History VideoGame / Xenoblade

A [[ThematicSeries spin-off]], ''VideoGame/XenobladeChroniclesX'', was released for the UsefulNotes/WiiU in 2015, and in 2017 a more direct sequel, ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2'', released for the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch. A [[VideoGameRemake remake]] using the sequel's graphics engine called ''Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition'' was announced for UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch, released on May 29, 2020. ''Definitive Edition'' features a brand new epilogue story called ''Future Connected'', set one year after the main game and starring Shulk and Melia.

* ArtShift: The art style for the Definitive Edition leans more toward the anime aesthetic seen more prominently in the sequel. Best seen with both Shulk and Fiora, whose designs here are much closer to their [[GuestFighter appearances as Blades]] in ''Xenoblade Chronicles 2''.

** Reveals from ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2'' amend this somewhat: [[spoiler:his experiment annihilated all life in his world but flung them into AnotherDimension rather than destroying the universe outright, downgrading a X4 to a "mere" 6.]]

** Reveals from ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2'' amend this somewhat: his experiment annihilated all life in his world but flung them into AnotherDimension rather than destroying the universe outright, downgrading a X4 to a "mere" 6.

* CutscenePowerToTheMax: It is not rare to see the characters being agile in cutscenes, but not being able to lift their feet off the ground in battles. The worst offender for this would be Meyneth controlling Fiora right after the HopelessBossFight with a revealed Zanza. The fight has them flying around the area exchanging blows.

** Totally ''inverted''! Status effects are immensely useful when used by the player, in fact they're part of what makes Riki the effective FightingClown he really is. Not only do they work on just about everything, even bosses, but there are at least ''four'' separate damage-over-time effects (Bleed, Poison, Blaze and Chill), and they all stack with each other. Riki is capable to taking major advantage of this, stacking all four on enemies quickly and re-applying them when they wear of ad-Infinium, to the point where he's considered one of the best boss killers in the game. The other main status effects, Break/Topple/Daze, render enemies not immune (and only flying monsters generally are) completely immobile and vulnerable to damage, and at higher levels the party can spam these to make sure they never have a chance to get up.

* EvolutionaryStasis: An ExploitedTrope in ''VideoGame/{{Xenoblade}}''. The BigBad Zanza hid the DNA of the Telethia, draconic monsters that serve as macroscopic digestive bacteria for his true body, the Bionis, inside of the [[OurElvesAreBetter High Entia]], a sentient, technologically-advanced species created specifically for the role. By hiding them inside beings who rely on technology rather than adapting to their environment, the Telethia genes would be protected from the ravages of natural selection in order to prevent them from changing too much to be usable before Zanza was ready to consume all life en masse. Fortunately this didn't work 100%, as the High Entia royal family somehow learned the truth and set up a BreedingCult using intermarriages with Homs to try and breed out the Telethia genes.

* OurElvesAreBetter: Ultimately subverted. High Entia live longer than Homs, can use ether freely but it turns out they're just the temporary form Zanza gave Telethia on a whim, and whenever he or his Disciples choose, they turn into Telethia, unless they are half-Homs.

* AwfulTruth: Shulk surely [[HeroicBSOD doesn't take well]] to the fact that Dickson, one of his mentor figures, was EvilAllAlong. Not to mention that HE HIMSELF was DeadAllAlong. For 14 years, no less.

On August 29th, 2014, a port for the New UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS system was announced, after Shulk's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUTU4OZrjzY reveal trailer]] for the [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosForNintendo3DSAndWiiU fourth]] ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' game. It was released April 10th, 2015. A Shulk Toys/{{amiibo}} was released in the Wave 3 of ''Super Smash Bros.'' amiibo and unlocks [[AndYourRewardIsClothes bonus costumes]] in specific games[[note]]more specifically ''VideoGame/SuperMarioMaker'', ''VideoGame/YoshisWoollyWorld'', and ''VideoGame/ChibiRobo! Zip Lash''. Using it in ''VideoGame/KirbyPlanetRobobot'' gives the [[PsychicPowers ESP ability]] to Kirby. It can also be used to train a "Figure Player" in ''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U'' and gives coins for the [[GottaCatchThemAll collectibles shop]] in ''Xenoblade Chronicles 3DS''[[/note]]. The original Wii version also came out on the Wii U Virtual Console in Europe on 5 August 2015, and later in North America on 28 April 2016. Also, Fiora appeared as a Nintendo GuestFighter in the crossover video game ''VideoGame/ProjectXZone 2'' alongside her SpiritualPredecessor KOS-MOS from ''VideoGame/{{Xenosaga}}''; several Mechon, including the dreaded Metal Face, also appear as enemy units.

