In hindsight...Shulk dying and coming back to life makes wayyy more sense after Xenoblade 2 when you consider Shulk is essentially the Monado(Alvis') driver. Pyra brought Rex back to life after he died so assumedly Alvis could do the same...especially since he has more power in his world than Pyra/Malos have in theirs since it's their "original" world where Klaus still holds domain. Probably how Alvis didn't need to do the split life thing like Rex and Pyra. Also as we saw in Future Redeemed with Na'el, Alvis can use anyone as a host and leaving them won't kill the host...and since Alvis essentially housed his abilities in Zanza you'd assume the same applies. Plus both Alvis and Pyra bring Shulk and Rex to space outside of reality before reviving them.
@@Posirep This is a really good point! I only put together that Alvis being an aegis made sense of why he could use the Monado/talk to Shulk in his head but I never thought about the revival angle to it. Thank you for this comment!
@@Tronk_also not sure if you bring it up later in the video but it is cool how if you put alvis and pyra’s introductions side-by-side they are incredibly similar.
The story makes plenty of sense on its own. It's not like XB2 is really explaining anything that wasn't explained prior, it's mostly just retconning stuff to connect itself to the first game. Like most of it is explained by their world being a product of a failed experiment hosted by a supercomputer, the monado(s) being extensions of that computer's functions, and Alvis being the AI within the computer. It definitely wasn't setting up any of the events of the second game.
I'm totally gonna take this as my head-canon. Alvis having that kind of power to take Shulk out of the 'recycle bin' of reality and click 'restore item' on him, that tracks!
Watched the whole thing in one sitting, fantastic work once again! Will never get tired of hearing people gush about how amazing this game, and by extension, this series is.
The third monado isn’t willed into existence, Alvis is the monado, if Alvis is a supercomputer, the monado is an admin key to control him, Alvis chooses to give shulk the monado 3 because he deems shulk worthy of his power, he sees that shulk will make the right choice with it
21:05 Not to defend the excessive travel between objectives in these quests, but I actually unironically love the third ‘lost nopon’ quest. The premise being that he got lost again trying to find something to pay you back for all the help you already gave him, but then didn’t recognize you and asked you to help get the thing to pay yourself back with is hilarious to me.
haven't even gotten a minute in yet, but thank you SO much for adding your own subtitles, especially on such a monster of a video. i really appreciate it
After meticulously timing several lines for a couple hours just before uploading, this is the most validating comment you could've given me! I was worried it wouldn't be useful to many people, but I'm glad the work ended up being helpful for someone.
Having replayed it recently, I think the original Xenoblade is a game I respect more than really *love* in all of its aspects, but there's no denying that it is one of the most influential games of the past ~20 years and it deserves all the praise it gets. It's still one of my favorite games and one that I would not be the person I am without. It's grindy, it can be slow and tedious, and I don't feel as attached to the world and characters as I am to those of its successors, but I get lost in those environments and how engrossing they are and the cast is so endearing that it all just...works.
53:20 one thing I barely see anyone talk about (and the game also definitely doesn't make clear) is that as Sharla's heat gauge goes up, her healing gets worse but her damage becomes much higher; I believe with some set-up and at max heat Sharla's Headshot technically is able to do the most damage in a single hit possible which is a very funny way to play her from time to time.
played this game back in 2013 when the rumors of Shulk being in smash bros started spreading, was already halfway in when he actually got announced and I knew he was worthy of standing there with gaming's greatest. being such a fan for such a long time has also made me happy to see all the people who have joined in along the way and had their lives changed by such a great message. Xenoblade 1 always remains my favourite. the only other rpgs I think have come to having a party as lovable as Xenoblade 1's are the other Xeno games (that includes Xenosaga!), Legend of Dragoon, and Chrono Trigger.
This is such an incredible video dude. Super proud of you!! Your writing and analysis are so articulate and astute, and I adore how you’re not afraid to be critical of something you love so much (which is something a lot of us are very bad at!) Legend of all time Tronk you’re the goat ty for the good two hours
I'll excuse Future Connected's existence as the sole 7/10 game in a series full of 9/10s (including the full sci-fi spin-off and the other DLCs/story add-ons) because it gave use two things of immense worth: Time to Fight! (Bionis' Shoulder) And another occasion of seeing Tyrea's hilarious "flying" animation as she goes back to her home planet
I will add a third thing, being able to build Melia with all her Arts directly. Because of how Arts are got/leveled up, using Melia was imo really difficult and unsatisfied. FC recondile me with Melia.
"I can't kill you, but I can stop your blade. And I'll do it. Over and over again, until... we understand each other" My favorite line in any videogame I enjoy 2 and 3 more but the storytelling, plot and message of 1 is is really special
@@ultimateshadeofwar Idk, I genuinely believe that most aspects of 2 and 3's gameplay is worse than the first. The combat is slower, arts have less interesting effects, and fights feel more cluttered.
@@Gatchu137 Fair, i also felt the same, in fact, i think 2's combat as much as people praise it, it isn't better then 1. But i do think that 3 is better then 1.
@@ultimateshadeofwar I think 3's combat is a lot better than 2, and could definitely see people liking it the most. Being able to switch characters mid-combat is a huge improvement. Personally, I still prefer 1 because the arts have more diversity, and I think having 6 characters to control at once is overwhelming.
Amazing video, I especially loved your perspective on the characters. Even if there already are many videos about this game, you still mentioned plenty of interesting stuff and made me think about certain aspects in new ways!
I had just finished your Xenoblade 2 video and was wondering what your videos were up to now and the way my eyes lit up knowing I have another multi hour Xenoblade video to enjoy.
As someone who's been playing the series since Xenoblade came out on the Wii, it's always something special to see someone play it for the first time. Great video
THE XENOBLADE 1 RETROSPECTIVE OF ALL TIME!!!!! you did such an incredible job man, all of the time you spent working on this video paid off tenfold. i really love the way you talk about the story/characters and just the overall feelings that come from this game especially. the ripple effect of that xenoblade 2 video will always be insane to me and its awesome to see how far you’ve come!
I played this game on the Wii back in 2014 when a buddy let me borrow it. I cannot overstate how impressive this game was on a console with 46MB of RAM. I was so excited for the 3DS port, which was the reason I got a N3DS. It was nice to actually be able to have a copy of it for myself and then they came out with this remake a few years later. Both the original and the remake are fantastic and feel distinct from each other. I'm so happy that this game that I love bloomed into a whole series. 10/10
Thank you for this video! Even though many folks have made videos on this game, like you said, I ALWAYS enjoy hearing how different people’s experiences with the Xeno games were.
2:09:47 Playing that music and explaining that a certain characteristic of something isn’t the reason you love it… I was really expecting a reversal like Sorean’s last words. ‘I don’t love Xenoblade because it changed my life, it is because I love Xenoblade that it was able to change my life.’ I see you planted your Monado in the grass to recreate the main title screen at the end of the video! Pretty cool! And an amazing video overall.
