Xenoblade Chronicles

 Wii
User Score
9.1

Universal acclaim- based on 1527 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,395 out of 1527
  2. Mixed: 51 out of 1527
  3. Negative: 81 out of 1527
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  1. turbo_dweeb
    Aug 24, 2023
    10
    WOOOOOOWZERRRZEEHh mega shmacka honkalomps *eyes pop out of face* SHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESH! OOOSH GOOGHY DOP WOP
  2. Omletter
    Aug 12, 2023
    10
    Xenoblade Chronicles is a worthy successor to Xenogears. It has all the same elements that made Xenogears so great: a sprawling world to explore, a complex and engaging story, and memorable characters.
  3. Borderlinez
    Aug 8, 2023
    10
    Xenoblade is a grand, epic JRPG with a beautiful world, memorable characters, and exhilarating combat.
  4. DarkwingSchmuck
    Jul 28, 2023
    10
    Following the masterpiece that was Xenogears was a tall order for Xenosaga -- a solid, though flawed trilogy that attempted to recapture the magic of its predecessor. For their next game, MonolithSoft wisely decided to go in a completely different direction -- forgoing extended cutscenes and linear gameplay for a game rich with content and exploration in Xenoblade Chronicles.

    Xenoblade    Following the masterpiece that was Xenogears was a tall order for Xenosaga -- a solid, though flawed trilogy that attempted to recapture the magic of its predecessor. For their next game, MonolithSoft wisely decided to go in a completely different direction -- forgoing extended cutscenes and linear gameplay for a game rich with content and exploration in Xenoblade Chronicles.

    Xenoblade features a semi-open world with some exceptional side quests and a psudo-MMO styled battle system inspired by Final Fantasy XII, though refined to great effect. And despite this focus on gameplay, the story of Xenoblade surprisingly doesn't take any hits for it. In fact, Xenoblade features as memorable of narrative and as memorable of a cast of characters as any game in the Xeno franchinse.    … Expand
  5. JustABitAgroed
    Jul 8, 2023
    2
    Quit after 40 hours when I had to fight enemies that did a debuff to me that literally made me unable to play the game, and there was no defense against it whatsoever until I could grind a gem that only drops in an area that I didn't have access to yet. Here's my review of this game: if I had unlimited resources at my disposal, and set out to make the world's worst designed, mostQuit after 40 hours when I had to fight enemies that did a debuff to me that literally made me unable to play the game, and there was no defense against it whatsoever until I could grind a gem that only drops in an area that I didn't have access to yet. Here's my review of this game: if I had unlimited resources at my disposal, and set out to make the world's worst designed, most frustrating, incomprehensibly idiotic, more annoying than **insert your personal least favorite kids show here**, most agonizing to play, most vapid, and most padded JRPG that my sick mind could come up with, I would fail, because nothing could ever, EVER, beat out this game in any of those categories, and wouldn't even be in the same universe as all of it put together. The worst UI I've ever contended with in any game ensures that equipping your party takes 4 times as long as it should. You have no control over your party members in a combat system that is 100% reliant on comboing and the AI is dumb as dirt, which breaks the gameplay. Regarding the battle system itself, after spending no less than 20 hours on the wiki trying to figure out how it works because the game sure as hell doesn't tell you, I can definitely say it is the most half-baked, absurdly overly-convoluted, braindead, non-functional battle system I have ever seen in my life. The way aggro works breaks the game, literally punishing you for playing. The Monado's very existence breaks the game since you have to have Shulk in your party at all times, lest you get murdered by Mechon that you can't do damage to. Chain attacks are more RNG than skill-based, broken mechanic. Half the things the Monado arts are supposed to do, they don't, which usually results in your death. I can absolutely guarantee, if you think the combat system in this game is good, that you don't understand 5% of how it works, because if you did, your head would be spinning with with the utter insanity of how its twisted spider web of various non-functional mechanics somehow interweave and coalesce into the most deranged mess of broken garbage that I have or will ever see in any game. It also has the worst side-quests in any video game, fight me on that. This game's side-quests make WoW's look like Witcher 3 by comparison. Annoying, imbecilic, deep as a puddle characters that never STFU, especially during combat, of which there are only 7, and not a single one of them is likeable or interesting. I've seen better written characters in Peppa Pig. God-awful story that can't even keep track of itself after it pours on 10 plot-twists that are so dumb, you'd get more narrative poignancy out of most Scooby-Doo episodes. The plot of this game justifies being 25 hours long at most and yet the game is 70 hours. If it's not the most padded game in history, it's certainly close. The open-world is so barren and devoid of anything remotely interesting, just more mobs to fight. The aesthetics of the world are great, but you'll never be able to see them since the game looks like a YouTube video from 2006, and that's being generous. It looks like someone spilled some motor oil on Skies of Arcadia. Literally the entire game is so **** bad it makes me apoplectic. This had to be purposeful. You have to be trying to make a game this offensively terrible. So WTF do people even like about this game? From what I can tell, a bunch of Nintendo kiddies grew up never having played an RPG before after every company jumped ship from Nintendo during the 5th generation, and then they played this: one of the worst JRPGs ever made, but because it was their first, and they bought it with their own lawnmowing money, they loved it. Can't really explain the metacritic reviews though. Maybe they all played Xenogears by mistake. It gets a 2 for the soundtrack and for not setting my console alight. That's about all the praise anyone with a brain could give it.… Expand
  6. TheXxchaKing
    Jul 7, 2023
    8
    + OST is a masterpiece of epic proportion
    + World design is totally unique and creative, packed with memorable, breathtaking environments
    + Bosses are extremely memorable and challenging + Overarching story was interesting, if not a little tropey at times - Combat system is ok but could have been improved with better RPG elements - Graphics are horrendous, though it's a miracle it    + OST is a masterpiece of epic proportion
    + World design is totally unique and creative, packed with memorable, breathtaking environments
    + Bosses are extremely memorable and challenging
    + Overarching story was interesting, if not a little tropey at times

