Xenoblade Chronicles (video game)

Shulk (middle) and Reyn on the Bionis' Leg. Xenoblade Chronicles features large, expansive environments that afford the player a high degree of freedom to explore.

Xenoblade Chronicles plays as an action role-playing video game (RPG), where the player controls one character out of a party of three using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk or the Classic Controller.^[8] The game employs an open world design, with players able to freely navigate seamlessly interconnected environments.^[9] A day-and-night time cycle exists in the game, with the time of day often affecting in-game events, quests, enemy strengths, and item availability: for instance, stronger enemy types appear at night. While time flows automatically and a day cycle repeats about every ten minutes in real time, players can adjust the in-game clock to the desired time at any point.^[8][10] Additionally, while the game is about exploration, many areas, called "Landmarks" aid in traversing the land by serving as warp points, allowing the player to instantly return to that point at any time.^[11] The game also supports a "save anywhere" feature, where players can save at any point outside battle.^[10] The game also contains a New Game+ mode, which pulls over much of the player's progress from their first playthrough into future playthroughs.^[11]

Exploration, quest completion, and item collection are large parts of the gameplay. The player is encouraged to explore the large environments, which generally allow the player to visit whatever can be seen in the horizon.^[12] While exploring, the player may choose to take on side quests from various non-player characters that inhabit the game's world, as they commonly involve locating certain items or killing a certain number of enemy characters. When the necessary requirements are fulfilled, some of the quests are completed automatically without the player needing to manually notify in-game characters of its completion. Item collection plays a role in the game in the form of the game's "Collectopaedia".^[11] Scattered across the game are glowing blue orbs, and upon coming into contact with the orb, the player is awarded a random item that they can add to the Collectopaedia; when a certain number are collected, the player is rewarded with new items.^[11] Aside from the Collectopaedia, there are also ether crystals to be found from fallen enemies or ether crystal deposits, which give the player access to a multifaceted "Gem Crafting" mini-game, allowing for the creation of gems that may increase battle stats when equipped.^[11]

Many in-game systems affect the general flow of gameplay. The "Affinity" system tracks the relationships between characters and locations in the game. "Location Affinity" tracks the interpersonal relationships between all of the game's named characters, depicting to which degree they get along with one another, and a town's general perception of the player's controllable party.^[11] Completing quests can alter perception of the characters, and open up additional story sequences.^[13] There is also "Party Affinity", which is strictly the level of affection between each party member, ranging from indifference to love.^[11] These affinities can be raised by having characters participate in battle together, giving gifts, or using the "Heart-to-Heart" system.^[11] These "Heart-to-Hearts" are intimate moments between two characters that can show more of a character's personality, history, or thoughts, and can be initiated by having a certain level of Affinity between them.^[14] The Affinity system ties into how efficient characters work together in battle and gem crafting.^[11] The game also has an extensive customization system, which includes changing the characters' outfits and weapons. These changes are directly reflected in the game, appearing in the field and even during scripted cutscenes.^[13]

Battle system

A battle between Shulk (the player), Reyn, and Fiora against some hostile wildlife in Xenoblade Chronicles

Xenoblade Chronicles has a real-time action-based battle system, where the player manually moves the current lead character in real-time, and party members will "auto-attack" when enemies enter their attack radius.^[15] Manually input attacks, called "Arts", may also be performed by the player, but in a limited fashion. Battle Arts are only available after a "cool down" period that occurs after every use, while character specific "Talent Arts" only become available after enough auto-attacks are executed.^[15] Both party members and enemies have a finite amount of health points, and attacks deplete this value. Combat is won when all enemies lose their HP, but the game is lost if the player's character loses all their HP and has no means of being revived. Health may be restored by the player by using healing Arts in battle, or the player may let characters' HP regenerate automatically outside of battle. Winning battles earns the player experience points, which allows the characters to grow stronger by leveling up and learning new Arts. Arts for each character must be set by the player on their respective set up, called a "Battle Palette", outside battles.^[8][16]

Several other systems are present to affect the flow of battle. The "Party Gauge" slowly fills as party members successfully land hits on enemies, and filling the gauge allows the player to chain multiple attacks together, for extra damage.^[16] All party members have an "aggro ring" around them as well; the more actions a character performs, the larger it grows. Larger aggro rings lead enemies to focus their efforts on that respective character, leading to a strategic aspect of luring and diverting attention of enemies.^[15] Each character has a "Tension" gauge, which represents a character's morale: at its highest point, characters have a high probability of dealing a critical blow and less chance of missing an enemy.^[8] The game's "Vision" system, where main character Shulk can see glimpses of enemies' future attacks, also factors into battles. With knowledge of an enemy's potentially dangerous attack, the player can prevent it from happening by alerting a teammate, allowing the player to activate one of their Arts, or by using an Art of their own to stop the attack.^[17] The Vision system is tied to the "Party" gauge, which is filled by boosting team morale, using Arts with special effects, and avoiding or dealing critical hits. The three-tiered gauge gradually depletes outside of battle, and one tier is needed to either revive characters or alert a teammate to a vision. When all three tiers are full, the party can execute a chain attack.^[8]

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Open world

Open world

In video games, an open world is a virtual world in which the player can approach objectives freely, as opposed to a world with more linear and structured gameplay. While games have used open-world designs since the 1980s, the implementation in Grand Theft Auto III (2001) set a standard for the concept which has been used since.

Party (role-playing games)

Party (role-playing games)

A party is a group of characters adventuring together in a role-playing game. In tabletop role-playing, a party is composed of a group of player characters, occasionally with the addition of non-player character allies controlled by those players or by the gamemaster. In computer games, the relationship between the party and the players varies considerably. Online role-playing games or MMORPG parties are often, in the above sense, of the same constituency as tabletop parties, except that the non-player allies are always controlled to a lesser or greater extent by the computer AI. In single-player computer games, the player generally controls all party members to a varying degree.

Wii Remote

Wii Remote

The Wii Remote, also known colloquially as the Wiimote, is the primary game controller for Nintendo's Wii home video game console. An essential capability of the Wii Remote is its motion sensing capability, which allows the user to interact with and manipulate items on screen via motion sensing, gesture recognition, and pointing which is used for the console, using accelerometer and optical sensor technology. It is expandable by adding attachments. The attachment bundled with the Wii console is the Nunchuk, which complements the Wii Remote by providing functions similar to those in gamepad controllers. Some other attachments include the Classic Controller, Wii Zapper, and the Wii Wheel, which has originally been used for the racing game, Mario Kart Wii.

Classic Controller

Classic Controller

The Classic Controller is a game controller produced by Nintendo for the Wii home video game console. While it later featured some compatibility with the Wii U console, the controller was ultimately succeeded by the Wii U Pro Controller. In April 2014, Nintendo discontinued production of both the Classic Controller and Classic Controller Pro.

Saved game

Saved game

A saved game is a piece of digitally stored information about the progress of a player in a video game.

New Game Plus

New Game Plus

A New Game Plus, also New Game+ (NG+), is an unlockable video game mode available in some video games that allows the player to start a new game after they finish it at least once, where certain features in NG+ not normally available in a first playthrough are added, or where certain aspects of the finished game affect the newly started game, such as keeping in the new game items or experience gained in the first playthrough. New Game Plus is also known as "replay mode", "remorting", "challenge mode", or "New Game Ex". The genre where they are most prevalent is role-playing video games.