I know I am late to the party on this video, but after watching this video and then going to watch your dive into Xenoblade 2. I want more. I love how you approach this and I love the way you talk about topics. I can not even begin to imagine the work that went into this, but I know for sure that I would love to have more to watch. If you ever do "A Dive Into Xenoblade Chronicles 3", I know I will watch that in a heartbeat. Keep on going and I wish you a very good day/night/or whatever day it may be.
Great video! It may not be my favorite in the series (it still is in my top 25 games), but you really encapsulated what makes this game really great. I can't wait to hear your thoughts on 3 and FR.
11:28 there's also the fact that the sword is used to drain the Bionis' ether and, as we see in XC2's Tantal, low ether usually leads to cold climates!
Absolutely incredible video. Very well thought out and portrayed. Personally my opinion on this game has sullied a little over the years with how people lord it over as this perfect piece of art that nothing in the series can hold a candle to, but I still love it even over a decade after first playing it Can't wait to see your thoughts on 3 and FR
I love hearing about other people's experiences with the games that made such a big impact on me personally. I remember hearing about XB1 for the first time, and immediately importing a copy from the UK, and being glad it eventually got an actual NA release. At this point I've sunk well over 1000 hours into the series, and still find myself drawn to all these characters and stories.
first video of yours i've found, an absolute pleasure to listen to your thoughts and i'm glad this popped up on my recommended. i've loved this game since i first played it in 2013 and hearing others speak to the same always makes me so happy. looking forward to checking out your other stuff. hope your day is well
This is a great achievement of pacing and writing - you put so much into it! And you're such a small channel, and already doing such huge projects!? Big props. 1:47:56 - I fully agree with how awesome Riki is, and for all these reasons, but I just HAD to chuckle at the sudden image-shift of him now wearing full pine-apple armor and wielding a giant, probably-smelly fish. Nooooot so cuddly now, is he!? LOL
1:15:46 I agree! I just finished future connected this morning, and still can’t believe we were baited into thinking that Tyrea would be playable. I was disappointed when finding out that you only need Melia for those two quiet moments.
Fantastic work man. Really enjoy your content on the series. Just like you said, this game didn't manage to make me cry the way its sequels did. However, there were several times that it got me quite emotional and even a bit teary-eyed, mostly coming from Riki. For me the highlights are his conversation with Dunban in the fallen arm's beach, his heart-to-heart with Shulk in the Distant Fingertip and especially his reaction after Kalian's death. At first sight Riki might look childish and oblivious but he is actually very perceptive about the fears and worries of the other party members, and is always there to confort them almost like a fatherly figure. It's ironic at so many levels, particularly when it happens with Dunban who is the de facto father and role model of the group. Even Dunban himself was surprised, and he grew to respect Riki a lot more after that exchange. It's hard to explain, but for some reason this archetype of innocent comic-relief characters that suddenly drop some of the most genuinely emotional and touching lines in the game get me every time. Same thing happened with Poppi in XC2 and she grew to be one of my favourite characters from that entry.
Fantastic work on this video! ^_^ The way you highlighted the thematic storytelling of the game helped me to realize many things I missed the first time around. I am both entertained and impressed by how you discuss the highs and lows in the game's exploration and combat system. Finally, your passion when you talk about this game and series and the impact its left on your life is genuinely inspiring. It encourages me to reflect more on my own experiences with gaming generally and this series specifically, as I feel like there's just so much meaning and insight out there for me to discover!
absolutely insane to me that such a well edited video of this length has so few views. I watched your video on xenoblade 2 a few years ago and have been subbed since, I hope your channel blows up soon because you really deserve it man! (also, the subtitles are much appreciated as someone with a hard time processing spoken word occasionally.) this is the quality I expect of channels with hundreds of thousands, so I feel safe in saying you're incredibly underrated. keep up the good work!
Oh yeah baby, Tronk is back with another Xenoblade video essay. I'm a lover of JRPGs (Tales of, FF, Trails series, Bravely Default series) , but there isn't something quite like this series for me. Xenoblade means a lot to me but it always turns awkward when i try to put into words why am i so obsessed with it, why i love the designs, why the combat is the best ive ever experienced in a RPG, why NO, the combat isn't slow and it's actually easy to figure out how to accelerate it, why it's the only RPGs i actually replay as a result, why the positives outweight the minor grievances and flaws in my opinion and just, why is it so good to me. Ive seen your XC2 videos back then and i admire how well you convey not only your feelings but mine and many other's as well, i'm sure. It's not different with this video, and i must say i always end up coming out of these with newfound love for these games that were already my favorites. Like, this is so well put, the comedy's on point, and so well structured i ended up watching all of it in one sitting. I'm sure they take a lot of your time too (holy hell, you've been working on this since 2021 ?!), so i want to thank you for these videos from the bottom of my heart. I do hope that you make more for Xenoblade 3, or honestly any game that has piqued your intrest. I don't know how to close this message so i'm just going to wish for the best in your life ! Another big thank you for this video Tronk !
this video is one of the very few that truly captures what i adore about this game. i remember buying this game on the wii when i was 12, not long after the passing of my grandmother and still struggling with the grief that filled me. i originally bought it so i could escape and not have to think about it, only to come out of it being able to truly deal with the grief i was feeling at the time. was it graphically a good game? no. was it mechanically a good game? debatable. was it the best fucking game i've ever had the honour to touch? absolutely. any time i feel alone, struggle with existential dread, i play this game specifically. it reminds me that it's okay to feel pain, to feel anger, to struggle, but the important thing is to never lose hope and look at what you can do to make things better.
Yes, I watched this whole thing in one sitting. It's the Xenoblade fan in me. Anyway, AMAZING analysis. This video proved this series is my favorite. I can hear someone gush about it and it just makes me realize how much I love it. I have so many friends that write off this series purely because it's 'too anime.' )Despite all of them taking in copious amounts of anime content) I really hope one to change their mind so they can finally experience this brilliant series. This is one of those series that really changes the way you think about things. Whether it's life, the future, or just jrpgs and gaming. For me, this game fundamentally changed what I looked for in video games. I used to really only play Pokemon and thought I didn't need a game to have a good story. But man after this series, if a game has a bad story I can hardly even stick with it. Such a beautiful franchise.
Just finished this, truly an excellent video dude, you pretty much encapsulated exactly why this is one of my absolute favourite game ever. Much like you mentioned, there are certainly plenty of things to criticise, some of which were improved in some of the later entries (i.e. writing of women is a bit ehhh, side quests are bad, combat is a bit rigid), but at the end of the day, there truly is just so much to love (and you've even given me some newfound appreciation for characters I was previously somewhat mixed on i.e. fiora). Well done on the video, here's hoping there are many more excellent vids to come. Also yes, future connected is mid lol
I'm just commenting while still having most of the video in front of me. Although I agree that the missing Nopon quest bothered me as well to some extent, I still had no trouble 100%ing XB1 in about 200 hours without having to force myself too much or running through it. I'm usually eager to complete games, doing all side activites as soon as they are available. I even manually ran or swam through every corner of the world without relying on the map being completed by just finding all important spots. Yeah, I was that crazy to fill out every spot by myself (even for the vast sea in Makna Forest and Eryth Sea), still, I didn't mind to do this twice. In contrast, XB2 was much more horrible to me. I gave up on trying to get even near completing the side stuff after about 400 hours on my first playthrough. To fully power up all Blades etc. was just too much for me, especially since I hadn't managed to get all unique Blades by then yet. I don't know if I just couldn't motivate myself back then for XB2, to do all these tedious things but I'm certain, it was more about the need of having specific goals which could be realistically achieved in XB1, while it was far too random in XB2. Having to do tedious things that require at lot of time and work is nothing new to me, my job is like that all the time, so I don't mind. But XB2 was even worse because often you couldn't even achieve everything, no matter how long and hard you worked for it. That's also a point why I liked XB1 and XB3 much better, there was far less random stuff, usually you could find and solve everything as long as you kept searching (or looked it up if you were impatient) but XB2 was merciless. Aside from that the story couldn't grab me as the other two could, all this random blade stuff, field actions and other things made me loathe this game. Whenever I try to play XB2 again, I'm soon reminded how tedious and random it is, making me give up eventually.
