Xenoblade Chronicles

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Xenoblade Chronicles
Xenoblade box artwork.png
European cover art
Developer(s) Monolith Soft
Publisher(s) Nintendo
Director(s) Tetsuya Takahashi
Producer(s) Shingo Kawabata
Takao Nakano
Designer(s) Tetsuya Takahashi
Koh Kojima
Writer(s) Tetsuya Takahashi
Yuichiro Takeda
Yurie Hattori
Composer(s) Yoko Shimomura
ACE+
Manami Kiyota
Yasunori Mitsuda[1]
Platform(s) Wii
Release date(s)
Genre(s) Action role-playing, open world
Mode(s) Single-player

Xenoblade Chronicles, known in Japan as Xenoblade (ゼノブレイド Zenobureido?), is a science fiction role-playing video game developed by Monolith Soft.[6] and published by Nintendo[7] for the Wii console. The game was announced during E3 2009, where a trailer was released to media. The game follows a young man named Shulk, who wields the titular Xenoblade – an energy blade called the Monado – against the Mechon in order to ultimately save the world.[8][9] Originally titled Monado: Beginning of the World, the game was retitled Xenoblade in January 2010 to honour Tetsuya Takahashi, "who poured his soul into making this and […] the Xeno series".[10] The game was released on 10 June 2010 in Japan,[2] 19 August 2011 in Europe,[11] 1 September 2011 in Australia,[4] and in North America on 6 April 2012.[5]

Contents

Gameplay[edit]

Exploration[edit]

Shulk (middle) and Reyn on the Bionis' Leg. Xenoblade Chronicles features large, expansive environments that afford the player a high degree of freedom to explore.

The player controls the character with the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, the Classic Controller, or Classic Controller Pro.[12] The game conveys a feeling of freedom to the player, and is not as focused on cutscenes and story as its sibling games.[13] According to Tetsuya Takahashi, the game employs an open world design, allowing much of the world to be explored from the very start.[14] He has described the game world as "overwhelming, like an MMORPG" and compared its size to that of Japan,[15] stating that from "one end to the other," the game's world is "about the size of the Japanese archipelago."[14]

Battle system[edit]

Xenoblade Chronicles has a real-time action-based battle system, where party members will "auto-attack" when enemies enter their attack radius. However, manually-activated special attacks, called "Arts", each have their own "cooldown" time after being used; "Talent Arts", on the other hand, only become available for use again after enough auto-attacks are executed. Arts for each character must be set on a "Battle Palette" at the bottom of the screen, which can be modified outside of battle.[16] Movement of the character in play is also executed manually with the analog stick. Xenoblade Chronicles does not use healing potions found in most other JRPGs; instead, the player may use healing Arts in battle, or let their HP regenerate outside of battle.

Another feature of battle is the "aggro ring", which appears around party members who are targeted by enemies. The bigger the ring, the more focused an enemy's rage against that member will be. Aggro is increased by various actions, from attacks and healing to certain Talent Arts. This gives Shulk and other members the chance to attack the enemy from the sides or rear. Xenoblade Chronicles also has a "Visions" system, where Shulk can see glimpses of enemies' future attacks. With this information, the player must either try to react (e.g. getting out of harm's way) or prevent it from happening (e.g. warning fellow party members about the attack or using Shulk's Monado Shield Art), thus "changing the future."[17]

Other features[edit]

The game has several "Time Saving Support Features".[18] For instance, while the game will have a day-and-night time cycle, rather than just waiting for time to elapse, players can "set the clock" to the time they want to go to. Additionally, while the game is about exploration, many areas, called Locations and Landmarks, are added to aid in traversing the land by serving as warp points (though this only applies to the latter). The game also supports a "save anywhere" feature.

Another of the game's systems is the "Bonds" system, in which characters can partake in many optional sidequests with non-player characters. Completing such quests can alter perception of the character in the towns, and open up additional story sequences.[19] The game also has an "Affinity" system, where each member has an Affinity stat that indicates how they feel about another party member, ranging from indifference to high friendship/love. These affinities can be altered by having characters participate in battle together, giving gifts, or using the "Heart-to-Heart" system. These "Heart-to-Hearts" are intimate moments between two characters that can show more of a character's personality, history, or thoughts, and can be initiated by having a certain level of Affinity between them.[20] The game also has extensive customization, such as being able to change the character's outfits and weapons; and having those changes be seen during battle, in the field, and even during event scenes.[19]

Plot[edit]

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Setting and characters[edit]

This section is incomplete. (December 2011)
See also: Characters of Xenoblade Chronicles

