I still haven't gotten very far into Last Story at all.  I tried it on emulator and it ran like crap in several areas (my PC probably).  Also wasn't to keen on the combat.  Though my biggest gripe was right out the gate the writing was over the top and melodramatic, especiall dramatic emotional moments.  Maybe it gets better but it wasn't exactly a winning first impression :P .  That's actually what I liked about Xenoblade Chronicles and what I've seen of Xenoblade Chronicles X.  There's dramatic moments but never anything cringe-worthy melodramatic that sounds like something no one would ever say outloud. 

Switching the auto-attack to manual in TLS is a must to get the most out of it, in my opinion. With its steady flow of new mechanics, I found its combat excellent, better than Xenoblade's actually. The human element is definitely a bit shallower and goofier than Xenoblade though, it has to be said. Ultimately though, I very much enjoyed it, on account of the afore-mentioned combat, strong score, almost action-adventure style pacing, and likeable characters.

See, I never even knew there was a manual option :P

That makes it more attractive.  I would be interested in Nintendo picking up that Cry On project if they could.  Especially since that seems to have an adventure game look it would make an amazing project for them to work in tandem with Mistwalker on.  And would make a great NX early title. 

this is why I prefer Xenogears over the rest of this spinoff series.

Xenoblade X definitely feels very different to the original on Wii.
This one feels like a SciFi MMORPG while the old one was more of a Fantasy Adventure RPG.

XenoX tried to use concepts that are more popular in the West being online functionality and a space theme akin to Mass Effect while Xenoblade was full of typically themes found in other JRPGs.

I actually like this guy's attitude as he can see western audiences are vastly differnt and varied compared to the modern Japanese market. I just wish the Nintendo execs could see this too.

Actually sci-fi is more popular in Japan than pretty much everywhere else. For every movie, book, or TV show about space or robots in the U.S. And Europe combined, Japan will have 20. The vast majority of games with a sci-fi theme are Japanese. Mass Effect was the exception, most Western things are medieval/fantasy themed like Dragon Age, Elder Scrolls, Ultima, Everquest, Warcraft, etc...

Science Fiction elements and influences are so prevalent in Japan that they have leaked over into pretty much every other genre; if Xenoblade Chronicles were made in the U.S., it would be firmly labeled as Sci-Fi, for example. Science fiction permeates into Japanese culture so much that most fantasy is full of it, and a lot of TV shows, like Pokemon, have it.

Xenoblade is sci Fi not because of Mass Effect, but because Xenogears and Xenosaga were sci Fi, and that is the sort of thing Takahashi has developed most of his professional career, dating back to WAY before Mass Effect.

True about the first point, but I feel the Japanese Sci Fi shows ive seen have been way over the top (eg, recent Gundams) and so far Xenoblade X feels rather down to Earth despite being a Sci Fi.

Yeah I know about Xenosaga but I have never played them and can only speculate on how they were. If they were sci fi with cliche Japanese tropes or if believable enough to feel futuristic.

Xenosaga (as a whole, there is variation between episodes) and Xenoblade Chronicles X have the same feeling when it comes to characters, setting, and plot, in my opinion. Xenosaga just has much, much, much more exposition and unless XBC:X gets direct sequels (which is likely) it is also much more philosophical. The characters in both games seem quite human-like and while they might be special it doesn't overshadow ways in which they are like everybody else, and it is only tangentially central to the plot. The world is much greater than just any single character, and it is also a very realistic feeling. 

Xenogears and Xenoblade are more similar in the opposite regard. Their characters are more "special" and abstract representations of ideals. They have backstories and characterizations that are absolutely central to the plot. The world focuses on their interactions with it more than the greater picture. This isn't to say that Xenoblade Chronicles X and Xenosaga don't have some of this as well, but they don't flaunt it like Xenogears and Xenoblade Chronicles do. 

Takahashi seems to alternate between these two types of story telling.