Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is not to be taken lightly (Full Spoiler Review)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ก.ค. 2024
- It took a long time for Xenoblade Chronicles 2 to grow on me, and it’s only after playing the game twice that I truly appreciate it. Because Xenoblade 2 is a great game, but only if you’re willing to put in the effort. This game is not to be taken lightly.
WARNING!
- This video contains massive spoilers for Xenoblade 2 and its DLC, Torna: the Golden Country.
- It has NO spoilers for any of the other Xeno games.
#xenoblade #xenobladechronicles #JRPG
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🎦 You might like some of my other video essays:
▶ A great story trapped in a frustrating game (Xenoblade Chronicles Critique) - • A great story trapped ...
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▶ Final Fantasy’s last true RPG (Final Fantasy III Retrospective) - • Final Fantasy’s last t...
▶ The blueprint to Square’s success (Final Fantasy IV Retrospective) - • The blueprint to Squar...
▶ The last great adventure (Final Fantasy V Retrospective) - • The last great adventu...
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Timestamps:
00:00 Intro and basics
01:45 Combat
06:30 Learning to fight
10:48 Party customization
15:36 Blade bonding
20:00 Exploration
24:59 That (missing) feeling
30:08 World building
34:45 Drivers and Blades
39:34 Pyra & Mythra
44:33 The best scene
48:33 Failed romance
53:10 Why so forgettable?
57:52 Tone
1:02:25 Xeno-DNA
1:06:59 The payoff
1:12:27 My favorite character
1:18:02 Trust
1:22:57 Not to be taken lightly - เกม
My Xenoblade 2 critique is finally done! Let me know what you think of the video. I don’t know if there’s a place in the world for content like mine, but it’s the only thing I know how to make. I have to get these thoughts out somehow before they burn a hole through my head lol.
This video took a colossal amount of time to write and produce, so if you want to support me, consider subscribing to my channel!
My next big project will be called “The first masterpiece JRPG”. 😉
Well, the end of XC2 and XC3 confirm that Pyra and Mythra are two separate entities. I would have preferred if Pneuma was the final form that lived on to show she finally managed to accept both aspects of herself but I’m not the writer.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! You’re right in that they are canonically two separate entities starting from the ending. But my read of the story is that this is due to some sort of Architect magic separating their souls, since a lot of the stuff that happens in the ending bypasses the laws of Alrest (Azurda suddenly regaining his Titan form etc).
But who knows, maybe I’m wrong. I like this “two aspects of one person” interpretation the most, though!
@@AltercateTV Azurda regains his Titan form because of Pneuma being linked to the Conduit/Zohar
I absolutely adore Xenoblade 2, it may be my favorite game of all time. The story, the combat, the world and lore, and especially the amazing cast of characters.
I'm so happy you have this amazing game such a robust treatment, and you really touched on a lot of the reason I love it so much.
It certainly isn't perfect, but the highs are so incredibly high possibly more than just about any other game I can think of, that all the little nags are more than worth dealing with.
I definitely feel what you said about Xenoblade refreshing the way that I engage with games, and reminding why I love not only RPGs but gaming in general
Thanks for sharing your experiences with the game! I can definitely see why you love this game so much :)
It accomplishes the goal of Xenogears: ”how to introduce my interests to a young audience and get them interested”. Xenogears was super goofy in many areas, but it was geared towards a tween to teen audiences, in Japan
Good point! :)
I loved Xenoblade 2. Your comments about Jin and Malos made me realize 2 things
1. Jin and Malos are a dark mirror of Rex and Pyra/Mythra and
2. In Torna The Golden Country, Jin has a moment where he lectures Mythra about compassion. Compassion that Jin would eventually go to show Malos, whether he intended to or not.
i've heard some hot takes for xenoblade 2, but i've never heard someone say "i love this game but man this story could use shulk as a protagonist" because that's a good portion of your critique on the story
Eh, I wouldn't want to see a Shulk clone as the protagonist, either. There's a ton of ways the story could have gone heavier on introspection without copying the path of Xenoblade 1.
You captured this game perfectly. I played this game when I was recovering from knee surgery. First I dismissed it. But I had nothing else to do so I kept chipping away at it. After some combat tutorials that allowed me to progress, I got a lot of meaning out of this wonderful game.
Thanks for sharing! Sounds like the perfect game for recovering from surgery lol
This was a great vid bro. Made me appreciate Xeno 2 some more, especially the story. I pretty much had the same experience, heck I didn't even like game at first, but after watching a bunch of Enel videos and really put in the effort, it became a lot fun, even defeated an LV. 130 boss and the LV. 80 monkey. The story I just could not take seriously, expected like close to the end, but watching your vid open my eyes to the story, and how deep it truly is.
