230
edits
Xenoblade Chronicles (universe): Difference between revisions
m
→Franchise description
| Line 24: | Line 24: | ||
Though ''Xenogears'' was conceived as the fifth episode of a series of six, Square decided against devoting resources to further works related to ''Xenogears'' in favor of focusing on its flagship ''Final Fantasy'' series, which prompted Takahashi and much of the ''Xenogears'' staff to leave the company and form what would be Monolith Soft with the financial backing of [[Namco]]. Due to the legal rights of ''Xenogears'' remaining with Square, Takahashi could not create games that were direct extensions of the ''Xenogears'' continuity (despite what the end credits originally indicated), so he proceeded on a project that could more accurately be described as a reboot that shared thematic similarities: the ''Xenosaga'' trilogy, published by Namco from 2002 to 2006 on the PlayStation 2. Set millenia in the future where Earth is no longer the primary homeworld of a spacefaring humanity, the games feature different combat systems between each installment, all of which are mechanically separate from their spiritual PlayStation predecessor. The series' reception was generally favorable, though review outlets tended to express more mixed opinions when comparing them with ''Xenogears'', finding fault with elements such as a more lopsided cutscene-to-gameplay ratio and the removal of some of the acclaimed philosophical elements. | Though ''Xenogears'' was conceived as the fifth episode of a series of six, Square decided against devoting resources to further works related to ''Xenogears'' in favor of focusing on its flagship ''Final Fantasy'' series, which prompted Takahashi and much of the ''Xenogears'' staff to leave the company and form what would be Monolith Soft with the financial backing of [[Namco]]. Due to the legal rights of ''Xenogears'' remaining with Square, Takahashi could not create games that were direct extensions of the ''Xenogears'' continuity (despite what the end credits originally indicated), so he proceeded on a project that could more accurately be described as a reboot that shared thematic similarities: the ''Xenosaga'' trilogy, published by Namco from 2002 to 2006 on the PlayStation 2. Set millenia in the future where Earth is no longer the primary homeworld of a spacefaring humanity, the games feature different combat systems between each installment, all of which are mechanically separate from their spiritual PlayStation predecessor. The series' reception was generally favorable, though review outlets tended to express more mixed opinions when comparing them with ''Xenogears'', finding fault with elements such as a more lopsided cutscene-to-gameplay ratio and the removal of some of the acclaimed philosophical elements. | ||
In May 2007, Namco sold its stake in Monolith Soft to Nintendo, and Monolith Soft soon became a first-party developer for Nintendo. Takahashi began work on a different IP for the Wii, which | In May 2007, Namco sold its stake in Monolith Soft to Nintendo, and Monolith Soft soon became a first-party developer for Nintendo. Takahashi began work on a different IP for the Wii, which over the course of four years of development was unveiled at E3 2009 under the title ''Monado: Beginning of the World''; later, it was renamed ''Xenoblade Chronicles'', once again following the convention of including ''Xeno-'' in the title to honor the director's previous, though otherwise unconnected, work. Involving himself in every aspect of the game's development, Takahashi worked to separate it from its forerunners in both gameplay style and theme, with the relationship between humans and machines as one of the carry-overs. The game was released in Japan on June 10, 2010, and then in Europe on August 19, 2011; however, the game's North American release would only take place on April 6, 2012, which led to an interim period where concerned gamers took part in a fan campaign called "Operation Rainfall" to persuade Nintendo of America to localize the game and two other Wii RPGs. | ||
''Xenoblade Chronicles'' received overwhelming critical acclaim across the board. It was lauded for revitalizing and reinventing the otherwise standard Japanese role-playing genre, with a sense of freedom instilled by a massive open world that has been compared to the size of the real-world Japanese archipelago. The gameplay style of the combat closely resembles that of ''Final Fantasy XII'', but with an emphasis on chained group attacks and allowing some characters to strategically divert enemy attention away from other party members. Closely tied in with the game's theme is a "Visions" system where the lead character can see glimpses of enemies' future attacks, which can allow the player to either avoid or prevent an incoming attack. Especially praised were the characters, both for their writing and for the integration of their relationships into core aspects of the gameplay both inside and outside of battle. The game sold over 800,000 units globally, and as a first-party Nintendo property, its main character, [[Shulk (SSB4)|Shulk]], was included in the roster of ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'' in 2014. | ''Xenoblade Chronicles'' received overwhelming critical acclaim across the board. It was lauded for revitalizing and reinventing the otherwise standard Japanese role-playing genre, with a sense of freedom instilled by a massive open world that has been compared to the size of the real-world Japanese archipelago. The gameplay style of the combat closely resembles that of ''Final Fantasy XII'', but with an emphasis on chained group attacks and allowing some characters to strategically divert enemy attention away from other party members. Closely tied in with the game's theme is a "Visions" system where the lead character can see glimpses of enemies' future attacks, which can allow the player to either avoid or prevent an incoming attack. Especially praised were the characters, both for their writing and for the integration of their relationships into core aspects of the gameplay both inside and outside of battle. The game sold over 800,000 units globally, and as a first-party Nintendo property, its main character, [[Shulk (SSB4)|Shulk]], was included in the roster of ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'' in 2014. | ||