** In [[spoiler:the sidequests where you are delivering a MercyKill to the High Entia-turned-Telethia in Alcamoth,]] during the fighting, the party members are still cheering each other on, engaging in TrashTalk, and celebrating at the end of the battles, despite the fact that these are meant to be grim ShootTheDog quests.

** At Prison Island, Zanza is run through by a spear thrown by Metal Face/Mumkhar before he can empower the Monado. Not that it does much to keep him dead.]]

** It's minor, but knowing which NPC trades what requires either massive trial and error or a guide. Even worse, some items aren't offered up for trade until you reach a certain affinity with the area, and certain [=NPCs=] who move locations offer completely different items afterwards. Not to mention many of the High Entia you can trade with become [[PermanentlyMissableContent inaccessible]] after a certain event. Good luck completing the "Other" section of the Collectopaedia without a guide, whose items can ''only'' be obtained by trading with specific people.

* GainaxEnding: It turns out that Zanza the {{Jerkass God|s}} was actually a human (not Homs) MadScientist named Klaus who messed around with a universe-creating machine and accidentally destroyed the universe and remade it with him as a God. Meyneth was also a human who just... happened to be there at the time. Zanza and Meyneth got lonely, so they created all the living things in the world. Then Zanza turned evil for... some reason, leading to the events of the game. Then Alvis, the party's MysteriousProtector throughout the game, is revealed to be ''a computer program'' (namely, the embodiment of said universe-creating machine) and throughout the whole game, he was guiding Shulk to kill Zanza for abusing the system. [[YouKillItYouBoughtIt Also, killing Zanza made Shulk the new god of the universe]], but he turns down the power and asks to create a world with no gods. The universe explodes and is remade... but both the party and all the [=NPCs=] in the game still seem the same as they used to be. And Fiora gets turned back into a Homs again with no explanation. (There actually ''was'' going to be an explanation for this, but it got cut for time and eventually relegated to AllThereInTheManual.)

** If you see a location in a cutscene but haven't gone there yet, such as the test lab that Lorithea is shown in a couple times, 9 times out of 10 you can eventually go there.

* HoldYourHippogriffs: Some characters use "Bionis" as a subtitute for "god" or "world". Reyn in particular makes good use of it. They stop after learning what the Bionis is.

** If you decide to take on an enemy 5 or more levels above the party, your party members will respond witha combination of this, ThisIsGonnaSuck and YoureInsane. A pretty well-justified response, given that these encounters are UnwinnableByDesign outside of the Superbosses and Casual Mode.

** Kallian is able to mentally speak with his sister after they defeat Lorithea. Something that was believed to be impossible as a Telethias transformation erases almost everything of the individual. Other High Entia turned Telethia also keep something of their self that keeps them from harming or protecting certain individuals they knew/loved from other Telethia.

* TheSouthpaw: Dunban, but only because his right arm is disabled in the ActionPrologue.

* RelationshipValues:
** The Affinity System, which allows the party to become closer to various [=NPCs=] in order to open up new story options and sidequests.
** There is also one for party members. The closer party members are, the more skills they can share with each other, the more turns they have when [[ItemCrafting crafting gems]] and higher the chance for extra CombinationAttack turns, up to 15 compared to the default 3.

* NewPowersAsThePlotDemands: A JustifiedTrope. When Shulk gains a new Monado Art during the course of the plot, they often seem incredibly tailored to solve the current problem. Seconds before Ryen dies to the Arachno Queen, Shulk gains Monado Shield, blocking the physical attack. When he and Ryen save Sharla from a Mechon with speedy tentacles, Shulk gains Monado Speed to compensate. This can be seen as Zanza making sure Shulk makes it safely to Egil, by pulling out a small (and literal) DeusExMachina.