Non-player character

Non-player character

A non-player character (NPC), or non-playable character, is any character in a game that is not controlled by a player. The term originated in traditional tabletop role-playing games where it applies to characters controlled by the gamemaster or referee rather than by another player. In video games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer that has a predetermined set of behaviors that potentially will impact gameplay, but will not necessarily be the product of true artificial intelligence.

Love

Love

Love encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of meanings is that the love of a mother differs from the love of a spouse, which differs from the love for food. Most commonly, love refers to a feeling of a strong attraction and emotional attachment.

Action role-playing game

Action role-playing game

An action role-playing game is a subgenre of video games that combines core elements from both the action game and role-playing genre.

Setting and characters

The setting of Xenoblade Chronicles originates in a world that was nothing but endless ocean until two titans, the Bionis and the Mechonis,^[e] came into existence and battled each other until only their frozen corpses remained. In the eons following their battle, they became the home of multiple forms of life. The Bionis is home to organic lifeforms, most prominently the humanoid Homs, who are virtually identical to humans both in appearance and biology; the diminutive and furry Nopon; and the avian humanoid High Entia, whose lives span centuries. Conversely, the Mechonis is home to the mechanical humanoid Machina, whose lifespans span several millennia.^[9][18][19] A substance known as ether is given off by all life forms, and can be used both as a form of magic and as a method of fuel. The Monado – the namesake of Xenoblade – is a mystical ether-controlling sword used by the Homs in the battle against Mechonis, which grants visions of the future to its wielder when fully controlled.^[18]

The game's main character is Shulk, a young Homs scientist who lives in Colony 9 on Bionis. During an attack by Machina warriors called Mechon, Shulk comes into possession of the Monado. During his journey, Shulk is joined by Reyn, one of Shulk's childhood friends and headstrong member of the Defence Force; Dunban, a former wielder of the Monado and the brother of Shulk's childhood friend and love interest Fiora, who also joins Shulk; Sharla, a medic and sniper from Colony 6; Melia Antiqua, princess of the High Entia and a High Entia-Homs hybrid; and Riki, a Nopon chosen as the hero of his village. Other important characters include Zanza, god of the Bionis and the game's main antagonist; Lady Meyneth, goddess of the Mechonis; Shulk's mentor Dickson; Mumkhar, a cowardly soldier who fought alongside Dunban and wished to wield the Monado for himself; Egil, self-proclaimed leader of the Machina; and Alvis, a mysterious man who aids Shulk on his journey.^[20]

Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition adds a new storyline, Future Connected, set one year after the events of the main story. Taking place on the Bionis's Shoulder, an area not explored in the original game, Future Connected follows Shulk, Melia, and Riki's daughter Nene and adopted son Kino as they seek to reclaim the High Entia city of Alcamoth. The story also prominently focuses on Melia's relationship with her half sister, Tyrea, who briefly appeared in the main story.

Plot

The game's opening details events one year past, when Dickson, Dunban and Mumkhar were fighting a Mechon army. Mumkhar deserts them then gets attacked and, in the process of defeating the Mechon, the Monado paralyses Dunban's right arm. In the present, Shulk studies the Monado in Colony 9, where Dunban and Fiora live.^[21] Colony 9 is soon attacked by a group of Mechon, led by a special Faced Mechon called Metal Face. Dunban is injured when he attempts to use the Monado again, prompting Shulk to use it: he wields it with ease, and receives visions of the future from it.^[22] While the Mechon are driven back, Metal Face proves immune to the Monado and appears to kill Fiora before running out of energy and fleeing. Motivated by revenge, Shulk sets out together with Reyn to pursue and kill Metal Face, and are soon joined by Sharla, Dunban, Riki, and Melia. Guided by a vision from Shulk, the group travel to the High Entia capital to gain entry to Prison Island. Shulk also meets Alvis, who is revealed to share Shulk's ability to wield the Monado. Gaining entry, they encounter Zanza, a giant being who created the Monado and who offers to improve it so that Shulk can destroy the Face Mechon, who are revealed to have Homs inside.^[23] Shulk accepts and Zanza improves the Monado, but is then killed by Metal Face and another Mechon called Face Nemesis during an attack on the capital. During the ensuing battle, Face Nemesis is damaged to reveal an amnesiac Fiora controlling it.

Initially disheartened, Shulk is rallied by his comrades and sets out in pursuit of Metal Face and Fiora. During a peaceful encounter with Face Nemesis, Metal Face attacks the party, revealing himself to be Mumkhar. Egil, the leader of the Mechonis, then intervenes, spiriting Fiora away.^[24] On the way to the Mechonis, the party defeat Mumkhar, then face off against Egil and Face Nemesis. After the fight, Shulk and Fiora are separated from the group. During their time together, Shulk learns that Fiora had been fully awake inside Face Nemesis, but another being was controlling her actions.^[25] Reuniting with the group, they meet up with a friendly Machina named Vanea. She reveals that the Bionis and Mechonis were initially at peace, before the Bionis' god Zanza launched an unprovoked attack, possessing a friend of Egil, the giant who was imprisoned on Prison Island and killed. Since the battle a year before, Egil had been working to infuse the Mechon with people from the Bionis in order to create Face units who would be impervious to the Monado.^[26] Going to face Egil, Fiora is taken over by the other presence, the Machina goddess Meyneth. They reach Egil as he reactivates the Mechonis and begins an attack on the Bionis, seeking to prevent the Bionis from using its population as food and saving the Mechonis from another attack.^[27] Despite fighting him, Shulk manages to make him see that they both wish for a return to peace.^[28] At this point, Dickson appears and shoots Shulk, who throughout the journey has been possessed by Zanza, Dickson's master. Zanza uses the Monado to destroy the Mechonis, stealing Meyneth's own Monado from Fiora's body and killing Meyneth; the party narrowly escape with Shulk's body, with Egil sacrificing himself so they can escape.

In the aftermath of the Mechonis' destruction, pure-blooded High Entia begin transforming into Telethia, beings whose one purpose is to purge Bionis of life.^[29] While the party is initially helpless before the Telethia, Shulk awakens and manages to defeat a Telethia raid on Colony 6, although Alvis is revealed to be a disciple of Zanza. Shulk, however, believes there is more to Alvis than what he is revealing. Making their way to Prison Island, they defeat first a High Entia disciple named Lorithia, then Dickson. The party then travel to face Zanza, who declares the life of Bionis as simply his food and vessels, then offers Shulk the chance to become his disciple.^[30] Shulk rejects the offer, and during the ensuing battle produces a new Monado; prompted by Alvis, the spirit of the Monado, Shulk kills Zanza.^[31][32] Alvis then shows Shulk Zanza's origins: both Zanza and Meyneth were originally human scientists working to create a bubble universe from the Earth. The experiment ended in disaster, obliterating the universe and causing Zanza and Meyneth to be reborn as gods. Alvis was originally the artificial intelligence from the experiment station. After the new universe's birth, Zanza and Meyneth created life in their image, and Zanza created the cycle of Bionis out of fear that he would eventually fade from existence as his creations would forget him and seek life beyond Bionis. Zanza would then attack the Mechonis believing that Meyneth and the Machina had become insolent to him as a god and towards his vision of the world he created.^[33] With the current universe threatened with death, Alvis asks Shulk to remake the universe as its new god. Shulk declines and wishes for a world without gods, where everyone can decide their own fates.^[34] In the new universe, the survivors of Bionis and Mechonis build a new settlement and live peacefully together, Fiora is restored to her Homs form, and both she and Shulk look forward to Alvis' promise of endless worlds and races beyond their own world.^[35]

The Definitive Edition epilogue scenario "Future Connected" picks up one year later. With the world's restoration underway, Shulk and Melia set out together to the remnant of Bionis's shoulder after reports that the High Entia capital Alcamoth has reappeared, and are accompanied by two young Nopon stowaways, Kino and Nene. Their ship is attacked by an energy beam from a black fog on Alcamoth, and learn from a local High Entia outpost named Maxis that the land is being attacked by the Fog King, a being from outside the current reality. Shulk and Melia help resolve ethnic tensions between the garrison and a local township housing Machina, while Melia makes her peace with Tyrea who is in the area doing research on the Fog King. Shulk and Melia eventually find a way to weaken the Fog King, aided by surviving Telethia, and reclaim Alcamoth. The scenario ends with Melia being crowned as Empress of the High Entia.