The protagonist is an 18-year-old young man named Shulk, who lives in Colony 9 (located on the right leg of the Bionis) at the start of the game’s main story. When the colony is attacked by the Mechon, he obtains the legendary energy blade called the Monado, thought to be the sword of the Bionis eons ago, and leaves to initially stop the Mechon threat.[21][citation needed] Those who fight with him are Reyn, a young and headstrong Defense Force soldier; Fiora, Shulk and Reyn's childhood friend; Dunban, the previous wielder of the Monado and Fiora's older brother; Sharla, a medic and sniper from Colony 6; Melia, mage and crown princess of the High Entia; and Riki, a member of the Nopon who is chosen as the hero of his village.[citation needed]

Story[edit]

 This article's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed. Please help improve it by removing unnecessary details and making it more concise. (December 2011)
This section is incomplete. (December 2011)

In the beginning, the world had originally been nothing but an endless ocean. That was until two great titans—the Bionis (巨神 Kyoshin?) and the Mechonis (機神 Kishin?, Machine God)—came into existence. These two giants fought a timeless battle, until with one final strike, only their lifeless bodies remained, forever locked in combat.[22]

Eons later, civilizations founded by races of Bionis—including the humanoid Homs and the Nopon—came under attack from the Mechon (機神兵 Kishinhei?, Soldier of the Machine God), a horde of machines from Mechonis. The Homs fought to defend their existence, which would be settled at the Battle of Sword Valley.[22] Armed with the Monado, the only weapon that can penetrate Mechon armor, Dunban fought against the Mechon threat.[23] Those fighting alongside Dunban included Dickson, a seasoned traveler and old friend of Dunban, and Mumkhar, an honorless soldier who secretly wants the Monado for himself.[24]

During the battle, Dunban was almost overcome by the Monado's power and fell. While Dickson tried to help him, Mumkhar saw his own chance to escape.[25] While running, he fell down a slope and was killed by a horde of armed Mechon.[24] Dunban and Dickson, however, recovered quickly, and led a final charge against the approaching Mechon, completely destroying their army and winning the battle and restoring peace.[26] However, wielding the Monado caused great harm to Dunban's body, negating the use of his right arm.

One year after the battle, Shulk and Reyn return to their home in Colony 9 after surviving an attack from monsters.[27] Later, while helping with an errand, Shulk, Reyn and Fiora witness a large fleet of Mechon attacking Colony 9, catching both citizens and soldiers unprepared for the assault. Shulk and his friends return to find Dunban, who left his house to reobtain the Monado.[28] While racing to find him, the boys get separated from Fiora. Suddenly, Dunban, wielding the Monado once more, arrives to assist Shulk and Reyn. However, even when using his left arm this time, the Monado's power overwhelms Dunban once again, and he drops the weapon in agony. Shulk picks up the Monado, showing greater control over the weapon, and exhibits the ability to see enemies' future attacks.[29]

During the assault, they encounter a large "faced" Mechon leading the attack, called "Metal Face." Much to the group's disbelief, the Monado does almost nothing to Metal Face as it incapacitates them.[30] Fiora arrives in a tank to save them; however, Metal Face easily dismantles the tank and stabs Fiora, killing her.[31][31] The Mechon then withdraw from the devastated colony. Resolute, Shulk and Reyn leave Colony 9 to reach Galahad Fortress, the Mechon stronghold located at Sword Valley, while Dunban stays behind to let his injuries heal before following.[31][32][33]

Shulk and Reyn travel through the Bionis' leg, where they meet and recruit Sharla.[34][35] When Dunban and Dickson meet with the group, Shulk has a vision of him fighting Metal Face on a black island. Dickson deduces that the island is Prison Island, making its location—the Bionis' head—their next destination.[31] The group travels to Eryth Sea, where they must gain imperial sanction from Alcamoth, the High Entian capital, to enter Prison Island. On the way up, Melia and Riki join Shulk's group.[36][37] Shulk also meets Alvis, a male Homs who can use the Monado.[31][full citation needed]

In Alcamoth, Shulk's group manages to foil assassination attempts against them, while learning of Melia's identity as a princess of the imperial family.[38] Later, while meeting with Melia, Shulk has a vision of Metal Face killing the Emperor; before he can tell the others, Metal Face and the silver Nemesis Face lead a Mechon attack on Alcamoth. Realizing that the city's defenses will soon be overwhelmed, Melia's father, Emperor Sorean Antiqua, travels to Prison Island to try and counter the attack. Shulk, Melia, and the others travel there as well, where they meet Zanza, a Giant who claims to be the creator of the Monado, and the prisoner of the island. Zanza offers to "release the shackles" that prevent Shulk from harming Faced Mechon.[39][full citation needed] Shulk accepts, but Metal Face kills Zanza shortly afterward. Shulk fulfills the vision by quickly defeating Metal Face; however, Nemesis Face takes Shulk's killing blow to Metal, revealing a Homs with a mechanical body inside. The Homs is Fiora; however, she doesn't recognize Shulk, and leaves with the retreating Mechon.[40]

