Current Events > If I wanted to play Xenoblade would I need to play anything else first?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Like what is the order? I've played the whole of Xenosaga ect...

Do I just start at Xenoblade Chronicles 1?

I want the Xenosaga games. A shop near me had all three in stock not that long ago but I just couldn't bring myself to do that to my backlog.

Play XenoBlade 1 and it's DLC

Skip XenoBlade 2

Play XenoBlade 3 and it's DLC

Then finish with XenoBlade Chronicles X, even tho it's unrelated to the above

PowerOats posted...

Play XenoBlade 1 and it's DLC

Skip XenoBlade 2

Play XenoBlade 3 and it's DLC

Then finish with XenoBlade Chronicles X, even tho it's unrelated to the above

Is 2 bad or something?

Not really. 1, 2, and X can all be enjoyed without missing anything in particular without playing what came out before it (at most you would miss a nod), with 3 being the only one that has serious plot things from the first two games (X is its own universe entirely and fits more in line with Xenosaga in some ways). In a generic sense I would recommend playing them in order of release, but it really isn't that big of a deal to play 1 or 2 first, I would just somewhat recommend that you play 3 after 2 as it spoils something pretty major on that front (while it spoils some stuff from 1, it falls more into the territory of "it goes over your head" rather than making you aware of something that you shouldn't know).

SpiritSephiroth posted...

Is 2 bad or something?

It is extremely anime versus the other games being relatively serious. It also has a gacha (mind you it's one that you don't spend real money on) that acts as a nuisance if you want to play with particular characters/can make some area unlocks kind of RNG to be able to access.

SpiritSephiroth posted...

Is 2 bad or something?

500 topic incoming

Its a game that leaves a horrendously bad first impression.

Game mechanics locked off for hours
heavy reliance on gotcha mechanics
Questionable character design
Questionable use of pedophile jokes and a party character who may or may not be one.
Bad menus
Need to switch through menus and re-equip to traverse the map.

And then around Ch.5, the game suddenly takes itself seriously and it becomes really good. The battle system opens up, pedo character shuts up, story becomes mature, good plot revelations, etc.

Everbero

Alright I'll start from 1 thanks

I never played any Xenosaga or Xenogear games and Xenoblade 1 is my 2nd favorite game of all time (after A Link to the Past). It has no relation to them at all, aside from maybe some relations retroactively established later in the Xenoblade series...

Whether you want to play beyond XC1 is the question. I think Xenoblade Chronicles X is worth playing just for having the best combat and exploration in the entire series, even if the plot is terrible (it starts off amazing and progressively goes off a cliff).
2 and 3 are good enough games overall, like 7.5 or 8 out of 10, but have some massive flaws and (I say this having not played the XC3 DLC that maybe/hopefully "fixes everything") unfortunately manage to sour XC1 in hindsight w/ certain decisions made... I really can't go into details for obvious reasons, but XC1's amazing story is honestly more enjoyable when you pretend 2 and 3 don't exist. I'll just say that...

Xenoblade's separate from the other Xeno-games and only shares like...narrative themes and such that Takahashi loves to reuse. Xenoblade X is also (currently) a separate spin-off from the main trilogy in that it contains references to Xenoblade 1, but no direct correlation.

All the Xenoblade games are great to varying degrees, they all have their strengths and weaknesses. Xenoblade 2 might have the biggest hurdle though because it leaves a bad first impression. Poor dub, annoying trope-y characters (at first, they grow out of it), typical unfunny easy anime humor, slow-to-start combat, exploration locked off via field skills which is tied to the RNG-fest that is Core Crystals (it's just like gacha, just without using real money). It sounds bad but it shows glimmers of greatness that you may be interested in (the soundtrack is absolutely amazing and Chapter 1 is a perfect introduction to the world and plot, IMO), and if you stick with the game it greatly rewards you. It's almost an entirely different game in the second half (even the dub improves in quality).

The only game I'd say that would require homework is Xenoblade 3. It's meant to be the culmination of Xenoblade 1 and 2 both thematically (main game) and literally (the Future Redeemed DLC).

gigantinormous tiddies

Friends,

I loved Xenoblade 2 , played it like 6 times, will play again. got 1, did not finish even ONCE, got 3, finished like 3 times.

I loved two. I keep my switch for that ONE game.

I don't really know if we can say Xenoblade isn't connected to the other games anymore after Future Redeemed, there's some pretty blatant details/references at the end there including straight up namedropping a Xenosaga character. Namco is also in the credits. I guess we'll have to see what the next game does.

