Xeogred wrote:You take issue with the mecha designs
I don't particularly like the Mechon designs, no. I can appreciate they are unique looking, but they're not aesthetically pleasing to me in general.
Xeogred wrote:But these towering sci-fi settings don't do much for you either?
I like towering sci-fi settings just fine, but there's just not enough variety in the Mechonis areas' versions. The same limited art assets and simplistic meme are used over and over to generate one Mechonis area. There's nothing on Mechonis thus far matching the visual grandeur and sheer splendorous scale of Gaur Plain, Makna Forest, or Eryth Sea.
Xeogred wrote:I still haven't played XBX / I don't think this series is for you so this should maybe be your last stop with them.
I already bought XBX a while ago. Why? Because I've read it doubles-down on the
exploration aspect - which is my favorite part of XC.
Xeogred wrote:I changed up which characters I controlled in XBC1 to keep it interesting, but all your updates have been a slog dude, just sayin'... doesn't sound like you're having fun.
I wouldn't say I'm not having fun. Sometimes I do have fun with XC.
As for the characters... Shulk is just banal and boring. He reminds of an even less charismatic Vaan. The only characters I really like are Fiora and Sharla. The rest of the cast are forgettable. Reyn and especially Riki are just annoying. Really who in the world could
like Riki?
Xeogred wrote:Maybe someday, if you try FFXV you might look back on XBC1 and appreciate some of it in comparison?
I was the guy who warned you not to play FFXV in the first place, remember? ;P
As for FF.... I will say that FFXII is quite similar to XC (albeit predates XC by years), yet I absolutely adored FFXII. I don't mind the pseudo-MMOJRPG stuff going on here. In general I'm okay with modern JRPGs taking that approach. Monolith Soft did much the same thing with
Soma Bringer, which was a JRPG of theirs I actually loved. (Honestly
Soma Bringer is VERY similar to XC in its base design, lots of similarities.)
My biggest problems with XC then? A bloated, yet unengaging plot, full of animu characters I feel nothing for. The combat system pretty much sucks ass (and the brain-dead friendly AI doesn't help). The difficulty balancing is a joke (it's all about your level, skill be damned). The menus are rather clunky and unintuitive. The load times are not ideal if you play the disc game legitimately on Wii. However the graphics
are great, the music
is excellent, and the sense of exploration is often wonderful and rewarding. There are plenty of beautiful vistas to see, I love that stuff. Unfortunately the Mechonis portion has not been fun to explore thus far, hence my boredom at killing relentless robot fodder, while roleplaying as an elevator repairman.
Look I'm not saying, nor have I ever intentionally implied, that
Xenoblade Chronicles is a
bad game. Right now after 60 hours I'd give it a solid 7.5/10. Which in my book is not too shabby. However I can't help but feel disappointed that XC hasn't blown me away, like it did quite a few other gamers I know. We all have our own tastes, sure. Stuff that drives one gamer nuts might not bother the other. Stuff that greatly excites one gamer might be a "meh" thing for another. Is what it is.