http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/thread.php?id=211717
Retro Studios made the best 2D platformer this generation while Monolith Soft made a gigantic turd with Xenoblade Chronicles X. The game is boring with the forced exploration and boring sidequests (again forced), the graphics are bad (especially of the first continent), the combat is boring without the abilities of the Monado of the previous games, uninteresting story compared to the first game, etc.
I wouldn't be surprised if 90% of the assets in Xenoblade Chronicles X are recycled/copy pasted.
Keep in mind that the first Xenoblade was my favorite game of last gen. And people seem to forget that Monolith Soft has TWO studios, one created specifically by Nintendo to aid with Nintendo EAD games. That's not the Monolith Soft you guys are talking about though, so using that as an argument for them is weak especially because they're not the ones who made those games great: that was Nintendo EAD's doing. The second studio consists of mostly character modelers, effect designers, and animators. A mere support role.
Since Nintendo bought Monolith Soft in 2007 they've only made two games that fans seem to enjoy since then (Xenoblade Chronicles and X). Retro also made two since then and is much closer to a third one than Monolith Soft.
"The strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must" - Thoukydides