Shulk decides to follow the Mechon to Galahad Fortress, passing through the snowy Valak Mountain. On the way there, Fiora (inside Nemesis Face) comes to see Shulk, although she behaves and speaks benevolently, calling him "Heir to the Monado".[41] Metal Face suddenly appears and attacks, its operator revealed to be Mumkhar. During the resulting fight, Egil, the leader of Mechonis, intervenes to take Nemesis Face back with him.[42] The group follows Egil and his forces to Sword Valley, where they fight Mumkhar again, finally killing him.[43] At the heart of Galahad Fortress, the party encounter and fight Egil and Fiora, the latter being forced to fight them. Before Egil can eliminate the group, the one controlling Fiora, apparently hearing Fiora's plea to save Shulk, stops him, causing an explosion. Shulk jumps after Fiora's falling Mechon as the others are separated. Egil escapes, the power of Nemesis Face troubling him.[44]

Waking up from a dream, Shulk finds himself on the Mechonis' Fallen Arm. He finds Fiora and kisses her reviving her as her oldd self. Shulk learns that until the fall from the fortress, "someone else" was controlling Fiora's body, while she herself could only watch.[45][46] The two decide to find the others, finding Sharla and Reyn first. They reunite with Dunban and the others in a village, where they meet the people of Mechonis, the Machina.[47] Linada, a doctor, helps Fiora adjust to her new body; while Shulk and the others meet with Miqol, the village leader and father of Egil. Miqol requests them to to kill Egil, saying that Vanea, Egil's sister, will try to assist them.[48][49][full citation needed]

The group leave the village to reach the Mechonis capitol, Agniratha. During their journey, they are ambushed by Jade Face, who is revealed to be Gadolt, Sharla's fiance. Somehow surviving an attack that would have killed them otherwise, the group meets Vanea shortly afterward. As Vanea wishes for peace between the denizens of the Bionis and Mechonis, she takes them to Agniratha. Once there, Fiora is temporarily taken over by Meyneth, the goddess of the Mechonis and the "other person" from before. Shulk and the others learn that the Bionis and Mechonis were once at peace with one another, before the former inexplicably attacked the latter, killing many of the Machina. Understanding Egil's desire for revenge, the group heads for the Meyneth Shrine, where Egil is located.[31][full citation needed]

After a brutal fight, Egil reactivates the Mechonis, beginning the attack on the Bionis. After entering to the Mechonis Core, Shulk reconciles with Egil, beginning a truce between them. However, Shulk is shot in the back by Dickson, revealing himself to be a "Disciple of Zanza". At this time, Zanza, the god of the Bionis, is revived from Shulk's body and takes the Monado to lay waste to Mechonis. In the ensuing fight, Fiora loses Meyneth's Monado, which Zanza takes for himself, expelling Meyneth in the process. Egil stays within the Mechonis to give the party enough time to escape, although Zanza destroys him, much to Vanea's dismay.[31][full citation needed]

With life on the Bionis in chaos, Fiora, Dunban, and the others take Shulk's body with them to escape. As they pass over Sword Valley, Lorithia, a member of the High Entian court, turns out to be another Disciple, turning all High Entia nearby (save for Melia) into Telethia as well. The party fights back, retreating to Colony 6 with Telethia in tow. Meanwhile, Shulk and Alvis speak to each other through the former's dream, with Alvis subtly encouraging Shulk to continue. Shulk reawakens just in time, using a Monado-esque Machina weapon to fight off Zanza's forces. At the same time, Alvis reveals himself as the final Disciple. Shulk lets him go, saying that his allegiance does not matter.[31][full citation needed]

After defending Colony 6, the group travels through the Bionis' intertior to defeat Lorithia, then to Prison Island to defeat Dickson. The party then finds themselves in what appears to be a simulation of the Solar System. At the end of the simulation, they catch a brief view of the planet Earth before facing Zanza, now a god-like monster wielding two Monados. He voices his intent to create a new world, as the current world is no longer needed, and offers to make Shulk immortal; resolute, Shulk rejects the offer, saying that what Zanza wants is not friendship. Partway into the ensuing battle, Shulk, encouraged by Alvis, calls the True Monado, which he uses to destroy Zanza.[full citation needed]

After the battle, Alvis appears before Shulk, reveals himself as a computer program for a space station in orbit above Earth. He shows Shulk the past, in which Zanza (formerly known as Klaus) accidentally destroyed the universe eons ago, he and Meyneth recreating it into the world of the Bionis and Mechonis. Alvis then informs Shulk that their world is expiring, and that only he can make the right choice for the world. Shulk wishes for a world without gods, causing the Bionis to collapse and fall.[31][50] Life, however, goes normally albeit more peaceful, with everyone both anxious and excited for the future.[full citation needed]

Development[edit]

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[1][51][52][53][54]

Reception and release[edit]

