The JRPG genre is known for containing some of the most complex, emotional stories in all of gaming. For many gamers, the JRPG genre is synonymous with the series final fantasy, personalityand Dragon QuestAnd each of these franchises has a history of fantastic world-building and storytelling. However, the Xenoblade Chronicles The series has quietly risen to the top of the genre's most iconic franchises in recent years, and this success is largely due to the emotional weight of the first game's biggest plot twist.
Although developers like Square Enix and Atlus are considered the juggernauts of the JRPG genre, Nintendo's Monolith Soft has shown that it can go toe-to-toe with the likes. final fantasy and personality. Xenoblade Chronicles' The real-time action-based combat system and character creation possibilities helped delight players who enjoy deep combat mechanics, but its story is the game's real selling point. Despite its dated Wii graphics, Xenoblade Chronicles It shines as an example of captivating storytelling, addictive combat, and a vibrant world worth exploring every inch of, and its story has yet to be topped.
Contains MASSIVE spoilers for what follows Xenoblade Chronicles.
90 Opencritic JRPG remake that proves that choice still matters in cinematics and spectacle (and it's not Final Fantasy Reincarnation).
A beloved classic RPG recently received a major remake, serving as a reminder that blockbuster cinematics aren't the end-all be-all for game storytelling.
Xenoblade Chronicles set the standard for JRPG story twists 16 years ago
the story of Xenoblade Chronicles Placed in the bodies of two Titans, Bionis and Mekonis, who were frozen in an age of war before life evolved. The biological lifeforms of Bionice are under siege from the Mekons of Mekons in a war that has plagued the two Titans for centuries. Players take control of Shulk, a young engineer from the village of Colony 9, along with allies such as his close friends Ren and Fiora, along with Fiora's older brother and war hero Dunban.
The central plot revolves around Shulk's use of a mystical sword known as the Monado, which gives him a glimpse of the future when he is in danger. After the Mechon attack on Colony 9, Shulk and his allies set out on a quest to reach the source of the Mechon in the Mechonis, eventually leading to some compelling revelations about the world they inhabit. However, the biggest twist in the game is very basic and personal, leaving an emotional scar on anyone who experiences it.
The emotional stakes are set for the beginning of Xenoblade Chronicles' story
Xenoblade Chronicles' The early story beats are quite unusual as Shulk goes about his daily life in Colony 9, exploring the nearby caves with Ren and sharing a relaxing moment with Fiora. This peaceful life is interrupted by a provocative event in the game, where Colony 9 is attacked by a swarm of mechons, including a never-before-seen mechon with a face known as Metal Face. The chapter climaxes when Metal Face uses his massive metal claws to impale Fiora, killing her and sending Shulk into a rage that sparks his quest for revenge.
Like JRPG franchises final fantasy and personality There are no strangers killing the main characters to raise the stakes of their plot. but Xenoblade Chronicles' The choice to kill Fiora in the game's first chapter is the choice to set up an emotionally charged quest and a world-shattering revelation later in the game that few of its companions have ever been able to complete, let alone defeat. Even as the plot slows down later in the game, Fiora's overarching drive for revenge will keep players hooked until this twist rears its head.
Xenoblade Chronicles major plot twist flips these emotional stakes on their head
On their way to Mekonis, Shulk and his companions had to pass a prison island, where they found a giant Janja of Bionis imprisoned. During a meeting with this character, who teaches Shulk how to unlock the Monado's true power, Metal Face returns with a silver-faced mech and attacks the party. After this battle, Silver Face's outer plating is broken, revealing that Fiora is piloting a mechon inside.
This twist completely changes the player's and Fee's view of this world, where what were believed to be machines are actually being piloted by humans. Not only that, but Fiora is still alive, and Shulk is flushed with a wave of emotional relief that has been weighing on the party since the start of the game. After crushing the Galahad Fortress' mechon factory and defeating Metal Face for good, Fiora survives and returns to the party with a mechanical body.
Most of the time Xenoblade Chronicles Players will assume this is the game's finale, as the driving force behind the plot has been resolved by now. However, this only marks the game's midpoint, and a new, greater threat emerges as Shulk and Fiora reunite.
It's been 30 years and we still haven't gotten a sequel to the best and most unlikely JRPG team-up of all time.
There have been many great JRPGs over the years, but this beloved gem from 1996 is over 30 years old which it richly deserves.
Xenoblade Chronicles was almost never released in North America
While the story Xenoblade Chronicles And with its impressive emotional twist now firmly etched in JRPG history, the game almost skipped a North American release entirely. Xenoblade Chronicles Originally launched in Japan in 2010 and Europe in 2011, it didn't make its way to North America until 2012 after a fan movement known as Operation Rainfall successfully petitioned Nintendo to release it alongside the Pandora's Tower and The Last Story games. Without operation rain, it is impossible Xenoblade Chronicles As famous as it would be, and a large portion of its target audience missed out on one of the best stories in JRPG history.
basically, Xenoblade Chronicles It was sold exclusively at GameStop, making it a rare find even after its release in North America.
The Xenoblade Chronicles series has exploded thanks to the success of the original game
- Xenoblade Chronicles – Wii, 2010
- Xenoblade Chronicles 3D – 3DS, 2015
- Xenoblade Chronicles X – Wii U, 2015
- Xenoblade Chronicles 2 – Switch, 2017
- Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition – 2020
- Xenoblade Chronicles 3 – 2022
- Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition – 2025
Since its original release in 2010, Xenoblade Chronicles Has seen many sequels, spin-offs, and re-releases. This is the first entry released on the 3DS Xenoblade Chronicles 3DAnd as a switch Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Editionwhich includes a Future Connected epilogue that was not available in the original release. All of these games owe their origin to the Wii version Xenoblade Chronicles which captivated players with its beautiful world and compelling story that still reigns as the pinnacle of JRPG stories 16 years after its release.
- issued
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May 29, 2020
- ESRB
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T for teenagers due to blood, mild language, partial nudity, use of alcohol and tobacco, violence
- Publisher(s)
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Nintendo
