Xenoblade
Encyclopedia
Xenoblade Chronicles, known in Japan as , is a role-playing video game published by Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....

 and developed by Monolith Soft
Monolith Soft
is a Japanese entertainment company that has created video games for the PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, Wii, Nintendo DS, and cell phones. The company was founded in 1999 by producer Hirohide Sugiura after he left Square Co. and accepted an investment from Namco...

 for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...

 console. The game was announced during E3 2009, when a trailer was released to media. The game follows a young man named Shulk, who wields the titular Xenoblade - an energy blade called the Monado - against the Mechon in order to ultimately save the world. Originally titled Monado: Beginning of the World, the game was retitled Xenoblade in January 2010 to honour Tetsuya Takahashi
Tetsuya Takahashi
Tetsuya Takahashi is currently the head of game software company Monolith Soft, Inc. In the past, Takahashi has worked at Square and on such games as Final Fantasy V, Final Fantasy VI and Chrono Trigger...

, "who poured his soul into making this and who has been working on the ". The game was released on June 10, 2010 in Japan, and was released on August 19, 2011 in Europe and on September 1, 2011 in Australia. Nintendo currently has no plans to release Xenoblade Chronicles in North America.

Exploration

It has been stated that the game will convey the feeling of freedom to the player, and would not be as focused on cutscenes and story as its sibling games. According to Tetsuya Takahashi, the game employs an open-ended
Open world
An open world is a type of video game level design where a player can roam freely through a virtual world and is given considerable freedom in choosing how to approach objectives...

 design, allowing much of the world to be explored from the very start. He has has described the game world as "overwhelming, like an MMORPG
MMORPG
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....

" and compared its size to that of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

, stating that from "one end to the other," the game's world is "about the size of the Japanese archipelago."

Battle system

Xenoblade Chronicles has a real-time action-based battle system
Action role-playing game
Action role-playing games form a loosely defined sub-genre of role-playing video games that incorporate elements of action or action-adventure games, emphasizing real-time action where the player has direct control over characters, instead of turn-based or menu-based combat...

, where party members will "auto-attack" when enemies enter their attack radius, similar to Final Fantasy XII
Final Fantasy XII
is a console role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 2. Released in 2006, it is the twelfth title in the Final Fantasy series and the last in the series to be released exclusively on the PlayStation platform...

s battle system. However, manually-activated special attacks, called Arts, each have their own "Cooldown" time after being used; Talent Arts, on the other hand, can only become available for use again after using enough auto-attacks. Arts for each character must be set on a "Battle Palette" at the bottom of the screen, which can be modified outside of battle. Movement of the character in play is also executed manually with the analog stick; however this only plays an integral role when using Shulk's Arts, as they are more effective if used from the side or behind. Another feature of battle is the aggro ring, which appears around party members who are targeted by enemies. The bigger the ring, the more focused an enemy's rage against that member will be. This gives Shulk and other members the chance to attack the enemy from the side or rear. Xenoblade Chronicles also has the "Visions" system, where Shulk can see glimpses of enemies' future attacks. With this information, the player has to try to react (e.g. getting out of harm's way) or prevent it from happening (e.g. warning fellow party members about the attack or using Shulk's Monado Shield Art), thus "changing the future."

Other features

The game is known to have a number of features labeled as "Time Saving Support Features". For instance, while the game will have 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 areas, called Locations and Landmarks, are added to aid in traversing the land by serving as warp points. The game also sports a "save
Saved game
A saved game is a piece of digitally stored information about the progress of a player in a video game. This saved game can be reloaded later, so the player can continue where he or she had stopped...

 anywhere" feature, a feature relatively rare among the console RPG genre.

Another of the game's systems is the "bonds 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 also has an affinity system, where each member has an affinity stat that indicates how they feel about another party member, ranging from indifference to love. These affinities can be altered by having characters participate in battle together, giving gifts, or using the 'Heart-to Heart' system. These 'Heart-to-Hearts' are intimate moments between two characters that can show more of a character's personality, history, or thoughts, and can be initiated by having certain characters at certain places whilst having a high enough affinity between them. The game also has extensive customization, such as being able to change the character's outfits and weapons, and having those changes be seen during battle, in the field, and even during event scenes.

Characters

The protagonist is an 18-year-old young man named Shulk, who lives in Colony 9 (located at the foot of the Bionis) at the start of the game’s main story. When the colony is attacked by the Mechon, he obtains the legendary energy blade called the Monado, thought to be the sword of the Bionis eons ago, and leaves to initially stop the Mechon threat. He is joined by Reyn, a headstrong Defense Force soldier; Fiora, Shulk and Reyn's childhood friend; Dunban, the previous wielder of the Monado and Fiora's older brother; Sharla, a medic and sniper from Colony 6; Melia, a mage and crown princess of the High Entia; and Riki, a member of the Nopon who is chosen as the "Heropon" of his race.

Prologue

In the beginning, the world had originally been nothing but an endless ocean. That was until two great titans—the and the —came into existence. These two giants fought a timeless battle, until one day only their lifeless bodies remained, forever locked in combat.