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Humanoid

Humanoid

A humanoid is a non-human entity with human form or characteristics. The earliest recorded use of the term, in 1870, referred to indigenous peoples in areas colonized by Europeans. By the 20th century, the term came to describe fossils which were morphologically similar, but not identical, to those of the human skeleton.

List of avian humanoids

List of avian humanoids

Avian humanoids are a common motif in folklore and popular fiction, mainly found in Greek, Roman, Meitei, Hindu, Persian mythology, etc.

Shulk

Shulk

Shulk is a fictional character and protagonist of Monolith Soft's 2010 role-playing video game Xenoblade Chronicles, part of the Xenoblade Chronicles series of video games. Shulk gained an increase in attention and popularity upon his inclusion in Nintendo's 2014 crossover fighting games Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. While future Xenoblade entries are not centered around Shulk, Xenoblade Chronicles X features a character creation tool that allows the player to create characters that resemble Shulk, complete with both of his voice actors Adam Howden and Shintaro Asanuma, and he was featured in Xenoblade Chronicles 2's "Challenge Mode" downloadable content (DLC).

A model depicting two giant gods frozen in mid-combat, created by Tetsuya Takahashi and Yasuyuki Honne from a concept by Takahashi. This model became the starting point for the development of Xenoblade Chronicles.^[36][37]

Xenoblade Chronicles was developed by Japanese development company Monolith Soft, with Tetsuya Takahashi forming the original concept and serving as the game's executive director. Takahashi had previously worked in the 1990s on Xenogears, then on the Xenosaga trilogy after founding Monolith Soft in 1999. Xenosaga was intended to be a six-part series, but low commercial performances forced the planned Xenosaga series to be halved.^[38] After these events, the entire development team was in a state of low morale.^[39] The initial concept for Xenoblade Chronicles, of people living on the bodies of gigantic gods, came to Takahashi in June 2006. Struck by his idea, he immediately committed it to paper and showed the draft to other senior staff, who were favorably impressed. One of them, an executive called Yasuyuki Honne, thought it would make a good 3D model and bought materials to create it. Construction began in July: during this period, younger staff acted as models so that Takahashi could establish which parts of the gods' bodies could be used as habitable and navigable environments in various poses.^[36][37]

After the model's construction, Takahashi decided to combine the model's concept with an unrelated story idea, which became the basis for a new game after positive feedback from staff.^[36][37] Takahashi later said that one of the main reasons for developing the game was to bolster team morale after the commercial failure of the Xenosaga games.^[39] The team first showed their proposal to Nintendo prior to the final development stages of Disaster: Day of Crisis. Development began over four years prior to its release, with the first prototypes for the game being developed in April 2007. It was at this point that co-director Genki Yokota was brought in by Nintendo to handle any system-related issues due to his previous experience with RPGs.^[36][40] After being contacted regarding both Xenoblade Chronicles and fellow Wii JRPG The Last Story, head of Nintendo's licensing department Shinji Hatano said that the games should be made for a wide audience and using a "romanticist approach".^[41] Takahashi was involved in every aspect of the game's development, from its initial concept to the debugging stage.^[42] At the beginning of development, the game was going to be a stand-alone title unrelated to the Xeno series, bearing the title Monado: The Beginning of the World. Later, then-Nintendo president Satoru Iwata had the title changed to its current one to honor both Takahashi's previous titles and the effort he was investing in Xenoblade Chronicles.^[43] According to Takahashi, the "Xeno" designation was more along the lines of a symbol, calling back to the previous works of Monolith Soft.^[44] When describing the title's meaning, Takahashi described "Xeno" as meaning "different nature" or "uniqueness", while the "Blade" part was closely tied to the narrative, particularly the game's ending.^[45]

A key element of the game for Takahashi was creating an ideal balance between gameplay and story, something that he felt was lacking in other JRPGs which focused too much on story.^[39] Takahashi's previous experiences with the Xenosaga games and Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean, which had been called out for being old-fashioned when compared to other RPGs of the day, influenced his work in this regard.^[9] The mechanic of Shulk getting glimpses of the future became the foundation of the entire battle system. Takahashi briefly experimented with a turn-based battle system that incorporated the feature, but it did not work out.^[40] In a separate issue, Takahashi decided against a transition between the environment and a battle arena as he felt such a transition would negatively interrupt the flow of gameplay.^[9] The game features a fully open world, which was described by Takahashi as "overwhelming, like an MMORPG", describing the world size as being roughly equivalent to the Japanese archipelago.^[9][44] The scale of the world was derived from Takahashi's wish to showcase the grandeur of the experience.^[40] In addition to this, the number and length of cutscenes was cut down significantly from those present in the Xenosaga games, with Takahashi considering such a development method as having become a "dead end".^[9][44] The wish for an expansive world also became tied up with the wish to reward players for exploration, which entailed the creating of a huge amount of content creation such as items and accessories.^[37] The gameplay was influenced both by previous Japanese RPGs and Western RPGs.^[46] When the team ran into difficulties, Takahashi went to Nintendo in a "deflated" state to suggest numerous means of meeting the game's projected deadline. Yamagami rejected all of Takahashi's proposals and instead insisted the team persist with their vision, saying he would persuade Nintendo to continue supporting them.^[47]

Scenario

The scenario was created by Takahashi, Yuichiro Takeda and Yurie Hattori. Takahashi was responsible for creating the main concept, but as he was going to be director and executive producer, he was unable to also take on full script-writing duties, so he asked Takeda to be his partner in creating the scenario. Takeda was a writer for anime who had previously collaborated with Takahashi on adaptations of the first Xenosaga game, in addition to writing the script for Xenosaga I & II, the Nintendo DS remake of Xenosaga and its sequel. Takahashi deliberately chose someone outside the video game industry as he wanted a different perspective on the story's pacing.^[37] Hattori was brought in during the early development stages due to her experience with scenarios for Nintendo games, which enabled her to look at Takahashi and Takeda's scenario from an objective viewpoint.^[36] A key element in the scenario was contrasting senses of scale, which Takahashi described as "contrasting the realms of the micro and the macro", while the main story themes were characters embarking on a great and evolving journey, and overcoming a predetermined future.^[37][48] Despite multiple fantasy elements, Xenoblade Chronicles is based within a science fiction premise, although such elements were kept low-key during the first part of the game.^[39][49]