This franchise fascinates me so much and although ive never been one to spend more than 50 hours on one game this is a franchise i really want to dive into. I also dont have a switch and definitely cannot afford to play these games right now haha so watch analysis after analysis is all I got so far 😅
Great video so far! Not all the way through yet, but will watch the rest later. Also, you joke, but I do think the Expert system went a long way in helping me enjoy my time with this even more than the first time I played on Wii(which I did love). Being able to set my own level allowed me to do all the side content and grinding for items/affinity all I wanted without ever worrying about it killing the difficulty, which it will absolutely otherwise do. And that's a huge deal, cuz without any difficulty, I find it a lot more meaningless to engage in all the myriad progression systems. It also meant that should I run into one of the notorious difficulty spikes in terms of bosses, I could just push up my level a little bit and find the right level of challenge. It's a little tedious to manage this throughout the game, but it's the kind of game I was gonna take my time with anyways, so it was ok.
1:22:20 Still in the midst of watching this (and thoroughly enjoying it so far), one thing I will mention here is that I always had the interpretation that all of the mass produced faced mechon were simply disabled by the party as opposed to being directly killed by them, since A) Their defeat animations are them falling over and fading away as opposed to blowing up like Metal Face or any other mechon does and B) I *believe* that there is a line of dialogue from Linada at some point where she mentions how she wants to recover people in the faced mechon in order to try and safety turn them back into Homs, but admittedly I don't know if that's legit or if I'm just making it up. Definitely still funny tho EDIT: Did a bit of googling, allegedly the information about the party just injuring the mass produced faces is also mentioned in the Monado Archives art book, tho that obviously is supplementary material only officially released in Japan.
Pretty solid video! I also loved the inclusion of BCS and BB clips here. I’m in the process of watching BCS and finished BB. Just one small thing, I wouldn’t call Mumkhar completely shallow. Cause in a few Heart to Hearts after Mumkhar dies (especially with the one with Dunban and Melia) we do get a more nuanced perspective on the guy. He literally lost his original home (including his family and friends) before moving to Colony 9. Dunban also notes what a genuinely good guy he was too (despite his flaws) back then hence why he feels regret and wishes Mumkhar peace after all is said and done. Melia and Fiora also reinforce this in a later Heart to Heart. Sorry but I just love Mumkhar, not only for the entertainment value but for his connections to the Colony 9 cast.
The most remarkable side quest in XC is Colony 6. And that is only because it gives you visual and gameplay feedback. I only did sidequests for unlockable arts and things related to party members. The affinity chart alone is not enough motivation for me.
12:55 You're not super far off here, but you're missing a little. Remember how Fiora really died but returned after Mayneth revived her body? It's similar, except Zanza was more malicious. Zanza says he picked Shulk because he was young and hadn't "developed a sense of self" yet. Fiora was more likely to still exist once the body was revived, but Shulk was able to create and retain a sense of self, against what Zanza expected. Shulk and Zanza are like a simpler Noah and N. I believe Zanza leaving the body came from the death, but there was another soul they didn't realize was there.
On the note of Tyrea being a party member in Future Connected, I feel like they could have made her play like Homs Fiora, but filling the rest of her Arts with some of Dunban's Arts. I feel feel they could have made the fog rifts more explicit by having the fog beasts be based off of Xenoblade 2's enemies
I tried even the easier superbosses in 1 and it was a struggle. Contrast with what I did on my last playthrough of 2 (just over a year ago) where, quite literally, the very first thing I did upon starting chapter 10 was going to the Brigand's Hideout and painting the ground with the blood of Reeking Douglass. Yea, he is the easiest superboss, but still a superboss (also was level 69 across all three drivers at the time compared to his 104). I think the second one I felled was Cloud Sea King Ken, all before I was level 80. Man, I should play this game again... after I finish the story 1 again. Arrived in Mechonis Field a bit ago.
I would really recommend you try Dragon Quest XI, NieR Automata, or Final Fantasy VII Remake sometime, DQ11 is a more traditional RPG but it modernizes it in a way and the DQ series has such an amazing feel it was perfect for the first RPG I loved, and still my favorite game of all time. NieR Automata is a very non-traditional action RPG with such a weird post apocalyptic vibe and such deep storytelling, and FF7 Remake was an amazing game with amazing characters and story and combat that I didn’t even need to play the original game to love
36:15 Not really, there are several times in both the original and remaster when I lost a difficult fight because visions did not trigger reliably and I got obliterated by a sudden super move(a big example is actually the funny dances the kind of monster this guy on screen belongs to use, but it also happens with many more attacks). That is why I sometimes have to do the same thing as in Future Connected where I just preemptively spam shield like a fool so that my party is safe from a theoretical partywipe out of nowhere. Of course, only when the enemy actually does have a supermove to begin with. 47:42 Well, that is the case in the original on Wii and N3DS. But with FC beaten, you get Level 12 books that remove the loot grinding by essencially replacing the other books. Good change, right? Nope. It is actually even worse somehow because it makes you infinitely grind the same challenge battle content and even tho I am almost done with this grind-e-rino after months(at least until I have to stock up items for other reasons), it completely deflates the 100% experience. Each Xenoblade game I have played except Torna and Future Redeemed has multiple "serious grinds" and I am genuinely sick of doing them by now. Monolith, that is not how you do a fun postgame experience, stop it. (And for some reason, non-RPGs actually copied this concept. 100%ing Kirby and the Forgotten Land is incredibly easy. it is also something I will never do again in my life because the grind to get everything maxed is unbearable.) Also yes, I played FC first before DE because I already played the original. 1:14:56 And that is more of a FR thing than a 3 thing too. Really, the inciting incident of 3 is better teased in Xenoblade 2 challenge mode DLC where the archsage straight up says Shulk and Fiora cannot physically enter Alrest because the worlds are incompatible and there is potential for a doomsday scenario(sounds familiar?). The issue with FC is that it revolves around characters who have no clue, so they keep yapping about potential causes that are off the mark(like Shulk saying the world may just be too new or sth). If anything, the Fog Beasts tended to misdirect people into thinking they are Xenosaga related. The confusion could have been avoided imo if they released one more paid DLC for 2 that would have been the "third alrest campaign"(that btw canonically happened, we just never saw it) because then the pattern of fogbeasts showing up in both worlds would have actually given us a clue for 3. But I get if that was simply impossible, FC alone already had virtually no budget reportedly, which explains the odd cutbacks it has compared to literally any other Xenoblade game. 1:22:22 Mumkhar:"Can you kill them? Us?" Shulk:"Ye. Except when I can't anymore." Also, it feels scuffed that there is at least one faced mechon in the game that is a unique monster. The game explicitly rewards the player(with an affinity coin, a symbol of bonds) for actively going against the vibes of the story, which is hilarious. 