    - Combat system is ok but could have been improved with better RPG elements
    - Graphics are horrendous, though it's a miracle it even managed to run on the Wii hardware
    - Plot twists were predictable and writing was generally poor in spite of an interesting plot
    - Lazy side-quests    … Expand
  7. Xenobladekille
    Jun 1, 2023
    0
    This game is Unbelievable bad
    I think In this game all is so badly the monster, the levels, character, and we don't talk about the story. This game is so boring, the farming in this game is horrible because the gameplay is unplayable
    I pay 45$ and this were a lost of time and money, the worst 40 hours of my life.
  8. onepiececock
    May 10, 2023
    10
    It made me start my favorite game franchise, the characters are all so charismatic (although I wish others had more focus and it wasn't all mostly Shulk but I love Shulk so it's not that bad), incredibly good OSTs and an unique gameplay that doesn't get stall and doesn't require too much grind if you understand how it works, I love it
  9. lecaime
    May 4, 2023
    10
    Un jeu excellent avec une histoire incroyable. Mon seul bémol, c'est qu'il faut le faire en premier car le système de combat est le début de la série qui s'étoffe avec les autres.
  10. Sutchii
    Apr 24, 2023
    10
    The music , the story , the atmosphere , the combat all amazing. It's incredible how good this game is. This is how an adventure feels. It is also the first jrpg I recommend the english voice cast over the japanese one. Forget everything you may have heard about this franchise from a youtuber and try this one. Do yourself a favor if you like Rpgs and JRPGS
  11. Cobalt_Red
    Mar 29, 2023
    9
    Xenoblade Chronicles is the JRPG of the seventh generation.
    It is also the game that most pushes the Nintendo Wii to the limit of its technical possibilities, to the point that at times you can feel the effort of the console and the developers.
    Outstanding plot, soundtrack, and art direction. Fun and rewarding combat system and customization. Long-lived, varied, packed with content.    Xenoblade Chronicles is the JRPG of the seventh generation.
    It is also the game that most pushes the Nintendo Wii to the limit of its technical possibilities, to the point that at times you can feel the effort of the console and the developers.
    Outstanding plot, soundtrack, and art direction.
    Fun and rewarding combat system and customization.
    Long-lived, varied, packed with content.
    Impossible not to remember it with joy.    … Expand
  12. CharlotteBelmon
    Feb 20, 2023
    10
    Literally one of the greatest JRPGs, maybe even one of the best games ever made.

