Is Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Worth Playing in 2023?

There’s a big RPG dropping on the Switch at the end of July 2022, and it’s not Digimon Survive. Chances are good that you’re a little hazy on the details of this big, sprawling JRPG, and you’ll want to be prepared for Xenoblade Chronicles 3. In the meantime, is Xenoblade Chronicles 2 worth playing in 2023?

Background

The overarching plot is simple. Humanity (and the associated other races) live atop large creatures called Titans. The only problem is that the Titans are dying, which means less livable space. It’s similar to living in the United States in a post BlackRock world.

Our protagonist, Rex, meets his manic pixie dream girl who enlists him to help her find a “Garden of Eden” parallel. Anime JRPG wackiness ensues along the way and there’s an uncomfortable amount of fanservice.

This game sold extremely well, and got a second lease on life when Pyra and Mythra were announced for Smash. Interestingly, despite being numbered as the second game, this is actually the third game to be released in the Xenoblade Chronicles series.

What does Xenoblade Chronicles 2 do well?

There’s a ton of content, between the huge number of blades to collect, their associated sidequests, and the big, sprawling worlds to explore. The music is also great, and some of the characters are charming, even if the cast is rife with anime stereotypes.

What could Xenoblade Chronicles 2 do better?

The game is stingy when it comes to giving the player access to the real goodies, which is a problem when there are mechanics that don’t really “click” until you have all the pieces. The battle system is the biggest offender here, and Merc Missions can feel like a waste of time.

The game does a particularly poor job of explaining the combat. I shouldn’t have to watch YouTube videos to understand the most used system in the game. Once you’re able to consistently set up combos, combat finally feels rewarding, but it’s a long road to get there.

English Voice Acting

Simply calling the dub “bad” is the understatement of the year. I remember the big anime boom in the 90s/2000s, so I’m no stranger to shitty dubs, but this game makes me wonder if I was too hard on 4Kids back in the day. The developers knew this would be an issue, which is why the Japanese voice DLC is free.

Waifu Collecting

There are two real classifications of blades in this game: normal and rare. Normal blades are largely useless and you’ll only use them early on or to pad out merc mission rosters. Rare blades are unique and have game-changing abilities. You’ll definitely want literally every rare blade, especially top tier ones like KOS-MOS, T-ELOS, the Torna characters, or the Xenoblade guest characters.

Here’s the issue: Xenoblade Chronicles 2 features a gacha system for collecting the rare blades. The good news? It’s all contained within the game, so thankfully there’s no microtransactions. The bad news is that you’ll end up opening hundreds of core crystals. Frustratingly, between multiple playthroughs I never rolled certain rare blades – Ursula specifically eluded me.

Fatigue

There’s no getting around the fact that some parts of this game are tiresome. While searching for Elysium, there’s a good chance that you’ll run into its less attractive cousin, tedium. The top three moments that The end section of the game feels like a marathon, as do some sidequests.

Is Xenoblade Chronicles 2 good value?

This is a huge game, and it earns the price tag. Some merchants apparently requested a reprint of this game, so fortunately physical copies aren’t as rare as they were.

However, this isn’t a game that you’re going to get at a discount. Be prepared to pay close to full price for this game. There’s a lot of DLC that you’ll probably want, so pay attention to the region for the game cartridge if you buy physical.

What about Torna – The Golden Country and the other DLC?

This isn’t some meager Koei-tier season pass. Plenty of content got added to this game. Torna is practically a standalone game on its own, and boasts more content than a lot of full games.

Admittedly, the DLC scheme for this game is a bit little confusing, so bear with me: Torna – The Golden Country is a prequel to Xenoblade Chronicles 2. If you buy the physical copy of Torna, it comes with a code for the Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Expansion Pass content (unless you buy used).

On the other hand, if you buy the Expansion Pass, it also comes with Torna. Regardless, Torna – The Golden Country is worth it if you’re invested in the characters from the Torna organization in Xenoblade Chronicles 2.

Is Xenoblade Chronicles 2 worth playing in 2023?

This is one of the best JRPGs on the Switch, but I’m not going to pretend that there isn’t a ton of cringe anime influence baked in. There’s also the issue with this being a “slow burn” title. You aren’t going to sit down in an afternoon, or even a weekend, and complete it. Players who aren’t ready to commit a few dozen hours to this title may want a shorter game.

If you have the time, patience, and can embrace the otaku aspects, then Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is worth it.

2023 update:

In a post-Xenoblade Chronicles 3 world, 2 still holds up well, and arguably is the better game considering how hard 3 falls off.

Alternatives

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 might not be your thing, but there are plenty of other RPG options on the Switch.

If you want a JRPG based around collecting characters for battle but don’t care for this game, then I would suggest the Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth Collection or Shin Megami Tensei V. If those are too grim, consider Pokemon Legends Arceus or Monster Hunter Stories 2.

Fans of action RPGs should consider the Ys series or NEO The World Ends With You.

If you’re looking for a traditional JRPG experience, consider Dragon Quest XI.

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