Xenoblade Chronicles X | Game Informer

GI:
I began Xenoblade Chronicles X filled with enthusiasm for its intriguing world and gorgeous visuals. But like the hackneyed songs that play ad nauseum throughout, the gameplay doesn’t have enough depth or entertainment to sustain such a prolonged experience. Players with great patience for grinding are rewarded with intriguing places to discover and creatures to fight, but for me, only a handful of the 100 hours I spent wandering Mira felt like a true adventure.

[DivineAssault]

GTFO! I dont believe this bull.. I guess people dont like long games that are worth the $60 they dish out anymore.. How can others score it a 10/10 but here its 7.25? I think this game is meant for old school players like myself who appreciate lots of content in a huge world like the good old days.. Except random battles.. That was some BS

[Neonridr]

sites try to be different by claiming that their review is "subjective" or "edgy". Basically they give a lower score so that people will give them the hits they so desperately need.

If they had scored it an 8 or 9 like the majority of other sites it would get lost in the shuffle.

I don't agree with the practice at all. How does one even arrive at a .25 of a point anyways? I mean what is the difference between a 7.5 and a 7.25 when speaking of a review?

[kraenk12]

Just that Gameinformer is usually one of the most credible sites in the business. Still reviews are just opinions. And WTF, did you seriously just complain about a site using a more diverse scaling scheme?!

[Neonridr]

@kraenk12 - I was merely answering the original posters question. There are always sites that score games lower to try to be different. That doesn't mean that in this specific case the review isn't correct. But there are always a review here and there with a much lower score than the mean average.

as for the diverse scaling scheme, just something I noticed.. why not just stick to whole numbers and .5 numbers if you have to.

Otherwise why not rate the game a 7.356 / 10 if we are going to start going there? I simply asked what's the difference between a 7.5 and a 7.25 game.

[-Gespenst-]

@Neonridr: These sites can't really win can they? If they rate a game highly, they've been bribed, and if they rate a game poorly, they're drawing attention (and hits) to themselves with controversy.

You do realize that sometimes, people are giving their honest opinion? Journalists get paid to write reviews among other things - what they write in the review doesn't really matter except in those cases where money's exchanged hands, or where a publication is in dire need of money. Sometimes, no one's been bribed, and no one's desperate for money - sometimes things are going just fine, and honest reviews are written.

I'm not saying that this review is necessarily honest - I mean how can anyone REALLY know? But what I am saying is that it's wrong and overly cynical to act like every review MUST be in some way a con. We can at least be certain that honest reviews do get written, just not which among them are the honest ones. Maybe you're right, maybe this review is supposed to be controversial for the sake of generating hits, but how do you know for sure? Also, what exactly about a 7.25 / 10 is controversial? That to me is a good score - a realistic and balanced score. Maybe that score isn't reflected in the review itself, and perhaps the review is more suggestive of a 5/10 game or something, but I think in this case the reviewer is probably spot on.

I think this would be a 9 or 10 were it not for the grinding the reviewer talks about. Mindless, soul-crushing grinding should automatically lose the game points. There's nothing fun about seemingly endless grinding - you end up hating the game because of it. You get sick of all the sites and sounds - the game overstays its welcome. Moreover, grinding is just padding, it's not substantial. It's just endless repetition. That was one of the problems I had with Ni No Kuni - take away the grinding and farming and the game didn't have an awful lot of meat on its bones. Too many RPGs compensate for their weaknesses by requiring that the player pour hundreds of hours into grinding and farming - it makes the game seem huge when it's not. If you were to tally up the truly diverse and engaging content in the game, it'd only come to a couple dozen hours. The rest is monotony. No one in their heart of hearts likes to grind and farm - I don't know why these things are so common in RPGs. Tortuous stuff.

I think this score is probably warranted if the grinding is as bad as the reviewer says it is. If the grinding weren't so bad, the game would probably have gotten a higher score because the reviewer's excitement with and interest in the game would never have waned or stagnated.

[divinealpha]

Actually I don't think you quit understand how game reviews work , there is an actually game review scale , some reveiwes use it and some dont, people seem to get upset these days from games getting 6,7,8 when actually a 5 means average games, 6 slightly above average on so on, don't let the number fool you 7 out of ten is good

[Cy]

So, basically, you think the review is wrong because you like this type of game and the reviewer didn't? Okay. Doesn't make the review bull. Not everyone likes endless hours of grinding, which is why most games have thankfully moved away from that. But if that's your thing, then I hope you enjoy the game and you shouldn't let a review bother you so much.

[DivineAssault]

I think reviewers should enjoy the genre of games they review.. Companies shouldnt force their critics who hate certain genres to play them unless theres no other choice.. I guess nintendo didnt send them a fat check to cash with their review copy.. Look at Mat Miller's track record before jumping to conclusions Jr. Im not saying its a 10/10 because nothing is perfect (unless you get a check in the mail) but a 7.25? I know thats bull

[Cy]

I disagree. I think reviewers should be *familiar* with the genre they're reviewing, and be open minded about it, but they don't have to like it or enjoy it. In fact, it's better if people review genres they don't have strong feelings about one way or another, since you have a better chance of an honest review (or as close as reviews get) instead of fanboyism/blind hate.

