Yeah, XCX definitely suffers a bit from being in the shadow of its predecessor. Xenoblade on Wii not only had a more compelling story and characters, but also a more consistently high quality score and a more user-friendly interface.

Taken on its own terms, Xenoblade Chronicles X is a remarkable achievement, but like most games, it seems a little anemic when placed besides the original Xenoblade.

I really want to read this thread but too many spoilers 😂😂

I think XC focus was the main story, while XCX changed its focus to a more compelling world, side quests and improved gameplay. So I really think that XCX beats in almost everything the first game, even the score, but that's because I'm a lot into anime music so that might be my personal taste. The only that's better in the first game, is the main plot. Characters are just merely plot devices, two-dimensional and just boring; while in XCX with the affinity quests they're three-dimensional. The world is best crafted. The quests are most focused... But, obviously, in the end, it's all a matter of tastes, I just think XCX is a great improvement over the original, because I also think that the original is a tad overrated. 

I'd say that this man summed my thoughts very well on his reviews of the two games, and I definitely agree with the score too:

http://www.thejimquisition.com/2015/11/xenoblade-chronicles-x-review/

http://www.destructoid.com/review-xenoblade-chronicles-225166.phtml

Though I liked the original's main plot xDDD.

The side stories in XCX bored the shit out of me to be honest. Yeah, XBC's were no better, but ultimately like I said, I can't muster any enthusiasm for missing cats or other trivial nonsense. In XBC at least I actually cared about the main plot; XCX just couldn't keep me engaged narratively because the few interesting bits were spaced out with so much bland filler.

Same with characters; in XCX not one of them really made me care about them, while in the original I found the likes of Shulk, Fiora, Dunban and Riki to be endearing and likeable.

As for the score, while XCX certainly had some great pieces, the New LA music made me want to blow my brains out.

But to each their own I guess.

Yeah, the fact that the worst songs for me were the ones playing in NLA didn't help, that's the low point of the score by miles. XCX has its fair numer of flaws, but I don't think most of the side quests were trivial. Yeah, some of them are (and they are shit), but I found recruiting new races for NLA and expanding my sphere of influence, some side stories talking about racism, religion, and meaningful subjects and the focus on character relationships in the affinity quests very, very compelling. The problem is that it's very uneven, and I maybe would prefer that they have ditched those "cat-type" missions and just keep the meaningful ones. It's a great game if you could overlook some annoyances, because there are some of them. 

And I really hate Shulk. That's one of the reasons I prefer XCX. But, obviously, in the end it's all a matter of tastes. 

I know it must sound like I dislike XCX, but I should point out for the record that I consider it really, really good. It's world is amazing. The combat system rocks. Flying seamlessly across a vast alien planet in a giant robot is orgasmic.

It just falls slightly short of greatness in my view, due to the issues I've outlined. I wanted so badly to care about XCX's story, but the way it kept teasing this epic narrative only to put it on hold to send me off chasing unrelated side stories for hours on end really rubbed me the wrong way, as did its failure to really explain the many mysteries it presented. I wanted to know more about the other race who fought at Earth, about the Vita, the Tainted, the Telethia. At so many points the story seemed poised to take flight, only to wimp out and slump back down to earth by not following through on its promises.

Yeah, I know you consider it very good. And I agree with the issues you've outlined actually (except characters, who I found more likeable in XCX). I'd like them to actually finish the story and not teasing a sequel, because it presents some great themes on the plot but doesn't quite develop them. Maybe for the next one I think they should find a middle ground between the two games. I mean, keeping the scale, combat system, expanding the world with new continents, skells like XCX, focus more on the main plot and close it like in XC and ditching some boring side quests which add nothing to the game. There're more issues like fetching quests which are nearly impossible to complete without having some guide, and some jokes which goes on and on and keep getting annoying (also knows as "Eat Tatsu" jokes). I enjoy so much the rest of XCX that I consider it almost a masterpiece, even when I really acknowledge that it has lots of flaws in it. 

A middle ground would be good. Take XBC's tighter narrative and pair it with XCX's Skells and you have a hell of a cocktail. At this rate though, we might have to wait another 5 years to see it... XD

That's awful xDDD. But, yeah, it's very likely that the next game won't come until the middle of NX's life cycle, so... That's why I prefer closed endings on videogames, so we don't have to wait an eternity. Maybe they aren't even thinking about closing the story. I'd be very pissed if that's the case xDD.

Good grief, if they just leave this story hanging, I'll be pissed. Waiting years for XCX only to be given an unfinished story was frustrating enough...