Amalthus - How he lost the one thing that made him strong, protected and safe, and how he turned to oppose the world. I feel for him and people who suffer like him. Blinded by hatred. The beauty of what once was, is now a curse. Amazingly enough, this game inspired countless ideas for upcoming music I’ve been working on. As a creative individual in the music industry, Finding inspiration can be a challenge from time to time. Seeing what Monolithsoft has done with the Switch and extremely limited staff that relied on outsourcing upon creating the game, has motivated me immensely and brought to light the similarities we share. Working from home during a global pandemic was scary, but also gave me the opportunity to work on myself and my music - outsourcing was a necessity. Just seeing Pyra’s face alone from her awakening scene in chapter one, filled my mind with melodic patterns and some really cool projects that I can’t disclose any info on at the moment, but if your a fan of electronic dance music, feel free to check out my work. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 will forever be my favourite video game of all time, and I’m so grateful that I had the opportunity to experience this masterpiece. It most definitely has secured a place in my heart, and hopefully yours, too. - Chris
Hey man, that comment was beautiful. This game also means so much to me as well. I agree with you that the hate is hard to watch when the game has so much depth. (Like, the criticism 'its just anime' is stupid because I actually like the aesthetic of the game, it's one of my favourite parts of it!) But I like what you said, they really are similar to Amalthus in their blind hatred. This game is so incredibly special and I'm glad to know there are more people out there that this game resonated with so much. Don't you forget either, man. 🤝 Keep on creating!
I know you’ve said that you started another semester of school on Twitter but I’m glad to see you’re still taking time to make videos. Keep it up! But also don’t stress yourself out too much
Yep! I just started what will be my final year for now. I feel bad that I can't have videos out as consistent as I'd like, but I definitely don't want to rush them. Thanks for understanding and the kind words!
My take on Elysium is that the whole "Oh there's a big green endless field of land in the sky" is more of a metaphoric idea. Elysium itself (the actual liveable land) never truly existed. However ascending the World Tree and meeting the architect allowed Rex to bring the "idea" of Elysium to become a physical Elysium. A lot of people jokingly say "The real Elysium was here all along" and while I don't entirely disagree I believe it can be much deeper than that. Elysium was a concept that had to be fully realised by Klaus/The Architect and Rex restoring his humanity and speaking to him allowed him to like he says "restore the world". TL;DR: Elysium to me is a concept and never truly existed but Rex was able to make Klaus fully realise and create Elysium. Edit: I forgot to mention that when Pyra refers to Elysium as "an ancient half forgotten memory" I like to believe this was the concept of what Klaus wanted Elysium to look like and he imparted that image into the memories of Pyra and Mythra. Perhaps as some sort of comfort environment for the Aegis to rest in?
Played through this game this year while a friend was playing through at the same time and it was one of most enjoyable gaming experiences I've ever had.
Thanks so much for making this video! It was so well made and made me appreciate Xenoblade 2's incredible narrative and thematic impact with the end goal being Elysium. I also really liked the connections you made with all the different mythologys, it adds such a rich sense of culture and significance to the details in this game that, even if its fictitious, make me believe in it.
Elysium and The Land of Morytha are easily two of my favourite areas in the entire series. The way you're ripped away from XC2's fantasy world and suddenly dropped into a strange sci-fi dystopia will always be an unforgettable twist for me. And just as soon as you've climbed the World Tree, and gotten used to the change in tone, the rug is pulled out from under you yet again when you see the party's, and the player's, hopes get shattered with the introduction of the destroyed Elysium. Even after playing the game multiple times stuff like this manages to hit me so hard when I play it again, and I think it's really a testament to how good this game's writing and world building is. I always really enjoy these in-depth looks into specific aspects of these games, you do a really great job of putting the feelings you get from them into words!
Your point about the presence of a dystopia is definitely one of the reasons I think it makes a name for itself as you are able to juxtapose it against Morytha and the rest of the world. It also gives it this foreign and alluring vibe.