What you seem to want is for reviews to validate whatever opinion you already decided to have about a game you've never played.

[DivineAssault]

I think theyre wrong period.. I dont agree with game informer and i call them out on it.. Whatever they say isnt going to change my mind about buying it but others are so used to games holding their hand they dont like having to think..

Like i said, this is probably for old school players like myself that like getting their $60 worth from a game with no season passes.. Theres higher reviews out there that outweigh this either way..

[elarcadia]

"Companies shouldn't force their critics who hate certain genres to play them"...How is someone supposed to know if the game "fits them" unless they play it? The reviewer doesn't say anywhere in his review that he hates these kind of games anyhow. The WHOLE POINT of reviewing a game is to give your honest opinion (not that that always happens) whether that be good or bad. I have seen a myriad of reviews, both good and bad on this game. Don't judge someone's opinion just because it isn't the same of yours.

[Aloy-Boyfriend]

Dude relax. You don't have to agree with everything positive or negative. This is the lowest score so far. Every other score has been great

[NovusTerminus]

So, because this guy didn't think it was amazing (7 is a great score) he is wrong? And does his opinion of the game devalue what you think of the game?

No? Carry on, reviews are for people shopping around and on the fence about getting the game. Not for those already sold on the product.

[Neonridr]

I have seen many PS4 / Xbox One reviews were a lower score comes in and it is attacked. Don't act like this is the first time you are seeing this.

[NovusTerminus]

No it's not. I just finally posted something about it. Everyone who reviews low is clickbait, everyone who reviews high is praised by the fanboys, so it raises the question, are these reviews to help uncertain people, or to justify peoples purchases?

[3-4-5]

Don't let one or even two reviews decide for you.

All the games from the 90's we liked, most of those we didn't read a review before, we just saw a game we wanted to play and then played it.

It wasn't until all these "experts" starting realizing they can say whatever and people will believe them that people starting making their decisions based on that.

Yea there were a few gaming magazines, but they spoke more of the truth back then, than people do now.

More people now have less shame and are willing to lie for money.

* That being said, The game looks good. Not sure if I'm going to buy it though as I don't have the money right now but possibly in the future.

If you even kind of wanted to get this game....Just Buy It!

[pcz]

i dont care what score they gave it, i will buy it regardless.

but it must be annoying for somebody (a reviewer in this case) to grind through over 100 hours in a game they arent even enjoying that much

i find that funny

[sullynathan]

Quite frankly, I'm not sure if you're stupid, sarcastic or outright trolling.

Rationalizing a games QUALITY and worth by the amount of QUANTITY in it is stupid.
Maybe you should question those 10/10 scores because not every site gave this game a 10/10.

I didn't know that "old school players" valued content more than anything especially when in comparison you have far more content-filled games today.

[Neonridr]

yeah like Titanfall, Battlefront, Destiny, Rainbow Six Siege.. filled to the brim with content... right?

[sullynathan]

@Neonridr yup, 4 games definitely prove your point. Especially picking online games that will be played extensively.

But, wait, why don't you use other modern games like Fallout 4, Dragon Age Inquisition, Skyrim, Wiedźmin 3 or GTA V. Oh yeah, because it would invalidate the stupid point that you're trying to defend.

[DivineAssault]

I was mentioning the difference of scoring.. I dont think its a 10/10 but dont know because i havent played it & nothing is perfect.. I didnt think the xenoblade on wii was 10/10 either.. More like a 9 to me but some critics bashed that too.. Metacritic has 20+ positive reviews and 4-5 average.. That should tell you something but i guess theyre all wrong and this 7.25 is correct lol

I really dont care that much either way.. I just stated my opinion on the matter.. No wonder a lot of Japanese publishers dont bother localizing games anymore.. That ship started sinking the moment COD became a thing out here..

[sullynathan]

I like people disagreeing just because. Even liking the disingenuous comments too.

@DivineAssault Numerically, 9 & 10 are far too close. There is very little difference between them.
Were still blaming COD for things?

[Wallstreet37]

Ummmm even when it released in Japan the reviews weren't all high, some also gave average 7's.

You need to get it out of your mind that all Nintendo games should be highly reviewed by everyone.

I see the typical comments from the diehard Nintendo Loyalists. Like come on get over it already.

Take me for example Dragon Age Inquisition got goty and i hate its game play and wouldnt give it more than a 6 yet many scored it high and has ton of content (although very repetitive). Its not about the content or length its the quality and what keeps you immersed in the world.

[gangsta_red]

Everyone has a different opinion. Not all reviews are going to be the same.

[magiciandude]

Exactly, and 7.25 is still a good score. I don't see what the harm is...

[SnotyTheRocket]

7 isn't a bad score, but okay.

