Tetsuya Takahashi, the executive director of Xenoblade Chronicles X, has responded to criticism levied against the newly released Wii U title (in Japan). Critics have targeted the game for not having enough story to keep the game interested for an extended period of time — so much so, Kotaku went out of its way to call it “boredom.” Within a Japanese guidebook for the game, Takahashi addressed fans saying he, for the most parts, agree with them.
Being several years behind others in the development of an HD title and taking into account Monolith Soft’s company size, there are just some thing that we could not achieve, which couldn’t be helped, but in order to move on towards the next step, there was no avoiding this. And that is the truth.
Takahashi pinpoints a few select features he hopes to apply to his next title, specifically a broader story, an improved interface, more intricate online connectivity, and even the option of going to space. Xenoblade Chronicles X is a Wii U exclusive, and will be coming to the west December 4th, 2015.
Good
Still getting it in December, if its anything like the wii or 3ds version its worth it to me…
Yea it still looks like an amazing game, and the story actually looks very fun from the trailer. Plus the huge and beautiful worlds alongside fantastic gameplay, makes up for the small lack of story.
“Story looks fun from the trailer.”
What?
The story will be long and fun. The guy from Kotaku that said the story was short, was NOT a fan of the series.. Dont ask me why MMN is posting reviews from haters.
This is one series that I think Nintendo should allow to go multiplat. Start out with Nintendo exclusivity, but bring it to PS4 later on. That way Nintendo can justify dedicating the resources this kind of game needs to compete with the likes of Final Fantasy.
Same. I hope the story is at least mostly as good as the original! I’m still getting this game no matter what.
Well that’s a damn shame. I’d like to know if traveling through the huge world is any good though.
No, it’s not a shame. It’s one haters opinion. Literally. One guy from Kotaku hated the entire game, not just the story. Go read the review, it’s awful..
I promise you, if you were a fan of the original you will love this game.
How can you promise that? Do you know Japanese?
I have read several reviews, and I have seen hours of gameplay footage. Add that to the similarities with the first game, and I’d say thats enough for me to make an educated opinion on the quality of the game.
I know Japanese, and I’ve watched a lot from Japanese gamers on Youtube. If you liked Xenoblade for Wii, you’ll love Xenoblade X! Not only do they expand a lot on the game’s mechanics, but also cater a lot to the characters!
That’s how it’s suppose to list to the fans an apply to the next can’t wait to see what else he makes for the Wii U
>>>If it means 80% cinematic like in the Sonyan world then be my guest and get lost>>>
by golly you get it too
>>>Silence slave and remove yourself from my presence>>>
There is alot of cinematic in this game. Alot,…… the story is very long, dont believe the guy from Kotaku, every other review contradicts everything he says..
>>>I was talking about the topic at hand, his future games not this one, but yes I’m aware of it and it made me a little skeptical in getting it but 300 hours of gameplay should balance it>>>
I love XC cinematics!
As long as the gameplay is satisfying, I won’t complain.
After all, you seldom hear people saying that they want to play a Super Mario game for the story.
by golly he gets it
I wonder how many people say that. LOL RETARD ALERT!
People don’t say that about Mario games very often because Mario games mostly belong to genres that don’t need a deep story. Comparing an RPG that’s missing a decent storyline to a Jump’n’Run or party game missing a decent storyline doesn’t make much sense.
Remember when people complained about Sticker Star being too dull for not having an interesting story and the lack of a decent battle system? Because it was supposed to be an RPG, and those are elements that are important to an RPG; of course people wouldn’t complain about those features missing if Sticker Star was, let’s say, a racing game. It all depends on the type of the game, the importance of a certain element can’t be generalized for every genre.
No, Xenoblade is about story and character progression, not gameplay.
And the story will be amazing. It got one bad reveiw, from Kotaku. Every other review contradicts everything that ONE GUY from Kotaku says.