I never thought about that Alrest is completely different from the society before theirs which is assumedly earth or xenosaga since kos mos and her blade quest...either way so I find hilarious and a bit sad that such a simple thing as a swing set or the tricycle in the cutscene before is somewhat alien to them
I love how you pointed out how one of the collectible items is called “Blinding Dream” which summarizes what Elysium turns out to be. Throughout the story, Rex is led to believe that once he reaches Elysium, he can give everyone in Alrest a world where they could live in eternal peace. However, when he arrives at the metal gates, he is unaware that what was behind the doors was disappointment. As they sadly discover, Elysium was a barren wasteland worse off than Temperantia. In simple words, Elysium was a blinding dream, a sham, and disappointment.
I can never get enough of videos like this. Even when I see Xenoblade as my favorite series, it's videos like these that make me love it even more. (Also, Chugga on Monado Heir when? 😂)
When I got to the world tree in the game I had a feeling I didn't feel since the first time I got into the twiligth mirror in Zelda Tiwlight Princess, but when I got to Elysium was something no other videogame location has ever mede me feel, It was dissaponting and nostalgic and yet... It made sence, when I rembembered Pyra's words the dissapointmet was gone leaving only the nostalgic feeling.
Xenoblade 2 does an excellent job of giving its environments history and mystique. Rooting Elysium and Morytha with realism certainly helps with that too!
What I love about the Elysium twist was how it actually managed to subvert our expectations without making the story more convoluted. Take notes Game of Thrones
I really love these in-depth analysis videos of yours! I’ve just started getting my girlfriend into Xenoblade- we just finished 1 and now she’s obsessed with it. I might show her some of these after we finish 2!
Worst (or best, depending on how you look at it) part of all this is that Jin was right. Not only would humans turn Elysium into another Morytha, they already have and nothing can change that.
That would be 'Sea of Clouds'. I believe part of it plays during the meeting with the Architect as well as Poppi and Mythra's discussion in Morytha. Really great song and pretty underrated!
*Spoilers for XC1* An old fan translation of Zanza's theme was 'Xanthe'. As far as I know, this was never an official name, but I find the history development really neat.
I really though before playing the game that this Elysium was like the one from Deponia So basically we would see alot of malos and myras pithras walking arround and alvises to
Great video, but I a have small nitpick: This isn't just your video, but a general nitpick. I'm greek and I love Greek mythology and this just kind of annoys me. Hades is commonly known to be the ruler of the underworld. In reality, Hades or Άδης is THE underworld. The underworld itself is called Hades. It's actual ruler is Pluto. The name Hades has been popularised as the name of the God himself which isn't entirely true. Just a small thing I felt like mentioning. Have a nice day!
The whole time I was playing the game... I expected Elysium to just... Not exist. To all be a myth and nothing more. Yet somehow, I almost feel like the truth is even worse...
Man, I love this game but I always disregard some of it aspects due to some bad or generic dialogue writing, but it is amazing how many details and lore are put into such minor things, how the music and shots foreshadow and create these "hidden" meanings that amount to make the player have more intense feelings, thanks to your videos, some of Enel, Luxin and other Xenoblade creators I see these aspects and can now give the game the credit it deserves.
The amount of depth in XC2 is something that I didn't really notice on my playthrough, but during the process of making these videos. I have a few personal issues with XC2's narrative presentation in some of the early chapters, but it's hard to deny how much material there is hidden. That's probably what I love about XC2 the most.
Since Torna is a story expansion and DLC accessible via Xenoblade Chronicles 2, I don’t usually consider Torna to be its own thing even with the physical release.
The only thing I disliked is that the game is almost shy of elaborating on things meant to be impactful. "Elysium was a barren wasteland all along, it's horrible... Anyway let's go to that church" or "we must get Pyra and Mythra back, I miss those two like hell!! Ok got them, ... Let's proceed to the next landmark, no hugs or anything, no time for that" bah...