1:26:23 Honestly, I love how it changes the context of the final battle-dialogue a bit. Out of context, it sounds like it's just the usual "u aren't worthy, mortal!"-spiel, but the truth is that he keeps yapping about how Shulk shouldn't have visions because that is his own complex biting him. It is unbelievable to him specifically because he himself lost the ability to see into the future 15 minutes ago, he's slightly freaking out. 1:31:18 There is also a vision that continues baffling the community that kind of makes option 3 in the list a bit more definitive that ties into "a lot of visions were actually correct". When the group finds Melia for the first time, Shulk gets a vision that is never addressed again. It's a vision of Lorithia's later death, except...diffrent. Because it is a vision of a completely diffrent timeline than what we end up playing in the game. Melia is the last partymember to join because the other two are missing and Shulk never even freed Zanza, he still has the Monado 1. This fight was somehow predetermined by fate to the point where it is the exact same even with such major divergences. Btw, my theory still remains that the reason for it happening diffrently is Alvis showing up to unlock Purge. No purge, no Shulk helping Melia against the Telethia and no Shulk helping Melia, (no Riki) no special treatment in the capital(Melia would likely still bail them out of fancy detainment and join once she returns tho because they still save her. Twice.) and that throws off everything afterwards. Of course, can't talk about odd visions without going slightly off-topic and also talking about the one thing that is by all accounts a straight up plothole. The vision of Melia in the tomb. It is a vision of her being ambushed and killed by the Telethia that's there. But then she is later ambushed by Tyrea and the Telethia only comes in later...and I genuinely have no idea why. Shulk didn't change this, Zanza didn't change this and as far as we know, Alvis didn't change this either. As I don't recall any hint as to Tyrea being somehow special that the Monado cannot pick up on her existance, this just kinda comes and goes out of nowhere. And like, am I missing something? Nobody except me seems to have picked up on this and the Wiki more or less even claims the events in the tomb to be according to the vision until the party arrives when it isn't.
Thanks for another great video!!! Can't wait to see your Xenoblade 3 version of this (no pressure though, take as much time as you need, I will be here). In the meantime, I will be one of those people who recommend pieces of media to you: You really should try out the Trails series if you haven't already. With everything you've been saying about this game and also Xenoblade 2, I have a feeling you might fall in love with that series as well. I know it's my second favorite series in gaming - after Xenoblade. And the gap between the two isn't even that big. So that's saying something. Besides, there is something people have dubbed the "Xenoblade to Trails pipeline"... because there is a huge overlap in fans between these two series and not few of those are fans of Trails because they were fans of Xenoblade first and got recommended Trails based on that. So you should come join the hivemind 😎. I know Trails is a commitment, what with 11 (localized) games, but it's worth it trust me. 😎
So I do think shulk convincing dunban not to kill mumkhar is great, I entirely disagree on the reason, an important thing to note is in that scene, shulk is wrong and the game wants us to know that, it illustrates it through mumkhar’s next action, it’s an extension of the ideas about bionis and life from it that Zanza programmed into the Homs when he created them to preserve his own life, and more foreshadowing about zanza, at this point shulk already knows mumkhar is acting of his own will due to the conversation at valak mountain
I dont know if you simply decided not to mention Xenogears here, but in the off-chance that you haven't played it: There is still one more game like the Xenoblade trilogy out there left
Alcamoth is such a good and bad thing. The city is pretty, but man is it a pain to traverse while questing. It is home to one of the best events in the game, as well as one of the worst paced parts of the game. And it's in an area that kinda suffers from the same things. Alcamoth and Eryth Sea really makes you question your motivation to do quests and explore.
Alcamoth is a paradox. It is too big for gameplay comfort, but not big enough for narrative comfort. Like, there is a huge space full of nothing, but where do all these guys live?(That also keeps reminding me of how the mechon raid on Colony 9 is brushed off because not only do people seemingly forget the traumatic event quick, literally every NPC I can remember seems to be accounted for, despite the cutscenes prior showing us a massacre that should have at least put a dent in the population)
@@lpfan4491Because not every NPC is named. Named NPCs aren't going to die that early, because it would be crazy to introduce timed quests before you've even introduced regular quests. There's plenty of unnamed NPCs in Colony 9, and plenty of NPCs with quests relating to the deaths of relatives from the attack.
It's not fair to compare how much time you expended playing xbc1 and xbc2, xbc2 is much more longer. I 100% xbc1 in about 140h. I have 220h in xbc2 and I still have things to do to 100 it. And I'm not counting the extra blades you can get on a ng+.
Despite playing Xenoblade 1 for a total of over 500 hours and making an entire 4-hour video on it, I JUST NOW LEARNED that chain attacks DO give bonus exp. That would’ve been nice to know a decade ago…
@@Cinnacal I think it’s some sort of unspoken prerequisite of a MonolithSoft game to have some mechanic that is super helpful and also will not be explained in any sufficient capacity. It’s kinda nuts they don’t bring attention to it, it’s a great motivator to push players towards higher level monsters and engaging in combat more thoughtfully in turn.
In hindsight...Shulk dying and coming back to life makes wayyy more sense after Xenoblade 2 when you consider Shulk is essentially the Monado(Alvis') driver.
Pyra brought Rex back to life after he died so assumedly Alvis could do the same...especially since he has more power in his world than Pyra/Malos have in theirs since it's their "original" world where Klaus still holds domain. Probably how Alvis didn't need to do the split life thing like Rex and Pyra. Also as we saw in Future Redeemed with Na'el, Alvis can use anyone as a host and leaving them won't kill the host...and since Alvis essentially housed his abilities in Zanza you'd assume the same applies.
Plus both Alvis and Pyra bring Shulk and Rex to space outside of reality before reviving them.
@@Posirep This is a really good point! I only put together that Alvis being an aegis made sense of why he could use the Monado/talk to Shulk in his head but I never thought about the revival angle to it. Thank you for this comment!
@@Tronk_also not sure if you bring it up later in the video but it is cool how if you put alvis and pyra’s introductions side-by-side they are incredibly similar.
The story makes plenty of sense on its own. It's not like XB2 is really explaining anything that wasn't explained prior, it's mostly just retconning stuff to connect itself to the first game.
Like most of it is explained by their world being a product of a failed experiment hosted by a supercomputer, the monado(s) being extensions of that computer's functions, and Alvis being the AI within the computer.
It definitely wasn't setting up any of the events of the second game.
I'm totally gonna take this as my head-canon. Alvis having that kind of power to take Shulk out of the 'recycle bin' of reality and click 'restore item' on him, that tracks!
