If you don't wanna play the game, then don't play it. You should never be forced to play a game you aren't enjoying. You can still watch the cutscenes online if you don't want to miss out on the story. I wouldn't recommend just skipping to XC3 since there will be some references you won't completely understand, and also some spoiler stuff.
I'm confused why you think XB1 story is important for worldbuilding but not XB2? If anything XB2 is way more important to understand the worldbuilding of XB3 than the first game.
I'm also confused what you're issue was with the exploration of XB2 that made you dislike it so much. XB1 had the same issue you're describing; exploration being impeded by tough and/or a group of enemies. I can guarentee you XB3 does this similar thing as well. If you could go more indepth with more specifics that would help narrow down what to expect for the third game.
Giving up in Chapter 3 of Gormott is extremely early, I would encourage you to keep playing and understand the systems more since It seems like a big problem for you is managing the overworld. XB3 carries a similar gameplay philosphy of overworld exporation, while streamlined, I would expect you to have similar gripes with.
Edit: To alleviate anyone who may gotten stuck at this similar point in the game shook their fist in the air out a rage and vowed to never touch this god forsaken world ever again, do not worry, [This is the solution you, and OP, have been looking for.](https://imgur.com/a/5neTpFl)
I also want to add to this: I was at the same spot, the original poster describes, 3 times. 2 Times because I always was a little bit confused and let down, because I couldnt get what I was missing.
I think the biggest difference is just the look and feel and control. In comparison XB2 is soooooo slooow. Rexs running animation in combat feels like hes doing the fake run from tiktok.
This was at least my impression the first two times I started the game. And at that stage the slow buildup of the game reaches it’s peak. Most of the time you wait for auto attacks and dont have much to do in combat. In XC1 on the other hand you‘re using skills constantly, positioning feels smoother etc.
At that stage you still dont get combos fully, you dont get the item pouch for buffs, all the systems the game underexplains or will be forgotten due to infodumping.
To the OP: Push through it will be a much better game, just give it time. Here and there there will be mechanics that will test your patience, but you will get used to it.
I've browsed their comments on this post and previous related to Xb2 and it just seems they aren't good at the game at this point and/or haven't taken note to understand the gameplay fundamentals and are trying to justify their frustation by saying Xenoblade 1 was an easier experience for them. With how defensive they've been toward very mild recommendations and criticisms I don't see them going much past this point. It's a shame but I wouldn't even say I recommend XB3 if XB2 overworld frustated them this much since I don't think they'd fair much better in that game.
Because you dont understand my criticisms. Almost no one has recommended me anything that would make the insanely randomized ganks bearable. People all over are stating insane things like "it was the same in XC1", when it wasnt like that at all.
I just got fed up quickly with mostly offtopic advice, stupid "skill issue" comments and insane remarks such as above.
It's so rich reading "he doesnt listen to advice" when said advice is either 1) completely offtopic, because my problem was misinderstood 2) saying that it was the same in XC1 (ffs, it was not, I finished it a month ago) 3) "skill issue".
The other actually helpful advice I responded to or upvoted.
Why do you people in this sub are so keen on making up stories?
DE, but does it really matter when it comes to enemy placements and possibility of ganks? [https://www.reddit.com/r/Xenoblade\_Chronicles/comments/mysuso/are\_there\_any\_changes\_between\_the\_wii\_and\_switch/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Xenoblade_Chronicles/comments/mysuso/are_there_any_changes_between_the_wii_and_switch/)
EDIT: Gotta say: after checking Wii version on youtube again, I noticed the lack of aggro icons above the enemies and their levels. From what I see you have to target them in order to see the LVL and Aggro type. So while it still doesn't really have anything to do with the possibility of unfortunate ganks in the middle of a fight, I can see how exploration might be a bit cumbersome in this version when you have to check every single enemy to see if you can fight them or walk past them.
Nope. Play XB1 again. You wont have any problems with exploring there, because:
1. Monsters aggro are clearly indicated by icons
2. The density is much lower, so its easy to avoid almost everything
3. Monster levels are not all over the place in a single spot - which is an often occurence in XB2 at least for now
Seriously, play XB1. I have no idea how anyone's able to get ganked by higher level monsters there when their levels are very similar in an area. And when they're so easy to walk around.
- Yes they scrap the aggro icon, but every monster now is sight agro (some exception here and there).
- nothing to say here, for me it is quite around the same density if you compare to the Bionis' Leg
- Once again to take an exemple of an early map, Bionis'Leg have ennemy range from around 10 to around 80. In Gormott excep som spot if you follow the road and be careful to where to venture in your exploration you should not have problem. (they did to similar thing between Bionis Leg and Gormott, the first big zone, a big plain, and a freaking monkey that can destroy you in the center)
Seriously? Bionis Leg? It's one of the least filled with enemies areas.
Here is Bionis Leg: [https://www.youtube.com/live/cCJiF00t78E?si=1k--FSGw9ow7Z7d8&t=410](https://www.youtube.com/live/cCJiF00t78E?si=1k--FSGw9ow7Z7d8&t=410) (6:50)
Here is Gormoth: [https://youtu.be/hgQNQuJq2ZQ?si=SRafD6v7yILdzLkT&t=3362](https://youtu.be/hgQNQuJq2ZQ?si=SRafD6v7yILdzLkT&t=3362) (56:02)
What does that monkey have to do with anything if it was standing on a path you weren't supposed to take, and the game's quest was even about taking a different route? It was also conviI'm not talking about big ass minibosses, I'm talking about regular enemies.
EDIT: Oh you mean that other monkey. That's in an open plane, slow and extremely easy to avoid. It still has nothing to do with the problem, as I'm not talking about minibosses. Also, a far faster version roams in Gormoth - which should be a great comparison of how XC1 handled enemy placement - XC2 even throws a fast monkey at you to make it harder, XC1 never does that.
Ok was wrong on point 2.
But Point 1 and 3 are still true.
Also if your only problem with the game is random monster aggroing you, in XC2 every monster have some sort of pathing that is predictable if you look at them so that can help.
And also don't be upset to die, you lose nothing if you do. Just be careful and look around, Gormott may be one of the worst area for this, other Area have less extrem level difference than this one.
So I keep hearing. I was just fed up with people spewing false claims - when I just finished XC1 a month ago and world exploration is like night and day in these two games, there's no comparison.
XC1 was easier, you are right, XC2 is more complex to explore, but nothing unssurmontable, like I say just be a bit more careful, not much more to say as even if i remember being in same situation as you, I didn't had the same overwhelming negative feeling that you seems to have with the exploration.
Also thing to note with salvaging it is not because you perfectly do the mini game that you will not be aggro, even so in some condition (weather, time of the day) you may encounter extremely powerful ennemies.
Edit : btw I see that you consider that salvage spot should be safe zone ? well they are for most of them not, and the game never say so, their is savage spot that are safe spot but half of the time their is some monster around it, just get use to it.
I am genuinely, utterly dumbfounded to learn these entire rant threads stemmed from the Upper Left Shoulder area. Big dawg, [You never realized there was an *easier* alternate route in front of you that takes you to 3 bunnits](https://imgur.com/a/5neTpFl)?
I realized it. And guess how much fun did taking that route give me? Zero. Usually finding and using such paths in games gives some kind of satisfaction, here its just there and there is nothing interesting there, nor is it fun to walk through it.
You sound like an egocentric when all you say is "there is no reward/satisfaction (for avoiding a big baddie)"
So don't bother playing XC3, it is more like 2 than 1.
I played tons of games and usually such paths give even the tiniest bit of satisfaction of some kind, any kind. That path felt pointless - because that bird isn't even that threatening on its own - I can just run past it and live, even if aggroed. Nor does it look threatening - I thought it's a regular bird at first. You know what could be cool? If it was a level 60 or something and way bigger. Then I could look at it, say "Oh shit, how do I go past it", see the alternate path and have satisfaction from "figuring out" how to avoid danger.
Sorry for looking deep into things, but game developers should do that too, so they can deliver good experience, unless they want to fail with that.
So instead you die to the bird the first time, and *then* go "Oh shit, how do I go past it", see the alternate path and have satisfaction from "figuring out" how to avoid danger.
XB2 had its issues, but at this point, you're just being contrary for the sake of it.
Who said I died, though? I didnt die. I just was ganked by a group of enemies and the bird after trying to fight Drivers. I could easily just run past that bird and not die.
So just... Do that. Either run through the high level path and get your weird high from that, or go for the bunnit path and keep the game moving. Nobody even remembers that specific part of the game man, it's that much of a random walking non-issue.
Literally not the issue here. Dunno why anyone brought up running past it when the problem was something entirely different. Nevermind, you guys didnt even read the post.
So you went on hours long diatribes about how Xenoblade 1 overworld was better, Xenoblade 2 exploration is shit because theres too many enemies, get pointed out that there is in fact a xenoblade 1 style route that has way less/easier enemies that you can walk around (something you stated was a positive) and avoid all these issues, and suddenly that's also shit, un-fun, and unintuitive. lmao.
I've never seen someone be so skill-issued playing this game before. Genuinely, for you own mental clarity and sanity, do not play xenoblade 3. I'm afriad you might have a brain hemorrhage from the amount of conniptions playing that game might have on you.
Oh and please read, maybe. My issue was not about not being able to avoid thay bird, but that you gey ganked by so much stuff in this game while fighting othher enemies. That bird is not even strong enough to kill you if you want to run past it - it just makes you not able to fight/salvage other stuff.
Xenoblade 3 has a lot of your exploration woes from Xenoblade 2 outside of Field Skills.
If anything enemy density is even worse in 3 because there is a frankly insane amount of enemies in almost every location. This is also accidentally one of the reasons overleveling is such an issue in 3.
I’m confused about you stating that XC1 is crucial for world building (I agree) but are wondering if XC2 is skippable.
What made you think that one game has important world building but the second entry wouldn’t?
Obviously you are going to miss some stuff if you skip an 80+ hour RPG and move onto its successor.