While that holds some truth, the Xeno games are an entirely different beast to Mario. The Xeno games are known for their strong narratives. A Xeno game without a strong story is like a Mario game with no gameplay.
DEVELOPERS WHO SAY THIS ARE REALLY SAYING
IM NOT FIT TO DEVELOP GAMEPLAY-MECHANICS-CONTROLS
SO IL PRETEND IM A TV PRODUCER IR HOLLYWOOD DIRECTOR
No. RPG is a genre that usually has a good story, retard.
I disagree with your delivery methods, but completely agree with your statement. Wtf are people not understanding about the RPG genre?
Dropping the retard bomb likes its nothing
You know what, I bet the new game will be for the NX, it will be called Xenoblade Chronicles NX. It’s like X but with more N!
Or it could be called Xenoblade Chronicles X-2. Don’t take my word for it though.
I actually found XC a bit too cutscene heavy for my taste, even more than Xenogears.
I don’t because I spend a lot of time doing stuff between cutscenes so there was a healthy balance of gameplay & cutscenes for me. If Zelda U is a lot like Xenoblade Chronicles while still having the usual gameplay, I will be very happy. I just wish Skyward Sword was more like XC & maybe it wouldn’t have a couple of haters here & there.
It spells laziness, if lack of staff was what caused them to cut down on the story and complex online features why didn’t they hire more people or ask platinum games,who are experienced with HD development to help.
The story isnt cut down on. Go read the Kotaku review, it’s a hot mess. It’s one asshole haters opinion. Every other review contradicts him..
Dont believe Kotaku about Xenoblade. The story is VERY LONG. He was 70 hours in and still yet to beat the game!
Awesome! Great to hear! :D
XC X, being Open World & online, looks to have some potential for emergent narrative to occur, regardless of how sparse & linear the actual storyline is.
But I hope to see a new IP from Monolith Soft, & a new Baten Kaitos would be wonderful.
The story is not sparse. Not at all. Go read some reviews before jumping to conclusions…
Ah, it appears I sprained my ankle. Sorry. XC X is still on my wishlist regardless. I enjoyed the 1st game & I intend to explore its universe again.
A sequel to the first Baten Kaitos would be nice. I want to have Kalas & Xehla back. Along with the gameplay of the first Baten Kaitos, too. I hated the shared deck in the prequel game.
Yeah, it’s as if they took the notion of a prequel a little too seriously & made Origin’s card system primitive, which made it frustrating. They either should’ve improved on the 1st, or just left it alone (new cards would’ve been enough for me). & that’s why I never finished Origins. I’ve been thinking of going back, though.
Same. I couldn’t even get past those god damn metal arm thingies protecting that fucking shithead that used us throughout the entire game to further his own evil goal because of that outdated card system.
I need this game NOOOOWWWWW
Fantasy Life is a short story if you ignore the jobs but nobody cared enough to notice. Different games have different ways for gamers to lengthen the playtime, and XCX just happen to have a short one.
I guess it’ll all depend on how you play the game. XCX may not be for everyone, like that Kotaku reviewer.
Can’t wait to pilot a mech (forgot what it’s called) and try jumping on a really high cliff… XD
I know it gonna be AWESOME! BTW they’re called skells in North America, I don’t know about UK.
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Well that short story will keep my total play time down, I like that as I have too little time to game as is.
So how short is the story?
This is the first I have heard of this. I domt understand, Xenoblade is a game about story. It’s the story that pushes the game along….
Are they saying the story is short, or that it’s no good?
You can check the Kotaku article — I think people just wished it was a little longer, a little more polished, etc. From the most part, people aren’t saying it is bad, just that it isn’t what it could have been,
Ok. For those that didn’t finish it, Xenoblade Chronicles had an epic, amazing story. So those saying it’s not so important don’t understand what fans of this game are expecting.
I’m sure they did a good job. I just hope the critics are people who never more than 20 hours into the first one.