Watched the whole thing in one sitting, fantastic work once again! Will never get tired of hearing people gush about how amazing this game, and by extension, this series is.
The third monado isn’t willed into existence, Alvis is the monado, if Alvis is a supercomputer, the monado is an admin key to control him, Alvis chooses to give shulk the monado 3 because he deems shulk worthy of his power, he sees that shulk will make the right choice with it
21:05 Not to defend the excessive travel between objectives in these quests, but I actually unironically love the third ‘lost nopon’ quest.
The premise being that he got lost again trying to find something to pay you back for all the help you already gave him, but then didn’t recognize you and asked you to help get the thing to pay yourself back with is hilarious to me.
haven't even gotten a minute in yet, but thank you SO much for adding your own subtitles, especially on such a monster of a video. i really appreciate it
After meticulously timing several lines for a couple hours just before uploading, this is the most validating comment you could've given me! I was worried it wouldn't be useful to many people, but I'm glad the work ended up being helpful for someone.
@@Tronk_I also love subtitles so thank you very much!
@@Tronk_ Thanks man, It really helps me because I'm much better at reading in english than listening to it.
Having replayed it recently, I think the original Xenoblade is a game I respect more than really *love* in all of its aspects, but there's no denying that it is one of the most influential games of the past ~20 years and it deserves all the praise it gets. It's still one of my favorite games and one that I would not be the person I am without. It's grindy, it can be slow and tedious, and I don't feel as attached to the world and characters as I am to those of its successors, but I get lost in those environments and how engrossing they are and the cast is so endearing that it all just...works.
53:20 one thing I barely see anyone talk about (and the game also definitely doesn't make clear) is that as Sharla's heat gauge goes up, her healing gets worse but her damage becomes much higher; I believe with some set-up and at max heat Sharla's Headshot technically is able to do the most damage in a single hit possible which is a very funny way to play her from time to time.
played this game back in 2013 when the rumors of Shulk being in smash bros started spreading, was already halfway in when he actually got announced and I knew he was worthy of standing there with gaming's greatest. being such a fan for such a long time has also made me happy to see all the people who have joined in along the way and had their lives changed by such a great message. Xenoblade 1 always remains my favourite. the only other rpgs I think have come to having a party as lovable as Xenoblade 1's are the other Xeno games (that includes Xenosaga!), Legend of Dragoon, and Chrono Trigger.
This is such an incredible video dude. Super proud of you!! Your writing and analysis are so articulate and astute, and I adore how you’re not afraid to be critical of something you love so much (which is something a lot of us are very bad at!) Legend of all time Tronk you’re the goat ty for the good two hours
I'll excuse Future Connected's existence as the sole 7/10 game in a series full of 9/10s (including the full sci-fi spin-off and the other DLCs/story add-ons) because it gave use two things of immense worth:
Time to Fight! (Bionis' Shoulder)
And another occasion of seeing Tyrea's hilarious "flying" animation as she goes back to her home planet
I will add a third thing, being able to build Melia with all her Arts directly.
Because of how Arts are got/leveled up, using Melia was imo really difficult and unsatisfied. FC recondile me with Melia.
dont forget about fogbeasts and beyond the sky (acoustic arrange) :(
"I can't kill you, but I can stop your blade. And I'll do it. Over and over again, until... we understand each other" My favorite line in any videogame
I enjoy 2 and 3 more but the storytelling, plot and message of 1 is is really special
I always say this Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is the best Xenoblade as a game, but my favorite of the franchise, the first one.
Agreed! @@ultimateshadeofwar
@@ultimateshadeofwar Idk, I genuinely believe that most aspects of 2 and 3's gameplay is worse than the first. The combat is slower, arts have less interesting effects, and fights feel more cluttered.
@@Gatchu137 Fair, i also felt the same, in fact, i think 2's combat as much as people praise it, it isn't better then 1. But i do think that 3 is better then 1.
@@ultimateshadeofwar I think 3's combat is a lot better than 2, and could definitely see people liking it the most. Being able to switch characters mid-combat is a huge improvement.
Personally, I still prefer 1 because the arts have more diversity, and I think having 6 characters to control at once is overwhelming.
Amazing video, I especially loved your perspective on the characters. Even if there already are many videos about this game, you still mentioned plenty of interesting stuff and made me think about certain aspects in new ways!
watched your Xenoblade 2 and Torna videos and i absolutely love them. Cant wait for Xenoblade Chronicles 3 + Future Redeemed video
I had just finished your Xenoblade 2 video and was wondering what your videos were up to now and the way my eyes lit up knowing I have another multi hour Xenoblade video to enjoy.
The 3 hour xc3 or dlc vid awaits
As someone who's been playing the series since Xenoblade came out on the Wii, it's always something special to see someone play it for the first time. Great video
THE XENOBLADE 1 RETROSPECTIVE OF ALL TIME!!!!! you did such an incredible job man, all of the time you spent working on this video paid off tenfold. i really love the way you talk about the story/characters and just the overall feelings that come from this game especially. the ripple effect of that xenoblade 2 video will always be insane to me and its awesome to see how far you’ve come!
I played this game on the Wii back in 2014 when a buddy let me borrow it. I cannot overstate how impressive this game was on a console with 46MB of RAM. I was so excited for the 3DS port, which was the reason I got a N3DS. It was nice to actually be able to have a copy of it for myself and then they came out with this remake a few years later. Both the original and the remake are fantastic and feel distinct from each other. I'm so happy that this game that I love bloomed into a whole series. 10/10
Thank you for this video! Even though many folks have made videos on this game, like you said, I ALWAYS enjoy hearing how different people’s experiences with the Xeno games were.
2:09:47 Playing that music and explaining that a certain characteristic of something isn’t the reason you love it… I was really expecting a reversal like Sorean’s last words.
‘I don’t love Xenoblade because it changed my life, it is because I love Xenoblade that it was able to change my life.’
I see you planted your Monado in the grass to recreate the main title screen at the end of the video! Pretty cool! And an amazing video overall.
I know I am late to the party on this video, but after watching this video and then going to watch your dive into Xenoblade 2. I want more. I love how you approach this and I love the way you talk about topics. I can not even begin to imagine the work that went into this, but I know for sure that I would love to have more to watch. If you ever do "A Dive Into Xenoblade Chronicles 3", I know I will watch that in a heartbeat. Keep on going and I wish you a very good day/night/or whatever day it may be.
A pleasant surprise for sure, your dives are always a good (two-hour or so) time!
Great video! It may not be my favorite in the series (it still is in my top 25 games), but you really encapsulated what makes this game really great. I can't wait to hear your thoughts on 3 and FR.
Can't wait for your deep dive into Xenoblade 3
11:28 there's also the fact that the sword is used to drain the Bionis' ether and, as we see in XC2's Tantal, low ether usually leads to cold climates!