Eons passed, and life came to be on the corpse of Bionis. Civilizations were founded by several races—including the humanoid Homs and the Nopon—and life flourished. However, this peace did not last: one day the Homs colonies came under attack from the , a horde of machines originating from the Mechonis. The Homs fought to defend their existence, a battle which would come to be settled at the battle of Sword Valley. With the help of the Monado, a legendary blade with the power to penetrate Mechon armor, the Homs' hero Dunban fought against the Mechon threat. Those fighting alongside Dunban include: Dickson, a seasoned traveler and old friend of Dunban; and Mumkhar, an honorless soldier who secretly wants the Monado for himself.

During the battle, Dunban is almost overcome by the Monado's power and falls. While Dickson tries to help him, Mumkhar sees his own chance to escape. While running, he falls down a slope and comes face to face with a horde of armed Mechon. Dunban and Dickson, however, recover quickly, and lead a final charge against the approaching Mechon, completely destroying their army and ultimately winning the battle. However, wielding the Monado caused great harm to Dunban's body, negating the use of his right arm. Nonetheless, peace was temporarily restored to the colonies.

Story

One year has passed since the battle of Sword Valley. In the scrapyards outside his home of Colony 9, Shulk is looking for usable parts from broken Mechon. Reyn arrives just as monsters attack them. They manage to hold their own, and they return to the colony. However, Reyn gets in trouble for being late for military drills, and is forced to collect ether fuel from the nearby ruins as punishment. He asks Shulk and Fiora to "tag along" with him.

From the ruins, the three witness a large fleet of Mechon attacking Colony 9, catching both citizens and soldiers unprepared for the assault. Shulk and his friends return to try to find Dunban, who left his house to reobtain the Monado. While racing to the Weapon Development Lab, where the weapon is kept, the boys get separated from Fiora. Suddenly, Dunban, wielding the Monado once more, arrives to assist Shulk and Reyn. However, even when using his left arm this time, the Monado's power overwhelms Dunban once again, and he drops the weapon in agony. Shulk picks up the Monado, showing greater control over the weapon, and exhibits the ability to see enemies' future attacks. Dunban realizes that Shulk may be the Monado's true Hier, and fights alongside him.

During the assault, they encounter a large, visaged Mechon leading the attack, called "Metal Face." While Shulk and the others become incapacitated quickly, Fiora arrives in an ether artillery tank to save them. However, Metal Face easily overpowers the tank and stabs Fiora, presuably killing her. The Mechon then withdraw from the devastated colony, leaving behind a great number of losses and a mouring Shulk with a desire for vengeance against Metal Face. Shulk and Reyn leave Colony 9 to find the Mechon stronghold, located at Sword Valley, to avenge those who had lost their lives, while Dunban stays behind to let his injuries heal before following.

Along the way, Shulk has a vision of him fighting—and defeating—Metal Face on a black, floating island. When Dunban and Dickson catch up with the two, Dickson deduces that the island in question is Prison Island, making its location—the Bionis' head—their next destination. Along the way, they meet Sharla, Melia, and Riki, who join the group. They also meet Alvis, a mysterious Homs and Seer of the High Entia; however, his true identity is still a mystery to Shulk and his friends, as he can also use the Monado to some extent.

Reception and release

Xenoblade Chronicles debuted at #1 in its week of release in Japan, selling 83,000 copies. It was also voted the third most interesting game released in Japan during the first half of 2010 in a survey conducted by Dengeki. Japanese magazine Famitsu
Famitsu
is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Enterbrain, Inc. and Tokuma. Currently, there are five Famitsū magazines: Shūkan Famitsū, Famitsū PS3 + PSP, Famitsū Xbox 360, Famitsū Wii+DS, and Famitsū Wave DVD...

 awarded the game 9/9/9/9 in its review, totaling 36/40. At the end of 2010, the game had sold 161,161 copies in Japan, making it the eighth best-selling Wii game of the year.

The game debuted at seventh on the UK game charts, and at second place on the Wii charts, despite stock shortages. According to Gamasutra
Gamasutra
Gamasutra is a website founded in 1997 for video game developers. It is owned and operated by UBM TechWeb , a division of United Business Media, and acts as the online sister publication to the print magazine Game Developer...

, it was the fourth best-selling game in the UK during its first week. The game has received universal acclaim from reviewers, with average aggregate scores of 93.52% at GameRankings, 93 out of 100 at Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...

, and 9.3 out of 10 at GameStats. As of November 2011, it is listed as the second highest-rated RPG of 2011 at GameRankings, the eighth highest-rated game of the year at GameRankings, the fifth highest-rated Wii game of all time at Metacritic, and the fifth highest-rated game of all time at GameStats (after The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
is an action-adventure video game developed by Nintendo's Entertainment Analysis and Development division for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It was released in Japan on November 21, 1998; in North America on November 23, 1998; and in Europe on December 11, 1998...

 and Soulcalibur).