Elysium also appeared another time when Malos was talking to Pyra. Love your vids btw. More Xenoblade content makes me happy :)
Thanks! Do you happen to know what cutscene that would be?
KayJulers the cutscene is called Suprise Visit and occurs towards the end of chapter 3 a bit before the big fight
@@JeffreyH2720 I totally missed that one while researching. Thanks for the heads up and I'll make an addendum to that!
Omg i never noticed that half of the Cathedral is ruined... whether that is supposed to represent Klaus or not that's freaking awesome
I definitely think that was one of the coolest details I noticed during my exploration. If it was intentional then whoever made that design choice is a genius.
I mean they did that for the temple of time in botw. You see it on the one side when you first lay eyes on it. There's some destruction you can see but it's mainly stairs and door; nothing crazy...until you run to the other side and see not only it's in ruins but so is the rest of the kingdom
I just finished this game about a couple weeks ago and I still can't get enough of it, Kingdom Hearts was once my favourite RPG but I think now Xenoblade Chronicles is now my favourite RPG franchise
I'm happy to hear you've enjoyed Xenoblade games and I'm a fan of both franchises as well!
I wonder when we'll get another game like this... XC2's global overarching narrative, *especially* the bit with Klaus, is such a stark but powerful theme.
**The price of godhood.**
I feel it's a theme rarely explored in games. The hollow remains of that which once was, the reveal of all that was done to make that which is and what will be.
But in particular, when you brought up how the "spirit of fun [...] was wholly overlooked" it really made my heart sink. It's so clearly true; Klaus was always blinded by what a human could be, and never managed to look back and see what a human once was. That's... such a somber revelation. One that, I feel, kind of rings doubly strongly as the revelation of a *video game.*
He became so consumed with the desire to atone for his unforgivable sin, that while in remaking the world, he lost sight of the hopefulness humanity can have, the simple happiness of a time long gone. His last experiences with humanity were the dystopian conflict in 20XX, and a near eternity later with Amalthus, a man already jaded and resentful towards the world he was born into.
That's... probably why he finally smiles when Rex thanks him for giving everyone life, thanks him for making the world. It was probably the first time in the memory of eons that knew he had... made someone happy.
Can you imagine that kind of loneliness...? Feeling not a spark of happiness for untold millennia, even when encountering his own creations? I'm agonizingly lonely myself but even I can't begin to imagine how harrowing that would have been. He likely knew he couldn't even turn to Logos and Pneuma for companionship, knowing he'd taint their manifestations with his regrets.
...And, you know, what really makes it hit home is that you can feel that's a core of his being, that loneliness, when Ontos explains how he longed for friendship, even in the other world. How all that he enacts is spurred by the fear of being forgotten.
It's... it's really tragic, and so well written too.
After playing the original, Klaus/Zanza was cool to me; however, he was nothing too special. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 turned him into one of my favorite characters in the entire series with how well constructed those themes of divinity and regret are.
You make a great point about Klaus smiling there too. Countless years without in-person contact with another being and somebody finally gives you a kind gesture after wallowing in self-loathing? That's heartbreaking. That line from the original where Alvis says he longed for friendship felt weird in the hands of Zanza, but it makes perfect sense to describe Klaus.
I would love to see them explore some of the other facets of Klaus, or even just how those around him were affected, in the future titles
The real Elysium was the friends we made along the way.
"We'll win with the power of friendship!"
Ow....
don't remind me of Elpys. Please don't remind me of Elpys ever existing ever again.
Why does this joke always make me chuckle
Is that a reference to that one Xenoblade 2 YTP?
Hey everyone! Two quick addendums that I didn't notice until post:
1.) I believe I kind of butchered the pronunciation of Theosoir. In the Greek word θεός that can translate to 'god' or 'divine' and likely serves as one part of the city's name, I skipped over the omicron when I mentioned it. I believe I said it that way because I couldn't find a cutscene that says the name in the English dub. Just a small thing that bugged me and I wanted to get off my chest.
