[Review] Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition

[R e i]

Game Informations

Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition (Switch)
Developer: Monolith Soft
Publisher: Nintendo
Released: May 29, 2020
MSRP: $59.99

 

Someone over at Nintendo is looking out for Xenoblade Chronicles.For the uninitiated, from a distance Xenoblade might look like any other Japanese RPG, with colorful characters and a heartfelt if emotionally overwrought storyline. But there’s much here that makes it special, from the heart-to-heart scenes that give individual character relationships a greater chance to shine to the world itself, a land where people live on the back of the toes of giant sentient beings. One creature, Bionis, once did battle with other gigantic foes, but now smaller beings clash swords within the crevices and scars of a millennia-old battle. As the story wears on, the truth of the battles you fight and the world you’re fighting for is unraveled. Unlike many of its genre peers, Xenoblade really shines in how it’s played. Its world is open-ended, with each area feeling more of an impressive sprawl than the last. Even when areas are smaller, often impressive skyboxes and landscapes beyond make them feel more than they are. The first area of the game is a perfect example of the open-ended nature of Xenoblade Chronicles. In those first few hours players can happily just follow the icons on the map to quickly progress the main story, but it’s also easy to wander off into the world, tackling side quests, picking up items and simply exploring.  Later, buffed up and impressive, you can come back and squash these enemies. Looking at all of this in 2020, ten years after the game’s original release, one has to wonder if elements of Xenoblade’s design later crept into The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – which is naturally a huge compliment to pay. Once you enter into combat with the enemy, things again are a little deceptive looking.One of the largest determining factors of such releases is pretty simple: how good was the original game? For Xenoblade, Nintendo and Monolith Soft’s huge Wii RPG, the answer is favorable indeed. While thinking of the Wii probably first conjures up images of sports and fitness games, mini-game collections and Wii Remotes flung to shatter the screen of a brand new TV, Xenoblade is arguably one of the console’s most important and stand-out games. In fact, of everything Nintendo introduced in that era it is one of the most relevant today. Where other successes have faded, Xenoblade has a Smash character, two sequels including an excellent Switch entry, a 3DS port, and a feverish fan demand for another entry. . Yes, the resolution and framerate are limited here (504p-720p docked, 30FPS respectively), but everything looks breathtaking on a pure aesthetic level. Performance is going to be a sticking point for some, especially around the resolution, which is adaptive. It can vary wildly, and when things get particularly busy it can limbo surprisingly low – but honestly, I haven’t found the performance to be inadequate at all. This is a better-looking and better-performing version of the game than either of the previous versions. It’s true that Monolith Soft probably could’ve squeezed even better performance out of this version of the game had they not done so many smaller upgrades to its visuals.

