Just finally beat the game.
In my opinion, it started out pretty slow and dragged at some points in the beginning, but then it picked up exponentially. It built and built and built and the end result was very well worth it.
A very, very great game. If I had to make my list of Games of the Year in 2017, this easily makes the top 10, I'd even squeak this into my top 5.
As for how it compares to the other two games in the series. I think it's either neck-and-neck or slightly better than X, but still not on the level as the original. Xenoblade Chronicles 1 is going to be a very tough one to beat.
Hardware Comparison Threads:
Current Thread
Is Hardware Getting TOO Powerful?
Older Threads:
PlayStation/Xbox/Switch: 2022 Edition
PlayStation/Xbox/Switch Hardware Battle: 2021 Edition!
PlayStation 4/Xbox One/Nintendo Switch: 2019 vs. 2020
PlayStation 4/Xbox One/Nintendo Switch: 2018 vs. 2019
PlayStation 4/Xbox One/Nintendo Switch: 2017 vs. 2018
PlayStation 4: 2015 vs. 2016 vs. 2017