Xenoblade Chronicles X

Yeah I agree, Episode III ended up having probably the best game soundtrack ever. Hiroyuki Sawano seems to have a knack for writing very dark and epic music, can imagine him writing some awesome boss battle tracks. Man I can't remember the last time I was so exited about a new game. Listening to this his music sounds really suited to a Xeno game https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDHKNfRGItE&feature=iv&src_vid=PP_kmkoNwyE&annotation_id=annotation_1141650467

I'm sorry if I missed someone bringing this up, but I wanted to mention something I had noticed in one of the recent videos released.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oH3_MscjCk

When they talk about the Life Support pods the survivors came down in, I noticed they resemble the Zohar in Xenosaga. I wonder if this is meant to be a thematic connection? Perhaps symbolizing humanity's rebirth on Planet Mira. Or that's what I came away thinking. Just thought I'd call attention to it.

Kire-Kitsune wrote:I'm sorry if I missed someone bringing this up, but I wanted to mention something I had noticed in one of the recent videos released.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oH3_MscjCk

When they talk about the Life Support pods the survivors came down in, I noticed they resemble the Zohar in Xenosaga. I wonder if this is meant to be a thematic connection? Perhaps symbolizing humanity's rebirth on Planet Mira. Or that's what I came away thinking. Just thought I'd call attention to it.

I think it's a callback reference to Kadmoni/Zohar from Xenogears

Spoiler:

. So it makes sense that you find people in those Zohar shaped pods in Xenoblade X (not to mention actually create your main character in one). Password would be "Ye Shall Be As Gods" (it actually fits).
Someone on Tumblr also found out further similitaries (aside the fact Ru has the same voice actor... and color theme) between Ru and Krelian/Karellen (but it's more in relation to the inspiration source, the Childhood End novel by Arthur C.Clarke *it's a good read, and not very long either*).

RadicalDreamer wrote:I think it's a callback reference to Kadmoni/Zohar from Xenogears

Spoiler:

. So it makes sense that you find people in those Zohar shaped pods in Xenoblade X (not to mention actually create your main character in one). Password would be "Ye Shall Be As Gods" (it actually fits).
Someone on Tumblr also found out further similitaries (aside the fact Ru has the same voice actor... and color theme) between Ru and Krelian/Karellen (but it's more in relation to the inspiration source, the Childhood End novel by Arthur C.Clarke *it's a good read, and not very long either*).

It looks like it wasn't just idle chatter on the Nintendo Direct when they said it would reference older Xeno titles. It sort of feels like an HD attempt at the scale of Gears, especially when you consider it's focus on building it's single planet similar to Xenogears' setting. (Which is to say it is primarily focused on this planet rather than a whole universe, allowing more depth and detail.) I am more and more intrigued by this game as time goes on. Also, am I the only one who is primarily excited for the free use of Dolls in the field? I love mecha, so, this could be my dream game if the story is in line with the gameplay. I've always wanted a game that mixed RPG exploration with Mech piloting. Armored Core and Front Mission, while great, have never offered me that. (And Gundam games are hit and miss as hell.)

Also, I will have to give that a read. I absolutely love Arthur C. Clarke's 2001 novels. One of the reasons I love Xeno as much as I do is it has shades of Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, Frank Herbert and a sprinkling of Ray Bradbury at times. There aren't many video game franchises I would link to classic science fiction authors, so it makes these works that much more special.

Kire-Kitsune wrote:
Also, am I the only one who is primarily excited for the free use of Dolls in the field? I love mecha, so, this could be my dream game if the story is in line with the gameplay. I've always wanted a game that mixed RPG exploration with Mech piloting. Armored Core and Front Mission, while great, have never offered me that. (And Gundam games are hit and miss as hell.)

