The Xenoblade Chronicles Series Thread: Definitive Edition (All Spoilers in Tags)

[Super_Boom]

Just beat the game about an hour ago. Yeah I've been poking around Xeno 2 threads here risking spoilers...I guess I just like to live dangerously.

Overall thoughts...absolutely loved it. There were some parts of the gameplay that I wasn't a fan of, especially field skills and the Blade bonding RNG, but overall these were mere nitpicks in comparison to the high points of the game. A very likable cast of both heroes and villains, a story that kept me engaged for my entire 120 hour playthrough, a fun yet deep combat system, an interesting setting, Mythra, a fantastic OST, honestly this game hit nearly every right note with me.

I finished the final chapter in a 3 hour sitting, and my god was it an emotional rollercoaster. I loved seeing Zanza return, and fleshing out the crazy ending to Xenoblade 1. I liked that they re-used the same characters for that scene, as well as connecting the final fights for both games...which apparently seemed to be happening at the same time. The plot twists in Elysium were great, and the contrast between the whimsical Titan worlds and the high-tech modern areas was fantastic. I managed to beat the final boss in two attempts, but my heart was racing the whole time in fear of having to re-do the whole thing.  

And yes...I'm really really really glad that Pyra and Mythra came back to life. I was a nervous wreck for most of the ending, and was about to go have my first cigarette in 6 years if my 120 hour playthrough ended on a tragic note. I was sure there was no hope when the ending credits was basically a love letter to Rex/Pyra/Mythra's relationship, and so seeing them reunited in the end left me feeling so relieved. I grinned ear to ear when I saw that new title screen.   

I think I need to let it digest a bit before I fully score/rank the game, but so far I find myself a lot more attached to this title than the the previous two, or any RPG I've played in years. If it wasn't for Zelda, this would probably be my 2017 AOTY. I still have a lot of side content to finish, and have already purchased the expansion pass, so I imagine I'll be playing this for a while longer still. Might even do a New Game+ right away, depending on what I can carry over to a new playthrough.

Now to find a new avatar/signature set. *whistles and skips away*