Xenoblade Chronicles 3: The Hopes and Fears of Anxious Superfans | Nerd Soapbox
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 13 ก.ย. 2024
- We are incredibly excited for Xenoblade Chronicles 3! We just hope it is NOTHING like Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and EVERYTHING like Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition! However, we hope Xenoblade 1 & 2 fans alike will enjoy this new entry!
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You know they say not everything is for you and thats fine but bashing something just because it isn't catered to your tastes is just obnoxious, being entitled and silly.
Normally I’d grant you that, but to take a game that’s catered for a specific taste and then make a sequel that’s everything that first game isn’t in all the wrong ways feels like a betrayal to the fans they had captured with the first. Like we said in the video, this isn’t a judgment of those who loved XC2 - it’s a statement of our disappointment that the sequel to our favorite RPG of all time was made into something we couldn’t enjoy. I would venture to say that would upset anyone whose favorite series underwent the same treatment.
@@SimplyNerdy I understand but xenoblade is a niche series they had to go about ways to pull in newer players and I'd say they successfully did so. Alot of the newer fans came in to the xb community BECAUSE OF xb2 and alot of them were otaku/weebs who enjoyed the fan service as well as the story. Also you mentioned how you could change the "skimpy" costumes in xb1, idk if you know but you could Also do the same for xb2 if you didn't like the original cloths and it would of been completely fine.
I’ll grant you that, and I certainly welcome new fans. I have nothing against anime, I just want the option to tone down the fan service.
Also, look at you casually dropping a bombshell like it was nothing, haha - how does one change outfits in XC2? I could swear the option didn’t exist when it first came out at least. I know there were color swaps, but they otherwise still had the same outfit. The only one I’m aware of that’s an actual outfit change was one for Mythra that made her look like her SSBU design. Seriously, if that’s a general option now, please share! That would be an absolute game changer for me!
@@SimplyNerdy sorry I just replied. Haha I've yet to play the dlc ( I was burnt out by going for a 100% completion which took almost 500 hours) but I remember the dlc adding the option of changing outfits if memory serves me correctly, they added bikinis costumes but also costume for pyra which is less revealing. I'd confirm it rn but I'd need to find the game lmao
As an XC2 superfan, I'd argue that the reason why XC2 was a disappointment to so many people is because it positioned itself as a successor to the original despite being an INCREDIBLY differently presented game. If it wasn't presented as a sequel (say if it was called "Xenoblade Chronicles Y") or if it was a completely different series (say "Xenocore") then ppl would have warmed up to it more quickly. Back when it was announced and before I even got into Xenoblade, the trailer utterly baffled me and a few years later I felt that XCDE would completely outclass it. Though I am curious about what ppl like you think of Pyra and Mythra's inclusion in Smash - are you okay with it? Would you have preferred a different character (Xenoblade or otherwise)?
Thank you for your comment! I completely agree - if they had presented it as something other than a direct sequel, I personally think it would have gone over much better. That being said, its plot connections to the original were some of its strongest elements, so I find myself torn. In all honesty, even though I also preferred the narrative style of XC much more than XC2, it was primarily the overtly sexualized presentation of the majority of the female characters that did most of the work in holding the game back for me.
As for Pyra/Mythra’s inclusion in Smash, I’m actually perfectly fine with it, largely because they did what I still want them to make possible in XC2 generally - toned down the sexualization. Pyra/Mythra might not be my favorite characters ever imagined, but they’re solid and powerful, and they look positively hype in some of the high-level Smash matches I’ve watched. I know Smash has an over-abundance of sword-wielding anime characters, but I happen to favor such characters (yes… I’m part of the problem haha), so I welcome their inclusion! 😂
In the end, despite some of my other more minor issues with other aspects of XC2’s mechanics, I would actually really like the game quite a bit if not for the lack of an option to reduce the sexualization present in the game for my personal experience. If they ever patch that in for more characters than just Mythra, I could see myself happily going back to play more of the game.
Thank you again for your thoughtful comment! I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day!
@@SimplyNerdy I agree. I do kinda feel that the plot connections were made more shocking by how different the games were, but in the end I think it would have been better to keep the female characters more subdued and more in line with the first game. A lot of XC2 fans point out Sharla as an example of how XC1 also had sexualization but she's very very tame compared to XC2's examples, particularly things like (*shudders*) Dahlia.
