When Xenoblade Chronicles came out on the Nintendo Wii, it was meant to be a Japan-only title. But when fans in the West say what Monolith Soft were doing, they knew they had to have it, so they started Operation Rainfall. While it was successful, it wasn’t as widespread as many hoped it would be. A port would later come to the New Nintendo 3DS, but again, it didn’t sell well because of the distribution of it. But with Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition, the game now has a chance to be truly beloved by all via its arrival on the Nintendo Switch.
Despite its pitfalls, many fans have a true love for the game in its “basic” form on the Wii or 3DS. The team were interviewed by Nintendo and asked why they felt the game was so popular with certain fans. Here were their responses:
Mr. Tetsuya Takahashi (Executive Director): Simply put, I think it matched up with what fans are looking for when it comes to Japanese RPGs. To unpack that a little bit, I’m talking about the setting and story, plus game systems and all kinds of other elements. I think the fact that we took each and every one of these points seriously really resonated with fans.
Mr. Genki Yokoto (Co-Producer): I think a big factor was how much people loved Shulk and the rest of the cast, and how everyone empathized with how the characters were “fighting back.”
In that regard, the story of Xenoblade Chronicles develops from start to finish in a way that really resonates with people. But what’s most appealing about Xenoblade Chronicles isn’t any specific part of the story, it’s the act of going on an adventure in an open-world to experience the story and characters, to fight with others against powerful foes and to enjoy the daily lives of the townsfolk, all combined with a great soundtrack that helps keep you immersed in the world.
In the game is very special, and it seems to be on track to sell 1 million units, if not more. If you want to hear our thoughts on the game, check out our review!