I just hope the story is 80% as good as the first. *fingers crossed*
Ok, so I just read the Kotaku review… And what a load of SHIT!
The story is long. Very long. I dont know why MNN is quoting the Kotaku review on this site anyways. It is literally the lowest, worst review Xenoblade Chronicles X has.
Ive read three other reviews and they all loved the story, and loved the game. They said the story was very long indeed..
It’s just ONE MAN from Kotaku that gave this game a bad review. Not only did he not like the story, he hated the combat and the side quests. He hated the whole Game! He was obviously NOT a fan of the first game.
He said it took him 55 hours to get his MECH. You literally get the MECH at the halfway point of the game, so you can domthe math as to how long this game is…
He wasnt even finished with the game before he reviewed it. He was 70 hours in, and says the story isnt long enough? He was just trashing the game. Fuck that guy, Xenoblade Chronicles will be amazing.
MNN, why the hell are you guys quoting negative shit about Xenoblade? You pick the outright worst review to use on your articles? Why not pick a reveiw that gave it a better, more fair review. The guy from Kotaku was obviously not a fan of the series, and judged the game unfairly.
As a response about us using the Kotaku article — they, so far, are the most reliable source that speak English that we can draw from.
As soon as the positive reviews from IGN/Polygon/[Your Favorite GamesPress Site], we will start referencing that. Or, you know, when we get to play it ourselves.
It is the nature of a limited, regional-release that we only have a limited group of critical reviews to draw from. On the other side, the fact that the Director wishes that he could have done better on the story is also telling that there may be a nugget of truth in an otherwise baseless review.
We will just have to wait and see based on our own experiences — by no means should a single reviewer or site dictate your experience of a game, especially one you haven’t played yet!
Thanks for reading the site, and we will keep your criticism to heart in future articles.
Kotaku the most reliable source? lmfao, you killed me with that.
Yes, kotaku is reliable for sickr for you know…the click baits. lol
Not the most reliable source for all gaming news — the most reliable, English-written source who has done a review of a game that has only released in Japan.
Despite all of our grudges with Kotaku (and the internet collectively does have many), I think it would be difficult to find a site of equal standing carrying all those qualifiers. lol
Mr Imcontaldi.
There is also the English review of the website dualshockers. First, kotaku’s review is not a review, it is just a import impressions, there is not even a mark for the game (Kotaku gives marks for their actual reviews). The one made by dualshockers is a full review done by a writter who has good level of Japanese and who were willing to check dictionaries and every other possible thing to withdraw the best from the main and side quests. He gave a 9.5 out of 10 for this imported version and they are probably going to review again when the English version is available. The guy actually understood the first game and was clearly willing to play Xenoblade Chronicles X properly. So please have a look on their review rather than Kotaku dull impressions.
Link: http://www.dualshockers.com/2015/05/19/review-xenoblade-chronicles-x-japanese-version-the-greatest-battle-for-humanity/
Hey will!
Thanks for sharing that, looking forward to reading it when I get off the bus.
This article is specifically about the Directors response to his critics — kotaku happens to be one of them. It made the most sense to use their article in this case, because while there are positive reviews, that isn’t who Takahashi was addressing.
With that said, I will try to work in the dual shockers review in our later xenoblade chronicles x articles.
Thanks for your contribution (and addition to my nightly reading list). I have no doubt in mind this game is going to be great.
>>>The cattle will never be satisfied no matter what you do, that’s why Sickr gave me free access to be the annihilator of trolls and other nonsense>>>
Mr Imcontaldi, I am glad I contributed to MNN sharing what I knew about XenoX English reviews.
Yes, Takahashi was giving his reply to show he paid attention to players feedback. But I don’t think Kotaku’s impressions is one of the things Takahashi is addressing is his post. I mean, I don’t think he even read this impressions from West Kotaku. His post is for the Japanese players who answered Famitsu quiz about the game. He will probably only look to the West after the game is officially launch here.
