Xenoblade Chronicles 2, set to hit the Nintendo Switch on December 1 of this year, is Nintendo’s true sleeper of the year. Executive Producer Tetsuya Takahashi is a master and has come out with some of the most underrated games in all of gaming history. While Xenogears was originally going to be Final Fantasy VII, the budget for Gears was massively cut in order to make sure that Final Fantasy VII is the masterpiece we know and love today. Tetsuya Takahashi moved on from Xenogears, a cult favorite, and founded Monolith Studios. From there he incepted his grandiose Xenosaga trilogy, which was actually supposed to span far more than three episodes. After that failure, Takahashi came up with a new creation: Xenoblade. And the world of RPGs has never been better off since.
While the original Xenoblade Chronicles looked like a PlayStation 2 game, few could resist its charm and its merry band of characters who set off to save the world. The game, surprisingly, was on the Nintendo Wii. Nintendo became the parent company of Monolith and encouraged Tetsuya Takahashi’s vividi imagination to take wild. Hence, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 was born!
Two years ago Xenoblade Chronicles X released in December. While it was Nintendo’s only holiday release, it ended up being one of the best RPGs of all time. Tetsuya Takahashi created an open-world landscape free from the linearity of past games, and some may argue it even inspired games such as Breath of the Wild. Regardless, it was ahead of its time. Flying Mechas didn’t help matters. It built off of what made the first Xenoblade so great, although it took a different approach to its storytelling. While the original Xenoblade was very much narrative-driven, Xenoblade Chronicles X was plot-driven. Takahashi and co. have seen the criticism.
Xenoblade Chronicles X may dethrone Final Fantasy XV as the best JRPG in recent memory, and possibly, the best JRPG of all time. Tetsuya Takahashi is known for his heart-wrenching stories and Xenoblade Chronicles 2 proves to be no exception. Hopefully this time there is no censorship regarding the religious references, as these are a staple of the Xeno series.
While Mario, Link, and co. may think this holiday season is over, think again. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is coming to town, and it promises to be one of the best games in recent memories to round out the Nintendo Switch’s launch year, which is the best of all time.