It’s going to be tough jumping back in after being away. In these instances, I had to jot down the stats for everything the vendor sold and then go into my inventory screen to compare it to what my characters were already using.Ħ) This isn’t a game you’ll be able to put down and come back to in a few months. Some of the gear sold by vendors is actually useful, but there’s really no way of comparing what the vendor is selling with what you’ve already got. There’s a sidequest that runs the entire length of the game, and there’s almost no ingame provision to keep track of how you’re doing or what you need for the sidequest. For instance, why would I waste a valuable inventory slot on something that protects my character from a specific effect that only occurs occasionally? Why would I bother with specific protection against bleed damage, for instance, when I can instead boost my character’s agility for better dodging, or strength for more damage, or simply give him more hit points? Many of the fiddly bits in Xenoblade Chronicles seem to make no sense.ĥ) Furthermore, some elements of the game pretty much require keeping a notepad handy. What’s more, there’s a whole mess of detail in here that might be useless. Did you pre-order? And would you like the strategy guide with that? Would you like this used copy covered in sticker glue and fingerprints for 49 cents less than retail?Ĥ) There is a lot of fiddly inventory management, particularly if you want to swap out your best armor or gems when you switch characters. You must either get it directly from Nintendo or you must patronize Gamestop. You’ll often need to simultaneously move your character and the camera, often in real time and often when timing is important.ģ) For some unholy reason, Xenoblade Chronicles is a Gamestop exclusive. This is not a game to play with only one analog stick. If you expect from your immersive RPGs the technical spectacle of Skyrim, you’re not getting it here.Ģ) You will need a classic controller. Furthermore, there is some lovely and imaginative artwork in here. On the contrary, it’s often staggeringly “this-is-on-the-Wii?” vast. Even great games might come with caveats.Īfter the jump, seven legitimate reasons to pass on one of the best RPGs ever madeġ) It’s a Nintendo Wii game and it looks like it.

Some people run around recommending great games willy nilly.

Xenoblade chronicles x level grinding