I love the return of playable mechs, definitively. Kinda hope we'll be able to explore the sea with them too (Sargasso part from Xenogears, exploring the sea in FF7 *it's so badass and yet I don't know any jRPG that did this again, not the way FF7 did it and it's been 17 years*) but I don't want to get excited (especially as Monolith revealed the map to us and the sea is a black space of nothing *but maybe they hide things from us, who knows...*).
I also love the return of platforming in a Xeno game. Xenosaga had no jumping. Jumping served little purpose in Xenoblade (mostly because your characters don't jump very high at all). But here, things seem to be different and I like this. Done with care, platforming can be good in jRPGs. Tons of people complained about it in Xenogears but I always liked that the game had this (and human AND Gear sized environments, so you had to switch your way of exploring... there were moments like this in Xenosaga *3* too). Despite the frustrating moments (like random battles interrupting a certain jump in Babel tower). In most other jRPGs, your character gets incapacited by a mere rock in the road... and jumps are programmed when they happen, making it less rewarding to reach a chest.

Kire-Kitsune wrote:Also, I will have to give that a read. I absolutely love Arthur C. Clarke's 2001 novels. One of the reasons I love Xeno as much as I do is it has shades of Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, Frank Herbert and a sprinkling of Ray Bradbury at times. There aren't many video game franchises I would link to classic science fiction authors, so it makes these works that much more special.

I feel the same (the Dune feeling with Aveh is especially pleasing to me). Sci-fi is great.

That older dude seems kind of like Hulk Hogan the more I look at him.

And this talk of sea and exploration makes me imagine him riding some kind of sea-faring vehicle, drawn in the style of this game's mecha, while giving a thumbs-up towards the 'camera' and with a 'the only way to travel' caption in the bottom.

Or maybe a monster truck. I think he looks like a monster truck kind of guy, doesn't he?

Yikari wrote:That older dude seems kind of like Hulk Hogan the more I look at him.

And this talk of sea and exploration makes me imagine him riding some kind of sea-faring vehicle, drawn in the style of this game's mecha, while giving a thumbs-up towards the 'camera' and with a 'the only way to travel' caption in the bottom.

Or maybe a monster truck. I think he looks like a monster truck kind of guy, doesn't he?

...I will have to draw this when I have a moment. I suck at vehicles, but I will give it my all. lol

Hey there,
here is a link to the last video (about the battles) (posted last Friday) with English subtitles :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kh5V73XpwY&feature=youtu.be

Thanks for posting that, Val!!

I love the character interactions in this video. They act like real comrades. Also, it seems that between the Soul Voice system and the faster paced battles, they're fixing all my issues with the previous game's battle system. Soul Voice looks like it'll function similarly to Final Fantasy XII's Gambit system or Dragon Age Origin's tactics. No more of my healer/magic user staring off into the distance blankly as a miniboss uses my tendons as floss.

Tatsu is friggin' adorable. The way he keeps conceding he looks like a potato kills me.
"Tatsu is not a food group!" I may not know anything about the story, (though I'm liking the more classic-styled sci fi story that's being built up. Lotsa crazy aliens) but the character interactions are up to spec for a Xeno game. At least in banter.

The mechanic where using certain company's armor and weapons makes it so better versions of those items are produced and sold is brilliant. I'll probably stick with that cool looking human-space marine stuff. This game looks more and more promising each showing. Between this and Zelda U Nintendo's gonna have all my money. and Star Fox U...Shit, they're after me. What has my poor, emaciated wallet done to deserve this?

Lol Tetsuya Takahashi is surely working hard on Xenoblade X, but he surely still loves Xenosaga : just see what is next to his PC :
http://xenobladex.jp/special/images/img_sp-welcome09-02.jpg

source :
http://xenobladex.jp/special/sp-welcome20150312.html

Valkyrie wrote:Lol Tetsuya Takahashi is surely working hard on Xenoblade X, but he surely still loves Xenosaga : just see what is next to his PC :
http://xenobladex.jp/special/images/img_sp-welcome09-02.jpg

source :
http://xenobladex.jp/special/sp-welcome20150312.html

KOs-MOS ? I'm not sure because it's pretty tiny but... seems like a KOS-MOS figure.

Unless my eyes deceive me, that is a figure with the same color scheme as KOS-MOS. Looks like her Ep I outfit.

Yup, and it looks like maybe Dinah beside her? And there's a KOS-MOS figure box at the top right. Nice find!