papermanda

Let's be honest: this game consisted of running, and a convoluted plot that turned the original Silent Hill plot into borrowed mush. Not creative, jagged, annoying gameplay, and lots of running. There was no combat. The only cool part of the game was the psychological aspect, but it could have been way more expansive.

There are several elements in this game that, by comparison, go unnoticed by new RPG fans, and are thus, overrated. The amount of tedious side-quests that prevent the player from advancing the plot can be frustrating for people that prefer more plot-based RPGs. There are no buildings to enter and explore - only endless, sprawling landscapes to run across. The grinding in this game resembles a MOBA strategy, more than it does RPG leveling-up. There are complaints that the game's graphics don't look "good enough", but the graphics will never make up for the lacking plot. There are tons of "bad looking" video games circa 1986 to 2001 that have much more amazing plots and character progressions. This game, overall, bored me, and I found myself complaining about it instead of being able to enjoy it because it was flat and unimaginative. Many people claim that Xenoblade is the best RPG of this generation. There is no way to prove this, because it is the ONLY RPG of this generation. The people that rate this game on the high end of the scale are rarely known to have played Final Fantasy VII, or Xenogears, for that matter, because they are younger and do not know what a classic RPG looks and feels like. That being said, again, there is little comparison being made using this game against the RPGs it came after. The music in this game, on the other hand, deserves a 10/10.

This game was extremely slow and boring. As a supposed "nod" to Silent Hill, I get what the game is going for, but it steals from every aspect of Silent Hill, down to the sound effects and flashlight. If you want to make good games, make your own games. Pro: Pixels always look cool. Cons: Completely unoriginal.

I liked this game because it was gentle, yet complex. This is one of the few Wii games that utilized every button on both Wii controllers and treated the utilization as a skill set. The story was extremely linear, but heartfelt or sentimental and allegorical, touching on themes of human emotion, relationships, memories, and loneliness. Some of the battles are extremely hard, and the puzzles are mid-grade, making the game a decent challenge. The character and environment designs were some of the most beautiful while simple, and emotional in video games to date. What I didn't like about this game was how short it was and how you had to go back to the same areas several times for the story to progress. Some areas that you think you're going to explore more later in the game, lose their access for good. Overall, I give this game a 10 because of it's ingenuity in use of controller/equipment, style, and for being a game that did it's best to avoid the end of the spectrum known as emotionless shooter.

There are very few games that deserve a 10, and this is one of them. Not many games and game companies are brave enough to tackle the tip of the iceberg psychology, philosophy, and spiritual concepts - especially in one game. These aspects of the game alone give it a complex story, and to add to it's appeal, there are also concepts of love, class wars (floating city vs. land dweller), the age-old gear piloting conundrum, and so much more. The battle system is turn-based, and allows for upgradable moves based on experience in addition to the traditional equipment upgrade aspect. The other component of battle is an alternate in-gear fighting (and travel) mode which contains a different set of techniques and upgradable moves and gear equipment altogether. Two battling systems in one, each with their own complexities, attributes, and magic. The characters are easy to relate to even though the story may seem complex at first. It has the traditional "find out where you came from to uncover the story" starting point of now classic, and forgotten RPGs, and each character has a deep and personal back story. The story takes twists and turns and the game has a high standard of replay value because the story takes time to understand. It is clear that the story was developed and written carefully. Additional details include a card game that can be played as a continuing mini-game, hidden locations, and additional minigames including fighting championships and gear battles. There is much more I could say, but they surely don't make them like this anymore.