SX4P01_Xenoblade Chronicles

Xenoblade Chronicles



Released: 2010 (JP) 2011 (EU) 2012 (US)



Summary:

The story of Xenoblade Chronicles starts off by showing the battle between Mechonis and Bionis, two gods fighting for all eternity. They continue to fight until Bionis cuts off Mechonis' left hand, and then both of their swords pierce each other at the same time. Over time, life flourished on top of these gods, but the battle waged between Mechonis and Bionis would be continued by their progeny, Bionis' Homs and Mechonis' Mechon.



Eons later in Sword Valley, the Homs army is fighting off a Mechon invasion. The Homs are quickly losing ground and are forced to retreat to Colony 6 where they will put up a last stand. Dunban, the current wielder of the legendary Monado, decides to ignore orders and engages the Mechon forces with Dickson and Mumkhar. Mumkhar runs away and plans to return after Dickson and Dunban have died to collect the Monado; however, he is killed by the Mechon after running into their base. With the Monado, the only weapon that can pierce Mechon armor, Dunban and Dickson are able to push back and destroy all the Mechon, leaving the Homs victorious and earning Dunban the title of "Hero of the Homs". Unfortunately, Dunban was not able to fully control the Monado, and after the battle, he was unable to use his right arm and almost died from his injuries.



Gameplay:

The game conveys the feeling of freedom to the player through large, open environments, and is not as focused on cutscenes and story as its sibling games Xenogears and Xenosaga. Xenoblade Chronicles has an action-based battle system where normal attacks will happen automatically at intervals, similar to the set up in Final Fantasy XII. However, everything else is done manually, including movement of the character the player is using, which plays an integral role into Shulk's special attacks. Special attacks recharge separately when used and are set by the player on a "battle palette" at the bottom of the screen. The game also has the "Visions" system, where the player can see glimpses of the future, and try to react or prevent it from happening.



The game has a number of features labeled as "Time Saving Support Features". For instance, while the game has a day and night time cycle, players can "wind the clock" to the time they want to go to, rather than just letting time elapse. Additionally, while the game is about exploration, many warp points have been added to aid in traversing the land. The game also sports a "save anywhere" feature, a feature relatively rare among the console RPG genre.



Another of the game's systems is the "affinity system," in which characters can partake in many optional sidequests with non-player characters. Completing such quests can alter perception of the character in the towns, and open up additional story sequences.



The game has extensive customization, such as being able to change the character's outfits, and having those changes be seen in battle, field, and even event scenes.

Screenshots:

https://upload.wikimedia.org...d9/Xenoblade_box_artwork.png

https://upload.wikimedia.org...c/c3/Xenoblade-Landscape.jpg

https://upload.wikimedia.org..._System_(without_Monado).png