 Reception
Aggregate scores
Aggregator Score
GameRankings 92% from 41 reviews[55]
Metacritic 92% from 58 reviews[56]
GameStats 9/10 from 16 reviews[57]
Review scores
Publication Score
Edge 9/10[58]
Eurogamer 9/10 (UK)[59]
10/10 (Sweden)[56]
9/10 (Italy)[56]
9/10 (Portugal)[56]
Famitsu 36/40[60]
G4 4.5/5[56]
Game Informer 9.5/10[55]
GamePro 5/5 stars[61]
GamesMaster 93%[55]
GameSpot 9/10[62]
GamesTM 9/10[63]
GameTrailers 9.3/10[55]
IGN 9/10[64]
Nintendo Power 9/10[55]
Nintendo World Report 10/10[55]
Official Nintendo Magazine 92%[65]
PALGN 9.5/10[55]
X-Play 4.5/5[56]
Digital Spy 5/5 stars[66]
Gamereactor 9/10[67]
Joystiq 5/5 stars[56]
Metro GameCentral 9/10[68]
N-Europe 10/10[69]
Nintendojo 10/10[70]
RPGamer 5/5[71]
Awards
Entity Award
GameSpot Best Wii Game, Editors' Choice
MMGN Best RPG
Nintendojo Game of the Year (Runner-Up)
Nintendo Life Wii Game of the Year (Second Place), Game of the Year (Honourable Mention)
RPG Fan Best RPG (readers choice)[72]
RPGamer RPG of the year[73]
Slant Magazine Game of the Year[74]
PixlBit Game of the Year[75]

Xenoblade Chronicles has received acclaim from reviewers, with average aggregate scores of 92% at GameRankings,[55] 92 out of 100 at Metacritic,[56] and 9.0 out of 10 at GameStats.[57] GameStats has listed it as the fifth highest-rated game of all time.[76]

Japanese magazine Famitsu awarded the game 9/9/9/9 in its review, totaling 36/40.[60] It was also voted the third most interesting game released in Japan during the first half of 2010 in a survey conducted by Dengeki.[77]

IGN UK gave the game 9.0 out of 10 stating that "Xenoblade Chronicles is the best Japanese RPG of this generation".[64] IGN especially praised the characters, stating "The likeable voice acting makes it easier to form lasting relationships with the characters, who are better-written and more believable than most. Their relationships with each other really make sense; rather than a band of random people thrown together by circumstance, your party really feels like a band of brothers (and sisters)." and they concluded their view by stating "They talk constantly during battles, encouraging each other and yelling awesomely British battle calls[…]. If anything, they talk too much, but at least they're not the sterile pretty boys that we've come to expect from Japanese RPGs."[78] Metro GameCentral shared a similar view awarding the game 9 out of 10 and saying in conclusion that Xenoblade is "the best Japanese role-player of the current generation and a big step forwards for the genre in terms of accessibility and ambition".[68] Cubed³ gave the game 10 out of 10, stating "Monolith Soft’s grand Xenoblade Chronicles has arrived, bringing with it a sterling soundtrack, a phenomenal visual impact, vast amount of customisation, intriguing story and massive value for money."[79] Eurogamer gave the game 9 out of 10, stating that "It's a game that invites us to reassess an entire genre, pointing to a bold future while nodding its respect towards the past. It's a towering triumph",[59] and later chose Xenoblade Chronicles as game of the week.[80]

Edge said that it's "a glowing comeback for the Japanese RPG" and saying in conclusion that "Xenoblade Chronicles manages to impress, enrich and, best of all, inspire wonder" awarding the game 9 out of 10.[58] The Official Nintendo Magazine have also praised the game, giving it a score of 92% and calling it, "A genre-reviving blaze of wonder, immense scale and smart design."[65] GameSpot UK awarded a 9 out of 10 and gave it an Editors' Choice award, saying that it "is a remarkable game" and "drags the JRPG into the 21st century, modernising many of the genre's traits and nailing a pace that outclasses the majority of its peers."[62]

DualShockers awarded the game a 9.5 out of 10 and praised it as the best Japanese RPG released this generation, writing that Xenoblade Chronicles is "the perfect 'Don’t worry, I still Love you' signal given by Nintendo to it’s [sic] most hardcore fans, and a strong, resounding 'no' said right in the face of those that advocate the theory that the JRPG genre is dead."[81]

ImpulseGamer awarded the game a score of 9.5 out of 10.[82] Vandal Online gave the game a near-perfect score of 9.9 out of 10.[56] Gameblog.fr gave it a full 5 out of 5 stars.[56] GamePro gave the game 5 out of 5 stars and stated in conclusion that "it's not just the best RPG of this generation, but one of the best games I've ever played."[61] RPGamer also gave the game 5 out of 5, stating that "while the comparative lack of RPGs means it isn't hard to be one of the best on the system, Xenoblade goes beyond that to be right up there with the best of the console generation as a whole."[71] GamesBeat awarded it an 82/100, saying, "Xenoblade Chronicles is genuinely fun to play. It’s an RPG with an extra-capital G, a gameplay-driven game. That’s a sign of real progress from Monolith Soft, and hopefully promise of even better games to come."[83]