Absolutely incredible video. Very well thought out and portrayed. Personally my opinion on this game has sullied a little over the years with how people lord it over as this perfect piece of art that nothing in the series can hold a candle to, but I still love it even over a decade after first playing it
Can't wait to see your thoughts on 3 and FR
I love hearing about other people's experiences with the games that made such a big impact on me personally. I remember hearing about XB1 for the first time, and immediately importing a copy from the UK, and being glad it eventually got an actual NA release. At this point I've sunk well over 1000 hours into the series, and still find myself drawn to all these characters and stories.
first video of yours i've found, an absolute pleasure to listen to your thoughts and i'm glad this popped up on my recommended. i've loved this game since i first played it in 2013 and hearing others speak to the same always makes me so happy. looking forward to checking out your other stuff.
hope your day is well
Love watching your videos. Every video has so much passion for the media you love. The xenoblade videos being my favorite
This is a great achievement of pacing and writing - you put so much into it! And you're such a small channel, and already doing such huge projects!? Big props.
1:47:56 - I fully agree with how awesome Riki is, and for all these reasons, but I just HAD to chuckle at the sudden image-shift of him now wearing full pine-apple armor and wielding a giant, probably-smelly fish. Nooooot so cuddly now, is he!? LOL
1:15:46 I agree! I just finished future connected this morning, and still can’t believe we were baited into thinking that Tyrea would be playable. I was disappointed when finding out that you only need Melia for those two quiet moments.
Fantastic work man. Really enjoy your content on the series.
Just like you said, this game didn't manage to make me cry the way its sequels did. However, there were several times that it got me quite emotional and even a bit teary-eyed, mostly coming from Riki. For me the highlights are his conversation with Dunban in the fallen arm's beach, his heart-to-heart with Shulk in the Distant Fingertip and especially his reaction after Kalian's death.
At first sight Riki might look childish and oblivious but he is actually very perceptive about the fears and worries of the other party members, and is always there to confort them almost like a fatherly figure. It's ironic at so many levels, particularly when it happens with Dunban who is the de facto father and role model of the group. Even Dunban himself was surprised, and he grew to respect Riki a lot more after that exchange.
It's hard to explain, but for some reason this archetype of innocent comic-relief characters that suddenly drop some of the most genuinely emotional and touching lines in the game get me every time. Same thing happened with Poppi in XC2 and she grew to be one of my favourite characters from that entry.
Just binged all of youre long form xenoblade chronicles videoes. Now i cant wait to see youre final video on xb3 and FR
Fantastic work on this video! ^_^
The way you highlighted the thematic storytelling of the game helped me to realize many things I missed the first time around. I am both entertained and impressed by how you discuss the highs and lows in the game's exploration and combat system.
Finally, your passion when you talk about this game and series and the impact its left on your life is genuinely inspiring. It encourages me to reflect more on my own experiences with gaming generally and this series specifically, as I feel like there's just so much meaning and insight out there for me to discover!
absolutely insane to me that such a well edited video of this length has so few views. I watched your video on xenoblade 2 a few years ago and have been subbed since, I hope your channel blows up soon because you really deserve it man! (also, the subtitles are much appreciated as someone with a hard time processing spoken word occasionally.) this is the quality I expect of channels with hundreds of thousands, so I feel safe in saying you're incredibly underrated. keep up the good work!
Oh yeah baby, Tronk is back with another Xenoblade video essay.
I'm a lover of JRPGs (Tales of, FF, Trails series, Bravely Default series) , but there isn't something quite like this series for me. Xenoblade means a lot to me but it always turns awkward when i try to put into words why am i so obsessed with it, why i love the designs, why the combat is the best ive ever experienced in a RPG, why NO, the combat isn't slow and it's actually easy to figure out how to accelerate it, why it's the only RPGs i actually replay as a result, why the positives outweight the minor grievances and flaws in my opinion and just, why is it so good to me.
Ive seen your XC2 videos back then and i admire how well you convey not only your feelings but mine and many other's as well, i'm sure. It's not different with this video, and i must say i always end up coming out of these with newfound love for these games that were already my favorites. Like, this is so well put, the comedy's on point, and so well structured i ended up watching all of it in one sitting.
I'm sure they take a lot of your time too (holy hell, you've been working on this since 2021 ?!), so i want to thank you for these videos from the bottom of my heart. I do hope that you make more for Xenoblade 3, or honestly any game that has piqued your intrest. I don't know how to close this message so i'm just going to wish for the best in your life ! Another big thank you for this video Tronk !
Perfect timing I just started my 3rd play thru of this game
HE'S BACKS!!!!!!!
You can’t have a rainbow without Reyn baby
Wow, I just watched the Xenoblade 2 video. What great timing
this video is one of the very few that truly captures what i adore about this game. i remember buying this game on the wii when i was 12, not long after the passing of my grandmother and still struggling with the grief that filled me. i originally bought it so i could escape and not have to think about it, only to come out of it being able to truly deal with the grief i was feeling at the time. was it graphically a good game? no. was it mechanically a good game? debatable. was it the best fucking game i've ever had the honour to touch? absolutely.
any time i feel alone, struggle with existential dread, i play this game specifically. it reminds me that it's okay to feel pain, to feel anger, to struggle, but the important thing is to never lose hope and look at what you can do to make things better.
Yes, I watched this whole thing in one sitting. It's the Xenoblade fan in me.
Anyway, AMAZING analysis. This video proved this series is my favorite. I can hear someone gush about it and it just makes me realize how much I love it.
I have so many friends that write off this series purely because it's 'too anime.' )Despite all of them taking in copious amounts of anime content) I really hope one to change their mind so they can finally experience this brilliant series. This is one of those series that really changes the way you think about things. Whether it's life, the future, or just jrpgs and gaming. For me, this game fundamentally changed what I looked for in video games. I used to really only play Pokemon and thought I didn't need a game to have a good story. But man after this series, if a game has a bad story I can hardly even stick with it. Such a beautiful franchise.
Oh boy, here I go *watching multi-hour long Xenoblade essays* again!
Nice to have u back
Small channel that makes really good long form content? I'm eating
This is such a good video😭
Just finished this, truly an excellent video dude, you pretty much encapsulated exactly why this is one of my absolute favourite game ever. Much like you mentioned, there are certainly plenty of things to criticise, some of which were improved in some of the later entries (i.e. writing of women is a bit ehhh, side quests are bad, combat is a bit rigid), but at the end of the day, there truly is just so much to love (and you've even given me some newfound appreciation for characters I was previously somewhat mixed on i.e. fiora). Well done on the video, here's hoping there are many more excellent vids to come.
Also yes, future connected is mid lol
RAAAAAH LETS GOO MAN WE WILL BE SEATED LETS GOOO TRONK BUDDY!!
GRAAAAAHHHH--- Thank you, Pyro ♥♥ --GRAAHHHH!!
23:05 Maps fills out automatically after finding all points of interest/quick travel points/secret locations
I think the fog king was good for theory crafting because it was an enemy from Xenoblade 2 cloaked in fog, the first sign the worlds were merging
years and years in the making!!!!!!
I'm just commenting while still having most of the video in front of me. Although I agree that the missing Nopon quest bothered me as well to some extent, I still had no trouble 100%ing XB1 in about 200 hours without having to force myself too much or running through it. I'm usually eager to complete games, doing all side activites as soon as they are available. I even manually ran or swam through every corner of the world without relying on the map being completed by just finding all important spots. Yeah, I was that crazy to fill out every spot by myself (even for the vast sea in Makna Forest and Eryth Sea), still, I didn't mind to do this twice.