2.) Elysium outside of flashbacks DOES actually appear a fourth time, which would be the cutscene named "Surprise Visit" where Malos trespasses into Elysium. Big thanks to Jeffrey H. for the correction!
Anyways, thanks for watching the video and I hope you enjoyed it!
Elysium worn down and erriely calm is a refrence to Agnitha from xc1 both use subversion expectations trope like you said.It is also inverse and a counterpart of Prison Island because it is holy,from the cycle before ,end game level,where Klaus/Zanza resides.Area before hand had Mechanical enemies unlike beasts and organic blades and monsters while PI has mystical and mythology enemies compared to fighting Mechon for 75% time.
Such a nice touch that all the Drivers make different, personal comments in response to various objects in Elysium. People often talk about Xenoblade 2 having been rushed, and there are definitely plenty of signs of that - but there are also so many moments that show great attention to detail, and so much extra effort having been put into the game. Just look at all the different idle animations for the Rare Blades, or all the different post-battle dialogues that exist.
It really is and that level of detail is shocking when you consider the internal development team size. I think that love stood out the most to me with Torna's Vanguard Switch animations being unique for each character. Those got me so hype haha.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is considered to have been rushed? It seems pretty thorough to me.
Yeah wait what about the game do people think is rushed? I could see the arguement that some voice acting may be considered as such but what else is there?
Angelsdevil It’s more in the sense of UI and certain performance issues that they didn’t have lots of time to iron out. And the dub was underfunded I think I heard.
Bear in mind they were working with a pretty small team on this giant game. To meet the deadline, there were a few things they just didn’t have time to tweak.
I’m damn well satisfied with it though!
Your Xenoblade analysis videos are amazing. I really liked your analysis videos about “Why Xenoblade 2 is an amazing sequel”, “Why Torna is an amazing prequel” and “Xenoblade 2’s greatest cutscene”. Definitely have to watch more of your videos. Keep up the great work!
It was touched on a bit at the end of the video, but there are even stronger Judeo-Christian parallels than just the Garden of Eden when it comes to Elysium. If you recall Rex's words at the end of the game, "So Elysium, was here all along," this is a Biblical reference to Revelation 21 talking about how there will be a, "New Heaven, and New Earth," "for the first heaven and the first earth, had passed away and there was no longer any sea." (Revelation 21:1).
We can see that in XC2, Elysium and the dying Titans, are thematically connected to the, "First Heaven and First Earth," respectively. They were both created and maintained by their creator/God, Klaus. Elysium is the dwelling place of Klaus much like Heaven is the dwelling place of God, but both ultimately pass away and give rise to the New Heaven and New Earth. Similarly, the Titans slowly dying parallels the Biblical interpretation of Earth, being that because of Mankind's fall, the Earth is cursed, sick, and beyond cure. When the Titans join with the land, the old Alrest/Earth passes away and is restored and there is no longer any, "Cloud Sea," which divides the people.
Another powerful Biblical theme echoed by this New Elysium on Earth/Alrest, is the idea that finally in this New Heaven and New Earth, God would once again dwell and fellowship with his people. Klaus may depart this world at the end of the game but who returns "from the dead," at the very end of the game? It's Pyra and Mythra of course, and I do not think it takes a philosophy major to see the parallels between Pyra/Mythra and Christ (the laying down of their lives for the sake of the world, the bestowing of new life unto Rex, the dying and raising from the dead). Our symbolic Christ stand-in characters are resurrected and now will dwell with Rex and the rest of humanity in the New Elysium.
The final implication I would draw attention to is the name of the Final Chapter in the game, "And Thus, Boy Met Girl." This might seem like a strange name for the last chapter in a game, since it might sound to some more like the end of an introduction than the ending to a story. That is exactly the point. All of the adventures Rex and Co. had throughout the course of the game, were essentially only the prequel, the preamble to what comes next for them. There journey was dedicated to finding salvation for this dying world and at last, they finally have accomplished this mission. Author, C. S. Lewis, described in his Chronicles of Narnia series his interpretation of Revelation's "New Heaven and New Earth," in his book, The Last Battle. "All their life in this world, and all their adventures (in Narnia) had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on Earth has read: which goes on for ever: in which each chapter is better than the one before." The chapter title implies that at long last, Rex and Pyra/Mythra's lives finally begin, here at the doorstep to Elysium. This is not the end of their story, but the start of a new one.