Awards[edit]

The game has received several awards. In December 2011, GameSpot gave Xenoblade Chronicles the award for "Best Wii Game" of the year,[84] while also being nominated for the "Best RPG" and "Game of the Year" awards.[85] The Daily Telegraph also nominated it for the "Game of the Year" award.[86] Nintendo Life chose it as second place for the "Wii Game of the Year" award and gave it an honourable mention for the overall "Game of the Year" award.[87] Xenoblade also won the "Best RPG" award from MMGN's Community Game of the Year Polls.[88] Nintendojo chose it as the runner-up for its "Game of the Year" award.[89] IGN gave Xenoblade Chronicles its award for " Best Wii/WiiU Game of 2012" and well as IGN's People's Choice Award for the same category.[90] The game won best sound in a RPG as well as the readers choice of "best RPG of 2012" by the gaming site RPG Fan, in their 2012 RPG awards.[72][91] At the 2012 RPGamer awards Xenoblade Chronicles won many awards including: "Best Music","Best Console RPG", "Best Story" and "Best overall RPG of the year".[73][92][93][94] [95] The editors of Slant Magazine gave the game the first place in their "Top 25 Best Video Games of 2012",[74] stating: "...in a year of several marked technological adjustments, and the effective birth of the next generation with the Wii U, our favorite game is a callback to the era of the classic JRPG."[96] concluding with "Monolith Soft's ambitious epic is boundlessly beautiful, challenging, emotionally gripping, and most distinguishably of all, effortlessly transporting."[74] In addition, the site pixlbit.com also chose Xenoblade Chronicles as the best overall Game of the Year 2012.[75]

Marketing and sales[edit]

In Australia the first release was bundled with a limited edition ’Special Soundtrack’ on CD containing 12 original tracks that were composed specifically for Xenoblade Chronicles.[4] In parts of Europe, a special edition of the game came bundled with a unique red classic controller pro and three A1-sized posters, electronically signed by the founder of Monolith Software, Tetsuya Takahashi. Also, the game's soundtrack is available as a download to Club Nintendo members who register the game online for a limited time.[citation needed]

The game debuted at No. 1 in its week of release in Japan, selling 83,000 copies.[97] At the end of 2010, the game had sold 161,161 copies in Japan, making it the eighth best-selling Wii game of the year.[98] It debuted at seventh on the UK game charts,[99] and at second place on the Wii charts, despite stock shortages.[100] According to Gamasutra, it was the fourth best-selling game in the UK during its first week.[101] Investment banking firm Piper Jaffray estimated it to be one of the best-selling games in the United States during the month of April 2012, along with Mass Effect 3 and Prototype 2.[102] The NPD Group excluded the game from their monthly report as it was a retailer exclusive.[103]

North American localization[edit]

Main article: Operation Rainfall

In an interview on the French television station Nolife, Mathieu Minel, the marketing manager of Nintendo France, stated that Nintendo of Europe was unable to show Xenoblade Chronicles at E3 2011. Nintendo of America denied it since they are not planning to sell the product locally.[104] In response, on June 22, 2011, users on IGNBoards started a campaign called "Operation Rainfall" to persuade Nintendo of America to localize Xenoblade Chronicles, along with fellow Wii RPGs The Last Story and Pandora's Tower.[105][106] On June 25, 2011, it became the No. 1 best-selling game on Amazon.com, and stayed in that position for over a day.[citation needed]

On July 7, the "Operation Rainfall" website reported a rumor that the North American localization of Xenoblade Chronicles was finished and The Last Story was in progress, but this was not officially confirmed as truth.[107][108]