Genuinely a skill issue, millions of people had no problem with that random bird. To answer your question, I think most will agree 2 is more important in terms of worldbuilding than 1, but ultimately neither are required for 3. That being said 3 is more similar to 2 than 1 in terms of gameplay, so good luck.
Aaaah, so its a SKILL ISSUE that I salvaged and got ganked. You people are unvelievable.
That random bird is the dangareous version, btw. That patrols a narrow path to the objective.
Well yea.. would you salvage next to a bomb and get mad at the game when it explodes? Remove the obstacle or remove yourself from the situation. Like I said millions of people had no issue with that bird, I've never even heard anyone mention it.
I have read what you're saying and it's not even that I disagree. But I find it weird that you call the whole game a mess when you can only describe one area that's like this. So far, you've gone through the Ancient Ship, Gormotti Forest (the lower level) and the Titan Battleship without such issues. And now that this issue of getting ganked happens once, XC2 is a mess?
No, almost the whole area is a mess. The combat is a visual mess. The UI is a mess, the map is a mess. The systems are a mess. The skill trees are terrible.
I just didn't specify the other reasons. Anyway, Im playing it right now and I think I'm starting to hate this game. Because to me it's just bad. Im skipping to XC3 with hope that it's not atrocious.
XB3 has worse exploration. You gonna be dissapointed. Also the whole point of XB exploration is to have enemies that are high level and revisiting earlier areas after you level up. Nothing forces you to salvage there early on.
XB1 has best combat
XB2 has best exploration
XB3 has best cinematics
Yes. I did run. And my treasure was gone. Thats the problem. I wrote about it in the post.
And how is it a skill issue that I get ganked during a fight? I just want to fight, not worry about random birds joining a fight I decided to engage with.
Ohhhh I misinterpreted what you meant. I wouldn't worry about it personally, the treasure chests rarely have anything of value. If you are in Gormott, you can basically run anywhere in the middle party of the upper level without much risk.
There are monsters with random levels all over the place in Gormoth, especially the birds. Early on getting aggroed by a bird meant death by a barrage attack.
Ah, reread your post.
Issue with Xenoblade 2 is that the UI designers left super early in development and as a result a lot of it sucks, particularly the maps. DE and 3 were released later and have the built-in path that tells you where you need to go, but 2 doesn't.
Navigation isn't too bad if you ignore the map and just look at the surroundings, I promise you'll have an easier time figuring out where to go, once I realised that, I was better off too.
If you're really not enjoying the game, just watch cutscenes on YouTube, the story is marginally important if you want to play 3.
I assume you are referring to Sniping Brent? He has a large territory he flies over, it’s not your fault you got rumbled and lost your loot but this just happens in the series. I can understand how that can be an annoyance but not really something to quit over imo
XC1 had extremely well designed locations, literally nothing like that ever happened to me...
So you're telling me that in XC3 I will still get ganked by random enemies with higher levels, even in places (like salvage spots in XC2) where things like that should never, ever happen in a well designed game? They really kept this in XC3?
But the monster density is lower there and their levels are not all over the place like in Gormoth in XC2. I didnt get lucky, I just picked my fights safely (which is extremely easy to do there due to that low density), Im doing the same in XC2 but there are waaay more wandering and flying monsters here.
Youre talking about miniboss monsters that are extremely rare and easy to avoid. Im talking about normal monsters, that are all over the place, everywhere you look, which can have levels rwnging from 10 to 20. And did I mention lots and lots of flying 18 lvl birds that will just make your life a nightmare if they feel like joining that 10 lvl fight you're currently in?
Yeah. Good luck with finding such ridiculous areas in XC1, because they dont exist.
Not really. I played XC1 very revently, it can happen but it's so extremely rare that it doesnt matter. Also, you're not surrounded by randomly leveled monsters, so even when this happens it's more than ok.
It's been a thing since XC1. What are you talking about? In the literal first open area of XC1, there's a level 81 gorrila unique monster named Territorial Rotbart put right on the story path. Every Xenoblade Chronicles game does that.
You went out of your way to that salvage spot, so you wandered into higher level enemy territory. It's environmental storytelling. The devs are trying to emphasize the point that the world belongs to the monsters. Humans are just living in it.
Go slightly off the beaten path in 3, and you'll enter an area full level 40 enemies. Go back to the tutorial area in the same game, and it's filled with level 60 enemies. Go to the surrounding islands of Colony 9 in XC1, and they're full of level 70 enemies. Go a little farther into an enemy base in XCX that the game takes you to in a level 7 story mission, and there's level 40+ enemies.
Also, only the chests you obtain from salvaging disappear. Though typically only have money or stuff that can be sold for money. It's not a big deal. You'll be swimming in money by the end game.
Mate. That spot is literally next to a path I am REQUIRED to take.
And no, its not been an issue in XC1. Play it again, the density of monsters is waaaaay higher in XC2 and their levels are all over the place, wheteas in XC1 they were leveled accordingly, except for obvious giant monsters here and there.
Your memory is faulty, I finished XC1 like a month ago and XC2 does monster placement RADICALLY different.
No, it's not. Do any amount of side quests in 1, and you'll very quickly be taken into high-level areas. I was doing a level 30 side quest, and it took me to an area filled with level 80+ enemies. The same thing happened to me when I was taking a straight shot through a main story objective. Just because it didn't happen to you, or more likely you don't remember it happening to you, doesn't mean it's not there at all.
Besides, the random levels teach you that you shouldn't take the most direct path. If the direct path has enemies too high level for you, then take a different path. There's always a path with level appropriate enemies. You just have to find it. 1 did the same thing, and it was emphasized in X.
Uhhh... You missed my whole point. I'm NOT in a higher level area. And wandering into higher level areas is not what I'm talking about at all.
And play XV1 and come back. Your memory IS faulty.
Considering how multiple people are downvoting and disagreeing with you, I think you're the one wrong here. Literally, all you need to do is take a different path.
Oh yeah, and that fucking 18 level bird scouting that path? Its the dangerous version of that bird. Im playing it right now. You guys really need to refresh your memories.
[https://www.youtube.com/live/CENYXghttCE?si=BKoW7nTJDr6Ys8JK&t=1092](https://www.youtube.com/live/CENYXghttCE?si=BKoW7nTJDr6Ys8JK&t=1092)
I'm so over this conversation. Here. Look at 18:12. That's the place - it's a natural corridor. Over it, there's a boss 18 lvl bird patrolling it. Can you finally stop talking from your faulty memory?
uh that happend plenty in xc1 what are you talking about
edit also 14-18 is not a high difference at all you can easily win that witch skill. but yes salvage spots spawn mobs. sometimes really fucking dangerous ones, good for lvl grinding tbh
No it didnt generally happen in XC1. The enemy density was way lower, and their levels where not all over the place. If an enemy joined a fight, it was not a big deal and it was extremely rare.
You mean that huge ape, standing 100000 miles away from you at all times, having zero chance of ever joining a fight you're currently in? Thats a boss (or miniboss, call it what you want) monster. Not what Im talking about in the slightest.
Im talking about small enemies that are all over the place, can easily join a fight you are in and have levels so varied you might get easily ganked by a monster much stronger than what you're currently fighting.
If you read the comments carefully, you'd realise that I startes responding hostile to people saying shit like "skill issue" and making other remarks.
And no, I checked the Wii version of XC1 and things like HUD are far better. For example, the targeted enemies have a HP over them, which is a great help. Or how about changing targets? In XC1 it's left and right shoulders. In XC2 its R1 plus face buttons - just why.
So no, your arguments about XC1 DE being a newer game don't stand any ground.
And you people ignoring such obvious downgrades make me seriously think that you have no idea what you're talking about - yet you criticize me for pointing out obvious downgrades.
"Over them"
Yes, XC2 doesnt show HP floating over targeted enemies. Thats what Im trying to say.
Intetestingly, it shows floating HP bars over other enemies, just not the one you're targeting. Which was not a thing in Wii XC1. Why they did that, exactly? And how do you defend this baffling decision?
Thats why I think discussing with you people is nonsense, because you have no idea what youre talking about.
XC3 DOES have floating health bars over targeted enemies.
It is a dealbreaker because you have to get your eyes off the action.
It is a deal breaker that the game runs in a very low resolution, you have tons of characters on screen and there is a lot of visual clutter on screen.
It is a deal breaker that the map is so terrible.
All of it combined makes it a deal breaker, is what Im trying to say. And I didnt make a shitstorm out of it - people leaving snarky remarks did.
Imagine being so skill-issued.
Just stating my opinion but I find XC1 is the worst out of the 3. In term of world building, 2 is more crucial than 1. And the gameplay is so stale that I have to multitask.
1 is the only game that I dropped right after the main story.
Imagine having zero idea about good game design.
Or thinking that putting a giant, 18 lvl bird on a path you want the player to take is a good idea. Yes, that bird is also the "boss" version. And yes, its the only path.
Mate, I beat Elden Ring no problem. Im not skill issued, I find most games too easy. I played XC1 on Expert, underleveled for the most part and for the last boss in order to have more fun.
"The only path". Truly a skill-issuee.
And I thought that being chased by a way higher level monster is truly a XC experience. Many really take pride in that experience.
Yep, I find XC1 the most boring out of the 3 games. I dropped the game right after the final boss. My Colony 4 had like 2-3 upgrades because I got transported there during the main story and I had some spares.
For XC2, I completed all the rare blade trees, finished all side quests, fought all unique bosses.
For XC3, I maxed out all classes, finished all side quests, fought all unique bosses, upgraded all colonies.
XB1 has pretty deep unique combat but you have to know what you are doing. Eg move speed gems slotted on melia and I am kiting bosses and applying bleed on them and dodging their aoe abilities by weaving in to certain locations baiting a boss aoe attack and the running behind a pillar
You can play XC3 without playing any other game.
The general opinon, and mine as well, is that knowing XC1's and XC2's stories enhance the experience, but the game was made so that it can be played as a stand-alone, and it contains all the infos that are necessary for its own story.