Speaking of combat, Xenoblade is like a mix of action and RPG sensibilities. You auto-attack, but slowly walk around an arena akin to the Tales series, choosing abilities from a horizontal bar. The key is that the choices and order matter somewhat, as you can hit positional attacks from beside or behind an enemy for extra damage, or combo state changes off one another for temporary crowd control. Although it'll take you some time to really understand aggro management (so you can actually activate said positionals when the enemy isn't focused on you), all of this is communicated through very helpful tutorials. In fact, Xenoblade prides itself on accessibility, with a "story catch-up" popup that's viewable at any time, a save-anywhere feature, fast travel, auto-quest turn-ins, transmogrification (read: cosmetic customization) and an ever-present optional casual or expert mode difficulty toggle. It's a great gateway JRPG. It does have its drawbacks though. Combat can feel very passive outside of boss fights, going through the same motions for "optimal" combos to save time and clear trash for experience. While Xenoblade is littered with hundreds of quests, many of them are "collect two bones" or "kill [x] enemies" — garden variety opening MMO stuff — which can get tiring. The AI (you can't control all three party members at once, just the lead) can also still act stupidly and you can't fine-tune their strategies.While it has the look of an action RPG, the DNA strands that make up Xenoblade are perhaps more closely related to tactical and turn-based RPGs, where it’s all about using the right moves at the right time. While you do rack up combos through chain attacks, it’s more about picking the right sequence of attacks to force an enemy error, or stack up different status effects in order to topple or stun a foe. Some compare the rhythm to that of an MMO, where characters will actively tank while others kite around the rear of the enemy to execute moves that dish out big damage. In other ways it resembles the excellent Final Fantasy 12, but with more of a focus on executing moves directly than complicated AI routines.The flow of combat is determined, of course, by additional depth in the menus. You can have three party members at any given time, and each party member can equip a range of arts, the special skills you trigger to deal the most damage. Your party and arts composition will massively change the way combat is approached. This mesh of interlocking systems make Xenoblade one of the most satisfying RPGs of the last decade for sheer potential around mechanical experimentation and exploitation.There’s not much to drag the game down, to be honest – some dodgy voice over, a story that takes a little too long to get going… stuff that, in the grand scheme of things, is pretty inconsequential. In the end, Xenoblade is a triumph, and in this sense it’s perhaps no surprise it went on to become a thriving new franchise for Nintendo. So, that’s Xenoblade: one of the best RPGs of its time, and a shining beacon in the Japanese RPG world released at a time when that particular sub-genre was struggling. It holds up well – so what of the remaster? The original Xenoblade is excellent, then, but Definitive Edition wouldn’t be worth much if it wasn’t a solid version of the game. The good news: it is. Across the internet some fans have been arguing about if this is technically a remake or a remaster, as under the hood it’s apparently more like an all-new version of the game. To be honest, the quality that is displayed here is so faithful and close to an idealized version of the original that I think it’s fairer to call it a remaster. I dunno; argue about it in the comments.

 

 

Yes, the combat system still isn't perfect. But here's the big reason why people love Xenoblade Chronicles to this day: the highly emotional world and its characters. It has plenty of pure heart, a constant upbeat attitude, a beautiful soundtrack and a likable cast. Although the sequels have made mechanical strides, Shulk and his crew are timeless pillars in the pantheon of JRPG parties, and the mystique of walking on giant god bodies helps Xenoblade stand out among the pack. It's also still incredibly meaty if you need a new JRPG to sink your teeth into: whether you've kept up with the genre all these years or are a new (or lapsed) fan. Xenoblade is still 60-100 hours long, with optional challenge mode trials tacked onto the Switch re-release — all cleverly entwined with the lore. Of course, there's a bigger piece of content afoot. Alright, it's time to talk about the epilogue (without spoilers). After briefly recapping the ending in cinematic form (with little to no context), the new chapter picks up one year after the main story. Shulk and Melia crash-land on a new area (Bionus' Shoulder) and meet up with a pair of Pon friends that round out their melee/caster roles. The shoulder feels very familiar, but still lovely and lively, along with a new micro-villain to go along with the zone. It really is a fully-fledged side story, complete with returning voice actors and a more intimate narrative.Xenoblade Definitive Edition looks good docked, but because of the adaptive resolution and the sheer size of the game, I enjoyed it far more in handheld mode. The size of the screen hides the graphical imperfections brilliantly, and Xenoblade’s open-ended structure feels perfect for handheld play. You can drop in, explore and suspend the game at a moment’s notice, then pick up the story when you know you’ve got more time. In this sense, the game is perfect for Switch. Beyond the handling of the bread and butter of a Switch port, Definitive Edition offers a number of smaller quality of life additions that all add up to make the game a more comfortable experience. It is, by every measure, a definitive edition. That isn’t even all of it, though. There’s also an all-new chapter, Future Connected, a new story set a year after the events of the main game. You can play this right off the bat through the menu, or play it after seeing the main story again. It’s well over ten hours of new content, tying up loose ends from the original story while teasing out new details. The new story is an enjoyable experience, but without getting into spoilers it’s almost pointless to talk about here: it is simply more Xenoblade, delivered with a confidence and a finesse that suggests Monolith know just how good the base game is. When a classic is remastered, there is really only one mission: don’t mess it up. Monolith and Nintendo have admirably improved upon a Wii classic, delivering the one version of this game that people should now aim to play. It’s true that some of the original game design frustrations remain untouched and performance is solid but sadly not perfect. These things barely matter, though; Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition is easily a must-own for any RPG fan with a Switch.