On December 2, Nintendo of America posted pictures from the game on their Facebook page, amid reports from online publications confirming an "exclusive" version from retailer GameStop to be available on 2 April 2012. Nintendo later confirmed through a post on their Facebook page that Xenoblade Chronicles would be released in the U.S. in April 2012.[109] The game was released on April 6, 2012.[110]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Iwata Asks : Xenoblade Chronicles : Six Musicians Together". Nintendo.com. Nintendo. Retrieved 21 January 2013. 
  2. ^ a b Anoop Gantaya (8 April 2010). "Date Set for Xenoblade". Andriasang. 
  3. ^ "Xenoblade Chronicles is coming to Australia". Aussie-Nintendo. 3 May 2011. Retrieved 3 May 2011. [dead link]
  4. ^ a b c Vuckovic, Daniel (1 August 2011). "Xenoblade Chronicles hits Australia September 1st, first print run gets bonus CD". Vooks.net. Retrieved 1 August 2011. 
  5. ^ a b "Xenoblade Chronicles – Game Info". Nintendo.com. Nintendo. Retrieved 7 March 2013. 
  6. ^ "Monado: Beginning of The World". E3 2009 Information. Nintendo Co., Ltd. Retrieved 14 September 2009. 
  7. ^ "E3: Nintendo Release Monado Wii Trailer". Official Nintendo Magazine. 3 June 2009. Retrieved 2010-04-09. 
  8. ^ Caoili, Eric (2 June 2009). "Nintendo Reveals Monado, Layton Sequel". Gamasutra.com. Retrieved 2009-06-11. 
  9. ^ "Xeno lives: Xenoblade shown by Monolithsoft". RPGLand. Retrieved 2010-02-11. 
  10. ^ Kohler, Chris (29 January 2010). "Nintendo To Publish The Last Story, Mistwalker RPG". wired.com/gamelife. Retrieved 2010-01-29. 
  11. ^ "Xenoblade Chronicles". Nintendo. Retrieved 8 July 2011. 
  12. ^ "The Link Between Xenoblade and Monado: Beginning of the World // Siliconera". Siliconera.com. 1 April 2010. Retrieved 2010-10-31. 
  13. ^ "All About Xenoblade". 20 February 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-20. 
  14. ^ a b Gifford, Kevin (17 February 2010). "All About Xenoblade: Monolith Soft's latest is a new challenge for its director". 1UP.com. Retrieved 16 October 2011. 
  15. ^ Gantayat, Anoop (17 February 2010). "Xenoblade Detailed: The director of Wii's new RPG details the unique story and world settings". IGN. Retrieved 16 October 2011. 
  16. ^ Gifford, Kevin. "All About Xenoblade's Fighting System". 1up. 
  17. ^ Ishaan (23 May 2010). "See Xenoblade's Vision Battle System In Action". Siliconera. Retrieved 2011-10-24. 
  18. ^ Spencer (7 May 2010). "Xenoblade’s Time Saving Support Features". Siliconera. Retrieved 2011-10-24. 
  19. ^ a b Spencer (27 May 2010). "Xenoblade’s Take On Character Customization". Siliconera. Retrieved 2011-10-24. 
  20. ^ McCallum, Greig (28 September 2011). "Xenoblade Chronicles". RPGFan. Retrieved 20 October 2011. 
  21. ^ "CHARACTERS - Xenoblade Chronicles". Nintendo.com. Nintendo. Retrieved 19 March 2013. 
  22. ^ a b Monolith Soft. Xenoblade Chronicles. (Nintendo). Wii. Scene: Prologue / Battle of Sword Valley. (1 September 2011) "Shulk (voice-over): Long ago, the world was nothing more than an endless sea cloaked in a boundless sky, reaching as far as could possibly be imagined. Then two great titans came into existence. The Bionis and the Mechonis. The titans were locked in a timeless battle. Until at last, only their lifeless corpses remained. [...] Eons have passed. Now, our world, this vast land stretching across the remains of the Bionis, is under attack by a relentless force known as the Mechon."
  23. ^ Monolith Soft. Xenoblade Chronicles. (Nintendo). Wii. Scene: Battle of Sword Valley. Level/area: Battle of Sword Valley. (1 September 2011) "Dunban: We may die if we take a stand here. But staying gives us the chance to change our destinies. We have the Monado. With this, the future is ours for the taking!"
  24. ^ a b Monolith Soft. Xenoblade Chronicles. (Nintendo). Wii. Scene: Battle of Sword Valley. Level/area: Battle of Sword Valley. (1 September 2011) "Mumkhar: Those idiots. I'll just come and get the Monado when everything's quietened down a bit. That thing's gonna be mine! [...] Oh, no! Please—NO!"
  25. ^ Monolith Soft. Xenoblade Chronicles. (Nintendo). Wii. Scene: Battle of Sword Valley. Level/area: Battle of Sword Valley. (1 September 2011) "Dunban: Mumkhar?! What are you doing?! That way is— / Mumkhar: Sorry, brothers! Hate to drop this on you, but it's the Monado they're after. So have fun keeping 'em occupied for me! I'm getting the hell out of here! / Dickson: Mumkhar, you dirty..."
  26. ^ Monolith Soft. Xenoblade Chronicles. (Nintendo). Wii. Scene: Battle of Sword Valley. Level/area: Battle of Sword Valley. (1 September 2011) "Dunban: Vile Mechon! If you think the Homs, the people of Bionis, are just waiting here for you to pick us off, you are sorely mistaken!"