What a bunch of jokers ITT

I'll be more detailed TC.

The order is Xenoblade 1 > Xenoblade 2 > Torna the Golden Country (XB2 DLC story) > Xenoblade 3 > Future Redeemed (XBC 3 DLC story)

It isn't necessary to do it in this order or play them all but it is recommended especially if you are playing Xenoblade 3 which has references to the previous games.

Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition (Switch)

The recommended way to play the first game as it's on the same platform as the sequels and it includes the epilogue story Future Connected. The epilogue is NOT DLC, it's part of the base game and you can even play it before the main story though it's not recommended.

The definitive edition has upgraded graphics and some quality of life changes such as being able to lower your level, helpful if you feel over leveled or want extra challenge. The story features Shulk and his personal journey around the Bionis, a giant landmass known as a Titan that humans (Homs in game) live on which once warred against the Titan Mechonis, where the Mechon live. The Homs and Mechon also were at war but the Mechon were driven back by a weapon called the Monado.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and Torna the Golden Country (Switch)

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is the sequel to the first game but it features an entirely different world known as Alrest. The people there live on Titans that swim around in a sea of clouds surrounding a great tree at the center, known as the World Tree. The story features the journey of Rex and Pyra, a legendary living weapon called the Aegis as they attempt to climb the World Tree so they can reach a mythical land known as Elysium.

There game is pretty divisive and has some changes both in the narrative and gameplay which is why some dislike it. To condense it, the main complaint narratively is that it is more light hearted (and "anime") than the first game. Gameplay wise, the menu mechanics are a lot more busy and you will have to manage it often due to the Blade and Field Skill systems. Blades, are weapons like Pyra which you can obtain from core crystals. However what you get is random hence the comparison to gacha mechanics and there are some special Rare blades which have lower odds. Field skills are abilities that can be used on the world map and you will need many Blades with various types of skills to clear obstacles. In particularly at some points you will need sufficient Fire, Electric and Ancient Knowledge to advance or you will be walled off from progressing. It's ultimately not difficult at all to meet most field skill requirements but it can be annoying to manage your Blades since they need to be in your active party to use field skills. Blades in reserve cannot use skills.

Torna the Golden Country is a DLC story for Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and takes place 500 years before the main story. Despite being a prequel story, it's recommend to play it after the main story. The cast is different from the main game obviously and has some gameplay differences too which some consider an improvement over the main game. It's around 40 hours so it's pretty sizable for a DLC story. The story features the journey of the the Aegis and other heroes as they war against Malos who is also an Aegis.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and Future Redeemed (Switch)

The sequel to the first and second game, it takes places in a world called Aoinios and features a new cast. The story follows the journey of two groups of soldiers led by Noah from Keves and Mio from Agnes, two countries which are at war. Though initially mortal enemies, circumstances force them to join forces. The narrative goes back to how the first game is with less levity and high stakes as the party is considered traitors to their respective countries and will be hunted down throughout their journey. It's highly recommended to play the previous games and there are many references to them that you will miss otherwise but it's still a standalone story so it isn't strictly necessary.

Future Redeemed is a DLC story for Xenoblade Chronicles 3. I can't help you much with information as I haven't played it yet myself but I hear it's pretty well received and serves well to cap off the trilogy.

There's also Xenoblade Chronicles X which isn't part of the trilogy and it's only on the Wii U. So I don't personally recommend it but if you want to then I think it's not a bad plan to play it as well.

Wow thanks,

I'll start this series soon after I finish off a few games. Been on my list for a while and they're next.

BloodMoon7 posted...

Future Redeemed is a DLC story for Xenoblade Chronicles 3. I can't help you much with information as I haven't played it yet myself but I hear it's pretty well received and serves well to cap off the trilogy.

Like Torna, the Golden Country, it's a prequel to the events of XBC3, but it also spoils practically everything in the series seeing how it is the end cap to the story (I'm sure that sounds confusing to most people, but trust me, this is the one you play last).

I mean, sure, you absolutely can jump into it, but it's one of those things where you really appreciate it after everything else that happened, even stuff in XBC3.

You don't need to, but seeing the evolution of the Xeno series from gears to saga to the magnum opus that is blade is definitely interesting. Xenogears and Xenosaga's connection is pretty overt, but seeing Xenoblade's was definitely a "huh, that was unexpected" moment.

SpiritSephiroth posted...

Is 2 bad or something?

2 is fine, in fact I like it better than 3 for sure. It does take time to start getting good though, I had to replay it twice before my 3rd attempt where I stuck with it long enough for it to get good.