X's story definitely has its moments of excellence; Chapter 5, 11, and 12, for instance.
Unfortunately, these moments were like delicious raisins in a bland cake. I had to slog through hours of uneventful filler to get to the next real plot development. Some whole chapters did little to nothing to forward the core story. And no, the sidequests were not an adequate substitute. I don't care about rescuing cats or setting up some goof with his crush, I wanted to know what was up with Mira or the Vita, why those two alien races fought at Earth, why there are Telethia on Mira, what the deal is with the Tainted, etc. The fact that most of these questions went unanswered after the final cutscene left a sour taste in my mouth.
As a whole, it's an awesome game, but the story was a letdown. The first Xenoblade was vastly more engaging and well paced from a narrative perspective.
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