Despite their earlier work together, it was the first time Takahashi and Takeda were so intimately involved in a project. Takeda found working on the project more difficult than he initially anticipated: his standard writing form was for the anime series format, which was limited to episodes of 20–25 minutes. With Xenoblade Chronicles, the volume of story and writing work was much larger and offered more freedom for dramatic expression. Conversely, his previous experience enabled Takahashi to easily plan the structure and scheduling for the game. During the initial writing stages, Takahashi did not give precise instructions to Takeda: he instead gave a rough outline that they worked on together, then they passed the developing script between themselves, along with producers Shingo Kawabata and Koh Kojima, to iron out rough elements. Takahashi compared it to playing a game of catch, something he was unused to doing for his game scenarios.^[37] The ending underwent revisions: while Takahashi and Takeda felt they had created a fairly explanatory ending, Hattori still felt unsatisfied. After a second look, Takahashi and Takeda realized that it would appear perplexing for someone outside the writing process, so they rewrote it to be more player-friendly.^[36] The final script contained a large amount of dialogue: the sheer volume, which included dialogue spoken in battle, made for a difficult experience while recording. Due to all the effort, Takahashi was emphatic that as much of it as possible be used, although he sometimes felt that there was too much. In the end, some dialogue needed to be cut as testers felt that the characters talked too much.^[37] Takahashi's overall writing style was made deliberately more mature and subdued than other games within the genre.^[50]

One of the elements that was of great concern to both Takahashi and Takeda was the main protagonist Shulk. Takahashi had noticed that, in the majority of RPGs, the main protagonist was all too easily disliked even if other characters became fan favorites. Consequently, one of the main priorities was to make Shulk as appealing as possible to players. During this process, it was suggested that Shulk be a silent protagonist, but there was a general wish from the staff for him to speak. In addition to this, Takahashi needed to confront the problem faced in any RPG with voiced characters, which was developing them suitably and writing appropriate dialogue between them. The companion character Riki was cited by Takeda as a favorite of his: on paper Riki sounded an unlikable character, but his voice and appearance acted as a counterbalance to his remarks.^[37] One of the scenes where Hattori had input was a scene between Shulk and Fiora which showcased their connection: the original scene had Shulk touching Fiora's cheek, which Hattori felt would look "creepy" coming out of the blue. The scene was altered so Shulk touched her hand instead.^[36] One of the early concepts Takeda suggested was that one of the main protagonist's party would betray them and become the final boss, but Takahashi rejected this idea as he felt it would run counter to player expectation.^[37] During the course of its development, the story underwent so many revisions that Takahashi forgot what his original concept was, although the basic framework remained intact throughout.^[40]

Music

Yoko Shimomura, one of the game's many composers

The original score for Xenoblade Chronicles was composed by Manami Kiyota, ACE+ (a musical production group composed of Tomori Kudo, Hiroyo "CHiCO" Yamanaka, and Kenji Hiramatsu), and Yoko Shimomura.^[51][52] As with other parts of development, Takahashi was deeply involved, constantly rejecting pieces due to what he felt was not fitting for the game. He admitted that this was due to early samples he had given the team for his vision for the music, which they had followed too faithfully for his liking. At Takahashi's request, Nobuo Uematsu's record label Dog Ear Records assisted with production.^[42]

The music team was led by Shimomura, who was initially very confused by the odd naming of tracks, along with getting the opportunity of using sounds not normally used in compositions in her other projects, such as electric guitars.^[51][52] Kiyota had only previously done superficial work on video game titles; she accepted Dog Ear Records' offer for her to compose music. ACE+ was recommended to Takahashi by Dog Ear Records. Kiyota handled environmental tracks, while ACE+ was in charge of battle tracks in addition to other musical pieces. The team's main goal was to create music that went beyond the typical sound of RPGs. In hindsight, Yamanaka attributed the harmony of the six composers' works to Takahashi's organization and overall direction.^[42] The final score contained around ninety tracks. One of the hardest tracks for Shimomura was a nine-minute track that Takahashi requested to match with a movie scene. Later, he said the track needed to change midway through, essentially necessitating the creation of two conjoined themes.^[52] The majority of the game's music was written by Kiyota and ACE+, with Shimomura writing eleven tracks. The music was recorded at Burnish Stone Recording Studios in Tokyo. The chorus work was provided by Yamanaka, Kiyota, and Masao Koori.^[53]

Yasunori Mitsuda composed the game's ending theme, "Beyond the Sky".

The game's ending theme, "Beyond the Sky", was composed by Yasunori Mitsuda and performed in English by Australian singer Sarah Àlainn.^{[52][53][54][55]} Mitsuda was brought in to the music team due to his previous experience with the soundtracks of Xenogears and the first Xenosaga game, and due to Takahashi's long working relationship with him. Takahashi himself personally wrote the original Japanese lyrics for the track, which were translated into English by Lisa Gomamoto.^[42][53] When Mitsuda was contacted, the project was nearing completion, with very little development and composition work left. Despite this, before creating the main theme, Mitsuda asked if he could read the script, which was much larger than he anticipated.^[42][51][52] The track caused much stress to Mitsuda, who was tasked to create the game's most important song, which needed to incorporate both the diversity of the entire rest of the soundtrack, and mesh with Takahashi's grand vision for the ending of the game.^[42]

An official soundtrack album for the game, Xenoblade Original Soundtrack, was released by Dog Ear Records on 23 June 2010.^[56] It entered the Oricon charts at #80, and remained in the charts for five weeks.^[57] Upon release, the album received praise from critics: while multiple critics were surprised that Shimomura and Mitsuda's contributions were less substantial than originally thought, they found the majority of the music composed by Kiyota and ACE+ to be enjoyable. "Beyond the Sky" also received unanimous praise.^[56][58][59]

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Tetsuya Takahashi

Tetsuya Takahashi

Tetsuya Takahashi is a Japanese video game designer and director. Takahashi worked at Square, in the 90s as a graphic designer and director, participating on some of their most well-received titles such as Final Fantasy V, Final Fantasy VI and Chrono Trigger. In 1999, he left Square to co-found Monolith Soft, Inc., where he would produce the Xenogears (Square), Xenosaga and Xenoblade Chronicles series, his most notable works. He is married to Soraya Saga, who also worked with him at Square Enix, as well as on Xenogears, Xenosaga, and Soma Bringer.

Monolith Soft

Monolith Soft

Monolith Software Inc., trading as Monolith Soft, is a Japanese video game development studio originally owned by Namco until being bought out by Nintendo in 2007. The company was founded in 1999 by Tetsuya Takahashi with the support and cooperation of Masaya Nakamura, the founder of Namco. Their first project was the Xenosaga series, a spiritual successor to the Square-developed Xenogears. Multiple Square staff would join Takahashi at Monolith Soft including Hirohide Sugiura and Yasuyuki Honne.

Xenogears

Xenogears

Xenogears is a 1998 role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the PlayStation video game console. It is the debut entry in the larger Xeno franchise. The gameplay of Xenogears revolves around navigating 3D environments both on-foot and using humanoid mecha dubbed "Gears". Combat is governed by a version of the turn-based "Active Time Battle" system. The story follows protagonist Fei Fong Wong and several others as they journey across the world to overthrow the all-powerful rule of Solaris and uncover mysteries concerning their world. The story incorporates Jungian psychology, Freudian thought, and religious symbolism.

Model (art)

Model (art)

An art model poses, often nude, for visual artists as part of the creative process, providing a reference for the human body in a work of art. As an occupation, modeling requires the often strenuous 'physical work' of holding poses for the required length of time, the 'aesthetic work' of performing a variety of interesting poses, and the 'emotional work' of maintaining a socially ambiguous role. While the role of nude models is well-established as a necessary part of artistic practice, public nudity remains transgressive, and models may be vulnerable to stigmatization or exploitation. Artists may also have family and friends pose for them, in particular for works with costumed figures.