[Rimeskeem]

But this is the most hyped game for the Wii U currently, if it is not scoring 9s from big reviewers then sh** is about to hit the roof.

[Cy]

Pretty much what I was worried about, honestly. I really like the idea of creating your own character in a JRPG, but boring silent protagonists and hours and hours of grinding are gaming relics that have no place in a single player game released in 2015, IMO. Very disappointing, but I'm getting used to that with open world games these days.

[HammadTheBeast]

7.5 isn't bad though?

[Cy]

Never said it was. 7.5 is perfectly fine. What I was talking about were the silent protagonist and the grinding.

[user9950279]

kind of what I expected. How it seems to go with RPGs lately. Didnt like the Witcher, Dragons Age, and probably wont like this. These traditional RPGs are just so shallow where it counts to me. Probably great for people after a whimsical narrative.

[sullynathan]

Witcher 3 and Inquisition are far away from JRPG's like Xenoblade Chronicles X.

[Savsky]

One interesting thing about the review.

"after dozens of hours, you inevitably settle into an optimum combat rhythm with a maxed-out class, and for the many more dozens of hours that follow, you’re triggering that same queue of actions again and again"

I already didn't like the MMO combat system so this pretty much solidifies me not buying the game. I hope all that do buy the game are happy with it though.

[3-4-5]

To be fair, the combat system is the only thing I disliked from Xenoblade Chronicles X on 3DS, and it's the reason I never finished the game past 15 hours.

This looks a little bit more involved, especially with the Mechs you can use.

I'd assume most everything else is enjoyable and the battle system will be the deal breaker for some people.

[Savsky]

I agree, the mechs look awesome, but there's too many red flags for me involving the combat. The animations look poor, you can hit an enemy from 50 feet away with your sword. And I am not a fan of the hotbar combat system where each button press is a different move.

This game is not for me but like I said, I hope everyone else enjoys it.

[benji101]

The game implies you should be mixing classes. Perfecting one class will not give you the variation you need to finish the later half of the game

[Savsky]

I still don't think I could get into the combat regardless. It looks terrible and I hate MMO style combat.

[Darkfist]

that one of the things i dont like about rpg, some games waste alot of hours just grinding in one location when side quest dont give you enough exp to continue the story.

[franwex]

Interesting, kinda like the first xenoblade actually. I know what I'm getting into, this game is for the more hardcore, or fans of the genre. Or someone who wants a long single player experience.

[MsmackyM]

My approach to game reviews is solely to see if the game runs smoothly with only minor issues if any. I usually know within the preview period if it is something I want to play. That being said Boarderlands and Fallout 3 where fun games on the PS3, but those games froze my system constantly to the point it killed all enjoyment of trying to play the game. And from everything I've seen on the game Xenoblade Chronicles X looks amazing and seems to run smoothly.

[Neonridr]

well in all fairness, Nintendo made games don't usually have any sort of history with the game running poorly.

One thing that always set apart first/second and third party games on the Nintendo consoles.

[bangoskank]

I personally don't have time for games of this scale anymore but a game should never be criticized for being too long. Boring definitely, but not too long. I personally couldn't finish Xenoblade because the side missions ruined the pacing for me. While I enjoyed the story, music, design and gameplay for as long I played(close to the end) I can never invest that kind of time in a video game ever again. I'm pretty sure many gamers from my generation feel the same way.

[benji101]

has a good score on metacritic, this is one of the lowest.

[Segata]

Fallout 4 0 FPS full of bugs. 9/10
Xenoblade because it's truly hardcore 7/10.

What a joke review sites are anymore.

[roland82]

I guess grinding for hours is hardcore

[BiggerBoss]

Fallout 4 is a better game though.

[Segata]

Fallout is a bad game period. All Bethesda games are bad games. Dated world design broken mechanics. Buggy as hell. XCX bugs will be few if ever. XB never ran into one and in fact you can't break the engine. Skyrim is a mess of a game. Still the same combat from ESII and it was stiff and crap in 1996. Bethesda is a terrible developer in peoples pockets. Rooster Teeth proved that.

[Big_Game_Hunters]

Fallout 4 is boring.
typical boring bethesda combat.
Typical boring post apocalyptic world #154.

[HentaiMasterRace]

Most likely

[fsdgf]

And you've finished both when X hasn't even been released yet?

[OtakuDJK1NG-Rory]

Sounds like most of these reviewers didn't really beat the game.

Not with there being others games they would play.

I can see some quitting after a lot of hours.

Still can't wait for Christmas gonna play this over the week of this year leading into the entire 2016.

[YoungPlex]

Meh, I'm a fan of the series and just finished off the n3ds version recently. I'm super pumped for this game and am well aware how some "mainstream" media still view jrpg games as difficult or repetitive when in fact it's mostly about the grind! I am however very disappointed in the fact that the protagonist is now some type of mute who has nothing to say. I'll miss Shulk and him screaming, "I'LL KILL YOU!!!!!!" Not to say that other characters won't be as emotionally involved in seeking revenge of some sort but man I'll miss it being my character.