Who has played Xenoblade?

[gumby_trucker]

I'm taking my sweet time with this game since you can save whenever you want - another big plus that isn't common in the genre - and also since I haven't a lot of free time these days. Currently only about 10 or so hours into the game, barely touched the tip of the storyline, but in terms of gameplay mechanics Xenoblade has got it where it counts. The game is highly streamlined and it seems that whenever the developers could make the game less tedious, they did.

It also seems to me that great consideration was given to the emotional attachment with the various characters in the world, both playable and not. As mentioned earlier each NPC has their own routine, has interesting things to say, and as time goes on different social connections are built between them which can be viewed in the menu. These affinities are also built between party members and help advance the plot. This social aspect is extended in the battle system, which seems to further the idea of actually caring for your party.

Speaking of the battle system, it seems to borrow elements from both real-time and turn-based battle systems, and the end result has an excellent flow to it and manages to keep you on your toes during battle without feeling like you have to micro-manage everything.

In short, I look forward to getting many more enjoyable hours from the game before I put it down.
If you are considering an import and are a fan of RPGs, I'd say go for it!