Disaster: Day of Crisis

Disaster: Day of Crisis

Disaster: Day of Crisis is a 2008 action-adventure light gun shooter developed by Monolith Soft and published by Nintendo for the Wii. In it, the player must survive various natural disasters while also battling terrorists and rescuing civilians. According to Nintendo, the game features “cutting-edge physics and gripping visuals” to recreate the sheer terror of major catastrophes.

The Last Story

The Last Story

The Last Story is a Japanese action role-playing game, developed by Mistwalker and AQ Interactive for the Wii video game console. Nintendo published the title in all regions except for North America, where it was published by Xseed Games. Initially released in Japan in 2011, the game was released in western territories through 2012. The Last Story takes place upon the island fortress of Lazulis, in a world that is slowly being drained of life by an unknown force. The story focuses on a group of mercenaries looking for work on Lazulis; one of their number, Zael, dreams of becoming a knight. After receiving the mystical "Mark of the Outsider", Zael becomes involved with a noblewoman named Calista in an ongoing war between humans and the beast-like Gurak. During gameplay, the player controls Zael as he and the mercenary group to which he belongs undertake missions on Lazulis. Zael can command the rest of the mercenary squad during missions, and fights in battles that involve action, tactical and stealth elements. Multiple online multiplayer modes were also present.

Satoru Iwata

Satoru Iwata

Satoru Iwata was a Japanese businessman, video game programmer, video game designer, and producer. He was the fourth president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Nintendo from 2002 until his death in 2015. He was a major contributor in broadening the appeal of video games by focusing on novel and entertaining games rather than top-of-the-line hardware.

Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean

Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean

Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean is a role-playing video game developed by Monolith Soft and tri-Crescendo and published by Namco for the GameCube. In it, the player assume the role of a "guardian spirit" – an unseen player avatar – who guides protagonist Kalas and his party of companions in an adventure across an aerial floating island-based kingdom in the clouds. The game is focused around the concept of "Magnus" – magical cards that capture the "essence" of items found in the in-game world. The concept is used as a plot device, for in-game item management, and as a basis for the card-themed battle system. The game was noted for its unique battle system, which included aspects of turn-based and action-based battle systems, collectible card games, and poker.

Massively multiplayer online role-playing game

Massively multiplayer online role-playing game

A massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) is a video game that combines aspects of a role-playing video game and a massively multiplayer online game.

Japanese archipelago

Japanese archipelago

The Japanese archipelago is a group of 14,125 islands that form the country of Japan. It extends over 3,000 km (1,900 mi) from the Sea of Okhotsk in the northeast to the East China and Philippine Seas in the southwest along the Pacific Ocean coast of the Eurasian continent, and consists of three island arcs from north to south: the Northeastern and Southwestern Japan Arcs, and the Ryukyu Island Arc. The Daitō Islands, Izu–Bonin–Mariana Arc, Kuril Islands, and the Nanpō Islands neighbor the archipelago.

Nintendo DS

Nintendo DS

The Nintendo DS is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in tandem, a built-in microphone and support for wireless connectivity. Both screens are encompassed within a clamshell design similar to the Game Boy Advance SP. The Nintendo DS also features the ability for multiple DS consoles to directly interact with each other over Wi-Fi within a short range without the need to connect to an existing wireless network. Alternatively, they could interact online using the now-defunct Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service. Its main competitor was Sony's PlayStation Portable during the seventh generation of video game consoles.

Silent protagonist

Silent protagonist

In video games, a silent protagonist is a player character who lacks any dialogue for the entire duration of a game, with the possible exception of occasional interjections or short phrases. In some games, especially visual novels, this may extend to protagonists who have dialogue, but no voice acting like all other non-player characters. A silent protagonist may be employed to lend a sense of mystery or uncertainty of identity to the gameplay, or to help the player identify better with them. Silent protagonists may also be anonymous. Not all silent protagonists are necessarily mute or do not speak to other characters; they may simply not produce any dialogue audible to the player.

Xenoblade Chronicles was announced during E3 2009.^[60] Its official title and release window were not announced until the beginning of 2010, alongside the announcement of The Last Story.^[61] The game released in Japan on 10 June 2010.^[2] Over a year after its Japanese release, it was confirmed for release in European territories under the title Xenoblade Chronicles.^[62] This version included both the English and Japanese voice tracks.^[63] According to Adam Howden, Shulk's English voice actor, he was not given much information prior to his audition, and was never given the full script during recording. According to him, the translated script needed to be altered as some lines came out as longer or shorter than the Japanese originals, and he was told to give Shulk a neutral British-accented voice.^[64] Concerning the game's localization, Takahashi stated that while some minor changes were made in the English versions of the game, like some bug fixes, minor adjustments to gameplay balance, and slight rewriting of some written content, none of the changes led to any significant differences.^[46] Initially planned for release on 2 September 2011, it was released two weeks early on 19 August. In addition to the standard edition, a special edition with a Red Wii Classic Controller Pro was also released.^[1] It was later re-released in Europe on the Wii U's Nintendo eShop on 5 August 2015.^[65]

Despite being confirmed for a European release, Xenoblade Chronicles did not have an official confirmation of a North American release. Additionally, although the project was announced at E3 2009, the finished game was absent altogether from E3 2011. In an interview on the French television station Nolife, Mathieu Minel, the marketing manager of Nintendo France, stated that Nintendo of Europe had desired to show the game at it, but Nintendo of America would not allow it, sparking speculation that it would not be released in North America.^[66] In response to this, a dedicated fan campaign was launched called Operation Rainfall. Its goal was to raise fan awareness of the situations felt by three Wii RPGs: Xenoblade Chronicles, The Last Story and Pandora's Tower.^[67] Among the campaign tactics used by Operation Rainfall were emails, organized campaigns, online petitions, phone calls, and messages on Nintendo's Facebook and Twitter accounts.^[68] One of the most notable efforts was a call to pre-order the game via the original "Monado: Beginning of the World" placeholder on Amazon.com. Their efforts resulted in Xenoblade Chronicles becoming #1 in the site's pre-order gaming charts, beating The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D and the PlayStation 3 bundle for Call of Duty: Black Ops. The campaign also received support from Mistwalker, the developers of The Last Story, and Xenogears and Xenosaga writer Soraya Saga.^[69] Takahashi later stated that Monolith Soft developed the game assuming that it would be released overseas.^[70]

In the months following these activities, Nintendo of America officially stated that there were no current plans to release the three asked-for games in North America, despite acknowledging the great demand for the titles.^[71] Rumors eventually emerged that the title would see a North American release when it was listed on the website of gaming retailer GameStop. Soon after this, Nintendo officially announced that the game would be released in the region.^[72] In a 2013 interview, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé revealed that Nintendo were considering an American release for Xenoblade Chronicles while Operation Rainfall was active, and that while the campaign did not factor into their decision, they were aware of it and took it into account while deciding whether the release would make a profitable release.^[73] Xenoblade Chronicles eventually released in North America on 6 April 2012.^[4] It was released in North America as an exclusive to Nintendo's American store, and GameStop's website and stores.^[72] The eShop version released for North America from 28 April 2016.^[74]

