Metacritic
[Link]

Metacritic: 85 (31 reviews)
Opencritic: 84 (21 reviews)

Xenoblade Chronicles X is epic in scope. Most of the time, it’s better for it; other times, it’s clear that the developers didn’t have a golden thread sewing together all of its various parts. It’s an unconventional JRPG in many ways, most notably in its reliance on gameplay and multiplayer over an involved single player adventure ripe with quality storytelling and climactic plot twists. Its narrative is lacking at times — pulling inspiration from some of the most overused tropes out there — and its presentation is problematic to say the least. All of that aside, the sheer number of ways to custom tailor the experience, the wonderful combat, the inclusion of an astounding multiplayer mode and the compelling, massive world that’s presented make it one of the Wii U’s best games as well as one of 2015’s most complete RPGs. It may not be the follow-up that hardcore Xenoblade Chronicles fans were hoping for, but it’s a worthy sequel all the same — just one that marches to the beat of its own drum. Its unflinching tendency to do things that were not part of its predecessor’s legacy will solidify it as not only its own game, but the best role-playing experience on Wii U.

Xenoblade Chronicles X finds itself in a constant struggle between scale and bloat. When I crested over the game's first mountaintop and saw a dinosaur drinking from a lake in the valley below, it was amazing — one of those rare video game moments that can be described as "epic" without hyperbole. But the UI is just one example of how X gets in its own way, hiding its beautiful world beneath overly complicated and under-explained systems that just don't add enough. Monolith Soft has once more created something special under the Xenoblade name; it just happens to have buried that something special under a mountain of annoyances.

Xenoblade Chronicles X is a sensational game that will keep gamers busy for hours on end. Going into the game, gamers should be well aware that X does have a few flaws, namely the required side quests between story missions and a few graphical hiccups here and there. While these can be a bit annoying, getting past them is easy thanks to the engaging battle system, fantastic visuals and smartly implemented online system. X has a ton of content, even apart from the story, that will keep players busy for a long time. On my first play through of the game, it took me over 80 hours before I saw the end credits, and that was without delving super deep into any of the optional side quests. X is one of the deepest, most complex games that can be found on Wii U and you owe it to yourself to check it out.

Xenoblade Chronicles X is not so much “deep” as it is complex – a rich spider’s web of interconnected activities that will take hours to fully comprehend. Work is involved in fully grasping this whole show, but once you’ve finally sorted things out and taken advantage of the game’s ginormous virtual manual, there’s a wonderfully absorbing adventure lying in wait.

It’s a game that understands the importance of rewarding players for their personal investment, and it makes sure that, no matter how convoluted its design, no matter how lengthy its tangential content, the payoff is always worth the time and effort.

Nevertheless, this is contemporary Japanese RPG-making at its boldest and most imaginative in years. For every cliché - the helium-voiced furry mascot who totters along behind your group, the incongruous, schizophrenic rock-cum-rap soundtrack - there's an invention that hauls the open-world JRPG into the present, and then another that shunts it breezily into the future. Perhaps the game's greatest achievement is that, over the course of this journey, you settle into Mira and, in that mystical way of all video game greats, Mira settles into you.

I have enjoyed Xenoblade Chronicles X so much that I am planning to start it all over again from the beginning, so I can really take my time with this absolutely gargantuan adventure, and I rarely feel that way about any game, let alone one I’ve been playing almost non-stop for a month. This is an essential purchase for all Wii U owners who love the JRPG genre.

Players will start off with a male or female avatar of their choosing, and it's off to the races, with a rather quick tutorial session. From there, the game completely ceases to hold your hand, which is going to be a massive point of contention for some. Point blank, X is not a game you can casually pick up and play -- you need to immerse yourself in it. This not only goes for leveling up your character, but unlocking the requirements for story missions. Xenoblade Chronicles X is a tough and unforgiving game if you have no affinity toward the JRPG genre.

Sure, there are a few modern conveniences peppered in, like fast travel, a detailed world map (accessible at all times on the GamePad screen), and the ability to save anywhere, but you will need to master nearly every facet of X to progress past the first few chapters. Hell, you'll need to actually read the manual to pick up on a few major things, old-school style, and I ended up taking paper notes just like I did in the NES days. It's going to be a polarizing thing for sure, but personally, I'm stoked to play something like this again. Learning all the game's ins and outs was a joy. It's particularly satisfying to take everything in and feel like you've accomplished something.

Xenoblade Chronicles X is a worthy opponent for The Witcher 3, when it comes to the title of RPG of the year. This game radiates love, ambition and passion. The world is beautiful, the combat system is challenging enough and there's so much to explore.