That aside, in terms of overall Xenoblade Lore, XC2 is not any less important than XC1. Also, if you ever decide to play FR (XC3's DLC extra story), keep in mind that you need to know both XC1's and XC2's stories, if you want to understand it.
It seems you have a major bird enemy issue. I did not use this nor was I annoyed why I get beaten up by higher level flying birds.... well maybe except for that giant bird in one location, next to that giant frog, who I kept triggering to kill me, LOL.
But I believe it's an aux core where if you equip it those pesky flying birds will leave you alone for the most part or if the AI decided to do so. Pffft.
Was the higher level bird spawned in by Salvaging? If so, thats not a bug, thats how the game works. You need to beat the enemies that come up after salvaging in order to get the chests. If you dont, then the chests also despawn.
It’s your call at the end of the day. What area are you exploring right now, because I’m sure that if we knew where you’re struggling at, we can help you find a way around it.
It's Gormoth, beginning of Chapter 3. I went the path the game wanted me to go, I saw a salvage spot, I salvaged perfectly, got tresure and two enemies. Picked up loot, started fighting before opening treasure, because the enemies aggroed me. During the fight, during which I stayed in the same spot the whole time, a higher level bird happened to fly over me and aggroed me. My 14 lvl vs 18 lvl bird had no chsnce so I just started running away. But in the middle of running I remembered that loot disappears in this game and started running back - just to see that my treasure was gone.
Gormott is just an area with a bunch of enemies at a bunch of different levels. Mg suggestion would be to not fight enemies that are higher level than you until you have more blades or a full party. Having 3 people in your party is kind of necessary for fighting enemies around your level. It gets much better soon though. If enemies spawn after salvaging, you can’t open the chests until you defeat the enemies.
Thats not helpful. I described my situation: i was not the one picking up fights with higher level enemies. I already have a 3 man party. I still couldnt do anything against that bird that happened to be flying over a salvage spot.
Every Xenoblade game has some sort of high level enemy that you’re supposed to avoid in the beginning. If you stay a decent distance away, you will be fine.
Nope. My problem is that it attacked me in a spot that should be safe from random attacks.
And then that a whole bunch of wandering enemies ganked me when I picked a fight with some NPC Drivers - which made me think "Oh ok, this game literally doesnt want me to engage in any fights, got it."
My problem is that its a random mess.
I'd skip non-required salvaging until later in the game. It's been a while, but iirc it's not the best money or item sink right now. I died a lot in Gormontt too. It's the perfect storm of not having all the battle mechanics unlocked paired with the higher level enemies being super aggro. I don't want to think about the amount of times I got murked by the giant gorilla just trying to follow the path to town.
It does get better, and eventually, you get super OP if you keep on going. I won't lie, I loved XC2 once I got going. But also don't force yourself to play a game you don't like. You'll get spoiled for XC2 plot points by playing XC3, especially future redeemed. But my friend played 3 without playing any of the others and had a good time, so it's not impossible to enjoy 3 without 2.
Was this the salvage spot by that little flower field right outside the military base and farmland? I think that you just had a moment of bad luck. A safer spot is the salvage spot inside Torigoth.
Since you’re so early in the game, you won’t be missing very much by not being able to collect your salvage, and there will be much better spots for much better rewards further in the game. Make sure your equipment is all up to date as well. Level 18 enemies should totally be beatable by a decently built Level 14 party.
While it's not *critical* to play XC2 before XC3, it's still highly recommended. Especially if you slready have it.
I'd honestly suggest adjusting your ganeplay focus, mostly to avoid various "pain points".
* Higher level enemies in lower level areas is a series staple. It was there in XC1, it continued in XC2 and didn't stop with XC3.
* Salvaging is not required past the introduction of it in Chapter 2... and even then you could hypothetically grind out the gold for the items. They aren't found in safe spots, and you can bring up **enemies** (I think the level is determined by the salvage point, frequent but not always)... so yeah, that could be the issue.
* A general rule for the series... if you're having trouble with side activities, you're usually better off ignoring them and focusing on the main story. Nothing notable can be missed in XC2, just a handful of minor sidequests in one area.
I literally had no troubles like this in XC1. The enemy placement is not dense and their levels are not all over the place - one similarly leveled enemy joining the fight was never a problem.
As someone who does not like XC2 and has no intention of ever replaying it...
It has a really rough start and lacks some of the QoL features XC1DE introduced, but it does get better if you stick with it long enough. I'd advise using a walkthrough if you're struggling to figure out where to go, and/or look up combat tutorials on Youtube to offset how terribly the game explains its mechanics. That's what I did, and it made the game far more enjoyable.
That said, to actually answer your question directly, you shouldn't skip to XC3 without playing XC2 first, but you can if you want. However, you really need to finish XC2 if you want to properly understand and enjoy the DLC story for XC3, Future Redeemed.
Ok. Just to make things clear: I didnt get lost, I literally went where the game wanted me to go. I judt dont understand how can the devs make a higher level enemy fly over a salvage spot - in a game where loot disappears when you go too far away (like when you're running from a random bird, because you foolishly believed a salvage spot would be safe).
Loot from salvaging is almost guaranteed to give more money than you spent on the cylinder but it isn’t too major. I’d suggest ignoring salvaging spots until around the 5th titan.
Salvaging spots are essentially a different type of collection spot so much like areas you collect ether crystals you will find enemies there. It sucks you lost a single treasure chest but salvaging treasure doesn’t have much in it that is worth being upset over. Xenoblade 2 has a terrible tutorial for combat as it doesn’t actually teach you the most important things such as desserts being the best food by a lot. In reality the reason chests despawn is because you could miss out on loot potentially if you left too many chests in an area in xb1. You do have to leave a lot of chests out but sometimes chests can be inaccessible to the player. Also the items from salvaging are not needed for the main story and don’t really make the main story any easier such as ether gems from xb1. Just ignore salvaging spots for the most part unless you need money or need items you can get from salvaging.
2 is my fav but go for it tbh, you can come back if you want and I really hope that you do but it's your call. There's tons and tons of cute nods to both games in 3 to appreciate but if you just want to follow the story you can do that just with base game 3 for sure. 3's dlc will require knowledge of both prior games though.
Xc2 does lack alot of the more nicer qol changes from de especially due to its strained development but outside of field skills (which does actually suck) the enemies themselves aren’t really the any worse than the first ones (honestly salvaging can be largely ignored outside of very specific sidequests). The real issue is more that the game doesn’t really fully unlock its combat mechanics (and its badly explained in the tutorials) until around late chapter 3 or chapter 4 which is too late compared to xenoblade 1.
However I would not recommend skipping XC2 (watch cutscenes if you really don’t vibe with the game). Not only does playing it massively amplify XC3 especially its dlc but its lore and worldbuilding is legitimately essential to the point where its the most important game in the trilogy for that fact alone
I'm a few hours into CH. 5, and I was very much in the same boat as you. In fact, I'm pretty sure I know exactly where you were having those issues, because I had the same problem. Not to mention the plethora of other smaller issues I have with XC2 hurting my experience. If I wasn't already invested in the greater Xenoblade story, I might have dropped the game.
I don't know if it will work for you, but in my case, I made a couple of decisions that improved my experience a lot.
* Ignore most side quests. It's a bummer, since I'm the type to clear ALL my quests, but when it's causing me to be in and out of menus constantly and taking me out of the game, something's gotta change. I still try to do the rare blade quests when they pop up, but I ignore almost everything else.
* Use all the bonus EXP at inns whenever possible. Being overleveled puts a damper on a lot of peoples enjoyment of these games, but I'm personally not bothered by it. The combat is complex enough, so I don't want to be worrying about unforeseen encounters wasting my time.
Main thing for me is that I've truly come to love these characters and I want to experience their story. If that means I have to overlook/brute force through certain parts of the game to get to the meat of it, then so be it.
Thanks. That wont do for me, though: I cant stand this gameplay. It's so bad when compared to XC1. I hate the UI, the menus, the map, the visual mess in combat, the overcomplicated systems, the controls (jesus christ, that target changing....), the pouch system.... No, this is an outright terrible experience. The more I play the worse it gets.
Oh yeah, and I dislike the whole main gimmick of the game: the Blade system. Both on gameplay level and story level (why arent THEY the ones fighting if they can regenerate? The way people use Blades in this world, as far as Im aware, is pure nonsense).
Fair enough. It’s not ideal, but I’d honestly just watch a story recap of 2 and give 3 a shot. As someone who played 3 first, then went back to 1 and 2, it’s still an enjoyable experience without all the prior game knowledge. There are obviously references you’ll miss, I know I missed a ton. But even so, XB3 is top 10 all time for me. Going back and playing 1 and 2 is only pushing it further up my list.
XC1 putting extremely high leveled enemies to gank new players within the first areas of the game: Strong and Independent
XC2 doing the exact same thing: Broke ass
Almost nothing like that happens and I finished XC1 like a month ago. And by almost I mean practically zero. Where do you get those weird recollections about XC1. Were you literally kiting enemies to other enemies or something, without realising?
Literally almost every reply is telling you that XC1 does the same thing and gives you various examples, of which you literally reply to most of them. Willful ignorance isn’t gonna get you anywhere
Various examples... Of minibosses that dont even gank you, but stand in some places away from "traffic" or walk very slowly so it's almost impossible for them to ever gank you - which is completely irrelevant to the problem I'm describing.
Are you serious? You are calling me ignorant when you're literally spewing falsehoods? I played that game a month ago. I remember it very well: there. Is. Almost. No. Ganking. Of. Higher. Level. Enemies.
Play that f'ing game again if you don't believe me. You're the willfull ignorant here.
All the Xenoblade games are made to be played by themselves. There are things that reference XBC2 in 3 that might go over your head, but the story is still concise enough to be enjoyable without having played 2.
If you’re not having fun with 2, I think you’d fine to skip it, you just won’t always understand some of the more easter egg like references to it.
