Just finished chapter 5.
The final cutscenes after the battle in the desert, (both the Mimeosome revelation and the Ma'non ship arriving over NLA) are the first time so far where the story (and music) really feel like a Xenoblade game. Up to this point, I'd taken great pleasure in the scenic environments, bizarre creatures, and the feeling of conquering uncharted territory, but something felt missing compared to the first game; it felt like a game that took two steps forward, three steps back from its predecessor.
Now it feels like a true successor. The story is finally going somewhere interesting, and the music has come into its own. I'm excited to see where it goes from here.