IGN UK
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...

 gave the game 9.0 out of 10 stating that "Xenoblade Chronicles is the best Japanese RPG of this generation". Metro GameCentral
GameCentral
GameCentral is an online magazine broadcast in the UK, focused on video games. It replaced Digitiser on March 10, 2003.GameCentral was formerly found on Channel 4 analogue Teletext on page 690, and on digital Teletext at page 805...

 shared a similar view awarding the game 9 out of 10 and saying in conclusion that Xenoblade is "the best Japanese role-player of the current generation and a big step forwards for the genre in terms of accessibility and ambition". Cubed³ gave the game 10 out of 10, stating "Monolith Soft’s grand Xenoblade Chronicles has arrived, bringing with it a sterling soundtrack, a phenomenal visual impact, vast amount of customisation, intriguing story and massive value for money." Eurogamer
Eurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...

 gave the game 9 out of 10 stating that "It's a game that invites us to reassess an entire genre, pointing to a bold future while nodding its respect towards the past. It's a towering triumph", and later chose Xenoblade Chronicles as game of the week.

Edge
Edge (magazine)
Edge is a multi-format computer and video game magazine published by Future Publishing in the United Kingdom. It is known for its industry contacts, editorial stance, distinctive anonymous third-person writing style, yearly awards and longevity....

 said that it's "a glowing comeback for the Japanese RPG" and saying in conclusion that "Xenoblade Chronicles manages to impress, enrich and, best of all, inspire wonder" awarding the game 9 out of 10. The Official Nintendo Magazine have also praised the game, giving it a score of 92% and calling it, "A genre-reviving blaze of wonder, immense scale and smart design." GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...

 UK awarded a 9 out of 10, saying that it "is a remarkable game" and "drags the JRPG into the 21st century, modernising many of the genre's traits and nailing a pace that outclasses the majority of its peers" giving the game a 9.0.

DualShockers awarded the game a 9.5 out of 10 and praised it as the best Japanese RPG released this generation, writing that Xenoblade Chronicles is "the perfect “Don’t worry, I still Love you” signal given by Nintendo to it’s most hardcore fans, and a strong, resounding “no” said right in the face of those that advocate the theory that the JRPG genre is dead". ImpulseGamer awarded the game a score of 9.5 out of 10. Vandal Online gave the game a near-perfect score of 9.9 out of 10. Gameblog.fr gave it a full 5 out of 5 stars. GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...

 gave the game 5 out of 5 stars and stated in conclusion that "it's not just the best RPG of this generation, but one of the best games I've ever played." RPGamer also gave the game 5 out of 5, stating that "while the comparative lack of RPGs means it isn't hard to be one of the best on the system, Xenoblade goes beyond that to be right up there with the best of the console generation as a whole."

Marketing

In Australia the first release was bundled with a limited edition ’Special Soundtrack’ on CD containing 12 original tracks that were composed specifically for Xenoblade Chronicles. In parts of Europe, a special edition of the game came bundled with a unique red classic controller pro and 3 A1-sized posters, electronically signed by the founder of Monolith Software, Tetsuya Takahashi. Also, the game's soundtrack is available as a download to Club Nintendo members who register the game online, though only for a limited time.

North American localization

In an interview on the French television station Nolife
Nolife (TV channel)
Nolife is a French TV network. It describes itself as the TV "for geeks, nerds and otakus". It mainly deals with videogames, Japanese culture, technology and various other topics...

, Mathieu Minel, the marketing manager of Nintendo France, stated that Nintendo of Europe was unable to show Xenoblade Chronicles at Electronic Entertainment Expo 2011
Electronic Entertainment Expo 2011
The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2011, commonly known as E3 2011, was the 15th Electronic Entertainment Expo held. E3 is an annual trade show for the computer and video games industry presented by the Entertainment Software Association . The event took place June 7–9, 2011 at the Los Angeles...

. Nintendo of America denied it since they are not planning to sell the product locally. In response, on June 22, 2011, users on IGNBoards have started a campaign called "Operation Rainfall" that hopes to persuade Nintendo of America to localize Xenoblade Chronicles, along with the Japan-only Wii titles The Last Story
The Last Story
is an action role-playing game developed by Mistwalker and AQ Interactive, and published by Nintendo for the Wii. The game's name and logo have been noted to be very similar to the Final Fantasy series, which was created by Mistwalker's head, Hironobu Sakaguchi....

 and Pandora's Tower
Pandora's Tower
Pandora's Tower, also known as , is an action role-playing video game developed by Ganbarion and was published by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. It was released in Japan on May 26, 2011.-Relationship with Ceres:...

. Fans are encouraged to write letters to Nintendo headquarters as well as pre-ordering the game on Amazon, listed under its original title Monado: Beginning of the World. On June 25, 2011, it became the #1 best-selling game on Amazon.com, and stayed in that position for over a day.

On July 7, the "Operation Rainfall" website reported a rumor that the North American localization of Xenoblade Chronicles was finished and The Last Story was in progress, but this has not been officially confirmed.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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