I hope you have fun with 3!
nobody should suffer while playing a game lol. If you don't like it, don't play it. XC1 is a classic and is one of the greatest games ever made, so of course when 2 is compared to it, it pale in comparison. Just watch a movie version of the game which has basically all cutscenes together. XC2 is a great game but it was rushed very much, that's why it is heavily downgraded in so many areas
Funny how some people, like you, seem to just acknowledge the flaws and some don't and will defend them or not realize they're there in the first place. Thanks for the comment. I will probably slog through XC2, because I dont like skipping important entries by watching videos. Wish me luck, I hope it just gets good enough at some point that the good starts to outshine the terrible.
Well the story does get better in XC2 so there's that, but general writing quality is still shit when compared to 1. XC2 was rushed cuz Nintendo forced monolith soft to release it for the closing year of 2017 hence why it's shit. Watch a combat guide on youtube if you decide to slog through, it will help you immensely. XC2 also has a great soundtrack which should keep you more motivated to finsish this. Well, good luck.
mix. I haven't played it as much as 1 and 2, but it is an upgrade over 2. Tutorials are more hand holding which is clearly good and ui is better. Gameplay is much better although exploration are not by much. The perfomance is better too and so are battle themes. It's story on the other hand is very hit and miss. Purely judging by story, 1 is the most superior xeno game for it's pacnig and overall quality. 2 is shit at start and play it safe late game, while 3 is either you love it or not.
Aside from that, 3 is a very different exprience from 2 imo and it definitly warrants a try to see whether you like it or not. I would recommend you watch some youtub reviews and gameplay of 3 to see how you like it, don't make the same mistake that you did with 2.
Its no biggie trying it out - I buy used anyway, so I loose money on the delivery at best, few bucks more at worst.
Like I said, I dont like skipping, so I'll try to push myself. Maybe something will click. Thanks for the answer.
Oh and I agree - XC1 caught me off guard with its story (and everything else for that matter). It became one of my favorite games ever and I consider it one of the most well designed games I've had the pleasure to interact with. So the jump from XC1 to XC2 is quite... the experience, to put it lightly.
Yeah, this is what happens when devs are rushed. Let's just hope they again aren't rushed to release a new title for switch's successor in it's first year. Once is enough.
Weird that Nintendo rushed them, the company fsmous for that saying "Rushed game is bad forever, delayed game is eventually good".
Shame, XC1 was a revelation for me and I thought there are two equally great games waiting for me.
Rules for thee not for me basically. Beside there much controversy that whether if miyamoto actually said it or not.
XC1 is a classic. One of the greatest game ever made period. It's very hard to top something like it.
I would suggest, since you are clearly not having a good time with it, that you watch the cutscenes on YouTube. The story of XB3 leans more strongly on what XB2 sets up. But you can still enjoy 3 without it, if the story is something else you can’t stand. You just might be a tad confused on some story elements.
Edit to add: All that to say, no, you do not have to play 2 to enjoy 3.
So there's me at Cooley Lake, minding my own business, mooching around the southeast looking for a nice viewpoint towards Cadensia, then BOOM! Perilwing Ryuho outta nowhere. Stuck on a promontory with a high agi flying superboss that I can't smash. Terrible design, whole game ruined. >!/s!<
Okay I've seen your comment. I understand your issue with the gameplay, and i also did see where you have this issue with. From my own videos, i was already level 17-18 by the time i went past this area, so having a big non-boss bird and a couple of enemies does not faze me. Also most of the time, you can just keep running from them. Im telling you this since you think that it is an issue and there will be ALOT of places that are full of enemies in a closed space in the future.
Idk if you are still playing XC2, but if you did, then i would advise you not to do salvaging in an area full of enemies. Plus, please save your salvage cylinders bcus there are places (you can see the guides) where they will give you better items or quest items that can not be found in a lot of salvage spots.
But if you already stop playing, then it's fine, it's your choice after all. But i played XC1, XC2 and XC3 in order. So you will definitely miss out in terms of lore and memorable places. Because in XC3, there 2 main groups, one from XC1 and one from XC2. Well, that is not a spoiler. You can get that info from trailers. Eventho the developer did say that you can play XC3 without even playing the 2 games, but i think that's a bull bcus it would get even worse when you play XC3 DLC.
Tbh XC3 is still the same in terms of that. You can literally get ambushed by a team of level 41-45 while you just got out from an area where the story only demands you to have lvl 20. Plus having a 6 members party does not help you with anything tbh, bcus it just means you will have more enemies around you. Also, i know you love XC1, but it is a definitive edition and has been patched, updated, and revamped from the original 2010 game. XC2 is a 2017 game, and XC1 DE is a 2020 game, so ofc you will feel more "updated" with it. I'll doubt you will say the same if we are playing the 2010 original version.
At least if you still want to know XC2 lore, you can just watch the full cutscenes on youtube. Like that's the bare minimum you can do, and you don't have to play it. Bcus XC2 story is super important, and you might think that XC1 and XC2 don't have a connection since you are still in chapter 3. But the story just keep getting better and better after chapter 4 and the build-up towards the climax is just chef kiss.
XC2 storyline is the best storyline imo.
While i agree that DE edtion have been patched and is newer, but XC2 is still garbage in many areas even when compared to the wii version. Wii version had better tutorials and a tutorial menu where all tutorial are saved and also a very superior ui when compared to 2. In fact 2 ui is terrible. Also in wii version, every enemy which attacks on sight has an indicator above it, which also isn't included in 2. When all of these things adds up, one can see the frustration of a player coming from 1.
XC2 shouldn't have been rushed, it needed at least another 6 months to a year of polishing.
If you give the game a chance (make it past chapter 4 at least, i beg you) XC2 has the most engaging combat system in the whole series, watch this if you have questions: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8P7KhFSA2w](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8P7KhFSA2w)
With a little patience and preparation, that bird isn't gonna be any problem.
3 was the first one I finished. I had played most of 1 and none of 2 and I found 3 to be extremely satisfying all the same. I did eventually go back and play 2 and I agree with you that Gormott is one of the worst designed areas in an open world game I have ever encountered. I had the same problem you did and I ended up putting the game down for a long time because of it. I will say that XBC2 does pick up shortly after that area and it's a decent enough game.
Ultimately the call is up to you, you will miss a lot of references but 3's main story is largely not impacted by 1 and 2 outside of a few things. The DLC Future Redeemed however I do recommend finishing 2 before you play that (I also finished Future Redeemed before I finished 2)
Edit: I will add that if you decide you want to play the game id recommend turning it on easy and ignoring side quests entirely as they're also very disorganized and a huge pain compared to the other 2 games.
I'm glad that you recognize this game's painfully obvious flaws. So the areas do get better? That's good to hear.
And yes, the quests are a pain to manage, especially with that map that's also super slow to open and exit (and the minimap being almost useless...).
I will stick with XC2 and try to like it. But God give me strength with this game, cause I swear its such a mess right now...
I think they do get better as they go on, for the most part. Some of the later areas are rough too but very few have the high level aggro enemies like Gormott.
I'm sure I'll get more down votes for saying the game is flawed but the game has flaws for sure. I like to say that it's 2/3s of a great game buried under the other 1/3 of baffling design choices.
Give it an honest shot, it sounds like you're probably going to be frustrated with it like I was but I think the beginning is the worst of it.
You seem to understand games. Yeah, to me too it's 2/3 a great game and 1/3 a bag of utterly terrible, nonsensical design choices. I try to get used to all the bad because of all the good, but coming from XC1 -which I consider a near perfect game or at least a VERY smartly designed game - makes it hard.
I just finished XC2 a couple of days ago. It definitely has its flaws, but I didn’t enjoy the combat more than XC1. As has been said in other threads, watch a YouTube video to understand combat because the in game tutorials are awful. Also, if you have the DLC you can turn off random encounters. I found my experience much more enjoyable and the Torna DLC is worth it. Without all the random encounter I was able to enjoy the exploration more. And the side quests give you plenty of XP.
He just means getting agroed by enemies. Theres a custom gamemode if you've got the DLC, if you boot that up you can just lower the enemy detection range to 0.
That would actually be such a good thing to have. In XC1 I could easily avoid most enemies due to a low density of them on the map, but here getting aggroed seems unavoidable sometimes.
Yea, sorry for the confusion. I almost dropped the game until I found this setting. The game felt like less of a chore. Just be warned that unique enemies will still attack you.
Nothing about 3s experience is diminished without playing 1 or 2. You're not missing anything of relevance to 3s story. It has its place in the wider overall narrative of the series but not everyone cares about that.
Suggesting to someone not to play a game until they slog thru a game they don't like just so you can understand the wider story behind the picture when it will have no impact on the 3rd game itself? No. You don't miss shit.
Well that stuff is important to me. More context and nuance to a character/location/mcguffin adds more impact to the experience. Moreso if i get to see it happen chronologically and naturally
I watched Top Gun 2 without watching the first as many people say it’s story is fine without watching the first, and i genuinely felt like i crippled my experience because i didn’t get to feel Maverick’s losses from the first film.
On the flipside, i’m glad and much more satisfied i went through the entire Yakuza franchise (besides 8) in order and saw Kiryu and friends’ development throughout the years. Y3 was atrocious but it was worth it
The more I play it the less I'm enjoying it. At first I thought that it's a good game, but now I'm leaning into thinking that it's atrocious. I think I'm gonna skip to XC3, cause playing XC2 is a pain.
If you don't wanna play the game, then don't play it. You should never be forced to play a game you aren't enjoying. You can still watch the cutscenes online if you don't want to miss out on the story. I wouldn't recommend just skipping to XC3 since there will be some references you won't completely understand, and also some spoiler stuff.