Just found this channel, but have something incredible to say. In the Xenoblade Chronicles 1 normal opening (the one with the Monado in the ground) you can see the tree Pyra was underneath in Xenoblade 2 in the right side of the screen. When I saw this is flipped out.
Are you a musician? Your vocabulary and musical depictions are outstanding.
Thank you! I'm actually not a musician haha.
I haven’t played Xenoblade 2 in a while and just looking at this footage reminded me of how great it is. You spend most of the game in this magical fantasy world full of silly anime tropes, and then suddenly you’re just in a modern real-world city. Obviously this isn’t the first time Xeno has done this, Morytha is basically just Zeboim 2, but man it’s still such a cool way to end the story.
I’ll never forget watching the chapter 10 opening cutscene and having that crazy surprise of “Wait a second, Klaus used the ZOHAR to make the Xenoblade 1 world?” That took me by surprise so much that it wasn’t until after I finished the game that I stopped and realized, “Holy crap this entire game took place on Earth the whole time.” It’s not quite as insane as the endgame reveals of Gears, but man is it just a bizarre thing to think about. Thanks for reminding me how great this game is, this video was a great trip down memory lane.
Probably my favourite part of Elysium is how it pushes you _out_ of immersion. The world of Elysium is one that can be traced back to a familiar one. While Morytha had a similar effect, I feel it much more strongly with Elysium because it was closer to suburbia. There wasn't as much steel and oppressive metal like the World Tree itself or Morytha, instead the structures, if imagined in their prime, would make a very comfortable place to live. As someone who lives in a suburban town, it feels so much closer to home than the dense city of Morytha. Even in its prime, Morytha wouldn't have that much greenery unless specifically built to include it, and that small playground has far more space than would be allowed in the city. Essentially, Elysium's past feels not just like today's Earth in general, but the place directly outside my own home.
Always enjoy your analysis videos. I'm sure everyone else does.
Thanks so much! It's kind words like these that keep me going.
One of the best Xenoblade channels out there for sure! Really hope you get Chugga on Who Wants To Be A Monado Heir, it's gotta happen!
Thanks, Peter!
I remember out loud going "WHAAAAAT" when I first got here. Not only did I feel betrayed by the fact that it was empty, I was pissed I didn't see this twist coming because it makes total sense
You're quickly becoming one of my favorite TH-camrs. ^-^
2020 has been a rough year for so many reasons, but the sheer rejuvenation that has occurred within the Xenoblade community gives me the refreshing feeling I find myself often needing to face the next dreadful headline one by one.
All of this culminates into a feeling within me not unlike the duality of Elysium itself described in this essay.
We could all use an Elysium in our lives when we all pull through this in the end.
Rex and Pyra for Smash
This video was amazing.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 completely changed my life, and I owe a lot of respects to the game itself and to Monolithsoft/Nintendo as well as Etika (Desmond Daniel Amofa - Rest in peace 🖤) for introducing the series to me on stream back in 2017 during the Nintendo Switch event in march, and playing the game later that year.
This was the first video game that truly opened my eyes to life and the wonderful yet spiralling world we live in.
Some people will say “what the heck dude why do you care so much It’s just a video game…” But I believe that there is an unshakable power within this game, and that power expanded my mind to a whole new level. I see the world differently, and in ways more honestly and humbly and made me appreciate my life and others’ significantly more.
Whether that’s talks about the gift of manifestation from Jin, or the act of simply believing in oneself, I’ve grown so much as a person but I’m not without my flaws. And when doubt or fear comes knocking, Gramp’s words soothingly echo in: “Believe in yourself, Rex…”
A simple line that has so much power.