In contrast, XB2 was much more horrible to me. I gave up on trying to get even near completing the side stuff after about 400 hours on my first playthrough. To fully power up all Blades etc. was just too much for me, especially since I hadn't managed to get all unique Blades by then yet.
I don't know if I just couldn't motivate myself back then for XB2, to do all these tedious things but I'm certain, it was more about the need of having specific goals which could be realistically achieved in XB1, while it was far too random in XB2.
Having to do tedious things that require at lot of time and work is nothing new to me, my job is like that all the time, so I don't mind. But XB2 was even worse because often you couldn't even achieve everything, no matter how long and hard you worked for it.
That's also a point why I liked XB1 and XB3 much better, there was far less random stuff, usually you could find and solve everything as long as you kept searching (or looked it up if you were impatient) but XB2 was merciless. Aside from that the story couldn't grab me as the other two could, all this random blade stuff, field actions and other things made me loathe this game. Whenever I try to play XB2 again, I'm soon reminded how tedious and random it is, making me give up eventually.
This franchise fascinates me so much and although ive never been one to spend more than 50 hours on one game this is a franchise i really want to dive into. I also dont have a switch and definitely cannot afford to play these games right now haha so watch analysis after analysis is all I got so far 😅
The return of the king!
Great video so far! Not all the way through yet, but will watch the rest later. Also, you joke, but I do think the Expert system went a long way in helping me enjoy my time with this even more than the first time I played on Wii(which I did love). Being able to set my own level allowed me to do all the side content and grinding for items/affinity all I wanted without ever worrying about it killing the difficulty, which it will absolutely otherwise do. And that's a huge deal, cuz without any difficulty, I find it a lot more meaningless to engage in all the myriad progression systems. It also meant that should I run into one of the notorious difficulty spikes in terms of bosses, I could just push up my level a little bit and find the right level of challenge. It's a little tedious to manage this throughout the game, but it's the kind of game I was gonna take my time with anyways, so it was ok.
1:22:20 Still in the midst of watching this (and thoroughly enjoying it so far), one thing I will mention here is that I always had the interpretation that all of the mass produced faced mechon were simply disabled by the party as opposed to being directly killed by them, since A) Their defeat animations are them falling over and fading away as opposed to blowing up like Metal Face or any other mechon does and B) I *believe* that there is a line of dialogue from Linada at some point where she mentions how she wants to recover people in the faced mechon in order to try and safety turn them back into Homs, but admittedly I don't know if that's legit or if I'm just making it up. Definitely still funny tho
EDIT: Did a bit of googling, allegedly the information about the party just injuring the mass produced faces is also mentioned in the Monado Archives art book, tho that obviously is supplementary material only officially released in Japan.
Xenopeak Chronicles!
Thinking that we were not going to get this game because America was thought to be uninterested is scary o.o
Thanks operation rainfall :)
Tha goat! Can’t wait for 3 next
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is already out, you mean, the dlc of 3?
@@lucaskube7661a deep dive for 3, his 3 video is only 20 mins
Pretty solid video! I also loved the inclusion of BCS and BB clips here. I’m in the process of watching BCS and finished BB.
Just one small thing, I wouldn’t call Mumkhar completely shallow. Cause in a few Heart to Hearts after Mumkhar dies (especially with the one with Dunban and Melia) we do get a more nuanced perspective on the guy. He literally lost his original home (including his family and friends) before moving to Colony 9. Dunban also notes what a genuinely good guy he was too (despite his flaws) back then hence why he feels regret and wishes Mumkhar peace after all is said and done. Melia and Fiora also reinforce this in a later Heart to Heart.
Sorry but I just love Mumkhar, not only for the entertainment value but for his connections to the Colony 9 cast.
The most remarkable side quest in XC is Colony 6. And that is only because it gives you visual and gameplay feedback.
I only did sidequests for unlockable arts and things related to party members. The affinity chart alone is not enough motivation for me.
12:55 You're not super far off here, but you're missing a little. Remember how Fiora really died but returned after Mayneth revived her body? It's similar, except Zanza was more malicious.
Zanza says he picked Shulk because he was young and hadn't "developed a sense of self" yet. Fiora was more likely to still exist once the body was revived, but Shulk was able to create and retain a sense of self, against what Zanza expected. Shulk and Zanza are like a simpler Noah and N.
I believe Zanza leaving the body came from the death, but there was another soul they didn't realize was there.
On the note of Tyrea being a party member in Future Connected, I feel like they could have made her play like Homs Fiora, but filling the rest of her Arts with some of Dunban's Arts.
I feel feel they could have made the fog rifts more explicit by having the fog beasts be based off of Xenoblade 2's enemies
They've stated in interviews that they were going to do that, but cut Tyrea as a playable character due to having a short deadline to finish the game.
>Over 2 hour video
>Nia pfp
I wonder if you like Xenoblade xD (I love the series, and 2 is my favorite game of all time)
This is video is great.
Boosting this for the algorithm
Lets go!!!!!!!!❤❤❤❤
Just finished the game. I loved it. Just bought the second.
Got damn this is a good vid
I tried even the easier superbosses in 1 and it was a struggle.
Contrast with what I did on my last playthrough of 2 (just over a year ago) where, quite literally, the very first thing I did upon starting chapter 10 was going to the Brigand's Hideout and painting the ground with the blood of Reeking Douglass. Yea, he is the easiest superboss, but still a superboss (also was level 69 across all three drivers at the time compared to his 104). I think the second one I felled was Cloud Sea King Ken, all before I was level 80.
Man, I should play this game again... after I finish the story 1 again. Arrived in Mechonis Field a bit ago.
I would really recommend you try Dragon Quest XI, NieR Automata, or Final Fantasy VII Remake sometime, DQ11 is a more traditional RPG but it modernizes it in a way and the DQ series has such an amazing feel it was perfect for the first RPG I loved, and still my favorite game of all time.
NieR Automata is a very non-traditional action RPG with such a weird post apocalyptic vibe and such deep storytelling, and FF7 Remake was an amazing game with amazing characters and story and combat that I didn’t even need to play the original game to love
shulk got revived by alvis lol. Alvis wanted to let the humans decide.
36:15 Not really, there are several times in both the original and remaster when I lost a difficult fight because visions did not trigger reliably and I got obliterated by a sudden super move(a big example is actually the funny dances the kind of monster this guy on screen belongs to use, but it also happens with many more attacks). That is why I sometimes have to do the same thing as in Future Connected where I just preemptively spam shield like a fool so that my party is safe from a theoretical partywipe out of nowhere. Of course, only when the enemy actually does have a supermove to begin with.
47:42 Well, that is the case in the original on Wii and N3DS. But with FC beaten, you get Level 12 books that remove the loot grinding by essencially replacing the other books. Good change, right? Nope. It is actually even worse somehow because it makes you infinitely grind the same challenge battle content and even tho I am almost done with this grind-e-rino after months(at least until I have to stock up items for other reasons), it completely deflates the 100% experience. Each Xenoblade game I have played except Torna and Future Redeemed has multiple "serious grinds" and I am genuinely sick of doing them by now. Monolith, that is not how you do a fun postgame experience, stop it. (And for some reason, non-RPGs actually copied this concept. 100%ing Kirby and the Forgotten Land is incredibly easy. it is also something I will never do again in my life because the grind to get everything maxed is unbearable.)