    I love JRPGs, but most of them never manage to impress me. Be it the combat being unimaginative spell mashing or a heaping of cringey anime tropes, I wade through a lot of crap. Even AAA JRPGs like Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest (The absolute king of generic JRPGs and my least favourite series, save only for    Literally one of the greatest JRPGs, maybe even one of the best games ever made.

    I love JRPGs, but most of them never manage to impress me. Be it the combat being unimaginative spell mashing or a heaping of cringey anime tropes, I wade through a lot of crap. Even AAA JRPGs like Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest (The absolute king of generic JRPGs and my least favourite series, save only for its monster design, which I can appreciate with the power of Google Images) are pretty meh at the end of the day.

    Xenoblade, however, is so different from other JRPGs not only in gameplay, but in quality as well. Gone are the days of sifting through menus and waiting for animations to play out. No more fanservicey scenes created from some touchless virgin's lonely mind. Xenoblade just takes everything good about JRPGs and removes any joyless crap that bogs down the experience.

    The story is easily one of the most intriguing tales I've seen, taking a unique world with gorgeous aesthetics and using that world, mixed in with some good old fashioned obscure Judeo-Christian mythology, to create an engaging story. Furthermore, the writing is phenomenal, especially when looking back after beating the game. The twists and turns recontextualize early moments that stuck out, and even little remarks that might pass you by are actually subtle moments of foreshadowing. The story is further bolstered by its characters. The main party oozes chemistry, and their unique personalities, goals and interactions ensure that none of the people you stick with throughout the game get too annoying or boring. All this is tied together by an incredible voice cast in the English release. Instead of just employing Matt Mercer to play Dunban or something, the whole VA team are British, giving the game a unique tone during dialogue and cutscenes that the samey VAs from other JRPGs cant compare to.

    Now, the combat. Easily my favourite combat mechanics is any game ever. Your party consists of 3 members and, like a lot of JRPGs, they each have a unique role to play, being DPS, tank and healer. An encounter starts and the characters do basic attacks automatically. You can use "spells" (dubbed "Arts" in the game) to do a variety of things, such as deal damage, heal, provide buffs or attract aggro. Sounds simple, but the Arts drives the combat to greater heights. For example, the main character Shulk has a move that deals more damage from behind, so, by using Reyn to attract aggro, Shulk can get behind and gain the damage bonus. Each of the 7 characters have a unique tool kit that makes changing up your party every now and again so much more enjoyable than just sticking with your three faves. Even 2 characters with the same role feel so different from one another you just cant help but switch characters every 2 seconds. The synergy the party members have with one another is incredible, even at the most simple form of a tank attracting attention so the squishy DPS can deal the damage. It uses this simple mechanic to great lengths so the combat never gets old. The game also has a unique mechanic in combat called Visions. You can get a random glimpse into the future of a fight to see an enemy charging up a massive attack. You can then prevent this from happening in a variety of ways, such as inflicting the Topple status effect or by getting the tank to aggro the enemy. It really creates a sense of tension and excitement as you get these sort of mini challenges during a heated fight.