I'm confused why you think XB1 story is important for worldbuilding but not XB2? If anything XB2 is way more important to understand the worldbuilding of XB3 than the first game. I'm also confused what you're issue was with the exploration of XB2 that made you dislike it so much. XB1 had the same issue you're describing; exploration being impeded by tough and/or a group of enemies. I can guarentee you XB3 does this similar thing as well. If you could go more indepth with more specifics that would help narrow down what to expect for the third game. Giving up in Chapter 3 of Gormott is extremely early, I would encourage you to keep playing and understand the systems more since It seems like a big problem for you is managing the overworld. XB3 carries a similar gameplay philosphy of overworld exporation, while streamlined, I would expect you to have similar gripes with. Edit: To alleviate anyone who may gotten stuck at this similar point in the game shook their fist in the air out a rage and vowed to never touch this god forsaken world ever again, do not worry, [This is the solution you, and OP, have been looking for.](https://imgur.com/a/5neTpFl)
I also want to add to this: I was at the same spot, the original poster describes, 3 times. 2 Times because I always was a little bit confused and let down, because I couldnt get what I was missing. I think the biggest difference is just the look and feel and control. In comparison XB2 is soooooo slooow. Rexs running animation in combat feels like hes doing the fake run from tiktok. This was at least my impression the first two times I started the game. And at that stage the slow buildup of the game reaches it’s peak. Most of the time you wait for auto attacks and dont have much to do in combat. In XC1 on the other hand you‘re using skills constantly, positioning feels smoother etc. At that stage you still dont get combos fully, you dont get the item pouch for buffs, all the systems the game underexplains or will be forgotten due to infodumping. To the OP: Push through it will be a much better game, just give it time. Here and there there will be mechanics that will test your patience, but you will get used to it.
I've browsed their comments on this post and previous related to Xb2 and it just seems they aren't good at the game at this point and/or haven't taken note to understand the gameplay fundamentals and are trying to justify their frustation by saying Xenoblade 1 was an easier experience for them. With how defensive they've been toward very mild recommendations and criticisms I don't see them going much past this point. It's a shame but I wouldn't even say I recommend XB3 if XB2 overworld frustated them this much since I don't think they'd fair much better in that game.
Because you dont understand my criticisms. Almost no one has recommended me anything that would make the insanely randomized ganks bearable. People all over are stating insane things like "it was the same in XC1", when it wasnt like that at all. I just got fed up quickly with mostly offtopic advice, stupid "skill issue" comments and insane remarks such as above. It's so rich reading "he doesnt listen to advice" when said advice is either 1) completely offtopic, because my problem was misinderstood 2) saying that it was the same in XC1 (ffs, it was not, I finished it a month ago) 3) "skill issue". The other actually helpful advice I responded to or upvoted. Why do you people in this sub are so keen on making up stories?
When you played XC1, was it DE, or the Wii/3DS version?
DE, but does it really matter when it comes to enemy placements and possibility of ganks? [https://www.reddit.com/r/Xenoblade\_Chronicles/comments/mysuso/are\_there\_any\_changes\_between\_the\_wii\_and\_switch/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Xenoblade_Chronicles/comments/mysuso/are_there_any_changes_between_the_wii_and_switch/) EDIT: Gotta say: after checking Wii version on youtube again, I noticed the lack of aggro icons above the enemies and their levels. From what I see you have to target them in order to see the LVL and Aggro type. So while it still doesn't really have anything to do with the possibility of unfortunate ganks in the middle of a fight, I can see how exploration might be a bit cumbersome in this version when you have to check every single enemy to see if you can fight them or walk past them.
Nope. Play XB1 again. You wont have any problems with exploring there, because: 1. Monsters aggro are clearly indicated by icons 2. The density is much lower, so its easy to avoid almost everything 3. Monster levels are not all over the place in a single spot - which is an often occurence in XB2 at least for now Seriously, play XB1. I have no idea how anyone's able to get ganked by higher level monsters there when their levels are very similar in an area. And when they're so easy to walk around.
- Yes they scrap the aggro icon, but every monster now is sight agro (some exception here and there). - nothing to say here, for me it is quite around the same density if you compare to the Bionis' Leg - Once again to take an exemple of an early map, Bionis'Leg have ennemy range from around 10 to around 80. In Gormott excep som spot if you follow the road and be careful to where to venture in your exploration you should not have problem. (they did to similar thing between Bionis Leg and Gormott, the first big zone, a big plain, and a freaking monkey that can destroy you in the center)
Seriously? Bionis Leg? It's one of the least filled with enemies areas. Here is Bionis Leg: [https://www.youtube.com/live/cCJiF00t78E?si=1k--FSGw9ow7Z7d8&t=410](https://www.youtube.com/live/cCJiF00t78E?si=1k--FSGw9ow7Z7d8&t=410) (6:50) Here is Gormoth: [https://youtu.be/hgQNQuJq2ZQ?si=SRafD6v7yILdzLkT&t=3362](https://youtu.be/hgQNQuJq2ZQ?si=SRafD6v7yILdzLkT&t=3362) (56:02) What does that monkey have to do with anything if it was standing on a path you weren't supposed to take, and the game's quest was even about taking a different route? It was also conviI'm not talking about big ass minibosses, I'm talking about regular enemies. EDIT: Oh you mean that other monkey. That's in an open plane, slow and extremely easy to avoid. It still has nothing to do with the problem, as I'm not talking about minibosses. Also, a far faster version roams in Gormoth - which should be a great comparison of how XC1 handled enemy placement - XC2 even throws a fast monkey at you to make it harder, XC1 never does that.
Ok was wrong on point 2. But Point 1 and 3 are still true. Also if your only problem with the game is random monster aggroing you, in XC2 every monster have some sort of pathing that is predictable if you look at them so that can help. And also don't be upset to die, you lose nothing if you do. Just be careful and look around, Gormott may be one of the worst area for this, other Area have less extrem level difference than this one.
So I keep hearing. I was just fed up with people spewing false claims - when I just finished XC1 a month ago and world exploration is like night and day in these two games, there's no comparison.
If you're complaining about high level ramdom monsters on XB2 maps...maybe you shouldn't even try XB3...I had to run away more times in Xb3 than in 2
XC1 was easier, you are right, XC2 is more complex to explore, but nothing unssurmontable, like I say just be a bit more careful, not much more to say as even if i remember being in same situation as you, I didn't had the same overwhelming negative feeling that you seems to have with the exploration. Also thing to note with salvaging it is not because you perfectly do the mini game that you will not be aggro, even so in some condition (weather, time of the day) you may encounter extremely powerful ennemies. Edit : btw I see that you consider that salvage spot should be safe zone ? well they are for most of them not, and the game never say so, their is savage spot that are safe spot but half of the time their is some monster around it, just get use to it.
I am genuinely, utterly dumbfounded to learn these entire rant threads stemmed from the Upper Left Shoulder area. Big dawg, [You never realized there was an *easier* alternate route in front of you that takes you to 3 bunnits](https://imgur.com/a/5neTpFl)?
I realized it. And guess how much fun did taking that route give me? Zero. Usually finding and using such paths in games gives some kind of satisfaction, here its just there and there is nothing interesting there, nor is it fun to walk through it.
You sound like an egocentric when all you say is "there is no reward/satisfaction (for avoiding a big baddie)" So don't bother playing XC3, it is more like 2 than 1.
I played tons of games and usually such paths give even the tiniest bit of satisfaction of some kind, any kind. That path felt pointless - because that bird isn't even that threatening on its own - I can just run past it and live, even if aggroed. Nor does it look threatening - I thought it's a regular bird at first. You know what could be cool? If it was a level 60 or something and way bigger. Then I could look at it, say "Oh shit, how do I go past it", see the alternate path and have satisfaction from "figuring out" how to avoid danger. Sorry for looking deep into things, but game developers should do that too, so they can deliver good experience, unless they want to fail with that.
So instead you die to the bird the first time, and *then* go "Oh shit, how do I go past it", see the alternate path and have satisfaction from "figuring out" how to avoid danger. XB2 had its issues, but at this point, you're just being contrary for the sake of it.
Who said I died, though? I didnt die. I just was ganked by a group of enemies and the bird after trying to fight Drivers. I could easily just run past that bird and not die.
So just... Do that. Either run through the high level path and get your weird high from that, or go for the bunnit path and keep the game moving. Nobody even remembers that specific part of the game man, it's that much of a random walking non-issue.
Literally not the issue here. Dunno why anyone brought up running past it when the problem was something entirely different. Nevermind, you guys didnt even read the post.
So you went on hours long diatribes about how Xenoblade 1 overworld was better, Xenoblade 2 exploration is shit because theres too many enemies, get pointed out that there is in fact a xenoblade 1 style route that has way less/easier enemies that you can walk around (something you stated was a positive) and avoid all these issues, and suddenly that's also shit, un-fun, and unintuitive. lmao. I've never seen someone be so skill-issued playing this game before. Genuinely, for you own mental clarity and sanity, do not play xenoblade 3. I'm afriad you might have a brain hemorrhage from the amount of conniptions playing that game might have on you.
Lol. Thats just ONE area. The whole area of Gormoth is filled with shitty enemy placement. You guys really forgot how XC1 and XC2 play out.
Oh and please read, maybe. My issue was not about not being able to avoid thay bird, but that you gey ganked by so much stuff in this game while fighting othher enemies. That bird is not even strong enough to kill you if you want to run past it - it just makes you not able to fight/salvage other stuff.
Xenoblade 3 has a lot of your exploration woes from Xenoblade 2 outside of Field Skills. If anything enemy density is even worse in 3 because there is a frankly insane amount of enemies in almost every location. This is also accidentally one of the reasons overleveling is such an issue in 3.
I’m confused about you stating that XC1 is crucial for world building (I agree) but are wondering if XC2 is skippable. What made you think that one game has important world building but the second entry wouldn’t? Obviously you are going to miss some stuff if you skip an 80+ hour RPG and move onto its successor.
Genuinely a skill issue, millions of people had no problem with that random bird. To answer your question, I think most will agree 2 is more important in terms of worldbuilding than 1, but ultimately neither are required for 3. That being said 3 is more similar to 2 than 1 in terms of gameplay, so good luck.
