Xenoblade Chronicles 2, the sequel to the classic Nintendo Wii RPG, is an ambitious, open-world adventure that should be a strong consideration for Nintendo Switch players who enjoyed The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 does not come without pitfalls, but it certainly sets the bar high for the JRPG genre on Nintendo's hybrid console.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2: The Good Things
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 features a massive open-world environment filled with so many side quests and other things to do. Polygon's Jeremy Parish said that after 40 hours of playing the game, he thinks that he is just past the halfway point of Xenoblade Chronicles 2's story, and that is already taking into count skipping many side quests and other possible activities. For players who love to get the most out of their games, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 will keep you hooked for a while.
One of the aspects of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 that will keep players entertained is its Miyazaki-esque world, as described by VentureBeat's Mike Minotti. He is, of course, referring to Hayao Miyazaki, the famous Japanese artist behind Studio Ghibli hits such as Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro. The environment mixes elements of steampunk with traditional fantasy such as magic, and with the game's major events happening on the back of massive creatures known as Titans, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 offers a very interesting world to explore.
Of course, the JRPG is not just eye candy. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 also comes with incredibly deep and complex gameplay that can make players struggle at first. However, after players get the hang of things, the game becomes even more engrossing, according to The Verge's Andrew Webster. In combat, characters attack automatically, with players guiding placement and selecting the timing to unleash special attacks. Outside of combat, players can customize and upgrade their team and their Blades, which are basically the personified versions of their weapons.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2: The Bad Things
Telegraph's Sayem Ahmed pointed out two negative things about Xenoblade Chronicles 2. The first is the prevalence of side quests that require players to do the menial task of finding and retrieving items, and the second is the messy user interface that sometimes fills up the screen with too many icons.
Destructoid's Chris Carter added that some players might not like the English dub. While he feels that the English voices are fine, players who prefer the Japanese voices can download them through a day-one patch.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2: A Great Look At Nintendo Switch JRPGs
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is an engrossing and fulfilling JRPG for the Nintendo Switch that shows the potential of the genre on the hybrid console.
Gamers who have already finished and loved The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey should definitely think about picking up Xenoblade Chronicles 2 next.