Xenoblade Chronicles 3D

A port for the New Nintendo 3DS, titled Xenoblade Chronicles 3D, was released worldwide in April 2015.^[6][5][7] It features StreetPass functionality, as well as compatibility with the Shulk amiibo.^[7] The port was originally announced in August 2014 alongside the New Nintendo 3DS.^[75] The port was co-developed by Monster Games, a frequent collaborator with Nintendo on well-received ports. They were requested for the job by Nintendo as the staff at Monolith Soft were already working on the next Xenoblade title.^[39][70] Development on the port started between Autumn and Winter 2013 initially for the original Nintendo 3DS, but initial testing showed that the original platform lacked the memory and power to effectively run the game, since the Wii's processing capabilities were greater than the regular 3DS. Hearing about the New 3DS, it was decided to use its increased processing power to realize the game's ambition.^[70] Its increased power made the port possible, and its button layout, with the inclusion of the ZL and ZR shoulder buttons and the C-Stick, meant that the original Wii Classic Controller button layout could be used without adjustment. As part of the alterations made to the title, much of the on-screen information was moved down to the bottom Touch screen so as to de-clutter the top screen, while the layout was carefully arranged so as to maintain the feel of the original as much as possible.^[76]

To maintain a steady frame rate and the seamless transitions between environments, unspecified "technical tricks" were used. They also worked hard to include 3D capacity despite the resultant technical difficulties.^[76] The most difficult part of the development was getting the game's scale to work within the new hardware. This entailed the creation of a new graphics engine with a custom visibility culling and complex level of detail systems. All of the environments were rebuilt and optimized for the new system while keeping the original aesthetic intact.^[48] The reason given for porting the game to the New 3DS rather than the Wii U home console was that the length of the game could be intimidating for the modern gamer, who was becoming more used to on-the-go, quick gaming sessions.

Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition

An expanded remaster of the original game, Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition, was announced in September 2019 during a Nintendo Direct presentation.^[77][78] In addition to enhanced visuals, remastered music, an updated user interface, and other quality-of-life improvements, such as utilizing the current model artstyle and graphics that were first used in the sequel Xenoblade Chronicles 2, the Definitive Edition also includes a new epilogue scenario titled Future Connected, which centers on the character Melia and is set one year after the main game's events. It was released worldwide for the Nintendo Switch on 29 May 2020.^[79]

Discover more about Release related topics

Operation Rainfall

Operation Rainfall

Operation Rainfall, commonly known as oprainfall, was a video game-oriented fan campaign founded to promote the release of games not available in North America. Initially aimed at promoting the North American release of three games on the aging Wii home video game console only released in Japan and Europe, it later transitioned into a community blog dedicated to niche Japanese games and further fan campaigns aimed at the localization of Japan-exclusive games. From inception, its stated intention was to show publisher Nintendo the demand for the three chosen games.

E3 2009

E3 2009

The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2009 was the 15th E3 held. The event took place at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California. It began on June 2, 2009, and ended on June 4, 2009, with 41,000 total attendees.

Adam Howden

Adam Howden

Adam Howden is an English actor who has worked in video games, television, theatre, film, and audiobooks.

Nintendo eShop

Nintendo eShop

The Nintendo eShop is a digital distribution service powered by a dedicated online infrastructure for the Nintendo Switch, and formerly available via the Nintendo Network for the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. The eShop was first launched in June 2011 on the Nintendo 3DS via a system update that added the functionality to the HOME Menu. It is the successor to both the Wii Shop Channel and DSi Shop. Unlike on the Nintendo 3DS, the eShop was made available on the launch date of the Wii U, although a system update is required in order to access it. It is also a multitasking application, which means it is easily accessible even when a game is already running in the background through the system software, though this feature is exclusive to the Wii U and the Nintendo Switch. The Nintendo eShop features downloadable games, demos, applications, streaming videos, consumer rating feedback, and other information on upcoming game releases.

E3 2011

E3 2011

The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2011 was the 17th E3 held. The event took place at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California. It began on June 7, 2011, and ended on June 9, 2011, with 46,800 total attendees. E3 2011 was broadcast on the G4 channel.

Nolife (TV channel)

Nolife (TV channel)

Nolife was a French TV network. It described itself as TV "for geeks, nerds and otakus". Its main programming focused on videogames, Japanese culture, technology and various other topics. Its slogan was "Y a pas que la vraie vie dans la vie !".

Pandora's Tower

Pandora's Tower

Pandora's Tower is an action role-playing game developed by Ganbarion for the Wii. The game released in May 2011 in Japan, April 2012 in PAL territories published by Nintendo, and April 2013 in North America published by Xseed Games. Focusing on the efforts of protagonist Aeron to rid his love Elena of a curse that is turning her into a monster, the player explores thirteen towers, solving environmental puzzles and taking part in platforming while battling enemies—a key part of gameplay is the Oraclos Chain, a weapon that aids in both combat and navigation. Depending on the strength of Aeron's relationship with Elena, multiple endings can be reached.

Call of Duty: Black Ops

Call of Duty: Black Ops

Call of Duty: Black Ops is a 2010 first-person shooter game developed by Treyarch and published by Activision. It was released worldwide in November 2010 for the PlayStation 3, Wii, Windows, and Xbox 360, with a separate version for Nintendo DS developed by n-Space. Aspyr later released the game for OS X in September 2012. It is the seventh title in the Call of Duty series and a successor to Call of Duty: World at War.

Mistwalker

Mistwalker

Mistwalker Corporation is an American-Japanese video game development studio. The company was founded in 2004 by Hironobu Sakaguchi, best known for creating the Final Fantasy series. The company has created both game franchises such as Blue Dragon and Terra Battle, and standalone titles including Lost Odyssey (2007) and The Last Story (2011). With the financial problems caused by Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, and his growing dissatisfaction with management, Sakaguchi decided that he wanted to make games outside Square. Mistwalker's first two titles were Xbox 360 RPGs; Blue Dragon (2006) and Lost Odyssey. Following The Last Story for Wii, Sakaguchi and Mistwalker changed to focus on in-house mobile titles. The original Terra Battle saw widespread success and acclaim, leading to further mobile projects.

GameStop

GameStop

GameStop Corp. is an American video game, consumer electronics, and gaming merchandise retailer. The company is headquartered in Grapevine, Texas, and is the largest video game retailer worldwide. As of 29 January 2022, the company operates 4,573 stores including 3,018 in the United States, 231 in Canada, 417 in Australia and 907 in Europe under the GameStop, EB Games, EB Games Australia, Micromania-Zing, ThinkGeek and Zing Pop Culture brands. The company was founded in Dallas in 1984 as Babbage's, and took on its current name in 1999.

Reggie Fils-Aimé

Reggie Fils-Aimé

Reginald Fils-Aimé is an American businessman best known for being the president and chief operating officer of Nintendo of America, the North American division of the Japanese video game company Nintendo, from 2006 to 2019. Prior to his promotion to president and COO, Fils-Aimé was Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

New Nintendo 3DS

New Nintendo 3DS

The New Nintendo 3DS is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo. It is the fourth system in the Nintendo 3DS family of handheld consoles, following the original Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo 3DS XL, and Nintendo 2DS. The system was released in Japan on October 11, 2014, in Australia and New Zealand on November 21, 2014, on January 6, 2015 in Europe in a special Club Nintendo-exclusive "Ambassador Edition", and at retail in Europe on February 13, 2015. Like the original 3DS, the New Nintendo 3DS also has a larger variant, the New Nintendo 3DS XL, released in all three regions. In North America, the New Nintendo 3DS XL was released on February 13, 2015, while the standard-sized New Nintendo 3DS was released later on September 25, 2015.