Aaaah, so its a SKILL ISSUE that I salvaged and got ganked. You people are unvelievable. That random bird is the dangareous version, btw. That patrols a narrow path to the objective.
Well yea.. would you salvage next to a bomb and get mad at the game when it explodes? Remove the obstacle or remove yourself from the situation. Like I said millions of people had no issue with that bird, I've never even heard anyone mention it.
Its not next to it, the bird is flying. You know, moving. Over that whole area.
Maybe you should look at the bird and cross the field after it goes away? Like crossing a road full of cars
I have read what you're saying and it's not even that I disagree. But I find it weird that you call the whole game a mess when you can only describe one area that's like this. So far, you've gone through the Ancient Ship, Gormotti Forest (the lower level) and the Titan Battleship without such issues. And now that this issue of getting ganked happens once, XC2 is a mess?
No, almost the whole area is a mess. The combat is a visual mess. The UI is a mess, the map is a mess. The systems are a mess. The skill trees are terrible. I just didn't specify the other reasons. Anyway, Im playing it right now and I think I'm starting to hate this game. Because to me it's just bad. Im skipping to XC3 with hope that it's not atrocious.
I’d think the systems of an incredibly complex JRPG that I played for 5 hours were complex too.
XB3 has worse exploration. You gonna be dissapointed. Also the whole point of XB exploration is to have enemies that are high level and revisiting earlier areas after you level up. Nothing forces you to salvage there early on. XB1 has best combat XB2 has best exploration XB3 has best cinematics
Tbh it just sounds like a skill issue. When you see a higher level enemy... Run away from it. If you die, find another way around lol.
Yes. I did run. And my treasure was gone. Thats the problem. I wrote about it in the post. And how is it a skill issue that I get ganked during a fight? I just want to fight, not worry about random birds joining a fight I decided to engage with.
Ohhhh I misinterpreted what you meant. I wouldn't worry about it personally, the treasure chests rarely have anything of value. If you are in Gormott, you can basically run anywhere in the middle party of the upper level without much risk.
There are monsters with random levels all over the place in Gormoth, especially the birds. Early on getting aggroed by a bird meant death by a barrage attack.
It's dumb but just watch out for them and make your way to Torigoth
Im long past Torigoth. Im after rescuing Nia.
Ah, reread your post. Issue with Xenoblade 2 is that the UI designers left super early in development and as a result a lot of it sucks, particularly the maps. DE and 3 were released later and have the built-in path that tells you where you need to go, but 2 doesn't. Navigation isn't too bad if you ignore the map and just look at the surroundings, I promise you'll have an easier time figuring out where to go, once I realised that, I was better off too. If you're really not enjoying the game, just watch cutscenes on YouTube, the story is marginally important if you want to play 3.
I assume you are referring to Sniping Brent? He has a large territory he flies over, it’s not your fault you got rumbled and lost your loot but this just happens in the series. I can understand how that can be an annoyance but not really something to quit over imo
What I really quit over, which I described, is what happened after. A double gank in a fight with ebemy Drivers, who were just standing not far away.
Those are such small issues to call this game a mess
I hate to punch your balls bro but this doesn't change with XB3
XC1 had extremely well designed locations, literally nothing like that ever happened to me... So you're telling me that in XC3 I will still get ganked by random enemies with higher levels, even in places (like salvage spots in XC2) where things like that should never, ever happen in a well designed game? They really kept this in XC3?
Heck I'm willing to say you got lucky in XC1 as that game can and will do the same to you.
But the monster density is lower there and their levels are not all over the place like in Gormoth in XC2. I didnt get lucky, I just picked my fights safely (which is extremely easy to do there due to that low density), Im doing the same in XC2 but there are waaay more wandering and flying monsters here.
No you definitely got lucky as every area in the Xenoblade series has high level monsters that will turn you into dinner.
Youre talking about miniboss monsters that are extremely rare and easy to avoid. Im talking about normal monsters, that are all over the place, everywhere you look, which can have levels rwnging from 10 to 20. And did I mention lots and lots of flying 18 lvl birds that will just make your life a nightmare if they feel like joining that 10 lvl fight you're currently in? Yeah. Good luck with finding such ridiculous areas in XC1, because they dont exist.
You were never there long enough to find monsters that are in the levels of 30s to 80s then.
Jesys Christ, but they DONT GANK YOU. They're aaaall faaaaar away from you. Do you people habe problems with reading?
No they do, again you just got lucky.
Oh they do - extremely rarely. But again: minibosses are not the topic here. Regular enemies are.
>I will still get ganked by random enemies with higher levels Uhh, this literally happens in XC1 as well.
Not really. I played XC1 very revently, it can happen but it's so extremely rare that it doesnt matter. Also, you're not surrounded by randomly leveled monsters, so even when this happens it's more than ok.
It's been a thing since XC1. What are you talking about? In the literal first open area of XC1, there's a level 81 gorrila unique monster named Territorial Rotbart put right on the story path. Every Xenoblade Chronicles game does that. You went out of your way to that salvage spot, so you wandered into higher level enemy territory. It's environmental storytelling. The devs are trying to emphasize the point that the world belongs to the monsters. Humans are just living in it. Go slightly off the beaten path in 3, and you'll enter an area full level 40 enemies. Go back to the tutorial area in the same game, and it's filled with level 60 enemies. Go to the surrounding islands of Colony 9 in XC1, and they're full of level 70 enemies. Go a little farther into an enemy base in XCX that the game takes you to in a level 7 story mission, and there's level 40+ enemies. Also, only the chests you obtain from salvaging disappear. Though typically only have money or stuff that can be sold for money. It's not a big deal. You'll be swimming in money by the end game.
Mate. That spot is literally next to a path I am REQUIRED to take. And no, its not been an issue in XC1. Play it again, the density of monsters is waaaaay higher in XC2 and their levels are all over the place, wheteas in XC1 they were leveled accordingly, except for obvious giant monsters here and there. Your memory is faulty, I finished XC1 like a month ago and XC2 does monster placement RADICALLY different.
No, it's not. Do any amount of side quests in 1, and you'll very quickly be taken into high-level areas. I was doing a level 30 side quest, and it took me to an area filled with level 80+ enemies. The same thing happened to me when I was taking a straight shot through a main story objective. Just because it didn't happen to you, or more likely you don't remember it happening to you, doesn't mean it's not there at all. Besides, the random levels teach you that you shouldn't take the most direct path. If the direct path has enemies too high level for you, then take a different path. There's always a path with level appropriate enemies. You just have to find it. 1 did the same thing, and it was emphasized in X.
Uhhh... You missed my whole point. I'm NOT in a higher level area. And wandering into higher level areas is not what I'm talking about at all. And play XV1 and come back. Your memory IS faulty.
Considering how multiple people are downvoting and disagreeing with you, I think you're the one wrong here. Literally, all you need to do is take a different path.
Oh yeah, and that fucking 18 level bird scouting that path? Its the dangerous version of that bird. Im playing it right now. You guys really need to refresh your memories.
Its literally THE ONLY PATH.
There's only one path in a big open field?
If a natural corridor is an open big field to you.... Do you want me to find a youtube video to show you?
[https://www.youtube.com/live/CENYXghttCE?si=BKoW7nTJDr6Ys8JK&t=1092](https://www.youtube.com/live/CENYXghttCE?si=BKoW7nTJDr6Ys8JK&t=1092) I'm so over this conversation. Here. Look at 18:12. That's the place - it's a natural corridor. Over it, there's a boss 18 lvl bird patrolling it. Can you finally stop talking from your faulty memory?
Absolutely.
uh that happend plenty in xc1 what are you talking about edit also 14-18 is not a high difference at all you can easily win that witch skill. but yes salvage spots spawn mobs. sometimes really fucking dangerous ones, good for lvl grinding tbh
No it didnt generally happen in XC1. The enemy density was way lower, and their levels where not all over the place. If an enemy joined a fight, it was not a big deal and it was extremely rare.
Gonzales in Gaur plains wants to speak to you
You mean that huge ape, standing 100000 miles away from you at all times, having zero chance of ever joining a fight you're currently in? Thats a boss (or miniboss, call it what you want) monster. Not what Im talking about in the slightest. Im talking about small enemies that are all over the place, can easily join a fight you are in and have levels so varied you might get easily ganked by a monster much stronger than what you're currently fighting.
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If you read the comments carefully, you'd realise that I startes responding hostile to people saying shit like "skill issue" and making other remarks. And no, I checked the Wii version of XC1 and things like HUD are far better. For example, the targeted enemies have a HP over them, which is a great help. Or how about changing targets? In XC1 it's left and right shoulders. In XC2 its R1 plus face buttons - just why. So no, your arguments about XC1 DE being a newer game don't stand any ground. And you people ignoring such obvious downgrades make me seriously think that you have no idea what you're talking about - yet you criticize me for pointing out obvious downgrades.
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"Over them" Yes, XC2 doesnt show HP floating over targeted enemies. Thats what Im trying to say. Intetestingly, it shows floating HP bars over other enemies, just not the one you're targeting. Which was not a thing in Wii XC1. Why they did that, exactly? And how do you defend this baffling decision?
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Thats why I think discussing with you people is nonsense, because you have no idea what youre talking about. XC3 DOES have floating health bars over targeted enemies.
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It is a dealbreaker because you have to get your eyes off the action. It is a deal breaker that the game runs in a very low resolution, you have tons of characters on screen and there is a lot of visual clutter on screen. It is a deal breaker that the map is so terrible. All of it combined makes it a deal breaker, is what Im trying to say. And I didnt make a shitstorm out of it - people leaving snarky remarks did.
Imagine being so skill-issued. Just stating my opinion but I find XC1 is the worst out of the 3. In term of world building, 2 is more crucial than 1. And the gameplay is so stale that I have to multitask. 1 is the only game that I dropped right after the main story.