Also yes, I played FC first before DE because I already played the original.
1:14:56 And that is more of a FR thing than a 3 thing too. Really, the inciting incident of 3 is better teased in Xenoblade 2 challenge mode DLC where the archsage straight up says Shulk and Fiora cannot physically enter Alrest because the worlds are incompatible and there is potential for a doomsday scenario(sounds familiar?). The issue with FC is that it revolves around characters who have no clue, so they keep yapping about potential causes that are off the mark(like Shulk saying the world may just be too new or sth). If anything, the Fog Beasts tended to misdirect people into thinking they are Xenosaga related.
The confusion could have been avoided imo if they released one more paid DLC for 2 that would have been the "third alrest campaign"(that btw canonically happened, we just never saw it) because then the pattern of fogbeasts showing up in both worlds would have actually given us a clue for 3. But I get if that was simply impossible, FC alone already had virtually no budget reportedly, which explains the odd cutbacks it has compared to literally any other Xenoblade game.
1:22:22 Mumkhar:"Can you kill them? Us?"
Shulk:"Ye. Except when I can't anymore."
Also, it feels scuffed that there is at least one faced mechon in the game that is a unique monster. The game explicitly rewards the player(with an affinity coin, a symbol of bonds) for actively going against the vibes of the story, which is hilarious.
1:26:23 Honestly, I love how it changes the context of the final battle-dialogue a bit. Out of context, it sounds like it's just the usual "u aren't worthy, mortal!"-spiel, but the truth is that he keeps yapping about how Shulk shouldn't have visions because that is his own complex biting him. It is unbelievable to him specifically because he himself lost the ability to see into the future 15 minutes ago, he's slightly freaking out.
1:31:18 There is also a vision that continues baffling the community that kind of makes option 3 in the list a bit more definitive that ties into "a lot of visions were actually correct". When the group finds Melia for the first time, Shulk gets a vision that is never addressed again. It's a vision of Lorithia's later death, except...diffrent. Because it is a vision of a completely diffrent timeline than what we end up playing in the game. Melia is the last partymember to join because the other two are missing and Shulk never even freed Zanza, he still has the Monado 1. This fight was somehow predetermined by fate to the point where it is the exact same even with such major divergences. Btw, my theory still remains that the reason for it happening diffrently is Alvis showing up to unlock Purge. No purge, no Shulk helping Melia against the Telethia and no Shulk helping Melia, (no Riki) no special treatment in the capital(Melia would likely still bail them out of fancy detainment and join once she returns tho because they still save her. Twice.) and that throws off everything afterwards.
Of course, can't talk about odd visions without going slightly off-topic and also talking about the one thing that is by all accounts a straight up plothole. The vision of Melia in the tomb. It is a vision of her being ambushed and killed by the Telethia that's there. But then she is later ambushed by Tyrea and the Telethia only comes in later...and I genuinely have no idea why. Shulk didn't change this, Zanza didn't change this and as far as we know, Alvis didn't change this either. As I don't recall any hint as to Tyrea being somehow special that the Monado cannot pick up on her existance, this just kinda comes and goes out of nowhere. And like, am I missing something? Nobody except me seems to have picked up on this and the Wiki more or less even claims the events in the tomb to be according to the vision until the party arrives when it isn't.
Now I'm feeling bad, bc I haven't opend the affinity chart once 😅
Are are you going to eventually do a into xenoblade 3???
Thanks for another great video!!! Can't wait to see your Xenoblade 3 version of this (no pressure though, take as much time as you need, I will be here).
In the meantime, I will be one of those people who recommend pieces of media to you: You really should try out the Trails series if you haven't already. With everything you've been saying about this game and also Xenoblade 2, I have a feeling you might fall in love with that series as well. I know it's my second favorite series in gaming - after Xenoblade. And the gap between the two isn't even that big. So that's saying something.
Besides, there is something people have dubbed the "Xenoblade to Trails pipeline"... because there is a huge overlap in fans between these two series and not few of those are fans of Trails because they were fans of Xenoblade first and got recommended Trails based on that.
So you should come join the hivemind 😎. I know Trails is a commitment, what with 11 (localized) games, but it's worth it trust me. 😎
xenoblade brainrot is real when anyone finish xenoblade
is this a reupload? you dove into Torna already.
So I do think shulk convincing dunban not to kill mumkhar is great, I entirely disagree on the reason, an important thing to note is in that scene, shulk is wrong and the game wants us to know that, it illustrates it through mumkhar’s next action, it’s an extension of the ideas about bionis and life from it that Zanza programmed into the Homs when he created them to preserve his own life, and more foreshadowing about zanza, at this point shulk already knows mumkhar is acting of his own will due to the conversation at valak mountain
Back to the original i see.
I dont know if you simply decided not to mention Xenogears here, but in the off-chance that you haven't played it: There is still one more game like the Xenoblade trilogy out there left
This game made me branch out to play other jrpgs
Alcamoth is such a good and bad thing. The city is pretty, but man is it a pain to traverse while questing. It is home to one of the best events in the game, as well as one of the worst paced parts of the game. And it's in an area that kinda suffers from the same things. Alcamoth and Eryth Sea really makes you question your motivation to do quests and explore.
Alcamoth is a paradox. It is too big for gameplay comfort, but not big enough for narrative comfort. Like, there is a huge space full of nothing, but where do all these guys live?(That also keeps reminding me of how the mechon raid on Colony 9 is brushed off because not only do people seemingly forget the traumatic event quick, literally every NPC I can remember seems to be accounted for, despite the cutscenes prior showing us a massacre that should have at least put a dent in the population)
@@lpfan4491Because not every NPC is named. Named NPCs aren't going to die that early, because it would be crazy to introduce timed quests before you've even introduced regular quests. There's plenty of unnamed NPCs in Colony 9, and plenty of NPCs with quests relating to the deaths of relatives from the attack.
It's not fair to compare how much time you expended playing xbc1 and xbc2, xbc2 is much more longer. I 100% xbc1 in about 140h. I have 220h in xbc2 and I still have things to do to 100 it. And I'm not counting the extra blades you can get on a ng+.
Despite playing Xenoblade 1 for a total of over 500 hours and making an entire 4-hour video on it, I JUST NOW LEARNED that chain attacks DO give bonus exp. That would’ve been nice to know a decade ago…
@@Cinnacal I think it’s some sort of unspoken prerequisite of a MonolithSoft game to have some mechanic that is super helpful and also will not be explained in any sufficient capacity. It’s kinda nuts they don’t bring attention to it, it’s a great motivator to push players towards higher level monsters and engaging in combat more thoughtfully in turn.
Shame FC sucks in combat and aesthetic but at least it has the best OST in the series!
This video is too short talking about Xenoblade
quest 64 better
how many times have i played this game? yes.
am i really gonna watch my 46873@56289!;_£5th multi hour analysis on it? yes.