Tho the game that made me really get deep into the combat and story was the Torna DLC. Defeating the four supers boss and doing every side quest with just the resources you find in the wild , left me so satisficed and I still remember it going into 2023. So I think going hardcore into videos games can quite rewarding most of the time.
(btw will you do a Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Full Spoiler Critique video?)
Thanks! 😀 Yes, after I finish my Final Fantasy VI retrospective, I plan to make a Torna full spoiler critique and then a Xenoblade 3 full spoiler critique!
This game has a special place in my heart. I went through many emotions immersed in this world. Not only it was my first Xeno game, but got me hooked for 4 months also living through a deep depression. One of the lowest point of my life. If it wasn't for Xenoblane Chronicle 2, I honestly don't know how my life would have turned to. To me, this game was an epic adventure.
Thanks for sharing your experience with the game! I'm thrilled the game meant so much to you.
I love this game. It changed my perspective on gaming and storytelling in general. I love to hear people's opinions on one of my favorite games. Btw, finally a critique I can fully agree with. You're crazy underrated! Loved the video.
Wow, thank you! That means a lot to me to hear :)
taken lightly? This is a masterpiece
I haven’t finished the video yet but your point about getting common blades with the gacha system not contributing to world building is only partially true. I agree it’s not huge in terms of world building but it does touch on the damage Amalthus has caused “cleansing” the core crystals, basically feeding off them and resulting in so many generic blades
Good point! I do think they could have done more to explore that aspect but it’s a fair point for sure.
I really did take the whole game to finally stop being upset over the combat. By the time I reached Torna, although tweaked a bit, I was having a blast because I fully understood how to maximize damage output and the importance of seemingly small stat changes through pouch items. Using Mythra alongside arts regenerating items felt incredibly powerful as I could seemingly chain arts and special infinitely.
Torna was such a blast to play after I’d already fallen in love with the combat system!
22:19 it is of my humble opinion that you haven't *truly* played a Xenoblade game until you get stomped out randomly by a LV 80+ Named Enemy 🤣
lol yeah I think it’s a mandatory part of the experience!
The weirdest thing about the problems I have with the way the story is told is that I only get more annoyed after I play Torna because they DO a lot of the things I wish they'd done in the main story. Hell, the most believable love story in the game is the also the most tragic one - Jin and Lora. So they CAN tell a good love story. They just....didn't with Rex and Pyra/Mythra/Pneuma
Yeah that’s how I feel too. The characters and character interaction is so on point in Torna!
@@AltercateTV Torna turned Jin into my favorite character. But all of the character interactions are so good. I think that may be because they had to make us care about all of them in a significantly shorter period of time, but they did a damn good job. Jin's monologue at the end stabs me right in the heart every time.
Lora was such an amazing person, getting to know her makes Jin’s story hit so much harder in the base game…
I really liked exploring Xenoblade 2's world but I'm also a gremlin so ...
Lol! To be fair, I only consider the exploration to be worse than in XC1 and XC3, not objectively bad :)
I find this intresting, but I'll have to see this in a couple of different sittings, alas my time is limited
23:16 about this if you noticed it, the skill check in the main story are always, always using field skills that you should have using the blades the story gives you. to avoid the problem of not having the right gatcha blade (and I felt this with vigor, a skill I didn't have for a long time), the main story checks use levels that should be available to the player taking in consideration the level of the area you are in. it's a way of telling the player that before going forward, they should stop, check their gear, upgrade their blades and play the game more. I've seen people that in chapter 6 whould have maybe a few second row skills open wondering how to fill them! that's not good, it's like playing ff12 without using the job system and powerleveling everything. I think that, at least those field skills check, are good game design. clearly someone could be thinking:"but why should I use aegeon and wulfric when I don't like them and I relled kos-mos, zenobia, adenine and crossette!" and that's the cool part, you don't need to. just use the core and put them in merc missions, so when you need them you can take them out and use their skill.
so, to say it once again and one last time, main quest field skills checks are good and never unfair.
tbh it's good because if you don't have blades leveled up enough to do the jump in morytha cliff you are doing something wrong and the malos/malos and jin fights would wreck you and powerleveling isn't really a fun way to play.
