It’s time for the next big Xenoblade adventure and I can definitely tell you that this is a real big one. Xenoblade X is a title with an even bigger hub world than Breath of the Wild and you can really feel the scale while you are running through the world. It would take ages and ages to run across the whole place. The story may take a little while to get going next to the other titles but it definitely gets really hype by the end. This is a game that you do not want to miss out on.

The general plot is that Earth was caught in the middle of a civil war between two alien factions which forces us to abandon the planet. After a long journey through space, we found a planet that could support us but the catch is that most people are still stuck in life pods across the world. Over 99% of humanity was wiped out but the survivors will be doing their best to hang in there. Will they be able to do this and find the remaining pods or will they be wiped out by the existing wildlife on the planet?

This new planet is home to many giant monsters. You’ll even see monsters level 80 and beyond right next to home base. So it’s safe to say that this is not the most hospitable place around. There are also other alien races running around. As the game goes on you gradually get some rather major twists. For the most part this tends to be an adventure game first and foremost though. The real plot doesn’t tend to start until the last chapter or two. It’s also why this definitive version comes in clutch because the new 3 part chapter they added has more story than the rest of the game combined.

We’re talking 20+ minute cutscenes over and over. The game reaches a whole cosmic level and we even get a ton of world building and exposition . We finally see how the game ties in with the first two and it’s just really interesting to see. I dare say if the plot was like this from the jump then it might be better able to hang with the first two. For the record this is an elite game either way but I would have to put it under the first two titles for now. Those are just a little too hard to defeat but it doesn’t take anything away from this one.

The graphics are really good here. The game definitely holds up well there, both with the actual action scenes and with the special effects within the gameplay. There are definitely no weaknesses there and of course the soundtrack is also really good. You have a number of lyrical tracks which are also a blast. Each one really makes you feel the gravity of the situation and it is also super rare to be having them play so often. You can expect a lyrical track for basically every boss fight and there is also an emotional one that plays for a whole lot of cutscenes. All in all it is really a great balance.

The gameplay is similar to your classic turn based system but has an active component to it. This will be familiar to Xenoblade fans but also plays like the original .Hack. Basically your character is always attacking with basic attacks but then you can use your energy meter to launch special moves as soon as they are ready. They will keep on replenishing as the battle goes on and of course you also have items and such. It’s a pretty well thought out game and you have the Overdrive mechanic which lets you use a ton of moves in quick succession for as long as it is active. That makes for a pretty good ace up your sleeve.

Near the end of the game you also get your mech suit which you can use to fly around and also fight in. It’s a pretty great change of pace because in this form you are absolutely broken. You can launch attacks that are many times stronger than in your human mode. You can also zoom around the hub world a lot faster. It was a good idea to keep it so late in the game of course because now there is no longer any ordinary exploration. If you want to go anywhere then you’ll just be flying which makes it all really easy.

It really helps you appreciate how grand the world is since you had to first run through all of the areas on foot before getting the mech and flying everywhere. If you had gotten the mech suit too early then it would have really defeated the adventurous spirit of the title. Additionally there are also so many collectibles and side quests to complete across the planet. I knocked out well over a hundred and there were still a ton of them left. The Xenoblade games are never a stranger to having a lot of content and this one was no exception. It really feels like the game does not have an end to it.

By the time you have completed the game there is still so much to do in terms of side quests. The characters all get a lot of personality here and the side missions still have voice acting for the affinity missions. The world gets so much screentime. If you’re ever going to make a lore game, Xenoblade X should definitely be your template. It’s also one of those games that is very intuitive so grinding and completing side missions is just a lot of fun. You are always making some kind of progress in the game so your time never feels wasted. It takes skilled developers to pull something like that off.

Overall, Xenoblade X is definitely a must play game. It’s also a very long one so expect to be spending around 50 hours or more here. You’re getting a whole lot of bang for your buck and there is a ton of replay value. It absolutely gets you hyped to go ahead and play the next games in the series since they’re all so phenomenal. If you don’t own this one yet then you definitely will want to change that as soon as possible.

Overall 9/10