S&S Reviews: Xenoblade Chronicles

Title: Xenoblade Chronicles
Format: Nintendo Wii
Release Date: April 6, 2012
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Monolith Soft
Price: 49.99
ESRB Rating: T

Nine months after its launch, Operation Rainfall waters the tree of Pandora's Tower, The Last Story and Xenoblade Chronicles. Finally, the first fruits land in North America with the recent release of Xenoblade Chronicles. Previously known as Monado: Beginning of the World, this game bears the "Xeno" mark as a signature of Tetsuya Takahashi. Gamers don't need to playthrough Xenogears, Xenosaga or even Soma Bringer to appreciate this verse in the Wii's swan song.

Story and Presentation
Despite the higher level of philosophical discourse in those prior Monolith Soft titles, the gamer doesn't need to bone up on Jung or Nietzche. The story is more Matrix or boy's manga as opposed to a full gnostic gospel. The gameplay is characteristic of most JRPGs since Phantasy Star Online and Monster Hunter. Graphically, the visuals are on par with some of the best titles of the PS2 or the Wii. And while that may strike some as "outdated," the scale of the adventure presents an experience that holds up just as well as any PS3 or Xbox 360 epic.

The story of Xenoblade boils down to: two gods fight and kill each other; on the corpse of each two races fight each other for domination; at the center of the conflict is the legendary weapon Monado; what the Monado is, who the races are, and what exactly is the world is discovered through playing. The familiar tropes of gnosticism emerge as the story progresses: the oppression and antagonizing of man by false gods and machines; the divine feminine figure; and the idea that each person has some form of potential or Divine Spark. All of these ideas are explored as you complete the hundreds of missions and traverse the corpse of the gods from foot to head.


Core Gameplay
The gameplay of Xenoblade Chronicles follows the framework of most JRPGs. The gamer will hunt around for NPCs with exclamation marks above their heads. Then, the gamer is assigned a mission to fetch materials or fell a beast. Gamers can get lost in exploring and fighting and gingerly dancing around higher level marks. A materia system of sorts is included in the gem system. Gamers can create and fuse gems from raw materials to augment their stats. Equipment features slots to set each gem. The game uses social links and progression to create depth in the gem system. The equipment itself is visibly swapped out to allow for an expression of style. The controls are intuitive, though it takes some time to get used to targeting marks with the Wii-mote.


Graphics and Sound
Graphically the game blends the visuals of Final Fantasy XII and Star Ocean. The platform and its technical limitations compared to the competition don't so much hamper the visuals. The variety of creatures and habitats are well-presented and peppered with striking moments on vistas. The music is reminiscent of titles like Chrono Cross. Monolith Soft is quite successful in reminding us what makes RPGs cool through such stimulation.

Final Thoughts
"Xeno" as an idea means something different, unique or otherworldly. "Xeno" as a mark or brand of video games is a signature of Tetsuya Takahashi, his wife Soraya Saga, and the extraordinary team at Monolith Soft. It's not that this game expounds on a singular mythos rather presents some of the same principles in an accessible and fun package. The story is simpler than previous works, with the potential for profound moments. The gameplay is familiar. Finally, the graphics and music hold up well against the contemporaries.

Final Score = 9.5/10

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