The World Within Xenoblade Chronicles X

[Deleted member 33533]

There was a thread earlier about most enjoyable open worlds and I wanted to talk about Xenoblade X's world but couldn't really think of a good way to really show it off with a few pictures or gifs but then I remembered finding this really great video that kind of encapsulates just part of what makes X's world so great.

Something the Xenoblade X does really well with its world is creating a sense of scale. When you first start out, you're in a little narrow passageway where Elma finds you. Everything is close up for awhile but as soon as you step out into the main land of Primordia, you really get this awe-inspiring sense of scale. The way they put these massive natural landforms stretching out in front of you make you feel tiny in this huge world and as you explore it, you start to connect all the stretches of distance between the landmarks and piece the world together because you have to really navigate every bit of land to get to where you want to go. Tall cliffs and trees push you down to lower paths and you have to really pay attention to all the little rivers, boulders, hills, etc. to get you from each huge landmark to the next. Then you get your skell and suddenly you're 5 times bigger and the scale of the world is completely different now. You shift from this micro view of the world to this macro one where now all the exploration you experienced is almost compressed and now huge areas of level design you traversed on foot one way become completely different in this new context. Xenoblade X is just extremely good at this and I don't think any open world game does it this well.

 

[Spine Crawler]

yup underappreciated. goty 2015

 

[radio_apeshot]

This game is still gorgeous today. I retired my Wii U but might bring it back just for this if I can find at a good price.

I really hope the next Xenoblade looks like this. Loved Xenoblade 2 but I just love the visuals on X much more.

 

[mrmickfran]

Before Breath of the Wild, X was my favorite world to explore in.

I cannot tell you how many hours I spent in Noctilum.

 

[TriggerShy]

I always explored as much as my level allowed me before continuing the story.

 

[Dreamboum]

I dislike 1 & 2 but I still extremely want to try this game. I feel like it'll actually be my type of game. I'm willing to take the jump at least.

 

[Deleted member 1476]

You shift from this micro view of the world to this macro one where now all the exploration you experienced is almost compressed and now huge areas of level design you traversed on foot one way become completely different in this new context. Xenoblade X is just extremely good at this and I don't think any open world game does it this well.

Click to shrink...

Shenmue did it decades ago.

(Taking in consideration all the restrictions of the era, of course).

 

[KLoWn]

XCX2 can't come soon enough.

 

[Aniki]

I want the port already so i can experience this world for myself.

 

[Zalman]

Before Breath of the Wild, X was my favorite world to explore in.

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Same. In fact I might like exploring Mira more for the controls/faster running. Easily my favorite Xenoblade game.

 

[Amirnol]

Definitely one of the best open worlds ever. Such a joy to explore.

 

[Audible Silence]

Still waiting for switch port, never got to play this

 

[Deleted member 18161]

Would look even more fantastic at 1080p if they ever port it over to Switch.

I still remember the famous gif from the old forum people would use to show what Wii U was capable of!

 

[toutoune134]

One of the greatest open world but also one of my favorite games of all time. Praying for a switch port and a continuation.

 

[sixteen-bit]

One of the coolest game worlds period.

 

[mrmickfran]

Same. In fact I might like exploring Mira more for the controls/faster running. Easily my favorite Xenoblade game.

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I think BotW edges it out for on the sole fact that I don't have to spend a minute running away from an enemy if I accidentally aggro them.

 

[El Buga]

Just reading this topic gave me severe itches of running home and playing it again.

Love that game to death.

 

[wossname]

Really appreciated how long they hold off on giving you a skell too. Those first 30-odd hours on foot really make the world feel massive. It wouldn't have felt as large if you could fly around it from the start

 

[Deleted member 33533]

I really hope the next Xenoblade looks like this. Loved Xenoblade 2 but I just love the visuals on X much more.

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There's something about the level design of X that makes exploring it much more enticing that 2. I think it's part the scale of the world, how your characters can move through that world and also the non-linear design and seamless exploration.

Also I think the game really does a great job showing you interesting landmarks that make you want to reach them no matter what part of the world you happen to be standing in. You can rotate the camera 360 degrees and see something you want to check out in almost every direction. The game also limits your exploration and gradually gives you more access to places in a very organic manner. Xenoblade 2 tended to limit exploration with field skills but X just put things out of your reach by making it hard/impossible to reach on foot or just put very strong enemies in that area. And the great thing is that in most of those instances, you could still manage to make your way into those areas with work. Some areas you could climb up to with enough clever jumping and navigational skills and you could go through areas with very strong enemies with careful dodging of enemy detection. Almost every time there was a huge mountain or pack of powerful monsters blocking my way, I saw it as more of a challenge than "ok, they want me to come back later."

