One Gem, One Console, The Spiritual Successor of the Best JRPG Last Decade...

[ps3-sales!]

F0X said:

ps3-sales! said:

F0X said:

ps3-sales! said:
Nobody can claim any game as the best. It is merely your opinion.

I played and beat Xenoblade, and while it was a good game, I think it's vastly overrated. Then again based on how everyone else saw it, I had high expectations.

Better RPGs this generation alone were all three Mass Effect games, Skyrim and even Ni no Kuni. My opinion however.

Let's discuss this. What about Mass Effect, Skyrim, and Ni no Kuni made them better RPGs than Xenoblade? I'd say Xenoblade has three advantages over the most other RPGs:
- Depth of combat
- World design
- Multiple layers of reward for exporation

Skyrim - The definition of world design, because it actually felt like I was in that world. Many layers of exploration in Skyrim as well. And the visuals are much superior to xenoblade. I prefered the combat as well. 

Mass Effect - A more linear RPG, but the world design is still great (if you can even call it a world). The history and lore behind the series is what graviated me towards it. Much superior storyline to Xenoblade, and the fact that your choices really matter.

Ni No Kuni - Gameplay. I prefered it again to Xenoblade. Kind of an old school JRPG "open" world, with a hub like travel system, so I'll give the edge to Xenoblade. Story is great, lighthighted, and downright sweet. Exploration far superior than Xenoblade, but it's decent in Ni no kuni.

Hmm. Here's where I disagree with you:

Skyrim - The definition of world building. Bethesda spent its precious time developing Skyrim's lore, and the results pay off. The world itself is pretty and far better than Oblivion's, but doesn't display anywhere near the level of variey as Xenoblade, in both structural and visual design. And the last time I checked, Skyrim didn't reward me with experience points (and AP) every time I found a new area or earned an achievement. Xenoblade also had frequent item drops which were meant for either the Collectapedia (which nets a sweet reward when a category is completed), or for resale. So it could be said that I prefer Xenoblade's exploration mostly because the game liked to give out free money and experience points, thereby reinforcing my natural urge to discover.

Combat in the Elder Scrolls series has always turned me off, because even now it still feels like late-90s PC RPG combat. Melee combat in particular hasn't shaken its clunky feel, and doesn't compare well to RPGs that came out around the same time. Particularly Dark Souls (which I haven't played but it seems like I might adore it more than anything ever if I had) and Kingdoms of Amalur (a game I enjoyed significantly more than Skyrim). Of course, I may have something against first-person melee combat. The thought had crossed my mind, but I did enjoy Dishonored's melee combat, so maybe that's not the problem. Either way, it's certainly nowhere near as deep and strategically involving as Xenoblade's combat.

Mass Effect - This series is different enough to render comparison largely pointless. I could complain about its linearity and groan about how much I don't like third-persoon shooting (well, the kind that heavily relies on cover), but it be more efficient to say this: it's definitely not for me. Mass Effect has great characters and visual design, though, and In those categories, it beats out most RPGs on the market. Having only played the second one, I can't speak much for how it holds up narratively, but I've heard both good and bad things about the storyline. I didn't have many problems with ME2's plot regardless, although I've been assured that it has the best plot of the three and that it delievers on player choice more capably than the others.

Ni No Kuni - I've played through a large portion of Ni No Kuni, and I like it. The battle system is easy to grasp, but not boring, and the world is fairly creative and beautifully presented. My only complaint is that, visuals aside, Ni No Kuni doesn't seem ambitious. Its structure closely mirrors the Tales series, and its gameplay borrows liberally from Pokemon and, again, Tales. But, I may just feel this way because the game is decidedly simple and old-school. It does what it set out to do perfectly well.

You bring up great points! I was expecting the whole "defend Nintendo" stance but I am surprised by an actual unbiased gamer on this site ;)

we shall agree to disagree on how Xenoblade stacks up as best JRPG of this gen, but both realize it's a great game in its own right.