30 Hours with Xenoblade Chronicles

I guess I should preface this with the fact that I grew up loving JRPGs.  However, lately they’ve been in sharp decline.  For quite a few years, a JRPG hasn’t been able to hold my attention.  As an adult I’ve had too many games to play, and too little time.  Then Xenoblade Chronicles appeared.

This game caught my attention when “Operation Rainfall” was launched on the boards of IGN.  Nintendo had decided not to release 3 JRPGs to the United States.  Those were “The Last Story”, “Pandora’s Tower”, and “Xenoblade Chronicles”.  After only finishing the about half of the game, the thought of not experiencing this adventure is now unfathomable to me.  Monolith Soft has done a great job reviving the spirit of the JRPG and thankfully “Operation Rainfall” brought the story to the US.

The entire game takes place on two gods that are locked in battle.  By “on” I mean that the main characters are living on one of the gods.  The landscape set before you is the body of a god who is thought to be dead. After 30 hours, I have my doubts he is dead, but I still have no idea.  The scope of the game is amazing and the fact that they were able to do this using the Wii, is a notable feat.

Gameplay is much like that of Final Fantasy XII.  If you played that game, then you know what you’re getting into.  I am one of the few people who loved FF XII.  This game is an enhancement upon the battle mechanics presented in that game.

You may also want to note that this is a Wii game, so you’re going to have to play it in EDTV 480P resolution.  Some people may not be hardcore enough for this.  I must tell you though, that it is worth it.  Your eyes will eventually adjust to the jagged lines, and lower resolution.

This game has taken me back to the glory days of JRPGs.  For the first time, in a long time, I care about these characters and their journey.  This game is so good, that it doesn’t even bother me how ridiculous the enemies (the Mechonis) in the game look, or that all of the characters have a British accent (which becomes rather charming after a while).   If you want an immersive game, with a story that you’ll care about, go ahead and pick this up.  It’s definitely not something you’ll want to miss out on.

By: Kevin Norman