Since its release, Xenoblade Chronicles has received critical acclaim with praise directed at its story, characters, themes, combat, music, voice acting, and scale. earning perfect scores from Digital Spy, Joystiq, GamePro and RPGamer,^{[95][112][135][136]} and near-perfect scores from most other video gaming websites and magazines.^[f] The game received "universal acclaim", according to review aggregator Metacritic.^[134][138]

The story was cited by many as being innovative and enjoyable despite a fairly standard premise, while its open nature was seen as a welcome change for the genre: IGN critic Keza MacDonald said that she had been shocked out of expecting Japanese RPGs to be similar to the linear and story-driven Final Fantasy XIII. Its battle system and handling of quests also received praise, with the latter being seen as a great improvement for the genre due to its user-friendly workings. The one point that generally drew criticism were the graphics, with multiple critics disappointed that they lacked the polish of other contemporary consoles.^[g] IGN, Eurogamer and Edge Magazine cited the game as a triumphant comeback for the JRPG, and a prime example of the genre.^{[89][110][113]} The battle system, and to a degree its general gameplay, was favorably compared by multiple critics to that used in Final Fantasy XII.^{[85][89][101][110]}

The New 3DS port also received "generally positive" reviews, according to Metacritic.^[132] The port was generally received similar praise to the original Xenoblade Chronicles: many points of praise regarding its gameplay and story were shared with its original release, while new praise was given to the fact that an RPG of its scale had been successfully ported to the platform at all. Despite this, critics cited the graphical downgrade and lackluster implementation of 3D effects as detrimental factors, generally resulting in lower scores for the port when compared to the original game.^[h][141]

Awards

At the 2011 Japan Game Awards, Xenoblade Chronicles received the "Excellence" award.^[142] In IGN's Best of 2012 awards, the game was named "Best Wii/Wii U Game" and awarded with "Best Wii/Wii U Story".^[143][144] It was also nominated in the "Best Overall Role-playing Game" and "Best Overall Story" categories.^[145][146] In RPGFan's "Game of the Year" awards that same year, it was named "Best Traditional RPG",^[147] and was a runner-up for "Best Combat" and "Best RPG", losing both to Mass Effect 3.^[148][149] It was also awarded the site's "Reader's Choice Best RPG" award, with 24% of readers' votes going to Xenoblade Chronicles, beating Persona 4 Golden to the award.^[150] In RPGamer's "Best of 2012" awards, it was named as the year's best RPG, along with earning awards for "Best Story" and "Best Music".^{[151][152][153]} At the 2012 Golden Joystick Awards, the game was nominated in the "Best RPG" category, although it lost to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.^[154] Slant Magazine named it as "Game of the Year" in 2012.^[155]

Sales

During its opening week, Xenoblade Chronicles reached the top of Japan's gaming charts, selling 80,000 units.^[156] By the end of 2010, the game had sold over 161,000 copies, making it the eighth best-selling Wii game of the year, and eventually reached almost 200,000 units by the end of 2013.^[157][158] In the UK charts, Xenoblade Chronicles debuted at #7, and reached #2 in the dedicated Wii charts despite stock shortages.^[159][160] According to Gamasutra, it was the fourth best-selling game in the UK during its first week.^[161] In the US gaming charts, the game was excluded from the NPD Group's monthly assessment due to it being a retailer exclusive.^[162] Investment banking firm Piper Jaffray estimated it to be one of the best-selling games in the United States during the month of April 2012, along with Mass Effect 3 and Prototype 2.^[163] In a later interview, it was stated that the game sold better in the West than in Japan.^[39]

Xenoblade Chronicles 3D fared worse, selling 56,932 copies in its first week in Japan.^[158] Roughly 78,000 Japanese copies had been sold by the end of June 2015.^[164] In the UK charts, the game debuted at #27, becoming the third best-selling Nintendo product of that week.^[165] According to NPD Group figures, the game sold under 75,000, failing to enter the top ten. However, Nintendo stated that the game was the fifth best-selling platform exclusive that week.^[166][167]

As of December 2020, Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition had sold 1.52 million copies.^[168]

The 2022 CESA Games White Papers revealed that Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition had sold 1.68 million units, as of December 2021.^[169]

Discover more about Reception related topics

4Players

4Players

4Players is a German online magazine that provides news and reviews of video games and related content. Established in August 2000, 4Players is owned by the Hamburg-based company 4Players GmbH, an indirect subsidiary of the Marquard Group conglomerate.

Destructoid

Destructoid

Destructoid is a website that was founded as a video game-focused blog in March 2006 by Yanier Gonzalez, a Cuban-American cartoonist and author. Enthusiast Gaming acquired the website in 2017, and sold it to Gamurs Group in 2022.

Easy Allies

Easy Allies

Easy Allies is an online video game website that includes news coverage, reviews, personality-driven gaming videos and short form comedic series, created by a group of former GameTrailers staff. Since acquiring their new studio, the group has been based out of Culver City, California. The website was found to be the 'Most Trusted Publication of 2016' by video game review aggregator OpenCritic.

Edge (magazine)

Edge (magazine)

Edge is a multi-format video game magazine published by Future plc. It is a UK-based magazine and publishes 13 issues annually. The magazine was launched by Steve Jarratt. It has also released foreign editions in Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain.

Electronic Gaming Monthly

Electronic Gaming Monthly

Electronic Gaming Monthly is a monthly American video game magazine. It offers video game news, coverage of industry events, interviews with gaming figures, editorial content and product reviews.

Eurogamer

Eurogamer

Eurogamer is a British video game journalism website launched in 1999 and owned by alongside formed company Gamer Network.

Famitsu

Famitsu

Famitsu, formerly Famicom Tsūshin, is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage, a subsidiary of Kadokawa. Famitsu is published in both weekly and monthly formats as well as in the form of special topical issues devoted to only one console, video game company, or other theme. Shūkan Famitsū, the original Famitsu publication, is considered the most widely read and respected video game news magazine in Japan. From October 28, 2011, the company began releasing the digital version of the magazine exclusively on BookWalker weekly.

G4 (American TV network)

G4 (American TV network)

G4 was an American pay television and digital network owned by Comcast Spectacor that primarily focused on video games.

Game Informer

Game Informer

Game Informer is an American monthly video game magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of video games and associated consoles. It debuted in August 1991 when video game retailer FuncoLand started publishing an in-house newsletter. The publication is now owned and published by GameStop, who bought FuncoLand in 2000. Due to this, a large amount of promotion is done in-store, which has contributed to the success of the magazine. As of June 2017, it is the 5th most popular magazine by copies circulated.

GamePro

GamePro

Gamepro.com is an international multiplatform video game magazine media company that covers the video game industry, video game hardware and video game software in countries such as Germany and France. The publication, GamePro, was originally launched as an American online and print content video game magazine. The magazine featured content on various video game consoles, PC computers and mobile devices. GamePro Media properties included GamePro magazine and their website. The company was also a part subsidiary of the privately held International Data Group (IDG), a media, events and research technology group. The magazine and its parent publication printing the magazine went defunct in 2011, but is outlasted by Gamepro.com.

GameRevolution

GameRevolution

GameRevolution is a gaming website created in 1996. Based in Berkeley, California, the site includes reviews, previews, a gaming download area, cheats, and a merchandise store, as well as webcomics, screenshots, and videos. Their features pages include articles satirizing Jack Thompson, E³, the hype surrounding the next-generation consoles, and the video game controversy. Cameo writing appearances include Brian Clevinger of 8-Bit Theatre and Scott Ramsoomair of VG Cats. The website has also participated in marketing campaigns for video games, including Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows.

GameSpot

GameSpot

GameSpot is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition to the information produced by GameSpot staff, the site also allows users to write their own reviews, blogs, and post on the site's forums. It has been owned by Fandom, Inc. since October 2022.

