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| Mike Salbato |
Please!
11.30.17 - 10:57 AM
In a new interview with 4Gamer.net, Monolith Soft president Tetsuya Takahashi spoke about Xenoblade Chronicles 2's development, and had some interesting words on the Wii U's Xenoblade Chronicles X.
First, when asked about the series' naming conventions – going from Xenoblade to Xenoblade X and now to Xenoblade 2 – Mr. Takahashi explained that XBX's intentional shift in focus on a world-oriented game vs a traditional story-driven one was the reasoning behind not giving that game a "2" moniker. Likewise, since the new title does focus on character and story, more in the vein of Xenoblade Chronicles, it earned that "2," even if the game worlds are not connected.
(Read: People like me who have yet to finish the first game should be able to play this one and not be lost)
The interview goes on to discuss the setting of Xenoblade Chronicles 2, taking place upon the backs of Titans above a sea of clouds. And while the interviewer wants to know more about it, Mr. Takahashi is tight-lipped. The mere thought of mysteries beneath the clouds are giving me a Skies of Arcadia vibe, which is fairly exciting...
He goes on to reveal that there are around 40 Blades to be found in the game, but that more will be coming post-release in updates and via the Expansion Pass. Exploration also was a key focus during development, specifically, making exploration rewarding. Giving players incentive for exploring and finding a hidden vista isn't exactly new to Xenoblade, but it's good to know it's a tradition that is continuing.
In comparing XB2 to the first Xenoblade, Mr. Takahashi says the overall map size is similar in scope, though he estimates there is 20-30% more story content. Factoring in extra side quests, high-level monsters, and more, it's easy to see how Rob spent nearly 100 hours in the game and still has more to do.
Near the end of the interview, 4Gamer mentions that since Xenoblade Chronicles originally released on Wii and later 3DS, is there a chance that the Wii U's Xenoblade Chronicles X might see a release on new hardware as well?
As translated by Siliconera, Mr. Takahashi responded: "Personally speaking, there are times I feel like playing Xenoblade Chronicles X and think about how nice it would be to play it on the Nintendo Switch. Of course that will depend on demand and such, but I will think about it while discussing future plans with Nintendo."
So, you know, I'm just going to wager that there might be some interest among fans of seeing not only Xenoblade Chronicles X, but Xenoblade Chronicles, on the Switch. XBX was at least an HD-resolution game, while bringing the Wii original to Switch would be a monumental leap in resolution, and the game would look stunning as a result. Please can this be a thing?