    The world itself is amazing. The game takes place of the bodies of two great Titans, whose corpses gave life to a diverse fauna that makes up the roster of monsters. Each open area invites you to look at the vistas and horizons. You can even look at far off areas that you can visit later on. The unique structure of the world is honestly just incredible, its hardly describable. The music is fantastic, featuring calm ambience, an orchestra that fills you with excitement or, my personal favourite, and intense metal and symphonic marriage that pumps fights up to the max.

    This game ranks in my top 3 video games ever made. JRPG fans will find a unique experience like nothing before, and will look back on the game with memories and fondness, even long after the credits roll.
    I personally played the Wii version, and honestly I prefer the art style over the Switch remake, but play which ever is more convenient, its an incredible game either way.
    TL;DR Play Xenoblade Chronicles. Now.    … Expand
  13. DinoBeam
    Feb 11, 2023
    8
    Some amazing unique fantasy landscapes that big fantasy fans will not want to miss. Fun auto based combat. Cool enemies that sadly repeat in new areas alot. Some bosses you need to grind for, with the last boss being one you will most likely need to turn "casual mode" on for, even if you have a solid team that has gotten you easily though the whole game up the that point [and no they doSome amazing unique fantasy landscapes that big fantasy fans will not want to miss. Fun auto based combat. Cool enemies that sadly repeat in new areas alot. Some bosses you need to grind for, with the last boss being one you will most likely need to turn "casual mode" on for, even if you have a solid team that has gotten you easily though the whole game up the that point [and no they do not let you teleport away to grind for that one]. Half the writing is good, half is extraordinarily cheesy bad anime/ 80's kids cartoon level writing. Lots of plot twists. 8 overall.… Expand
  14. Yoshivier001
    Feb 2, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Una maravilla de principio a fin con un sistema de combate profundo, estratégico y acción en un mismo plato con jefes, monstruos únicos,enemigos... Que lo hacen una delicia.
    Tampoco nos olvidamos de sus escenarios únicos grandes e con una exploración que es la base de Zelda breath of the wild , aunque se nota algo sin vida, también sus mecánicas como afinagrama,gemas,conversaciones o visiones futuras este último siendo innovación como los monstruos únicos lo englobas con un guión de los mejores de la industria y tienes el mejor RPG de la generación y para mí el mejor juego de la historia (personal jejeje)    … Expand
  15. harima2
    Nov 17, 2022
    10
    I can't even describe how intense is the story of the game, plotwists that hit hard and an amazing cast of characters, all surrounded by a great OST
  16. Sterrewiggelary
    Nov 12, 2022
    10
    Amazing story. Great music. Brilliant gameplay. My absolute favourite game of all time.
  17. OpticMaster56
    Sep 19, 2022
    0
    This game, along with Xenoblade 2, is a bad game. I would rather play Raid Shadow Legends.
  18. AMindJoke
    Aug 15, 2022
    10
    Simply the best JRPG ever made: story, music, characters, all perfect! A must play!
  19. LemurLH
    Aug 9, 2022
    9
    A few words: MUST HAVE!

