Xenoblade 2 enjoyers and appreciators, I need your advice.
- Thread starter Slime Stack
- Start date
Yeah, for the first playthrough after is definitely the best option.
OP
OP
After reading all the replies I've decided to play Torna now since the arguments the couple of people have made for it on here were really compelling. Thanks for the input everyone!
Enjoy your experience, OP! I was personally advocating for later, and then doing the sandwich on later playthroughs, but a friend watched me play through Xenoblade 2 a few months ago, in which I played Torna after chapter 7, and he REALLY enjoyed the experience, so I think you'll be fine. Would you mind updating the thread or making a new one based on your experience once done? I think it would be neat to hear how you liked it.
May I ask what about those arguments made you choose to play it now, because from what it looks like to me everyone was telling you to play it after? Just curious
Not to hijack the thread, but should I play XC1 before XC2? I have them all, but haven't jumped in yet.
Skip Torna. It's not great.
The lack of substance to various characters and their implied backstories in the main game is not really explained in Torna. It's supposed to show "how" things led to those flashbacks you keep seeing but I found myself just not really learning much from its events, and the expansion is long but with worse cutscenes and kind of boring characters.
The lack of substance to various characters and their implied backstories in the main game is not really explained in Torna. It's supposed to show "how" things led to those flashbacks you keep seeing but I found myself just not really learning much from its events, and the expansion is long but with worse cutscenes and kind of boring characters.
I'd say play the first Xenoblade and then 2 and then Torna.
Play it after, since the gameplay changes can be a bit jarring and it could throw you off your pace.
Still, make sure to play it. Torna adds a lot to the story, since it explains the background of what lead to the world of XC2, and makes some emotional moments far more poignant when you look back on them.
Still, make sure to play it. Torna adds a lot to the story, since it explains the background of what lead to the world of XC2, and makes some emotional moments far more poignant when you look back on them.
Unlike torna it's absolutely not needed to play the first xenoblade to fully enjoy 2 but their are some things that might hit harder if you do. But xenoblade 1 is not required to be played first
The more I think about it the more the flashbacks in the main story are just macguffins for character growth. I really did find them skimpy, especially on people like Jin, and Torna did something minimal to flesh out anything more. Instead it focused on characterization of some new characters, but the main conflict and final battle of the DLC did not feel like anything that was promised in the main game, to me. It just left me scratching my head a little bit afterwards.
OP
OP
The fact that the game's writer and series head recommended it weighs heavy on my mind. In this thread, the arguments made by Neoleo on post 22 and by LordHuffnPuff on post 33 really caught my attention.
Yeah of course I don't mind at all! I usually write in the rpg thread over on gaming hangouts but I can make a new thread for more visibility.
Play xeno 1 first. It enhances Xeno 2; at least it has for me.
I loved 2, but I hated the end grind of Torna so much that it makes me never want to replay either game. I vote to skip it.
A good decision has been made. I think it's really interesting that a lot of people recommend playing it after because of the mechanical shifts, not because at this point in the story it makes the most sense to have a flashback (especially given the way Chapter 7 ends, the pacing decision to leave that hanging while you shift towards backstory is classic.)
To those who are recommending it be played after, I do wonder when they themselves played it: was the expansion out? Did you play XB2 at launch and were you finished by the time the expansion released? Obviously there is going to be bias for one's own experience either way.
The only reason I might advise against it is because I think the expansion is just a better game due to being leaner in every respect, and the final boss is a significantly better fight than the final boss of the main experience.... but that's a really weak reason given the narrative payoffs you gain.
To those who are recommending it be played after, I do wonder when they themselves played it: was the expansion out? Did you play XB2 at launch and were you finished by the time the expansion released? Obviously there is going to be bias for one's own experience either way.
The only reason I might advise against it is because I think the expansion is just a better game due to being leaner in every respect, and the final boss is a significantly better fight than the final boss of the main experience.... but that's a really weak reason given the narrative payoffs you gain.
In regards to your decision, I feel like the more important part of that interview is this one:
I would guess based off this that there was a time in development when Torna fit neatly between Chapters 7 & 8, but it certainly evolved into it's own thing by the time it became DLC.
I think it's also important to note that Takahashi states "Speaking purely from a personal perspective, " and later mentions in regards to the order "That's sort of in line with our original concept that I outlined in my previous answer." Despite the question intended to find out which order is "better", Takahashi's response seemed to come from a place of personal preference more than anything and imo implies Torna doesn't fit as well between chapters 7 & 8 as it should have.
Yeah, this. It's difficult to go back to the main game after Torna's improved battle system.
I don't understand how you could say Mythra or Jin don't make a lot more sense character wise after playing Torna.
Mythra's whole apprehensiveness about her power makes little sense in XC2 because you never see her do shit lol. By the end of Torna I don't see how her personality isn't fleshed out.
Jin being so pissed off in the main game makes a lot more sense after Torna.