Shenmue did it decades ago.

(Taking in consideration all the restrictions of the era, of course).

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I haven't played Shenmue but how so? It sounds interesting.

 

[TriggerShy]

Xenoblade Chronicles X was secretly a stealth/platformer.

 

[Django.Mango]

Something the Xenoblade X does really well with its world is creating a sense of scale.

Click to shrink...

Absolutely.

I really liked this game despite its menues/UI. I havent finished it so id appreciate a second release. Monolith Soft are really great in creating open world settings.

 

[JCX]

The first moment you fly out of NLA is one of the best I've experienced in gaming. Wouldn't have been as impactful if you started off with a flying skell

 

[PhoenixSFT]

I think I quit maybe 2 or 3 chapters in because I felt like I was constantly pushing against a game that didn't want me to advance the story. That said, the world I experienced was fascinating, and no fall damage is the best. I'd love to have it portable on the Switch with some QoL improvements.

 

[Astral Lovelace]

Fuck it, I've got my Wii U hooked up, I'll play this some more again.

 

[Kaz Mk II]

Man I miss this game so much.

I really hope we get an X2 soon or at the very least an enhanced port. While I enjoyed XC2 enough X is pretty much exactly what I wanted out of the series.

 

[rhandino]

Running around the massive world and then 50 hours later being able to drive a giant robot that change the way you see the world and open new ways of exploration AND then flat out break the level design thanks to the Flight Module is still unmatched :cry:

Ugh, stil my favorite Xeno game... Switch port pls Nintendo T_T

 

[No Depth]

I dislike 1 & 2 but I still extremely want to try this game. I feel like it'll actually be my type of game. I'm willing to take the jump at least.

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It sheds a lot of the anime melodrama and tropes that were prevalent in XBC1 and 2 for a focus on the struggles of ekeing out survival on a hostile unknown world. It's very unique to the jRPG format.

Some adored it while others really missed the traditional gathering of heroes narrative. XBX wasn't perfect though and carried its own flaws, but it certainly deserves a home outside of the Wii U for a greater audience to give it a chance.

 

[djplaeskool]

Amazing game world hamstrung by really poor progression systems and half-baked online implementation.

 

[Dyle]

There's a part of me that really wants to see a port to Switch that takes all of the multiplayer ideas that were planned in the early stages of the project and implements them throughout the game. The online co op missions were neat but it would be such a great experience playing the whole game with a group of friends or with random groups of people around Mira. I assume it's an impossible task given how the mission structure works and how things change over time, but man would it be great. I hope we see a similar title from Monolithsoft again, I love XB2, despite its flaws, but it doesn't scratch the same itch as XBX

 

[Ehoavash]

The world of Mira screams my name for me to come back but I can't my Wii u can't read the xcx disc anymore for some reason :(

/Me cries

 

[Deleted member 1476]

I haven't played Shenmue but how so? It sounds interesting.

Click to shrink...

It starts really, really small and it gets progressively bigger as the game (and its sequel) go on.

 

[DevilPuncher]

To this day no game world has enraptured me as much as Mira. It was such a joy to explore.

 

[Glio]

Not only does it have a very fun world to explore, it has one of the most interesting sci-fi lores I have seen in a long time.

 

[Deleted member 33533]

I think BotW edges it out for on the sole fact that I don't have to spend a minute running away from an enemy if I accidentally aggro them.

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The Guardians in BotW were terrifying but now I'm imagining how long Link would last if one of those giant vigents from X were chasing him.

Really appreciated how long they hold off on giving you a skell too. Those first 30-odd hours on foot really make the world feel massive. It wouldn't have felt as large if you could fly around it from the start

Click to shrink...

Yeah, I think this was a risky choice considering how much of the marketing was based around the skells but I think it's totally worth it that they held off on them. The exploration wouldn't have been nearly as good if they gave us flying skells too early. There's something about having to tough it out on foot to moving to a skell to moving to a flying skell that really enhances exploration. Lots of little areas that I would have ignored if I had the skell too soon. I remember I would sometimes still choose to leave my skell behind to explore on foot after I got one.

Absolutely.

I really liked this game despite its menues/UI. I havent finished it so id appreciate a second release. Monolith Soft are really great in creating open world settings.

Click to shrink...

My favorite thing was turning off all the UI and exploring with the camera set low. Really made the world feel huge and immersive.

 

[Saint-14]

How does this look better than Xenoblade 2? The art style alone looks leagues above it.

 

[tiesto]

One of the most interesting and captivating open worlds to explore, it's a shame the obtuse and excessive systems, and really frustrating progression gating (XB needs to stop tying interesting quests behind affinity requirements damnit!), limited its appeal compared to the other 2 XB games.