Pyra and Mythra actually helped me get into the series as a whole through XC2! I had known Shulk for years from Smash and was mildly motivated to play XC1, but it was playing through XC2 and using Shulk in it that finally got me to try XCDE. Both games are great, though I prefer XC2 but understand it does have issues and it isn't to everyone's tastes (the crappy tutorials and only so-so voice direction are easy to notice). It's my favorite game ever and I have over 2000 hours in it, but I wouldn't call it the best game I ever played (BOTW, for example, blows it out of the water). Have you tried the Torna prequel? A lot of people say it's better than the base game. The tone and characters feel a bit more like XC1 than XC2, and the game tones the sexualization WAY down (such as with main character Lora); there's a lot less cringe humor and a more serious tone overall where there's more of a sense of camaraderie between the protagonists.
I feel like SaitoM was a very weird choice as the main character designer for the game, Given his history, it's no wonder that so many characters were sexualized. I kinda feel like they should have just gotten Nomura to do all the main character designs, his one female design (Patroka) is a lot more subdued similar to Melia aside from her ridiculous tengu-geta shoes.
You too! Your video is different from the situation I'm used to seeing on Twitter where I see XC1 fans just mindlessly bash on XC2 (a certain incident on the game's anniversary comes to mind). I fully understand your reasons for not liking the game and I acknowledge that the excessive sexualization is one of the game's weaknesses. I prefer Mythra's Smash outfit by far and it's the version that I cosplay, it just improves her character design a lot.
Sharla was definitely more risqué in XC than most others, I have to grant that. But with the ability to change gear appearance - and with the inclusion of the even better fashion gear mechanic in XCDE - her sexualization wasn’t forced on me, and I liked that a lot.
And YES… Dahlia. 🤢 I’m just thankful she’s optional… Sometimes I feel like anime employs what it considers to be a basically mathematical formula which dictates that a female character’s strength is inversely proportional to how much she covers up (case in point: Poppi’s forms)… and I think this just objectifies rather than empowers her. I like how games such as the recent Horizon Forbidden West can show that women can be powerful without needing to be “eye candy”. I personally put Aloy up there with the best of gaming.
And I confess I haven’t played Torna, though I’ve heard it’s excellent. You say it tones the sexualization down? What about in the cases of Mythra and Brighid? I really would love to play it if sexualization isn’t such an issue!
@@SimplyNerdy oh it isn't an issue at all! The only issue is that their designs are unchanged from the XC2 base game but it doesn't spend time putting them in sexy-anime-tropey shots and situations, and Mythra still has her Smash outfit as an obtainable costume. And they're really the only characters with sexualized designs, Lora and Haze are also part of the main party and have far more modest designs.
I just might have to check it out then!
XC2 has like 4 fanservice scenes and the game is a return to form for the xeno series(Gears, Saga).
If you stick to the main storyline, yes. Either way, all we’re asking for is the option to tone it down, as XC/XCDE and XCX made possible. Give us back our swappable gear and fashion sets, and our complaints largely evaporate. That’s what we’re hoping for in XC3, because DANG that game looks incredible.
@@SimplyNerdy I'm sorry but you are SEVERELY exaggerating. Like this is not full hentai first of all. And when you get your swappable gear and fashion sets, how do the complaints 'largely' evaporate? Is that it? Some nudity HERE AND THERE (less than 1% of the entire game length) and swappable gear and all of a sudden you are fine? I dunno man. XC2 had one of the strongest lores in the entire series rivalling the beauty of XC1 lore. XC2's chapter 10 was one of the most profound and shocking moments in the series. (Klaus, space station, Conduit etc) In fact, since I've finished XC3, I can say with absolute confidence that not only XC3 is my least favourite in the trilogy but also in terms of story and pacing it was so bad that I'm ashamed to call it a Xenobalde game, let alone the trilogy finale. XC3 was EXTREMELY underwhelming. Nowhere near good as XC1 and XC2. What are your final thoughts on XC3?