This was the first game I ever played that had me balling multiple times during my play through, and months and years after just thinking of the characters and the story brought me to tears. They are tears of joy and heartache of the challenges rex and the group went through, and how this game makes me feel. The shattered illusion of a promised land.
It saddens me to see so many game reviewers, and gamers online bash this game as being nothing more than just “anime” and waifus”. While I’ll agree it’s not a perfect game technically speaking (no game is), they hate without knowing the immense level of depth and passion it possesses.
When I see the impact of negative influential people whether it be online or even with those in my own life, I remember Amalthus - How he lost the one thing that made him strong, protected and safe, and how he turned to oppose the world. I feel for him and people who suffer like him. Blinded by hatred. The beauty of what once was, is now a curse.
Amazingly enough, this game inspired countless ideas for upcoming music I’ve been working on. As a creative individual in the music industry, Finding inspiration can be a challenge from time to time. Seeing what Monolithsoft has done with the Switch and extremely limited staff that relied on outsourcing upon creating the game, has motivated me immensely and brought to light the similarities we share. Working from home during a global pandemic was scary, but also gave me the opportunity to work on myself and my music - outsourcing was a necessity. Just seeing Pyra’s face alone from her awakening scene in chapter one, filled my mind with melodic patterns and some really cool projects that I can’t disclose any info on at the moment, but if your a fan of electronic dance music, feel free to check out my work.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 will forever be my favourite video game of all time, and I’m so grateful that I had the opportunity to experience this masterpiece. It most definitely has secured a place in my heart, and hopefully yours, too.
- Chris
Hey man, that comment was beautiful.
This game also means so much to me as well. I agree with you that the hate is hard to watch when the game has so much depth. (Like, the criticism 'its just anime' is stupid because I actually like the aesthetic of the game, it's one of my favourite parts of it!)
But I like what you said, they really are similar to Amalthus in their blind hatred.
This game is so incredibly special and I'm glad to know there are more people out there that this game resonated with so much.
Don't you forget either, man. 🤝 Keep on creating!
I know you’ve said that you started another semester of school on Twitter but I’m glad to see you’re still taking time to make videos. Keep it up!
But also don’t stress yourself out too much
Yep! I just started what will be my final year for now. I feel bad that I can't have videos out as consistent as I'd like, but I definitely don't want to rush them. Thanks for understanding and the kind words!
Had me saying, "wow..." multiple times
I'm on my third playthrough, watching Chuggas playthrough and now content like this, what a time to be alive!
I love your videos, xenoblade chronicles 2 is one of my favorite games of all times, please continue make content about it
My take on Elysium is that the whole "Oh there's a big green endless field of land in the sky" is more of a metaphoric idea. Elysium itself (the actual liveable land) never truly existed. However ascending the World Tree and meeting the architect allowed Rex to bring the "idea" of Elysium to become a physical Elysium. A lot of people jokingly say "The real Elysium was here all along" and while I don't entirely disagree I believe it can be much deeper than that. Elysium was a concept that had to be fully realised by Klaus/The Architect and Rex restoring his humanity and speaking to him allowed him to like he says "restore the world".
TL;DR: Elysium to me is a concept and never truly existed but Rex was able to make Klaus fully realise and create Elysium.
Edit: I forgot to mention that when Pyra refers to Elysium as "an ancient half forgotten memory" I like to believe this was the concept of what Klaus wanted Elysium to look like and he imparted that image into the memories of Pyra and Mythra. Perhaps as some sort of comfort environment for the Aegis to rest in?
Played through this game this year while a friend was playing through at the same time and it was one of most enjoyable gaming experiences I've ever had.
Beat the game like 4 days ago. Grinding for more blades has been a pain in my ass, but still loved it.
I honestly haven't even gotten all of the rare blades haha. KOS-MOS still eludes me.
Thanks so much for making this video!