    It's a fantastic game. Good story, good combats, amazing scenarios.
  20. Khoryu
    Aug 5, 2022
    10
    Xenoblade Chronicles is a narrative masterpiece that deserves all the acclaim. Fantastic world building, unique and fast combat system, and a likeable cast of characters. Environments are also large, well detailed, and invite the player to explore it. Many side quests for those that want to 100% it or just don't want to be left with nothing to do. Absolute genius storytelling as well. AXenoblade Chronicles is a narrative masterpiece that deserves all the acclaim. Fantastic world building, unique and fast combat system, and a likeable cast of characters. Environments are also large, well detailed, and invite the player to explore it. Many side quests for those that want to 100% it or just don't want to be left with nothing to do. Absolute genius storytelling as well. A certified must-play video game.… Expand
  21. Flomo
    Aug 2, 2022
    10
    Unglaublich diese Jrpg es ist Perfekt ,Grandiose Musik,Charaktere, Grafik, und sdie Story ist Meisterhaft .Es hat eine Magie wie kein Zweites Jrpg.
  22. Darkpit64
    Jul 28, 2022
    10
    I first played Xenoblade Chronicles back in 2014. For a 2012 game it had an amazing story and soundtrack that still holds up to this day. The exploration and combat were very enjoyable. Character designs were beautiful, and even with the hardware limitations of the Wii, the environments were breathtaking.
  23. takko_lol
    Jul 28, 2022
    10
    ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
  24. supdude80
    Jul 26, 2022
    10
    this is the most perfect game I've ever played in my entire life. you can name any aspect of this game and it's always executed perfectly, or near-perfectly.
  25. 3abdooogamer73
    Aug 15, 2021
    10
    When I First played this game I wasn't expecting much at all, but when I played it, it just blew my mind with it's awesome story, fun gameplay, memorable characters, and its massive overworld for a wii game ,and the best soundtrack ever made in my opinion, so I gladly say that Xenoblade Chronicles is my favourite game of all time
  26. AShinyG1ratina
    Jun 21, 2022
    9
    peak but the graphics and UI are outdated as **** but holy **** this is still the best story ever.
  27. HeroponXC
    Apr 28, 2022
    10
    the only bad thing about this game was the graphics, but now with the definitive edition the graphics look great. best game ever made.
  28. Ventu
    Apr 9, 2022
    10
    Xenoblade Chronicles es sin lugar a duda uno de los mejores JRPG que he jugado, siendo este mi género favorito. Tiene una historia preciosa e interesante, con unos grandísimos personajes. Conforme avanza la historia, cambian las ciudades y el mundo, y las secundarias afectan a la evolución de los personajes secundarios que se encuentran en su mundo. Los controles y el sistema de combate esXenoblade Chronicles es sin lugar a duda uno de los mejores JRPG que he jugado, siendo este mi género favorito. Tiene una historia preciosa e interesante, con unos grandísimos personajes. Conforme avanza la historia, cambian las ciudades y el mundo, y las secundarias afectan a la evolución de los personajes secundarios que se encuentran en su mundo. Los controles y el sistema de combate es muy completo, original e increiblemente satisfactorio. Gráficamente es precioso, y la música increible. En conjunto, me parece una experiencia inmejorable, habiéndose convertido en unos de mis títulos y sagas favoritas. Totalmente recomendable.… Expand
  29. btthead
    Mar 28, 2022
    10
    Truly the best JRPG of its time. Amazing story, world, music, and characters.
  30. Diugo
    Mar 18, 2022
    10
    Everything in this game is perfection. The story is like no other. The combat is really fun and engaging. If someone ask me for a recommendation for a game, my first answer is always Xenoblade Chronicles. I feel like this game is not underrated, but overlooked.

    This game really has a special place in my heart.
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Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Best Wii Game of 2012
1
#1 Most Discussed Wii Game of 2012
1
#1 Most Shared Wii Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
92

Universal acclaim - based on 59 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 58 out of 59
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 59
  3. Negative: 0 out of 59
  1. GameCritics
    May 24, 2012
    80
    Xenoblade may not be the greatest JRPG ever, but it's certainly one of the best games on the Nintendo Wii.
    Read full review
  2. Quarter to Three
    Apr 19, 2012
    100
    There's a lot more to recommend Xenoblade Chronicles. The dialogue, the humor, the artwork, the prophecy system, the music, the variety of environments, the character progression, the crafting system, the crazy quest density, the quest quality, the memorable characters, the collectibles, the secrets, and so on. This is a landmark achievement in the genre. As of its release, you can no longer talk about great RPGs, or maybe even great games, without also talking about Xenoblade Chronicles.
    Read full review
  3. G4 TV
    Apr 12, 2012
    90
    Xenoblade Chronicles is the sort of precious jRPG that this recent console generation has sorely lacked. Despite some missteps and over-complication, the game stands out as one of the best in recent years. Xenoblade creates a world simply begging to be explored.
    Read full review
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