  27. ^ Monolith Soft. Xenoblade Chronicles. (Nintendo). Wii. Level/area: Colony 9. (1 September 2011) "Shulk: Thanks, Reyn. That was a close one. / Reyn: Man, what were you doing wandering off by yourself? Stay where I can keep an eye on you. [...] Anyway, we'd better get back to the colony. If I'm late for drills again, old Square-tache is gonna kill me. / Shulk: Square-tache? Oh, the Defense Force Colonel. He's pretty scary. / Reyn: Tell me about it..."
  28. ^ Monolith Soft. Xenoblade Chronicles. (Nintendo). Wii. Level/area: Colony 9. (1 September 2011) "Shulk: Where's Dunban? / Fiora: He's gone! I can't find him anywhere. / Reyn: What?! He ain't fit enough to face these things! / Shulk: Reyn! Let's get to the lab! / Reyn: The lab? Of course! The Monado's there!"
  29. ^ Monolith Soft. Xenoblade Chronicles. (Nintendo). Wii. Level/area: Colony 9. (1 September 2011) "Dunban: Ah—agh! / Reyn: Dunban! You can't take any more of the Monado! / Dunban: But...I must...! I don't have a choice! [coughs up blood] […] / Shulk: Reyn's right. You can't go on like this. […] Dunban! ... This time...it's my turn!"
  30. ^ Monolith Soft. Xenoblade Chronicles. (Nintendo). Wii. Level/area: Colony 9. (1 September 2011) "Shulk: The Monado! It's not working! […] / Dunban: How can that be? The Monado should cut through Mechon with ease!"
  31. ^ a b c d e f g h i Monolith Soft. Xenoblade Chronicles. (Nintendo). Wii. (1 September 2011)
  32. ^ Monolith Soft. Xenoblade Chronicles. (Nintendo). Wii. Level/area: Colony 9. (1 September 2011) "Shulk: I've made a decision. … My purpose in life - I will pursue that faced Mechon. … They attacked our colony, killed Fiora... I will find that Mechon - find it and destroy it. Destroy them all!"
  33. ^ Monolith Soft. Xenoblade Chronicles. (Nintendo). Wii. Level/area: Colony 9. (1 September 2011) "Dunban: Look after yourselves, boys. As soon as this heals, I'll be right behind you."
  34. ^ Monolith Soft. Xenoblade Chronicles. (Nintendo). Wii. Level/area: Bionis' Leg. (1 September 2011)
  35. ^ Monolith Soft. Xenoblade Chronicles. (Nintendo). Wii. Level/area: Colony 6. (1 September 2011)
  36. ^ Monolith Soft. Xenoblade Chronicles. (Nintendo). Wii. Level/area: Frontier Village. (2011-09-01) "Melia: Forgive me, Shulk, but what are you talking about? / Reyn: Shulk can see visions of the future. / Melia: [disbelieving] See...the future? And you expect me to believe that rubbish?! / Reyn: Believe what you want, lady. Same as I tell all the nonbelievers. / Sharla: That'd be me, then. / Reyn: Oh, yeah! [turning to Melia] In any case, the only reason we got this far was 'cos of Shulk's visions. If Shulk says he sees you in a vision, then you must be important to whatever happens next. And if you're tough enough to fight a faced Mechon, you're all right in my book."
  37. ^ Monolith Soft. Xenoblade Chronicles. (Nintendo). Wii. Level/area: Frontier Village. (1 September 2011) "Riki: [sighs] Riki owe lots of monies to village. If Riki defeat Dinobeast, village promise to forget my debts. So, Riki like being Heropon!"
  38. ^ Monolith Soft. Xenoblade Chronicles. (Nintendo). Wii. (1 September 2011) "Dunban: [when Inquisitors—assassins of the Bionite Order—enter the room] Excuse me. We ordered room service an hour ago. / ??? (Inquisitor): I'm afraid [you've eaten] your last meal."
  39. ^ Monolith Soft. Xenoblade Chronicles. (Nintendo). Wii. Level/area: Prison Island. (1 September 2011)
  40. ^ Monolith Soft. Xenoblade Chronicles. (Nintendo). Wii. Level/area: Prison Island. (1 September 2011) "Shulk: [to Metal Face] You will know the pain and suffering you caused the Emperor and Fiora! / Silver Face: [flying in] Desist! […] / Shulk: Is that…a Homs? …! F-Fiora! […] Fiora! It's me, Shulk! Fiora!"
  41. ^ Monolith Soft. Xenoblade Chronicles. (Nintendo). Level/area: Valak Mountain. (1 September 2011) "[A silver-colored Mechon flies over the group, who spots it.] Dunban: That Mechon... [The camera zooms in, revealing the Mechon to be the silver Nemesis Face. It flies over the group again, and lands near a pillar of rock. Shulk runs toward the Mechon, whose chestplate opens to reveal the pilot—Fiora. Shulk stumbles forward as if coming out of a daze.] Shulk: It is you. / Reyn: Hey, that's Fiora! / [The group runs forward, while Alvis simply stridding towards Shulk and the Mechon. They stop just meters away from the two, just as Fiora begins to speak in the "other" voice she'd used before.] / Fiora (???): Young Heir to the Monado. We meet again. / Shulk: Fiora! / Fiora (???): [confused] Fiora...? Is...that my name? Then, you...you know this body? / Shulk: So it's true. You really don't remember