It would be interesting to see what you think after you’ve heard my conclusion to the video. I do address some of the points you raised in the end, although I still have mixed feelings about the design. Either way, thanks for sharing and for giving the video a chance! :)
@@AltercateTV I wanted to reply in between sessions, but at some point I decided that it would be better to listen to the whole video, since I found some... questionable points.
so, after finishing the video, I'm giving it another go to pick a part some things. after that, I guess I can leave a final, true comment.
you say that the game doesn't reward exploration, but I really can't agree. xenoblade formulas in itself rewards exploration, since exporing rewards you with fast travel points that can make your life easier.
more than that, xb2 is really good in that aspect and, to give an example, I'll remind you of one of the first things you can do.
after arriving in gormott, you can see that some areas aren't reachable, no matter how you jump. making the tide rise lets you reach them and, most notable one, going in the lower parts where you wake up lets you swim around until you reach a luxury chest that holds some great chips and rare cores. at that point of the game you only have commons and during my first run I didn't even know that there would be different tier of crystals, so that was great.
almost all secret areas hold a rare chest and often a location for a HtH. Some places are the reward itself. the hollow tree near the lake in gormott it impossible to get into, BUT if you search for the right place, here's a slide that lets you fit right in.
but yeah, sometimes you reach a chast locked behind a field skill or even an orgasmus interruptus when, like in the hollow tree, you only find a field skill check.
while, again like the tree, sometimes there's really no need for such checks, more often than not they do have a need, since you find much stronger monsters or high tier stuff behind those checks. it's not that different from other games (and I know I'm picking an old one, but I'm playing it rn) like ff12, where you often get a road block to avoid getting you to an advanced area (not always, often).
even the tree hides aways a blade that ask you to find her driver frozen in tantal, so it makes sense that the games expect you to have reached an high level in vigor to get there so you don't get spoilers, but it's fair to not like it.
I really don't get this point, since it's not that different from xb1. yeah, you go down that road and you find a weird temple and boom, spider jumpscare and a hidden quest item. you go down another path and you find a location with a group of enemies. you go in the cave and find a way up to a secret location!
...and that's all the same as xb2, minus having actual chests.
I do agree that some locales are too empty and not curated, but it was their first game on switch made while part of the team worked on botw and released during the first cycle of switch. considering the fact that the map is even bigger than xb1, I say they did good.
oh, and the point about not being able to jump up some roots is no comment. it's just the same identical thing in xb1 and jumps aren't the antigravity hydraulic-leg powered stuff that X gave us. if you play any 3d games, you clearly learn to see how geodata work and what can or cannot be done. we shouldn't kid ourselves.
also, I have to add this: I understand that people play differently and that everyone takes different times to run through the game, but how can it be a malus not having salvagin points in uraya? yeah, it's big, the whole first part makes you feel like you are inside the innards of a giant whale with low lit corridors, acid and weird membrane around. you got swallowed and now you are under the sea, how should you salvage? I find it's a pro not forcing every area to have a salvagin spot so that the realism of the world is best kept.
and really, how long is chapter 3? it's not short, but garfont stuff may take an hour or 2 if you do sidequests and kill most enemies, and reaching the capital takes 1 hour, 2 at best unless you get stuck trying to beat certain enemies. after that 1 hour to finish the final sequence and boom, mor ardain, where one of the first things you find is a salvaging spot. many of them, actually!
@@AltercateTV I do agree with the omnipresence of the cloud sea and the fact that salvaging should have a much bigger role (but it's not marginal, when you think about it), but the world is presented in a good way. I'll go further and say that what you proposed it's a terrible idea! as a character rex is a child forced to mature and face the responsabilities of an adult, but he's still a child and as every child does, he wouldn't care for gramps to tell his some past time stories.
the other introduction you proposed would be an even bigger problem. people know when a titan is dying, they would evacuate. what should salvagers salvage there? that would be more like scavenging. even worse, that would be a whole huge section of gameplay to add to chapter one, something that, for some people, is already a far too long introduction that doesn't lets you actually see the real gameplay for a long time. adding more to that would probably create a few problems and more criticism.
@@AltercateTV ohhh, someone that recognize that tora is a great character, even if he's usen as a comedic relief!
you understod right the fact that pyra is created as another persona for dealing with the stuff that mythra couldn't, but she's also what mythra thinks everyone expect of her and she can't be.
I'm tackling this section per sections, so I should say this AFTER, but I think I need to say this because it's important. pyra and mythra aren't just 2 personalities in 1 body, they are 2 person sharing the same body. pyra isn't a mask, she's an actual person. she wants stuff that mythra doesn't, she has preferences, she's her own person with her own problems. mythra has the leading role, but that doesn't mean pyra is just her mask. we see her complain to mythra about some stuff she does.
yes, they are indeed 2 complementing characters, both in personality and design, but they are distinct individuals. it's like saying that I'm the guy with black hair that can code and do martial arts, but that the guy with blonde hair that can run like the wind and solve rubik cubes is the same as me, just another mask that I could wear. no, we are different, we are individuals.
