Xenoblade Chronicles 2 | A Very Strong JRPG Adventure on Switch

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 offers an immersive adventure with dynamic combat, a vast world, and standout music and characters despite a steep learning curve. The exceptional audiovisual quality anchors the journey on PC for those willing to master its complex systems.

Despite its occasional mechanical frustrations, it remains a very strong JRPG for patient players.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2

Released: December 1, 2017

Developer(s): Monolith Soft

Publisher(s): Nintendo

Platform(s):

Completed on Emulated

HowLongToBeat Time: 63 hours | My Clear Time: 34 hours 32 mins.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Background

Monolith Soft developed Xenoblade Chronicles 2, first showing it off during the Nintendo Switch launch event in early 2017. Series creator Tetsuya Takahashi directed the project, bringing in Masatsugu Saito for character designs. The music is a massive collaboration featuring Yasunori Mitsuda (of Chrono Trigger fame), ACE (Xenoblade Chronicles X), and Kenji Hiramatsu (Super Mario Galaxy).

When the first trailer dropped, the scale of the world and the massive Titans had JRPG fans everywhere counting down the days until launch.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Experience

I first tried Xenoblade Chronicles 2 back in 2020, but I hit a wall right after Mythra joined the party. The combat was confusing and the quest tracker was a nightmare, constantly leading me in circles because it couldn’t handle the different altitudes of the map. This past February, I decided to give the series a real fair shake from the beginning.

I powered through Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition and its DLC in a month. With a better understanding of how these games work, I jumped back into the sequel. After a fresh start and a lot more patience, I finally rolled credits on March 13 with a clear time of 34 hours, 32 minutes, and nine seconds.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Impressions

My first time with this game was rough. Years ago, the gameplay felt slow and confusing, and the story moved like it was stuck in molasses. Coming back to it after finishing the first game changed everything. Once I actually understood the combat and how the world worked, I ended up loving most of it.

The map is a huge step up in terms of size and detail. Everything has layers now, with hidden areas above and below you that make exploration much more interesting. The combat is also totally different thanks to the Blade system. You can carry up to two Blades into battle, letting you swap on the fly to hit elemental weaknesses and pull off huge combos.

The music is easily some of the best in the series, moving from quiet melodies to epic tracks that make the boss fights feel massive. While the English voice acting gets a lot of hate for being cheesy, I actually found the campy, adventurous tone pretty charming. That said, the quest tracker is still a headache that can make finding your way a chore. The “mastery” mechanic, where you have to grind out specific Blade levels just to pass obstacles in the world, also felt like a total drag.

The character designs are standout, especially with Tetsuya Nomura contributing some of the art. It has that same memorable look that people loved in Final Fantasy X. The new art style is easy on the eyes and gives the characters way more expression than the previous game.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Verdict

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is a slow burn that is worth the climb if you can survive the first few hours. The slow start and the deep menus can be intimidating, but there is a massive adventure waiting if you stick with it. The world is huge and full of vertical secrets, and the Blade system adds a ton of strategy to the fights once they finally click.

Even with a quest tracker that hates you and a mastery system that slows you down, the music and the characters keep the journey fun. The soundtrack is incredible and the designs give the game a look all its own. This is a rewarding experience for anyone who wants to dive deep into a complex RPG, as long as you’re willing to put in the time to learn its quirks.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 TLDR