This is really a separate topic, but I figured I would contain it in this thread: Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii) vs. Xenoblade Chronicles X (Wii U)
For the sake of simplicity, I will refer to Xenoblade Chronicles as Xenoblade, and Xenoblade Chronicles X as XCX.
The first Xenoblade has some moments and locations that are very deer to me, similar to Skies of Arcadia. I've been through the game twice now: Frontier Village is one of the most beautiful locations I have ever come across in an RPG (and don't let the name fool you, it's HUGE). Both times I lingered around here a lot longer than I needed to, mostly due to the fact that I didn't want to move on.
Then XCX really has a lot more to it, and the game stretches a lot further in terms of quality stuff to do, A LOT further. In terms of issues that seem real and touching, XCX has a lot more of that. As much as I liked Frontier Village, in the ever evolving New LA is a much more interesting city than everything Xenoblade has to offer. Another advantage, in my opinion, is that XCX is a revisit to the sorts of themes that are familiar in older Monolithsoft/Takahashi/Xeno games. The story of Xenoblade would never arrive where Xenogears was, but XCX can very easily go that direction.
Anyway! As a comparison, breaking it down by hours spent into the game is probably the best way. The games have two different natures, one is driven by the main plot, the other is an open world game driven by exploring the world and the citizens living in it. Also, due to the open world nature, pacing is going to differ by player (my hour 50 may have been your 20):
First 10-20 hours - In short: Differs a little than expected, XCX has a very strong intro, better than Xenoblade. XCX wins.
Elaboration: XCX clearly takes it. Both games have a very good introductory story, but XCX is much more exciting. Xenoblade's beginning is a little more cliche of fantasy and RPGs in general: Everything is calm, introduce the characters, then something hits and establishes the conflict. XCX does something unconventional in fantasy, and throws the story directly intro a conflict. Then the introduction occurs, and then you spend the first 10 hours here. THEN there's a monkey wrench (I believe chapter 5) which introduces the real nature of the conflict; and this portion, I think XCX executed much better than Xenoblade.
Hour 10-60 - In short: Xenoblade hits its stride, whereas XCX is in that portion between the intro and really developing the world. Xenoblade wins.
Elaboration: This is the portion where Xenoblade excels. Let's call this is the portion between Colony 6 and the Mechonis invasion. The user is delivered a storyline along a linear path, and due to all the side quests and things to do, really allows the user to go at their own pace. This is a very similar formula to games like Chrono Trigger, Dragon Quest games, and Final Fantasy 4, 6, 7, 8, and 10; which in my opinion, worked REALLY well. The user is still exploring the world in Xenoblade, although along a linear path; in XCX the player is exploring in however way they want; but there's not a huge advantage to XCX's strategy here. The benefit Xenoblade has is that the exploration is accompanied by a lot of story, whereas XCX the player doesn't have to engage with the story. XCX's story is very much introducing a lot of new themes and such at this time, it doesn't feel very progressive compared to Xenoblade. XCX's main plotline serves to advance time in the city of New LA forward; each step unlocks more stuff, but that doesn't matter a great deal unless the player has engaged a lot with side-quests; as these sidequests will still be intro quests if the player only engaged with the main story before getting into them. Meanwhile, Xenoblade still has the main story driving the player to discover new cities, and driving the game with the main story.
Hour 50-80 - In short: XCX picks up, while Xenoblade slows down or remains equal. Playing 80 hours of each game, I would say Tie.
Elaboration: XCX speeds up at this point, the introductory stuff is done, and there's a lot more development going on, and the world is fleshed out; now the player is engaging with a world they're familiar with. Xenoblade's world is a lot smaller at this point, there's the portion of stuff left to do, and a large portion you're done with. So by the 80 hour mark, there's a huge interesting world in XCX, whereas Xenoblade has a small area that's of interest, and while the world is still fairly big, most of it is uninteresting due to it being portions that the player is already done with. Also, putting Xenoblade down at the 80 mark for a month, it's going to be hard to pick back up and play again - "Oh yeah, I have to do this thing I didn't really want to do a month ago."; with XCX, it's immediately fun and interesting: "Hmmm, what would I like to do now? I was doing 'thing A' a month ago, but I might want to do 'thing B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, or L instead." So this portion is more of a transition from Xenoblade being better at the 50 hour mark to XCX being better at the 80 hour mark.
Hour 80+ - In short: Xenoblade has dry side quests and finishing the game left, XCX has LOTS and LOTS left in a world that is now vast and interesting. XCX clearly dominates.
Elaboration: There's a lot more flesh on XCX. By this point, the main story of Xenoblade is around completion, things left to do are VERY limited. With XCX there's plenty to do, and much of it is very satisfying to do. The sidequests and such of XCX are often as interesting or more so than Xenoblade's main story beats. Xenoblade's side quests, even the good ones, are less interesting than XCX's least interesting ones. I am in this portion of both Xenoblade Chronicles 3D and XCX, both 80+ hours. The reason I am not picking up Xenoblade 3D anymore, and playing lots of XCX is because XCX is much more exciting to explore. By this point, I have enjoyed the overall story of XCX more - the story has a lot more density to it with all of the side-quests, whereas Xenoblade is thin and long. The world has many more wonders, and even though I have spent A LONG time exploring, I have the feeling that I still haven't seen most of it (at least in any meaningful detail, I fly or drive through a lot of areas that have things of interest), by 80 hours I have Xenoblade thoroughly explored.
Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy both games a lot; but neither are quite the game I want from Monolithsoft. What I want is a brand new Xenogears taking in all of the good from Xenoblade Chronicles X. It would be An expanding open world game that has a very heavy main plot; I want it to involve the Zohar in some manner, and I want it to involve archaeology and philosophy. A game that focuses as much on uncovering the truth of the past as much as exploring into the future. In other words, I want Xenogears Chronicles X. Luckily, Xenoblade Chronicles X can definitely go in that direction.
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