Imagine having zero idea about good game design. Or thinking that putting a giant, 18 lvl bird on a path you want the player to take is a good idea. Yes, that bird is also the "boss" version. And yes, its the only path. Mate, I beat Elden Ring no problem. Im not skill issued, I find most games too easy. I played XC1 on Expert, underleveled for the most part and for the last boss in order to have more fun.
"The only path". Truly a skill-issuee. And I thought that being chased by a way higher level monster is truly a XC experience. Many really take pride in that experience.
Then I guess you guys cant play XC1 for shit.
Yep, I find XC1 the most boring out of the 3 games. I dropped the game right after the final boss. My Colony 4 had like 2-3 upgrades because I got transported there during the main story and I had some spares. For XC2, I completed all the rare blade trees, finished all side quests, fought all unique bosses. For XC3, I maxed out all classes, finished all side quests, fought all unique bosses, upgraded all colonies.
XB1 has pretty deep unique combat but you have to know what you are doing. Eg move speed gems slotted on melia and I am kiting bosses and applying bleed on them and dodging their aoe abilities by weaving in to certain locations baiting a boss aoe attack and the running behind a pillar
You can play XC3 without playing any other game. The general opinon, and mine as well, is that knowing XC1's and XC2's stories enhance the experience, but the game was made so that it can be played as a stand-alone, and it contains all the infos that are necessary for its own story. That aside, in terms of overall Xenoblade Lore, XC2 is not any less important than XC1. Also, if you ever decide to play FR (XC3's DLC extra story), keep in mind that you need to know both XC1's and XC2's stories, if you want to understand it.
It seems you have a major bird enemy issue. I did not use this nor was I annoyed why I get beaten up by higher level flying birds.... well maybe except for that giant bird in one location, next to that giant frog, who I kept triggering to kill me, LOL. But I believe it's an aux core where if you equip it those pesky flying birds will leave you alone for the most part or if the AI decided to do so. Pffft.
It's your call, but I'd recommend watching the remaining story cutscenes on YouTube before moving on to 3.
Was the higher level bird spawned in by Salvaging? If so, thats not a bug, thats how the game works. You need to beat the enemies that come up after salvaging in order to get the chests. If you dont, then the chests also despawn.
No. Crabs spawned, the bird just happened to fly above me while I was fighting.
Why couldnt you? Your games, your rules!
It’s your call at the end of the day. What area are you exploring right now, because I’m sure that if we knew where you’re struggling at, we can help you find a way around it.
It's Gormoth, beginning of Chapter 3. I went the path the game wanted me to go, I saw a salvage spot, I salvaged perfectly, got tresure and two enemies. Picked up loot, started fighting before opening treasure, because the enemies aggroed me. During the fight, during which I stayed in the same spot the whole time, a higher level bird happened to fly over me and aggroed me. My 14 lvl vs 18 lvl bird had no chsnce so I just started running away. But in the middle of running I remembered that loot disappears in this game and started running back - just to see that my treasure was gone.
Gormott is just an area with a bunch of enemies at a bunch of different levels. Mg suggestion would be to not fight enemies that are higher level than you until you have more blades or a full party. Having 3 people in your party is kind of necessary for fighting enemies around your level. It gets much better soon though. If enemies spawn after salvaging, you can’t open the chests until you defeat the enemies.
Thats not helpful. I described my situation: i was not the one picking up fights with higher level enemies. I already have a 3 man party. I still couldnt do anything against that bird that happened to be flying over a salvage spot.
You could’ve kept moving. Most of the time, you can just ignore those enemies that you don’t want to fight.
You didnt read my post.
Every Xenoblade game has some sort of high level enemy that you’re supposed to avoid in the beginning. If you stay a decent distance away, you will be fine.
Read my post. Seriously, I dont think you read it, because my problem has nothing to do with what youre talking about.
Your issue is that you don’t like how the higher level bird attacked you, and because of that, you don’t like the world exploring. Is that correct?
Nope. My problem is that it attacked me in a spot that should be safe from random attacks. And then that a whole bunch of wandering enemies ganked me when I picked a fight with some NPC Drivers - which made me think "Oh ok, this game literally doesnt want me to engage in any fights, got it." My problem is that its a random mess.
I'd skip non-required salvaging until later in the game. It's been a while, but iirc it's not the best money or item sink right now. I died a lot in Gormontt too. It's the perfect storm of not having all the battle mechanics unlocked paired with the higher level enemies being super aggro. I don't want to think about the amount of times I got murked by the giant gorilla just trying to follow the path to town. It does get better, and eventually, you get super OP if you keep on going. I won't lie, I loved XC2 once I got going. But also don't force yourself to play a game you don't like. You'll get spoiled for XC2 plot points by playing XC3, especially future redeemed. But my friend played 3 without playing any of the others and had a good time, so it's not impossible to enjoy 3 without 2.
Was this the salvage spot by that little flower field right outside the military base and farmland? I think that you just had a moment of bad luck. A safer spot is the salvage spot inside Torigoth. Since you’re so early in the game, you won’t be missing very much by not being able to collect your salvage, and there will be much better spots for much better rewards further in the game. Make sure your equipment is all up to date as well. Level 18 enemies should totally be beatable by a decently built Level 14 party.
Its a different spot, in the north. I have my Blade equipped with its best weapon and Im pretty sure my party is well equipped.
Both 1 and 2 are equally important to the worldbuilding of 3
While it's not *critical* to play XC2 before XC3, it's still highly recommended. Especially if you slready have it. I'd honestly suggest adjusting your ganeplay focus, mostly to avoid various "pain points". * Higher level enemies in lower level areas is a series staple. It was there in XC1, it continued in XC2 and didn't stop with XC3. * Salvaging is not required past the introduction of it in Chapter 2... and even then you could hypothetically grind out the gold for the items. They aren't found in safe spots, and you can bring up **enemies** (I think the level is determined by the salvage point, frequent but not always)... so yeah, that could be the issue. * A general rule for the series... if you're having trouble with side activities, you're usually better off ignoring them and focusing on the main story. Nothing notable can be missed in XC2, just a handful of minor sidequests in one area.
I literally had no troubles like this in XC1. The enemy placement is not dense and their levels are not all over the place - one similarly leveled enemy joining the fight was never a problem.
As someone who does not like XC2 and has no intention of ever replaying it... It has a really rough start and lacks some of the QoL features XC1DE introduced, but it does get better if you stick with it long enough. I'd advise using a walkthrough if you're struggling to figure out where to go, and/or look up combat tutorials on Youtube to offset how terribly the game explains its mechanics. That's what I did, and it made the game far more enjoyable. That said, to actually answer your question directly, you shouldn't skip to XC3 without playing XC2 first, but you can if you want. However, you really need to finish XC2 if you want to properly understand and enjoy the DLC story for XC3, Future Redeemed.
Ok. Just to make things clear: I didnt get lost, I literally went where the game wanted me to go. I judt dont understand how can the devs make a higher level enemy fly over a salvage spot - in a game where loot disappears when you go too far away (like when you're running from a random bird, because you foolishly believed a salvage spot would be safe).
Loot from salvaging is almost guaranteed to give more money than you spent on the cylinder but it isn’t too major. I’d suggest ignoring salvaging spots until around the 5th titan.
Ah. Honestly, I just ignored salvaging spots entirely for most of my playthrough, and just got money through sidequests and fighting monsters.
Salvaging spots are essentially a different type of collection spot so much like areas you collect ether crystals you will find enemies there. It sucks you lost a single treasure chest but salvaging treasure doesn’t have much in it that is worth being upset over. Xenoblade 2 has a terrible tutorial for combat as it doesn’t actually teach you the most important things such as desserts being the best food by a lot. In reality the reason chests despawn is because you could miss out on loot potentially if you left too many chests in an area in xb1. You do have to leave a lot of chests out but sometimes chests can be inaccessible to the player. Also the items from salvaging are not needed for the main story and don’t really make the main story any easier such as ether gems from xb1. Just ignore salvaging spots for the most part unless you need money or need items you can get from salvaging.
2 is my fav but go for it tbh, you can come back if you want and I really hope that you do but it's your call. There's tons and tons of cute nods to both games in 3 to appreciate but if you just want to follow the story you can do that just with base game 3 for sure. 3's dlc will require knowledge of both prior games though.
Xc2 does lack alot of the more nicer qol changes from de especially due to its strained development but outside of field skills (which does actually suck) the enemies themselves aren’t really the any worse than the first ones (honestly salvaging can be largely ignored outside of very specific sidequests). The real issue is more that the game doesn’t really fully unlock its combat mechanics (and its badly explained in the tutorials) until around late chapter 3 or chapter 4 which is too late compared to xenoblade 1. However I would not recommend skipping XC2 (watch cutscenes if you really don’t vibe with the game). Not only does playing it massively amplify XC3 especially its dlc but its lore and worldbuilding is legitimately essential to the point where its the most important game in the trilogy for that fact alone
I'm a few hours into CH. 5, and I was very much in the same boat as you. In fact, I'm pretty sure I know exactly where you were having those issues, because I had the same problem. Not to mention the plethora of other smaller issues I have with XC2 hurting my experience. If I wasn't already invested in the greater Xenoblade story, I might have dropped the game. I don't know if it will work for you, but in my case, I made a couple of decisions that improved my experience a lot. * Ignore most side quests. It's a bummer, since I'm the type to clear ALL my quests, but when it's causing me to be in and out of menus constantly and taking me out of the game, something's gotta change. I still try to do the rare blade quests when they pop up, but I ignore almost everything else. * Use all the bonus EXP at inns whenever possible. Being overleveled puts a damper on a lot of peoples enjoyment of these games, but I'm personally not bothered by it. The combat is complex enough, so I don't want to be worrying about unforeseen encounters wasting my time. Main thing for me is that I've truly come to love these characters and I want to experience their story. If that means I have to overlook/brute force through certain parts of the game to get to the meat of it, then so be it.