Thx for the reply! Obviously I am a fan of the series, and got a little defensive over that review from Kotaku. And honestly a little upset with you guys for using such a biased review!
I understand what you mean when you say it’s the most reliable English speaking site. Thats understandable. But it was painfully obvious that the guy from the Kotaku review was not a fan of the series, and his review should not be taken to heart. First off, he knocks the combat system, from what I have seen has not changed much from the first game. It actually looks to have improved on it. So him not liking it is a clear sign he never even played the first game.
This game needs to be reviewed by someone who played and enjoyed the first game. Then and only then can we get a trusted review. Or at least an honest comparison of the two games.
I understand that the article is mainly about what the developers had to say, which is curious as to why they would say that. Maybe he is hard on himself, and let the bad review get to him? Not sure…
I also need to take into account that Xenoblade is not for everyone. Not everyone liked the first game, and not everyone will like the new one. I have to stop getting so damned defensive! lol :)
Either way, i’m excited to see MNN’s review of the game. Im sure it will be very positive.
In Japan, according to a survey by Famitsu, the average play time for XCX is 168 hours.
http://www.geeksnack.com/2015/06/30/xenoblade-chronicles-x-famitsu-survey-to-be-detailed-in-next-issue-average-play-time-revealed/
The reviewer also hated the first game. It sounds like if you liked Xenoblade Chronicles you will like Xenoblade Chronicles X.
Thanks for all your comments DeepSouth! Like someone else said, Bayonetta and X were my two main reasons for buying the WiiU, and I’m a die-hard fan of the first XC, I thought it was well balanced (not an ungodly amount of grinding needed) I love the battle mechanics, and the story…I literally fell in love with the story and Characters. I was starting to get a little worried about X, but you’ve made me feel much better! :D
I agree, a proper review should have been done by 1. A fan of XC, 2. Someone who never played XC. – A reviewer who didn’t like the first is the LAST person that should be reviewing X as it would (is) bias as hell, and therefore completely unreliable.
So yeah. Thanks and I can’t wait for release day!!
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hum this is THE game I want for the wii U and THAT game is the reason I bought a wii U in the first place. For me xenoblade chronicle as a very good story and I was expecting the same with more xenogear theme like for that game. Even if the game is below expectation and quality below the original, I still going to buy and hope the price going to reflect the critics.
Read everything I have written above..lol
Will get the game anyway fuck kotaku lol
Fuck you you stupid tool
1. Nope you retarded horse shit eating cunt I buy games I like and I was interested in this game when it was first shown and I just got back into rpgs last year so shut the fuck up and die bitch
I just want the dam side quests to have more influence and story. You can literally play no side quests in xc and miss nothing. The developer stated they tried to make them have more backbone so hopefully they do. Now if they got side quests to be at the level of witcher 3 that would be amazing but I doubt they are of that quality.
I do wish they had made it to where every quest from named characters had a positive & negative outcome at the end of the quest line in the first Xenoblade. So at the end of the game, if you made every quest end with a negative outcome, you’d get the bad ending of the game. Same goes for if you have a balance between positive & negative outcomes (you get the neutral ending which is neither good nor bad) & nothing but positive outcomes results in the good, true ending. The first game did miss a huge opportunity with the sidequests. Oh & a 4th ending could have been where you ignore every side quest & that would lead to another bad ending.
I’ve been watching hours and hours of gameplay of this game on youtube, in japanese mind you and it still looks addicting as fuck. The fact that they brought this up again feels like they’re just trying to cause a stir on purpose. No one gives a fuck. The game looks great and EVERYONE who got the original, I can assure you is definitely buying that game. People like Kotaku shouldn’t waste their time. I have 1000’s of hours in Monster Hunter and it literally has no story at all. How the hell this game could not have enough story is beyond me. We know the quality MonolithSoft puts out. I’m betting on them over Kotaku any day. Fuck that shit.
Exactly
Focusing more on story mode, uh oh!!!