The “full hentai” comment was indeed hyperbole to some degree, but yes, I’m pretty dead serious about my opinion changing significantly if the fan service were ever either removed or made optional. For me, it’s not so much the frequency of it as it is the egregiousness of it. From the main cast, Pyra, Mythra and Brighid were, in my opinion, blatantly hyper-sexualized in a big in-your-face kind of way, but they’re mild compared to some of the other Blades. A bunny lady wearing nothing but semi-transparent ice? A young girl with a miniskirt so short her entire backside shows, who follows you around in a floating bathtub? And let’s not forget Tora, who gets a dedicated scene that makes it very clear he’s made a robot sex slave for himself. These examples are the very definition of egregious to me, and I don’t want to see it. At all. XC1 and XCX gave me the choice to not view such things via gear choices; XC2, on the other hand, not only removed that choice, but then flaunted the sexualization. So yes, that’s enough to make it fall dead last in my estimation. I have other complaints as well - hate the gacha system for Blades, don’t love how everything up until Morytha felt like anime misadventures - but those wouldn’t be enough to hold the game back from being great in my eyes, if not for the forced sexualization. “Player choice” are the watchwords for me here, and XC2 didn’t give me the slightest option for it.
As for the lore argument, I’ll absolutely give you that point - everything from Morytha onwards felt as magical as anything from XC1. My problem was that everything before that felt pointless in my opinion, so it didn’t hit as hard as it would have. The ending was incredible, but that didn’t redeem what came before. Again, a personal opinion, and I certainly respect yours. But for me, if the entire plot had been like everything post-Morytha, I would have held it equal to XC1 in terms of its plot.
As for XC3, I was basically on the polar opposite side of the spectrum from you in terms of my opinion, haha. XC3 is absolutely my favorite entry in the franchise by far - I’m going to have to do a review once I’ve sated myself. XCDE was my second-favorite video game of all time before XC3 came out, but it got soundly dethroned once I played XC3. I absolutely adored the plot, I loved how human and heartfelt the characters felt, I loved how the world contained references to both XC1 and XC2, I thought the battle system was the greatest I’ve ever seen in any game (not even a little bit hyperbole), the soundtrack might be my favorite in the series, that side-content (but really, THAT SIDE CONTENT)… I love almost everything about the game. I’d be curious to have a discussion about why you felt it was so underwhelming, since we come from such different perspectives there.
At any rate, I hope you don’t feel disrespected by my opinions - I seek only to explain where I’m coming from, and I respect your viewpoint as well. I hope all that helps answer your question, and thanks for the comment!
@@SimplyNerdy Very interesting. Xc1 is my favourite video game of all time. And in my entire life as a gamer, I never felt such a disconmect between what I felt about a video game and what the majority of all internet vibes. Xc3's chp 6 and 7 along with all mobeuis villians and Z at the end was one of the most rushed, under developed and weak moments in the series for me. I dont have a problem with XC3 combat. I really enjoyed. Also chp 5 ending was really profound in many ways. Hero quests were also fun. But my praises kinda end at this point. Story is extremely important to me in a xenoblade game. Xc3 DID started our very strong with its lore and setting. But it did almost nothing profound with it in such a short and rushed main story. Miyabi-Joran arcs felt so shallow and badly paced in chp 6. In fact, the 200 m long snow area in chp6 is such a disappointment after Valak mountain and Tantal. Chp 7 was bombastic and cool in terms of pure battles but in terms of story and character resolution? Nowhere near as profound as Xc1 Egilbplot twist and Zanza reveal/ Xc2 chp 10. Z as a villian was incredibly basic and depthless. Just a villian to be evil with motivations of "I did it because it amused me". Similar unpolish resides in majority of other mobeius. Started out with a lot of intrigue. Didnt lead anywhere like the rest of the game. Even the combat which I enjoyed mostly has extremely long chain attacks (which stops the flow of pacing too much) and lack of strategy building with JUST 3 accessory slots. I also felt severely disappointed by the overworld design and size. The game felt noticably bigger than XC2 (which is good) but significantly smaller than XC1 and ABYSMALLY smaller than XCX. The 2nd half of the game after chp 3 was constantly linear corridor like location up until credits rolled. All the expansiveness of the open world was explored in chp 3. (excluding the ocean). I finished it Hard mode 140 hours. I did enjoyed the challenge as a veteran of the series but the 1st half of the game enemies had too much HP. It was closer to "frustratingly hard" rather than "very tough but fun". (Since I like to do slightly under levelled builds to make it even harder) if hero quests are so important to the fabric of the game,they should have increased their length, depth and intricacy along with lore so that it felt meatier and not this 1-2 hours long fun diversions but very fundamental stories that ends in profound ways. Seeing black and white mobeius CONSTANTLY at the end of all most hero quests, just being there for the sake of evil really reduced the complexity of the game as a whole. Chp 5, combat and fun hero quests are not enough for me to carry a Xenoblade game let alone the trilogy ending. Too many issues along with plot points rushed and here it is:Xc3 being not only my least favourite but also (currently) one of my biggest disappointments in gaming :( the game was still OK btw. I'd give it 8.0 But that is an unbelievably low score compared to masterpiece level games xc1 and xc2 are for me. ( I also designed my own fantastic critical attacker build as Soul hacker since I killed countless UMs. I really enjoyed certain parts of the game :D)