 

[VanillaCakeIsBurning]

This game revitalized my interest in open world games and showed me that they could still be interesting.

Having vast areas with interesting landmarks that make you want to travel to them and check them out I think is key to making it interesting.

The game also had a sort of stealth element to it.

On this world there is no level segregation like in other games. You can find level 6 enemies in the same area as level 90 enemies. It sort of mimicks a food chain where you have to watch out for enemies that you can take on and find your way around enemies that are above you.

It felt good making your way through an area full of higher level enemies while also evading detection.

As for the skells I liked the concept of having enemies that would ignore you on foot but would find your skell threatening due to its increased size.

This meant that you still had to keep an eye out for enemies that would become aggressive towards skells since some of them could destroy yours pretty quickly.

 

[Nightbird]

This game has still the most impressive open world I've ever seen.

 

[Streusel]

How does this look better than Xenoblade 2? The art style alone looks leagues above it.

Click to shrink...

A lot of polish/development time compared to Xeno 2. It runs pretty well on Wii U, too.

 

[pinkurocket]

I love the world too, there's no other open world game that feels so good to explore. Mira is so huge yet so detailed and I easily found myself just wanting to discover it all. In combination with the map on the gamepad, which is the best game map I've ever used, it was just lovely. It's by far my fave Xenoblade game.

 

[Deleted member 11413]

It is absolutely one of the best open world games out there. The game definitely has flaws, but it understands the appeal of an open world and the exploration, sense of scale, and atmosphere are all incredible.

 

[BorkBork]

Sylvalum is one of the most memorable locales I've experienced in a video game.

 

[sredgrin]

I didn't overall care for the game so much but the world really trumps 2's by a signifcant margin.

 

[Xagarath]

Such an incredible world and almost a really great game, but with so many baffling design decisions regarding the structure of the main plot and side quests. I can't think of another game that hides all its best writing in optional content while making the central story downright grating.
Still loved it, and it's probably the best game in the series despite its flaws.

 

[Deleted member 8593]

Gorgeous game that I would rebuy in a heartbeat on Switch if they improved the UI.

Fuck it, I'd rebuy it either way.

 

[VanillaCakeIsBurning]

Such an incredible world and almost a really great game, but with so many baffling design decisions regarding the structure of the main plot and side quests. I can't think of another game that hides all its best writing in optional content while making the central story downright grating.
Still loved it, and it's probably the best game in the series despite its flaws.

Click to shrink...

I find that the end of the game had some really interesting revelations. The bulk of the philosophical stuff that makes you stop and think about it pretty much was packed into the ending.

 

[Deleted member 2145]

such an underrated gem. hopefully it gets a Switch release so more people can experience the game. one of the best designed game worlds in a video game.

 

[Pascal]

Explored a good chunk of Noctilum last night and was having so much fun. I love the scale in Mira and everything is so huge and overgrown. But, I also think the scale of some of the buildings and houses in NLA is a little off. Like, they seem too small. Same goes for some of the interiors I've been in. Not really a complaint, it's just something that I've noticed.

But yeah, this game has the best exploration of any game that I've played. I'm always really excited to play it, because I don't know what cool shit I'm gonna stumble upon this time. It really helps that it feels good to move around in this game. You sprint at a good speed, the jump is nice and generous, and you don't take any fall damage. I think all of this, combined with the fact that you can sneak around most enemies that are stronger than you, really helps to encourage you to explore. I've barely even touched the main quest. I've just been running around, planting data probes, opening treasure chests, and filling out the Collectopedia (Curators 4 lyfe). I just sometimes kinda wish that it had BotW's climbing. It would probably break this game though.

Yeah, I really like Xenoblade X.

 

[Deleted member 13101]

The only thing about playing this game now is the flashing "offline" indicator that I can't seem to get rid of. But a fascinating world!

 

[Sterok]

It does a fantastic job of making you feel like an insignificant ant on a massive and hostile alien world, even after you get your Skell. Indigens either see you as dinner or don't even acknowledge your existence because you aren't worth it. The landmass is massive, the verticality is draw dropping both on foot an in the air, and there are tons of secret areas that hide challenges, goodies, and or just visual spectacles. It nails that alien world feeling that was vital to the atmosphere and the narrative.

Compared to Breath of the Wild, while I think Zelda has the better world in gameplay terms (more interactivity, physics, and general climbing), X is stronger when it comes to world design in terms of making it interesting, mysterious, and leaving you wanting more. It's a very well made world that's hard to appreciate under all of X's systems and of course the Wii U. I want to see more games building on what it accomplishes, both Xenoblade and other sci-fi games. Until then, I'll settle for Switching over my enjoyment of it on a new system.