It was so well made and made me appreciate Xenoblade 2's incredible narrative and thematic impact with the end goal being Elysium.
I also really liked the connections you made with all the different mythologys, it adds such a rich sense of culture and significance to the details in this game that, even if its fictitious, make me believe in it.
Elysium and The Land of Morytha are easily two of my favourite areas in the entire series. The way you're ripped away from XC2's fantasy world and suddenly dropped into a strange sci-fi dystopia will always be an unforgettable twist for me. And just as soon as you've climbed the World Tree, and gotten used to the change in tone, the rug is pulled out from under you yet again when you see the party's, and the player's, hopes get shattered with the introduction of the destroyed Elysium. Even after playing the game multiple times stuff like this manages to hit me so hard when I play it again, and I think it's really a testament to how good this game's writing and world building is.
I always really enjoy these in-depth looks into specific aspects of these games, you do a really great job of putting the feelings you get from them into words!
Your point about the presence of a dystopia is definitely one of the reasons I think it makes a name for itself as you are able to juxtapose it against Morytha and the rest of the world. It also gives it this foreign and alluring vibe.
Great video! I enjoy these a lot!
Your videos have such great quality, you seriously need more subscribers.
I never thought about that Alrest is completely different from the society before theirs which is assumedly earth or xenosaga since kos mos and her blade quest...either way so I find hilarious and a bit sad that such a simple thing as a swing set or the tricycle in the cutscene before is somewhat alien to them
Amazing video as usual. Keep up the good work man
I have been rewatching all your vids lol and I got so happy when I saw this pop up
You are honestly so fucking smart. 90% of the things you said totally went over my head. Especially the detail about the architecture of the Church
I really enjoy your analysis videos! Especially your topics on Xeno!
Oh fuck now I have to research Greek mythology too before Xenoblade 3 comes out.
Man can’t believe it’s basically been a year since I’ve started watching this channel. Love the videos, keep it up man
Thanks for watching my videos for so long, and will do!
I love how you pointed out how one of the collectible items is called “Blinding Dream” which summarizes what Elysium turns out to be. Throughout the story, Rex is led to believe that once he reaches Elysium, he can give everyone in Alrest a world where they could live in eternal peace. However, when he arrives at the metal gates, he is unaware that what was behind the doors was disappointment. As they sadly discover, Elysium was a barren wasteland worse off than Temperantia. In simple words, Elysium was a blinding dream, a sham, and disappointment.
I can never get enough of videos like this. Even when I see Xenoblade as my favorite series, it's videos like these that make me love it even more.
(Also, Chugga on Monado Heir when? 😂)
I'm glad to hear you enjoy the videos! And I can't make any promises lol.
When I got to the world tree in the game I had a feeling I didn't feel since the first time I got into the twiligth mirror in Zelda Tiwlight Princess, but when I got to Elysium was something no other videogame location has ever mede me feel, It was dissaponting and nostalgic and yet... It made sence, when I rembembered Pyra's words the dissapointmet was gone leaving only the nostalgic feeling.
love these videos man
I love how each location in the game had a story to tell thru its visuals alone. Morytha and elysium being the 2 strongest examples ofc
Xenoblade 2 does an excellent job of giving its environments history and mystique. Rooting Elysium and Morytha with realism certainly helps with that too!
I love your videos!! Your channel is awesome, keep up the good work!!! 😤👍 This video is great!!
Thanks so much!
Great video man 👌🏻❤️
Thank you!
What I love about the Elysium twist was how it actually managed to subvert our expectations without making the story more convoluted. Take notes Game of Thrones
❤❤❤❤❤
I just love your videos!!!!! ❤
Thank you, Daniel! Always good to see ya!
I really love these in-depth analysis videos of yours! I’ve just started getting my girlfriend into Xenoblade- we just finished 1 and now she’s obsessed with it. I might show her some of these after we finish 2!
Thanks! Ayyye, always nice to hear that another person has jump onboard the hype train that is Xenoblade! I'm glad she enjoyed the original.