The characterization is much better in Torna than the main game lol.
Yeah before is better, just for the tutorials. That will help you in the main game, you will know how to do every combo (specially fusion combo) and in that aspect it will enhance your xb2 main game experience alot.
This is an anomaly of an opinion, the overall consensus of Torna is that it's a fun game with an enjoyable story. There's even player who hated Xenoblade Chronicles 2 that enjoy Torna.
Okay, reading some replies here, it seems some people arent reading the op and think this is about playing torna before starting xenoblade 2, isntead of playing torna right after xenoblade 2 ch 7.
imo, ch1-7 x2 -> torna -> ch8-ch(end) is the better option, but you dont lose much from doing x2 then torna. Doing torna first then x2 spoils too much but by ch7 i dont think there is anything torna can spoil for you
imo, ch1-7 x2 -> torna -> ch8-ch(end) is the better option, but you dont lose much from doing x2 then torna. Doing torna first then x2 spoils too much but by ch7 i dont think there is anything torna can spoil for you
Whenever you play Torna, my advice to you is this.
Do the sidequests, do as many of them as you can, you will need to do 90% by the end of the game anyways, might as well do them in between the story.
I really wish they put more sidequest roadblocks sooner, rather than closer to the end.
Do the sidequests, do as many of them as you can, you will need to do 90% by the end of the game anyways, might as well do them in between the story.
I really wish they put more sidequest roadblocks sooner, rather than closer to the end.
After.
Without spoiling anything. The order doesn't matter. It's a case of "when you know, you know".
As someone who played 2 before 1, it works just as well, if not better in some cases of the story and lore.
Without spoiling anything. The order doesn't matter. It's a case of "when you know, you know".
As someone who played 2 before 1, it works just as well, if not better in some cases of the story and lore.
what does torna spoil that you dont know by ch7. I really cant remember anything.
by the end of ch 7 you even got a glimpse of Aion so the whole aegis mech thing is not even a spoiler
i kind of consider all of it's content a spoiler, since you don't even know that the
villain is a blade
Last edited:
If you find the music to be important, I would argue that Torna uses some of the tracks from the main game and somewhat spoils the atmospheric impact they have. For your first playthrough, I'd argue that it is a better experience to play Torna after the main game.
When I replay XBC2 I will play Torna between Chapters 7 & 8, however.
When I replay XBC2 I will play Torna between Chapters 7 & 8, however.
No, by ch 7 its already been stablished he is a blade and he is looking to repair his core using Mythra's core. Thats why Torna kidnapped her. Thats the whole point of that chapter. He even explains how Aegies can live without a core for a bit.
It would be different if it were like a 2-3 hour dlc with just those plot points - Torna is MASSIVE and has gigantic time sinks designed to break up the pacing, as you know, which is fine when it's self contained but it's basically like doing the dumb hatchet style or whatever star wars order, hwere you watch half of a trilogy then stop and watch an entire other trilogy, narratively it makes sense but the pacing is completely destroyed. You're talking about adding like a full 20% to the length of the game with another different game just to get some emotional context that you absolutely don't need, and will still receive if you play it later. It's not like without Attakc of the clones I didn't understand the implications of vader being luke's father or of him betraying the emperor for his kids or anything, Torna is no different - XB2 was DESIGNED not to need it, you're not like missing giant pieces of the puzzle or anything, they're just implied rather than implicit.
Malos? You certainly know he's a blade by the end of chapter 7. You fight him with the Monado in that chapter
Yeah this is my take as well. From a story perspective, I can see how injecting Torna in the middle of the game makes the conclusion much more satisfying, indeed a bit like Machete Order.
But the middle part of Torna is a real grind and you would insert it at a time where Xenoblade 2's pacing is really picking up.
Having finally completed Xenoblade DE this week (I came halfway into the Wii version but dropped it due to getting bored), I much prefer Xenoblade 2 over 1, because it has the decency to put the slower parts in the beginning and pick up the pace as you go along, instead of the reverse in 1. Killing the momentum by introducing Torna messes with that.
yeah, but you do need to play the base game first to know that
There is a massive spoiler if you play torna before chapter 7 is done
I enjoyed the combat of Torna so much that I didn't mind the side-quests even when they were mandatory.
yeah but we're talking about what you know in the base game before the end of chapter 7
Torna elevates Mythra so much. She absolutes shines in Torna because you get to see her positives and flaws combine and clash.
I feel like Torna doesn't explain some things that you learn in the base game though which is why I recommended originally playing it after. The characters, in my opinion, make a bit more sense if you've beaten the original game.
I feel like Torna doesn't explain some things that you learn in the base game though which is why I recommended originally playing it after. The characters, in my opinion, make a bit more sense if you've beaten the original game.
IMO: unless you don't think you'll finish 2 at all, finish 2 first.
I think Torna is better, but it is very clearly meant to be played after.
I think Torna is better, but it is very clearly meant to be played after.