A [[ThematicSeries spin-off]], ''VideoGame/XenobladeChroniclesX'', was released for the UsefulNotes/WiiU in 2015, and in 2017 a more direct sequel, ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2'', released for the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch. A [[VideoGameRemake remake]] using the sequel's graphics engine called ''Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition'' was announced for UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch, scheduled for release on May 29, 2020. ''Definitive Edition'' features a brand new epilogue story called ''Future Connected'', set one year after the main game and starring Shulk and Melia.

''Xenoblade Chronicles'' (simply ''Xenoblade'' [[MarketBasedTitle in Japan]]) is a [[EasternRPG Japanese role playing game]] for the UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} console, developed by Creator/MonolithSoft and published and produced by Creator/{{Nintendo}}. While Takahashi orignally did not intend the game to be related to his previous creations, beginning its life as a totally unrelated story called ''Monado: Beginning of the World'', it became the SpiritualSuccessor to the ''VideoGame/{{Xenosaga}}'' series of Eastern [=RPGs=] for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2, which itself was a spiritual successor to Creator/SquareSoft's ''VideoGame/{{Xenogears}}'', after Creator/SatoruIwata suggested the Xeno title be added late into production to [[TroubledProduction honor Tetsuya Takahashi's history and struggles in the industry]]. After the game's success, more traditional Xeno elements would be retroactively added into the sequels, [[WritingByTheSeatOfYourPants seemingly ressurecting Perfect Works storyline from Xenogears and Xenosaga in a form even its creator couldn't have predicted]].

It was released in Japan on June 10th, 2010. After much fighting from the fans, it was released in Europe on August 19th, 2011, and translated to English, French, German, Spanish and Italian. After much fan demand, the game reached American grounds in April of 2012. Unfortunately, due to the game's highly limited run, the original release became [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes incredibly hard to find]], making it hard for fans late to the game to own the whole "set" of Wii {{Role Playing Game}}s, made up of this, ''VideoGame/TheLastStory'', and ''VideoGame/PandorasTower''.

''Xenoblade Chronicles'' (simply ''Xenoblade'' [[MarketBasedTitle in Japan]]) is a [[EasternRPG Japanese role playing game]] for the UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} console, developed by Creator/MonolithSoft and published and produced by Creator/{{Nintendo}}. It is the SpiritualSuccessor to the ''VideoGame/{{Xenosaga}}'' series of Eastern [=RPGs=] (although it was originally not intended to be, Creator/SatoruIwata suggested the Xeno title be added late into production to honor Tetsuya Takahashi's history in the industry) for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 (which itself was a spiritual successor to Creator/SquareSoft's ''VideoGame/{{Xenogears}}''). After the game's success, more traditional Xeno elements would be retroactively added into the sequels.

** Melia is ''notoriously'' stupid amongst the fanbase. Her AI almost always summons elementals for the status buffs - which is good, but what is ''not'' good is when she walks ''right up to the enemy'' and summons them. She is a SquishyWizard, too, which does not help her case. She also is somewhat famous for summoning Aqua, only to discharge it almost immediately when she's at full health and it won't do much (To be fair, this is also because Melia can only discharge elementals in the reverse order that she summons them) or before you feel the effects of Regenerate.
*** Melia's playstyle is also generally way too hard to handle for a simple AI - a player may know to keep one or two useful buffs (such as Regenerate from Aqua or Defence from Earth) and use summon Copy in order to bypass Earth's long cooldown, but her AI will often summon three in any random order then discharge them before you can really have much of an effect on using them.

** In the field, the AI can sometimes walk off edges and fall to their doom[[note]][[VideoGameCrueltyPotential or you can push them off]][[/note]]... only to respawn next to you within seconds.

** Sharla's AI is pretty smart with [[OneHitKO Head Shot]] -- her AI is normally focused almost entirely on healing, which makes her a pretty effective healer, but the AI knows to usually reserve Head Shot for dazed enemies. Additionally, some of her abilitie are more effective on

** While Melia is consisdered to be the ''stupidest'' character in the game due to her playstyle being too complex for an AI to really handle, she does have one thing going for her and that's mind Blast. Her AI seems to know when she's fighting a Telethia and will try to enter Element Burst as ''fast'' as possible then instantly use Mind Blast. She's also somewhat smart with using Reflection, but most people think it's not worth putting on since it only works if she already has Aggro, which Melia simply should ''not'' have.