Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Switch)

[Daydreamer]

The pace and overall game experience got significantly better in Chapter 5. I Was slightly losing interest and thinking of taking a break in Chapter 4.

Loving this one so far.

As other posters have said, it only keeps amping up. I remember distinctly having a "holy shit" moment (this was my first xeno game).


I really need to play Torna.

[Ratatapa]

I must be alone but I didn’t like torna

[IceSylph]

I loved Torna. Amazing music. The protagonist is probably my favorite Xeno protagonist. Helps that she's voiced by Hayami Saori, whose voice is really nice. Gameplay can be better or worse, depending who you speak to. I like that you can control everyone, rather than just the driver.

Only shitty part is forcing you to do quests, similar to Xenoblade X.

[Ayn]

Yeah, the music is what I enjoyed as well as being able to control everyone. It's mainly the combat system: It's almost jarring to go back to the base game after.

Wish I got to explore more of the world in that age, but yeah.

[Mayareira]

Finished the base game and I should say it is one of the best JRPG's I've played in the generation. After Chapter 5 every part of the game was mind blowing.

And the Golden Age of Torna is just the right kind of DLC I've been craving for. Seriously, worth much more than $5-6 Sword of Whatever, new ass colored attire etc. type of DLC's that has been flooding the market.

I think I'll go with the Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition after Torna.

[Tyrath]

I'm just now wrapping up Torna. It's a pretty fantastic expansion. Wouldn't have minded having it as a longer game!

[Kaslo]

I'm just now wrapping up Torna. It's a pretty fantastic expansion. Wouldn't have minded having it as a longer game!

I plan to finally play it after I finish Cold Steel 4 in a few months.

[Ratatapa]

I know it's not your fault, but I still think Xenoblade should be played before XC2

[Moridam]

i still haven't finished this game and i've had it since release. i like it a lot, but there's just too much to do and too many systems layered on top of each other. i can't make any progress because i'm always being pulled in five million different directions.

[Mayareira]

If you are not far into the main game you might wanna start Torna maybe?

Torna is basically every time consuming aspect removed from XC2 that focuses on gameplay and story. Characters and blades are rock solid, and luck based bonding system is gone.

It will spoil the main game though :/

[Tyrath]

I know it's not your fault, but I still think Xenoblade should be played before XC2

I mean yeah it makes for one really cool moment if you play it in order. Otherwise isn't exactly needed.

[Katlan]

If you are not far into the main game you might wanna start Torna maybe?

Torna is basically every time consuming aspect removed from XC2 that focuses on gameplay and story. Characters and blades are rock solid, and luck based bonding system is gone.

It will spoil the main game though :/

It has quest grinding through. You need to do X amount of quests before you can progress the story. This happens at 3 intervals throughout the game

[Ayn]

Yeah, for that exact reason I'd actually wait until getting a bit later in the game to play Torna.

But for what it's worth Moridam, I felt the exact same way. It took me a while to get the hang of all the systems and the gacha system for cores was a dumb fucking idea.

That said, you only need a few solid ones and you're good. Wish I had one on hand to help out with there..but just stick with it.

[Ratatapa]

Playing torna first ruins XC2 experience imo

[Hitou]

Torna is definitely better after playing XC2 first. I think most people would dislike the battle system in XC2 if you played Torna first because it will feel like a less dynamic version of Torna's battle system despite having tons more blade options in XC2. I think the same would apply to playing XC1 after 2. I didn't really like the clunky way you chose arts in XC1 and much preferred XC2's style of mapping arts to buttons, even if it gave you fewer options that way. As others have said Torna also spoils a lot of plot points from XC2 and you also wouldn't appreciate who some people are till you've played XC2's story either.

[IceSylph]

Definitely don't play Torna before or during the main game. It's a prequel that's made to be played afterwards for a reason. Torna casually brings up very late game reveals quite early. The ending spoils portions of the main game. Spoils character related things as well. Playing it after made everything 1000x better.

[Corrderio]

If I haven't played XC2 in a long assed time how hard would it be to get used to the game to play Torna?

[Mayareira]

If I haven't played XC2 in a long assed time how hard would it be to get used to the game to play Torna?

Unlike The base game Torna has a solid tutorial accessible at all times. Assumes you are a complete beginner with no prior XC experience, so not an issue at all.

[Corrderio]

Good. I didn't try postgame in XC2 due to work and it fell off my radar. Was meaning to try Torna but was afraid not playing the game for so long would put me at a significant disadvantage.

[Mayareira]

Now that I completed Torna as well here are my two cents on why this is a very good game, and a must play (without any spoilers).

First of all, the protagonists are one of the best in JRPGs. Lora and Addam are both mature, classy and heroic with no annoying side at all. With the hype they've built in the main game for Addam I was afraid to have a one-liner asshole type, yet he turned out to be a character with just right attitude. Rest of the characters and blades are very well written as well, kudos to Tetsuya Nomura here (he was credited for the design in the end).

Battle system is fluid and fun. One major downside, though. The necessity to use chain attacks during rage periods gets repetitive and strips strategy aspect out. World design, grind aspects and overall story are also quite nice. Apart from "talk to everyone" type of quests for completionists quest-based grinding didn't bother me at all.

Yasunori Mitsuda, like always did a great job with the music. Many memorable tracks and literally no annoying one.

I'd rate Xenoblade 2 9/10, with Torna it is 10/10 and probably the best JRPG of the generation.