In other media

Shulk has been featured as a playable character in the Super Smash Bros. crossover fighting game series, appearing in its Nintendo 3DS and Wii U and Ultimate installments. Gaur Plain, a location in the game, appears as a stage along with several music tracks; one of the game's recurring antagonists, Metal Face, appears as a hazard on said stage; Dunban and Riki (and Fiora in Ultimate) accompany Shulk during his Final Smash. Additionally Riki also appears as an Assist Trophy, using his own Arts to disrupt opponents.^[170] Fiora was later featured as a playable character in the crossover game Project X Zone 2, representing the Xeno series alongside Xenosaga character KOS-MOS, opposite Metal Face as an enemy character.^[171]

Sequels

By using experience gained during development of Xenoblade Chronicles and listening to feedback on the game, Takahashi and the team began work on a spiritual successor for the Wii U. Titled Xenoblade Chronicles X, it was released worldwide in 2015.^{[172][173][174]} A parallel story for the Nintendo Switch, Xenoblade Chronicles 2, was released worldwide in December 2017,^[175][176] and Shulk and Fiora can appear as optional Blades to recruit via the DLC expansion pass. Both Xenoblade Chronicles and Xenoblade Chronicles 2 received a sequel, Xenoblade Chronicles 3, in 2022. There are many allusions to the original game throughout the third installment, with Melia serving a major supporting role in the story. Shulk and Alvis are expected to appear in a DLC story expansion, taking place between the events of the first two games and the third one.^[177]

Discover more about Legacy related topics

Shulk

Shulk

Shulk is a fictional character and protagonist of Monolith Soft's 2010 role-playing video game Xenoblade Chronicles, part of the Xenoblade Chronicles series of video games. Shulk gained an increase in attention and popularity upon his inclusion in Nintendo's 2014 crossover fighting games Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. While future Xenoblade entries are not centered around Shulk, Xenoblade Chronicles X features a character creation tool that allows the player to create characters that resemble Shulk, complete with both of his voice actors Adam Howden and Shintaro Asanuma, and he was featured in Xenoblade Chronicles 2's "Challenge Mode" downloadable content (DLC).

Super Smash Bros.

Super Smash Bros.

Super Smash Bros. is a crossover fighting game series published by Nintendo. The series was created by Masahiro Sakurai, who has directed every game in the series. The series is known for its unique gameplay objective which differs from that of traditional fighters, in that the aim is to increase damage counters and knock opponents off the stage instead of depleting life bars.

Fighting game

Fighting game

A fighting game, also known as a versus fighting game, is a genre of video game that involves combat between two or more characters. Fighting game combat often features mechanics such as blocking, grappling, counter-attacking, and chaining attacks together into "combos". Characters generally engage in battle using hand-to-hand combat—often some form of martial arts. The fighting game genre is related to, but distinct from, the beat 'em up genre, which pits large numbers of computer-controlled enemies against one or more player characters.

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U are two 2014 crossover platform fighter games developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Sora Ltd. and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U video game consoles. It is the fourth installment in the Super Smash Bros. series, succeeding Super Smash Bros. Brawl. The Nintendo 3DS version was released in Japan in September 13, 2014 and in North America, Europe, and Australia the following month. The Wii U version was released in North America, Europe, and Australia in November 2014 and in Japan the following month.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a 2018 crossover fighting game developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Sora Ltd. and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It is the fifth installment in the Super Smash Bros. series, succeeding Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U (2014). The game follows the series' traditional style of gameplay: controlling one of the various characters, players must use differing attacks to weaken their opponents and knock them out of an arena. It features a wide variety of game modes, including a campaign for single-player and multiplayer versus modes. Ultimate features 89 playable fighters, including all characters from previous Super Smash Bros. games alongside newcomers. The roster ranges from Nintendo mascots to characters from third-party franchises.

Project X Zone 2

Project X Zone 2

Project X Zone 2 is a crossover tactical role-playing game for the Nintendo 3DS developed by Monolith Soft and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. Despite the game being the sequel to Project X Zone, the plot is a homage to the events of its spiritual predecessor, Namco × Capcom, while retaining a standalone story. The game is a crossover between various franchises from Bandai Namco, Capcom, and Sega, with special guests from Nintendo. The game was released in Japan in November 2015, and worldwide in February 2016.

Spiritual successor

Spiritual successor

A spiritual successor is a product or fictional work that is similar to, or directly inspired by, another previous work, but does not explicitly continue the product line or media franchise of its predecessor, and is thus only a successor "in spirit". Spiritual successors often have similar themes and styles to their source material, but are generally a distinct intellectual property.

Xenoblade Chronicles X

Xenoblade Chronicles X

Xenoblade Chronicles X is a 2015 action role-playing game developed by Monolith Soft and published by Nintendo for the Wii U console. Xenoblade Chronicles X forms part of the Xeno metaseries, being a spiritual successor to Xenoblade Chronicles without any narrative connections to prior Xeno titles. Carrying over several gameplay elements from Xenoblade Chronicles, players explore the open world planet Mira, completing a variety of quests and unlocking new regions to explore and gather resources from across Mira's five continents.

Nintendo Switch

Nintendo Switch

The Nintendo Switch is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a tablet that can either be docked for use as a home console or used as a portable device, making it a hybrid console. Its wireless Joy-Con controllers, with standard buttons and directional analog sticks for user input, motion sensing, and tactile feedback, can attach to both sides of the console to support handheld-style play. They can also connect to a grip accessory to provide a traditional home console gamepad form, or be used individually in the hand like the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, supporting local multiplayer modes. The Nintendo Switch's software supports online gaming through Internet connectivity, as well as local wireless ad hoc connectivity with other consoles. Nintendo Switch games and software are available on both physical flash-based ROM cartridges and digital distribution via Nintendo eShop; the system has no region lockout. A handheld-focused revision of the system, called the Nintendo Switch Lite, was released on September 20, 2019. A revised higher-end version of the original system, featuring an OLED screen, was released on October 8, 2021.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2

Xenoblade Chronicles 2

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is a 2017 action role-playing game developed by Monolith Soft and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. Released on December 1, it is the third installment in Xenoblade Chronicles and the seventh main entry in the Xeno series. Plans for the game began shortly before the launch of Xenoblade Chronicles X in 2014. Key developers from previous games returned, including franchise creator Tetsuya Takahashi, and directors Koh Kojima and Genki Yokota. The team wanted to develop a story-driven game in the style of the original Xenoblade Chronicles. The game was announced in 2017 with a worldwide release date planned for the same year. As with Xenoblade Chronicles, the game was localized by Nintendo of Europe.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a 2022 action role-playing game developed by Monolith Soft and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It is the fourth installment of the open-world Xenoblade Chronicles franchise, and the eighth main entry in the Xeno series. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 depicts the futures of the worlds featured in Xenoblade Chronicles (2010) and Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (2017), and concludes the trilogy's overall narrative. The development team wanted to develop a story-driven game in the style of the first two entries in the series, while featuring content and combat gameplay from previous Xeno entries. The game was announced February 9th, 2022, and released July 29th the same year. Like the first two entries, the game was localized by Nintendo of Europe.

Downloadable content

Downloadable content

Downloadable content (DLC) is additional content created for an already released video game, distributed through the Internet by the game's publisher. It can either be added for no extra cost or it can be a form of video game monetization, enabling the publisher to gain additional revenue from a title after it has been purchased, often using some type of microtransaction system.