Well... to be honest the story did move at a slower pace on Xenoblade, but coupled with exploring such a beatiful world, and the fact you could advance at your own pace, it was hardly noticeable. It was overall a great story though.
I can only expect this one to have a Xenosaga like epic story contained in a single game.
I wish they stopped this though. I am afraid the game wont meet my expectations if they keep hyping me up. ^^