us at all. [now desperate] Fiora, listen! If nothing else, you must remember your family! [gestures toward Dunban] That's Dunban over there! / Fiora (???): [to herself] Family...? There is family... [to Shulk] Wielder of the Monado, there is...a matter I must speak to you about—AH! / [Fiora's Mechon is suddenly struck by an energy shot, and it slams into the pillar.] / Shulk: Fiora! / Reyn: [turning around] What was that?! [Metal Face flies in, changes to its "humanoid" form, and lands on top of Nemesis Face.] / Shulk: Metal Face! / [The group draws their weapons.] / Dunban: Stay alert! / Melia: You killed my father! / Reyn: Get him! [The group surges forward.] Shulk: Get away from her! [Metal Face grabs the silver Mechon by the neck, and everyone stops.] Metal Face: Now, now. Let's all calm down. If I slip, I might mess up her hair. / Shulk: You... / Melia: You're disgusting! / Metal Face: Would you be so kind as to put down that dangerous toy you have? I could take it after I smash you all to a pulp. [laughs] But, we wouldn't want that, would we? / Shulk: [pauses, then deactivates the Monado; angrily] All right. You can have it. But only if you let her go. [he runs the Monado into the snow and backs away, weaponless.] / Metal Face: There's a good boy. Always eager to please, Shulk. [laughs] [Metal Face's chest opens up, revealing a Homs with a mechanical body. Dunban recognizes him.] / Dunban: But you're— / Mumkhar: [smiling] How's it going, Dunban? / Shulk: Is that—? [Mumkhar jumps out of his Mechon and approaches Dunban, taking the Monado and propping it over his shoulder.] / Dunban: Mumkhar! I thought it might be, but...you're to blame for all this?! / Mumkhar: [stopping in front of him] I can't tell you how badly I've wanted this sword. [turning to Shulk] Has this puny boy even figured out how it works yet? … What are you willing to do? Would you kill a Homs to beat us?"
  42. ^ Monolith Soft. Xenoblade Chronicles. (Nintendo). Wii. Level/area: Valak Mountain. (1 September 2011) "Shulk: It's not...like the other Mechon. / Egil: You are right, Heir to the Monado. This is the strongest Face ever built, controlled by me, Egil—leader of Mechonis, and agent of Meyneth. / Shulk: "Leader of Mechonis"? So you're the one who controls the Mechon. / Egil: I am he. We fight to free the world from the tyranny of the Bionis. […] Your questions do not concern me. I must return with this one."
  43. ^ Monolith Soft. Xenoblade Chronicles. (Nintendo). Wii. Level/area: Sword Valley. (1 September 2011)
  44. ^ Monolith Soft. Xenoblade Chronicles. (Nintendo). Wii. Level/area: Galahad Fortress. (1 September 2011) "Fiora (???): Egil... No matter how much you yearn for revenge, I will not permit you to have your way! [...] / Shulk: Fiora! / Reyn: Shulk! No! [...] / Egil: The power of that Face... No. That is not possible. It cannot be!"
  45. ^ Monolith Soft. Xenoblade Chronicles. (Nintendo). Wii. Level/area: Fallen Arm. (1 September 2011) "Shulk: [after reviving Fiora] Fiora. You're awake. Uh...do you remember? My name is Shu- [Fiora puts her hand on Shulk's cheek, and he looks at her expression of content with surprise.] / Fiora: I can't believe it. My first kiss. / Shulk: [relieved] You do remember me! Fiora! / Fiora: [nods] Of course I do, Shulk. [The two embrace.]"
  46. ^ Monolith Soft. Xenoblade Chronicles. (Nintendo). Wii. Level/area: Fallen Arm. (1 September 2011) "Fiora: I...I never forgot you, or the others. / Shulk: Then...why? / Fiora: Because...I wasn't me anymore. I wanted to call out, but I couldn't. [...] When it happened, when Colony 9 was attacked by the Mechon... [...] I thought I had died. I felt the Mechon's claw rip through me. I couldn't remember anything. There was no sound, no light, no pain. When I came round, I had the body of a machine. And...it felt like there was someone else inside me. [...] Shulk: "Someone else"? You mean the person who was controlling the Mechon you were in? / Fiora: Yes, that voice."
  47. ^ Monolith Soft. Xenoblade Chronicles. (Nintendo). Wii. Level/area: Machina Village, Fallen Arm. (1 September 2011) "Linada: Your surprise is understandable. We are the Machina, the people of the Mechonis."
  48. ^ Monolith Soft. Xenoblade Chronicles. (Nintendo). Wii. Level/area: Machina Village, Fallen Arm. (1 September 2011) "Miqol: Actually, my request is about [Egil] as well. [...] I want you to kill Egil."
  49. ^ Monolith Soft. Xenoblade Chronicles. (Nintendo). Wii. Level/area: Machina Village, Fallen Arm. (1 September 2011)
  50. ^ Monolith Soft. Xenoblade Chronicles. (Nintendo). Wii. (1 September 2011) "Shulk: I wish for a world that has no need for gods!"
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