 

 

The pared-down approach of Shulk and Melia at the helm is taken a bit further, as there's no skill trees in this completely separate save file, and the party combo attack system is simplified to a Pon army special attack (damage, healing or support). It all gives the epilogue a unique feel without "dumbing everything down." After all, you still start at level 60 all pumped up with all of your abilities (minus Shulk's power to see into the future), so you still need to keep track of everything you've earned so far and understand the fundamentals of comboing. The world itself is a lot more chill though, with a contained micro-map and a lot of optional stuff to do. Now, much of that includes uniform fetch quests, but they still facilitate some intimate moments with the cast. The Skies of Arcadia-esque "Pon crew" mechanic (Ponspectors, actually) is really flavorful, as you'll slowly add to your NPC party over time, buffing their combat prowess as you discover their whereabouts and ramp up progress for their massive optional quest. In the end, more Xenoblade Chronicles is a welcome sight. It's not going to change your mind on Xenoblade as a whole, but it's very on-brand, right down to the performances. It's fairly hefty as it'll take you 15-ish hours to do everything, including a few long questlines and world bosses. You also get a few small bonuses for the main game for finishing it (mostly in the form of challenges).Even if it didn't have an extra chapter to conquer, Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition deserves a third release. The Switch version has united this modern classic with the TV mode of the Wii original and the fully portable nature of the New 3DS edition. It's truly definitive.It's funny to look back and remember when Xenoblade Chronicles struggled to hit western shelves during its original launch, and now Xenoblade is one of Nintendo’s larger franchises. When the original game did finally release worldwide, those who played it were treated to a brilliant RPG with a scale so massive that it pushed the Nintendo Wii to its absolute limits. It later was also one of the few titles made specifically for the New 3DS, and while the visuals took a serious hit I’ve always been impressed they were able to fit a game that massive on a portable system at all. Times have changed and hardware has significantly improved since then. Given the rise in po[CENSORED]rity with Smash Bros and Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Monolith Soft has decided to revisit the game that started their prosperous relationship with Nintendo in the form of Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition. This version of the game features an overhauled visual presentation, re-recorded and remixed music, new quality of life improvements, a brand new epilogue, and much more. I owned both previous releases of the game but never had a chance to fully finish either, so playing DE gives me an interesting perspective on this. Half of my time spent was catching up and marveling at how much the team improved the presentation, and the other half was being blindsided by one of my new favorite stories told in an RPG.The term “epic” has been watered down throughout the years due to po[CENSORED]r culture, but if there was only one piece of media I’d truly call epic, it’d be Xenoblade. The locations you travel through are all massive, with each subsequent one managing to surpass what came before it. What truly sells the idea of exploring the corpses of two giant gods are little touches you grow to appreciate on your journey. Seeing Mechonis looming in the distance right before reaching Gaur Plains is something I remember fondly, which perfectly fills the player in on the adventure they’re about to embark on with barely any dialogue needed.

 

Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition Minimum System Requirements
CPU:Intel Core 2 Duo @ 2.0 GHz (or equivalent)
RAM: 2 GB
OS: Windows Vista/Windows 7
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTS 240 (or equivalent)
Hard Drive: 25 GB

Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition Recommended System Requirements

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo @ 2.8 GHz (or equivalent)
RAM: 3 GB
OS: Windows 7
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 280 (or equivalent)
Hard Drive: 25 GB