SPOILER WARNING FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN’T FINISHED THE GAME
I can see where you’re coming from with the Moebius characterizations, but I confess I felt that the two-dimensionality was actually intentional to a degree. As we learn at the end, Z was somehow the embodiment of the basic human desire for things to stay the same - a very uncomplicated emotion that is single-minded and primal. It makes sense to me that he as well as most other Moebius essentially embody that desire, even in terms of the simplicity of their motivations. What I found so compelling about this is how it illustrates how weak-minded it can be for us as humans to thoughtlessly pursue stasis because of our fear of the unknown. Despite this, we often cling to this desire powerfully despite its futility because we don’t want to face an uncertain future. It can even be based on a good intention - Z was at least initially trying to prevent the annihilation of the two worlds by “stopping” the flow of time. But because he was stagnant, he degraded into the monster he was at the end, tormenting people because it amused him and all for the maintenance of a state of being that only served him and those of his small group. The world was “preserved”, but it might as well have ended for the difference it made to everyone else.
For me, this felt like a very thoughtful indictment of a human failing we all give into at some points or another, where we vigorously pursue the futile end of keeping things the same. It doesn’t make sense - deep down, we know it doesn’t - but still we cling to it single-mindedly; until at the extreme end of such a course, we find ourselves nothing but the two-dimensional embodiment of a primal desire. The tragedy of N was a prime illustration of this: he chose the easy path in the end, despite the atrocities he would have to commit to preserve it, and all for the sake of keeping M by his side - never considering that his actions would drive her away from him more than any repeated cycle of death and rebirth.
In summary, my thesis here is that the power of the ending lies in its philosophical explorations. Are we like Z, who started with a good intention to preserve the world but allowed his fear of the unknown turn him into the monster he was? Or do we fight against all odds, trying to safeguard the future and make it as good as it can be, despite our fear of what it might bring?
That’s not to say that I had all my questions answered - I don’t understand how N and M defeated Z by essentially being the same desire, and I wanted more closure with how things end up after Origin splits the worlds apart again. But I can also see the ending being a commentary on how we should always work toward the future, even if it still brings pain and demands farewells. I found that utterly beautiful.
If I were you I probably would have emphasized some of the comments you make a little more in the video, because it sounds to me like your a massive Xenoblade fan who really loves 1 and still thinks 2 is alright but your enjoyment of it is largely hampered by some of it's elements. Xenoblade 2 is my personal favorite game of all time but thats usually IN SPITE of some of it's more awkward presentation bits. It's looking like you'll probably get your wish and I personally couldn't be happier. I know some people like the fanservice but some of those scenes are really terrible and it makes it kind of embarrassing to tell people how much I love 2.
Thanks for the comment! You hit the nail right on the head - XC2 would have been one of my all-time favorite RPGs if not for the rampant sexualization, and it still could be if they ever decided to patch in a feature to choose modesty options.
Also, your comment highlights our tardiness in updating our thoughts after the XC3 Direct… but I think I can safely say that basically all of our fears have evaporated in the face of everything they announced. They basically took only the very best aspects of 1 and 2 and fused them together into one VERY epic-looking Ouroboros (yes, I’m a major nerd). And that’s not even mentioning all the new stuff! Mid-battle character switching looks like one of the very best things they could have ever done for this series!
I personally think XC3 might now be my most-anticipated video game of all time, and it might just be poised to surpass XC1 in my opinion. I am VERY hyped!
…Guess it’s time to make that video, haha 😅😂
I totally agree with you and I hope Xenoblade 3 is more like the original. Xenoblade 1 and 2 are very different games and it was a huge disappointment. Since the release of 2 I have tried countless times to get into it but I just don't like it so I hope we get a true sequel to the original game.