48:45 ...excuse me, but what the fuck? first of all, how do you think a sword is swung? it's nothing flashy like in movies or telefilms, nor anime. but let's put aside realistic stuff since this is a game and everyone uses irrealistic moves, let's stand as for what the game tells us: malos says, at the start of the game before rex even becomes a driver, that he has good swordmanship, which is confirmed by the fact that gramps did teach him as he was preparing for someone of addams bloodline to become the next driver and reach the depths of spirit crucible.
in the clip you show he uses footwork and does some swings and slashes. how is that a kid with his dad's sword? something like that would show a child losing balance, making the sword hit the ground, but nothing like that is seen. alright, he jumps, spin and slam the ground, but in a game with STRATOSFERIC THUNDERBEEEEEEEEEAM it's not that strange.
hell, if you go look up addams autoattack you's see basically the same moves, but with a much lighter sword.
seriously, stuff like this is what made me go wide eyes while watching this for the first time.
and now the main topic.
not once rex, until that point, shows any visible fear, unease, or distrust. nothing let's him down, nothing let's him stop and slow down because he made a promise and he will carry that promise.
this isn't just about pyra, it's also valid for his adoptive mother.
rex is really just a kid. he's 15, yet he's been working hard, alone except from gramps, surrounded by adults, to help his family and bring money to raise other kids, without ever seeing his parents and knowing they are dead, without really having a childhood, never keeping much for himself and always being cheerful. did you ever stop and think how must that feel? I can partially understand rex's situation and most of the time you stay happy and cheerful to convince yourself that everything is alright, that you are indeed happy like this. it takes a lot of willpower, but it helps. however, that's huge pressure.
let's add the fact that he was killed without ever having a chance to live differently. the situation in the world is bleak, he's discovering scary things one after the other and a whole group of powerful renegades are hunting him down, all while the powers of the world want to take him down to get the aegis. he's alone against the world and he has to move forward, because otherwise it's the end.
this drive is what killed vandham; because he had to face everything, he tried and tried, failure is unacceptable and it's not something we can face, because that would mean we wasted everything and that we have no reason to be happy, but facing a life or death situation is much more final then everything else. that was a lesson, that was a deep wound.
after going over all that, rex was still cheerful and did his best, but he then faced more stuff, he saw haze die before him, he got excluded from the nations meeting, he got sent to tantal and they tried to kill pyra, he did everything he could, yet he saw a wall, an impossible power that negates everything he had until that point. he becomes weak once again, the only person he trusted so much that he brought her to his parents graves got taken and he saw her sacrificing herself for him... that's not something you can brush off.
wake up full of energy and up we go, to the rescue? how? he lost the little power he had and he must face a god and the strongest of torna? do you really think you are ok for saying that stuff about him?
for the first time he couldn't keep up and lost his will, and you blame him for that? that's denying depression ,it's liek saying that a man always has to be strong and that he can't show weakness, that's horrifing.
I can understand nia and brighid, they are blades and more than anything they hold dear the bond between driver and blade, so it's understandable that they get angry, but they don't fear death, they aren't mere humans. rex knows that's not the right thing, but he simply has no more strength left, he's done, it's time to go back and wait for death, but at least he won't be responsible for another dead friend, another vandham.
even dromarch tries to stop this thing because he has wisdom, yet morag stops him, letting them resolve their feelings since she too understand all this, pointing to zeke that tries to make a scene to avoid passing as an actual resonable man.
in the end, it's poppi that moves rex, she touch him, she's gentle and tells him that what he did had meaning, that she and tora were looking up to him, that he matters and that they really need him, she comfort him and that's what really saves rex.
remember that pyra got taken and malos, after 2 days, could probably already be preparing to destroy the world, yet nobody actually tried to save her, everyone waited for rex because they rely on him and expect him to save the day. losing that anchor really hit them, it hit nia and she too was lost.
rex didn't "got some sense slapped into him", rex got saved by poppi.
