Nomekop

Xenoblade Chronicles X seems to have an identity crisis. It doesn't know if it wants to be an open-world game based on adventure, or a JRPG akin to the other games in the Xeno series, and ends up being some sort of strange and unique experiment that lies somewhere in the middle. The games open-world has an incredible amount of secrets, enemies and items, and it will take hundreds of hours to explore every part of this insanely large world. However, is it fun to explore? That is a more difficult question. **** is trying to encourage you to explore, it's expected that the movement is tight and you have the sufficient tools available to you so you can explore the world, but this is where Xenoblade Chronicles X fails. The movement in the game is clunky and loose. It feels like the exact same controls from the original Xenoblade Chronicles, but it does not work in an exploration focussed game. Even though you can explore everywhere on paper, most areas are blocked off by high-level enemies or difficult to navigate landscapes, and since you are not given the tools to sneak past them or overcome the harsh landscapes, like you should be, you must simply accept that you have to stay away until you've grinded enough fetch quests. But, nevermind that. Let's talk about the other side of the coin, how about the usual JRPG/Xenoblade gameplay many fans have come to love? Well, much like how the open-world was hurt by the JRPG side, the JRPG side is hurt by the open-world side. Between every chapter, you MUST do some of the previously mentioned clunky exploration and sidequests before you can go into the next chapter. This hurts the pacing of the already subpar and uninteresting story. This game's story does not fit in at all when compared to Monolith's other works. The last flaw i would like to touch on is the unintuitive and confusing UI, which you will end up having to spend a lot of time in. The text is far too small, and there is absolutely no other way to navigate this menu. I could see any part of the UI and wouldn't be able to tell you what it's purpose is, because everything looks the same. This may not be a huge problem if this wasn't a JRPG, which are very menu heavy games. It's alarmingly difficult to get to important screens and settings, that need frequent attention or you'll be completely left behind by the game. On top of this, it's too much of a hassle to frequently change equipment or check side quests. Having to open the menus in this game is the same feeling as having to swallow while you have a terribly sore throat. If you compare this game to the other flagship open-world game on the Wii U, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, you can really start to see the enormous flaws this game suffers. In Breath of the Wild, the snappy and simplistic UI helps you understand exactly what you need and what you can do with every item you receive. This gives players the motivation to explore with their empowering climbing and gliding abilities and applicable real-world knowledge. Meanwhile, Xenoblade Chronicles X FORCES you to explore, and without any of the fantastic mechanics or liberating movement that BotW offers. Xenoblade Chronicles X does do a lot right, such as it's fairly accessible but rather deep combat, its beautiful views and its catchy soundtrack, but the very core of the game is so average that I can't justify giving this game anything higher than a 4/10.