Keep up the great work 👍🏻
Thank you, will do!
BRO I ONLY JUST REALIZED HOW MANY SUBS YOU HAVE OH MY GOD I FIRST SUBBED WHEN YOU HAD A FEW HUNDRED I DONT EVEN KNOW YOU BUT IM SO PROUD
LOL thanks for sticking with me all this time!
Did I mention how much I love this channel, cause I do.
Adding this to my playlist to watch for when I beat the game
Great analysis
NEW JAYKULERS XENOBLADE LETSGOOOO
Elysium was the titans we meet along the way
Worst (or best, depending on how you look at it) part of all this is that Jin was right. Not only would humans turn Elysium into another Morytha, they already have and nothing can change that.
Great video!
7:28 to be fair I don't think it's a "they don't get it", I see it more as a "they don't want to believe it"
I know I'm late to this, so I might not get a response but I'm curious about the song that's being referred to at 20:40
That's the Indol day theme.
OMG! That bike was "eaten" by a metroid!
the zero escape clip...
do you plan on making a video about ztd eventually? i loved the other 2
I did not notice the pain cone and blinding dream, both funny and sad to see, especially if the party named them.
The Pain Cone had me dying at first, but it's cool to think that it might be a spin on "Pine Cone" but sadder.
Love it.
Can someone tell me what song is this 11:30
That would be 'Sea of Clouds'. I believe part of it plays during the meeting with the Architect as well as Poppi and Mythra's discussion in Morytha. Really great song and pretty underrated!
Wait what translation is he talkin about at 20:26
*Spoilers for XC1*
An old fan translation of Zanza's theme was 'Xanthe'. As far as I know, this was never an official name, but I find the history development really neat.
7:18 i though it was evening lmao
Hey, I took two of these pictures.
I really though before playing the game that this Elysium was like the one from Deponia
So basically we would see alot of malos and myras pithras walking arround and alvises to
He says we see it 3 times But we actually see it more when we get to the ruins☝️🤨
the heck is that spiderman thingi lmao
Great video, but I a have small nitpick:
This isn't just your video, but a general nitpick. I'm greek and I love Greek mythology and this just kind of annoys me. Hades is commonly known to be the ruler of the underworld. In reality, Hades or Άδης is THE underworld. The underworld itself is called Hades. It's actual ruler is Pluto. The name Hades has been popularised as the name of the God himself which isn't entirely true. Just a small thing I felt like mentioning. Have a nice day!
The Real Elysium is in Elysea!!!
Elyos : WRONG GAME Buddy!!
The whole time I was playing the game... I expected Elysium to just... Not exist. To all be a myth and nothing more.
Yet somehow, I almost feel like the truth is even worse...
Man, I love this game but I always disregard some of it aspects due to some bad or generic dialogue writing, but it is amazing how many details and lore are put into such minor things, how the music and shots foreshadow and create these "hidden" meanings that amount to make the player have more intense feelings, thanks to your videos, some of Enel, Luxin and other Xenoblade creators I see these aspects and can now give the game the credit it deserves.
The amount of depth in XC2 is something that I didn't really notice on my playthrough, but during the process of making these videos. I have a few personal issues with XC2's narrative presentation in some of the early chapters, but it's hard to deny how much material there is hidden. That's probably what I love about XC2 the most.
I'm sorry but why didn't you say there was gonna be torna spoilers in the beginning.
Since Torna is a story expansion and DLC accessible via Xenoblade Chronicles 2, I don’t usually consider Torna to be its own thing even with the physical release.
@@KayJulers Well can't blame you I should have played it already.
The only thing I disliked is that the game is almost shy of elaborating on things meant to be impactful. "Elysium was a barren wasteland all along, it's horrible... Anyway let's go to that church" or "we must get Pyra and Mythra back, I miss those two like hell!! Ok got them, ... Let's proceed to the next landmark, no hugs or anything, no time for that" bah...
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is shamefully good.