I probably got too emotional with that, yeah.
now, going forward.
yeah, mythra stayed with addam for a long time, but why should she be stuck with him? addam berated her, addam couldn't trust her and addam weakness led her to break. addam himself refused her and in the end he sealed pyra and went on living his life. why would she loved to death a man like him? sure, maybe she could have felt something in the past, but addam rejected her and was even scared. would you love someone scared of you?
meanwhile we have rex, the guy that freed her, a cheerful guy that made her feel warmth even when she was suicidal and promised her to do everything to make her dream true, while never once showing otherwise and never once forcing himself on her, except for olethro ruins, which got mythra angry. yeah, honestly I see no point in putting anyone before rex.
and yeah, that scene was fanservice, but since when it was said that stuff like that had to be romantic? she mention it in the cutscene and we see it in torna, can't a character have a quirky trait? hell, it's a basic advice for every writer to give character stuff like that.
also, saying "if it's something I need to save us all or we all die and it would be all your fault for not saying it, you should say it" it's not a good way to build trust between people, it basically forcing them to spill the beans. seriously, think about it and think about what you said. that's the reason pyra and mythra actually fall in love with rex, because he's sensible enough to understand stuff like this.
since this section is basically done, I'll go on a tangent and recommend you a game: katawa shoujo. I'm not being edgy now, but for a good part of my life I wasn't really emotional. I wouldn't cry, feel sadness or love. hell, I didn't really love my family like films and books told me it should be done, not even my grandma, who really raised me.
maybe it's ks, maybe it's a series of meetings I had, but I feel that playing this VN really changed me and made me able to build relationships. without that, I think my last 3 years of highschool would have been empty like the first 2. losing the friendship and the great relationship with all my class would really be a waste, so I can't help but thank the VN that melt the ice in my being. maybe reading it could help you see things in a different way, give it a try.
I really enjoyed this video, you make such great points. So many people seem to fail to mention how undercooked the cloud tide mechanic is or simpler things like Rex not really bringing up Vandham as much as he should or that he owes a debt to Pyra for literally saving his life, thus fueling his desire to go to Elysium. It's such an enjoyable story plagued likely by time constraints but also a heavy helping of sloppy writing and generic tropes. I played XC3 recently and yeah, Monolith Soft has not progressed much in the 5 years since XC2. They don't seem to be very aware of their story writing flaws or simply don't see a problem in it. It's sad to see.
I really hope Monolith Soft can still revisit this game for a definitive edition release and iron out so many small but bothersome kinks in this game. So many parts could be improved by simply wording things differently, or changing a few camera angles like the random ass shot during Pyra and Brigit's otherwise engaging conversation at Indol.
I love this game and Nia is still my favorite character even if I never really liked her reveal of being a blade eater with a lazy backstory told in two cutscenes when I enjoyed her character so much up until that point.
Anyway, I'm gonna subscribe because I really love this type of content and I hope to see more in the future. This channel should have way more subscribers considering how good the quality of the video is, but I'm sure that will come so don't be discouraged! Keep it up!
Thank you so much for your words of encouragement! It really means a lot to me! :)
Yeah, as much as I loved XC3, the game definitely had its share of flaws, not least in the storytelling. It’s a game with crazy highs but also some serious lows. I’m planning a critique for the game for sometime this year and it’s going to be a weird video to make lol.
Saying "Xenoblade 1's areas are better than 2's" is not a fair critique
I wouldn’t say they’re better necessarily, but I thought they felt a bit more creative in terms of visuals and concepts! What is it you feel makes the areas in XC2 better?
@@AltercateTV I never claimed they were better. All I'm saying is that you shouldn't compare different games as a point of critique. That's like that one IGN review of SMT V where the dude complained because SMT isn't "like Persona 5".
@@Gamer-zg2wb Huh, interesting. I always felt it was relevant to compare different entries in the same series since they're often trying to achieve many of the same things. But I guess I see your point!
@@AltercateTV I personally agree with this, because comparing a game in the same series is fair, it shows the progression and the history of the team working on the series.
@@AltercateTV no it's honestly a fair comparison my man, carry on! At least with the same series and genre in my opinion is very fair
Another banger 💯
Thank you! :)
43:15
27:38 definitely but who isn't?
I find you're a bit harsh on Rex in the "best scene" section of the video, he was always the hero that Pyra and Mythra needed but after losing again and again and again and again he almost never won defeanding her or anyone who he cares about like Haze and Vandham and both of his parents he faced too many loses to one his age and losing Pyra and Mythra was the straw that broke the Camels back
about "failed romance" point of 'Rex being too young for her' but you seem to miss the point the point of their releationship is that Rex is young and naïve and can't image how much destruction her power can bring unlike Adam who was too afraid of her power to be able to help her in any way
50:29 actually this is something that Mythra does to who she feel comfortable and open with so the fact she does that to Rex mean she feels comfort around Rex
he also asked them in ch4 for them(or thanked them or both I don't remember) to be more open
Alright i'm going to be honest with you, some stuff in 2 only can appertained with subsequent playthroughs I know you played it twice but I played it and watched it tens of times and there some subtle and non subtle things that can and will show up in the 17th time you watch/play the game