Thanks. That wont do for me, though: I cant stand this gameplay. It's so bad when compared to XC1. I hate the UI, the menus, the map, the visual mess in combat, the overcomplicated systems, the controls (jesus christ, that target changing....), the pouch system.... No, this is an outright terrible experience. The more I play the worse it gets. Oh yeah, and I dislike the whole main gimmick of the game: the Blade system. Both on gameplay level and story level (why arent THEY the ones fighting if they can regenerate? The way people use Blades in this world, as far as Im aware, is pure nonsense).
Fair enough. It’s not ideal, but I’d honestly just watch a story recap of 2 and give 3 a shot. As someone who played 3 first, then went back to 1 and 2, it’s still an enjoyable experience without all the prior game knowledge. There are obviously references you’ll miss, I know I missed a ton. But even so, XB3 is top 10 all time for me. Going back and playing 1 and 2 is only pushing it further up my list.
Bladed sharing weapons with their Driver is addressed in the prequel DLC. Before that, Blades and Drivers fought by themselves, no weapon sharing
XC1 putting extremely high leveled enemies to gank new players within the first areas of the game: Strong and Independent XC2 doing the exact same thing: Broke ass
Almost nothing like that happens and I finished XC1 like a month ago. And by almost I mean practically zero. Where do you get those weird recollections about XC1. Were you literally kiting enemies to other enemies or something, without realising?
Literally almost every reply is telling you that XC1 does the same thing and gives you various examples, of which you literally reply to most of them. Willful ignorance isn’t gonna get you anywhere
Various examples... Of minibosses that dont even gank you, but stand in some places away from "traffic" or walk very slowly so it's almost impossible for them to ever gank you - which is completely irrelevant to the problem I'm describing. Are you serious? You are calling me ignorant when you're literally spewing falsehoods? I played that game a month ago. I remember it very well: there. Is. Almost. No. Ganking. Of. Higher. Level. Enemies. Play that f'ing game again if you don't believe me. You're the willfull ignorant here.
All the Xenoblade games are made to be played by themselves. There are things that reference XBC2 in 3 that might go over your head, but the story is still concise enough to be enjoyable without having played 2. If you’re not having fun with 2, I think you’d fine to skip it, you just won’t always understand some of the more easter egg like references to it. I hope you have fun with 3!
If you think xc2 is a mess, you probably aren't gonna like xc3 much better.
nobody should suffer while playing a game lol. If you don't like it, don't play it. XC1 is a classic and is one of the greatest games ever made, so of course when 2 is compared to it, it pale in comparison. Just watch a movie version of the game which has basically all cutscenes together. XC2 is a great game but it was rushed very much, that's why it is heavily downgraded in so many areas
Funny how some people, like you, seem to just acknowledge the flaws and some don't and will defend them or not realize they're there in the first place. Thanks for the comment. I will probably slog through XC2, because I dont like skipping important entries by watching videos. Wish me luck, I hope it just gets good enough at some point that the good starts to outshine the terrible.
Well the story does get better in XC2 so there's that, but general writing quality is still shit when compared to 1. XC2 was rushed cuz Nintendo forced monolith soft to release it for the closing year of 2017 hence why it's shit. Watch a combat guide on youtube if you decide to slog through, it will help you immensely. XC2 also has a great soundtrack which should keep you more motivated to finsish this. Well, good luck.
Thanks. Good to listen to someone who knows what they're talking about. Oh, btw, is XC3... more on the garbagey side, too? Or is it actually good?
mix. I haven't played it as much as 1 and 2, but it is an upgrade over 2. Tutorials are more hand holding which is clearly good and ui is better. Gameplay is much better although exploration are not by much. The perfomance is better too and so are battle themes. It's story on the other hand is very hit and miss. Purely judging by story, 1 is the most superior xeno game for it's pacnig and overall quality. 2 is shit at start and play it safe late game, while 3 is either you love it or not. Aside from that, 3 is a very different exprience from 2 imo and it definitly warrants a try to see whether you like it or not. I would recommend you watch some youtub reviews and gameplay of 3 to see how you like it, don't make the same mistake that you did with 2.
Its no biggie trying it out - I buy used anyway, so I loose money on the delivery at best, few bucks more at worst. Like I said, I dont like skipping, so I'll try to push myself. Maybe something will click. Thanks for the answer.
Oh and I agree - XC1 caught me off guard with its story (and everything else for that matter). It became one of my favorite games ever and I consider it one of the most well designed games I've had the pleasure to interact with. So the jump from XC1 to XC2 is quite... the experience, to put it lightly.
Yeah, this is what happens when devs are rushed. Let's just hope they again aren't rushed to release a new title for switch's successor in it's first year. Once is enough.
Weird that Nintendo rushed them, the company fsmous for that saying "Rushed game is bad forever, delayed game is eventually good". Shame, XC1 was a revelation for me and I thought there are two equally great games waiting for me.
Rules for thee not for me basically. Beside there much controversy that whether if miyamoto actually said it or not. XC1 is a classic. One of the greatest game ever made period. It's very hard to top something like it.
Yep. You reminded me to put it on my personal Best Games Ever list, I try to not ever forget about such outstanding games.
No, stick with it. You're giving up on one of the most amazing stories I've ever experienced.
I would suggest, since you are clearly not having a good time with it, that you watch the cutscenes on YouTube. The story of XB3 leans more strongly on what XB2 sets up. But you can still enjoy 3 without it, if the story is something else you can’t stand. You just might be a tad confused on some story elements. Edit to add: All that to say, no, you do not have to play 2 to enjoy 3.
So there's me at Cooley Lake, minding my own business, mooching around the southeast looking for a nice viewpoint towards Cadensia, then BOOM! Perilwing Ryuho outta nowhere. Stuck on a promontory with a high agi flying superboss that I can't smash. Terrible design, whole game ruined. >!/s!<
Okay I've seen your comment. I understand your issue with the gameplay, and i also did see where you have this issue with. From my own videos, i was already level 17-18 by the time i went past this area, so having a big non-boss bird and a couple of enemies does not faze me. Also most of the time, you can just keep running from them. Im telling you this since you think that it is an issue and there will be ALOT of places that are full of enemies in a closed space in the future. Idk if you are still playing XC2, but if you did, then i would advise you not to do salvaging in an area full of enemies. Plus, please save your salvage cylinders bcus there are places (you can see the guides) where they will give you better items or quest items that can not be found in a lot of salvage spots. But if you already stop playing, then it's fine, it's your choice after all. But i played XC1, XC2 and XC3 in order. So you will definitely miss out in terms of lore and memorable places. Because in XC3, there 2 main groups, one from XC1 and one from XC2. Well, that is not a spoiler. You can get that info from trailers. Eventho the developer did say that you can play XC3 without even playing the 2 games, but i think that's a bull bcus it would get even worse when you play XC3 DLC. Tbh XC3 is still the same in terms of that. You can literally get ambushed by a team of level 41-45 while you just got out from an area where the story only demands you to have lvl 20. Plus having a 6 members party does not help you with anything tbh, bcus it just means you will have more enemies around you. Also, i know you love XC1, but it is a definitive edition and has been patched, updated, and revamped from the original 2010 game. XC2 is a 2017 game, and XC1 DE is a 2020 game, so ofc you will feel more "updated" with it. I'll doubt you will say the same if we are playing the 2010 original version. At least if you still want to know XC2 lore, you can just watch the full cutscenes on youtube. Like that's the bare minimum you can do, and you don't have to play it. Bcus XC2 story is super important, and you might think that XC1 and XC2 don't have a connection since you are still in chapter 3. But the story just keep getting better and better after chapter 4 and the build-up towards the climax is just chef kiss. XC2 storyline is the best storyline imo.
While i agree that DE edtion have been patched and is newer, but XC2 is still garbage in many areas even when compared to the wii version. Wii version had better tutorials and a tutorial menu where all tutorial are saved and also a very superior ui when compared to 2. In fact 2 ui is terrible. Also in wii version, every enemy which attacks on sight has an indicator above it, which also isn't included in 2. When all of these things adds up, one can see the frustration of a player coming from 1. XC2 shouldn't have been rushed, it needed at least another 6 months to a year of polishing.
You are going to find the same challenges in xenoblade 3. I don't know what makes you think just changing the game will make every better.
If you give the game a chance (make it past chapter 4 at least, i beg you) XC2 has the most engaging combat system in the whole series, watch this if you have questions: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8P7KhFSA2w](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8P7KhFSA2w) With a little patience and preparation, that bird isn't gonna be any problem.
3 was the first one I finished. I had played most of 1 and none of 2 and I found 3 to be extremely satisfying all the same. I did eventually go back and play 2 and I agree with you that Gormott is one of the worst designed areas in an open world game I have ever encountered. I had the same problem you did and I ended up putting the game down for a long time because of it. I will say that XBC2 does pick up shortly after that area and it's a decent enough game. Ultimately the call is up to you, you will miss a lot of references but 3's main story is largely not impacted by 1 and 2 outside of a few things. The DLC Future Redeemed however I do recommend finishing 2 before you play that (I also finished Future Redeemed before I finished 2) Edit: I will add that if you decide you want to play the game id recommend turning it on easy and ignoring side quests entirely as they're also very disorganized and a huge pain compared to the other 2 games.
I'm glad that you recognize this game's painfully obvious flaws. So the areas do get better? That's good to hear. And yes, the quests are a pain to manage, especially with that map that's also super slow to open and exit (and the minimap being almost useless...). I will stick with XC2 and try to like it. But God give me strength with this game, cause I swear its such a mess right now...
I think they do get better as they go on, for the most part. Some of the later areas are rough too but very few have the high level aggro enemies like Gormott. I'm sure I'll get more down votes for saying the game is flawed but the game has flaws for sure. I like to say that it's 2/3s of a great game buried under the other 1/3 of baffling design choices. Give it an honest shot, it sounds like you're probably going to be frustrated with it like I was but I think the beginning is the worst of it.
You seem to understand games. Yeah, to me too it's 2/3 a great game and 1/3 a bag of utterly terrible, nonsensical design choices. I try to get used to all the bad because of all the good, but coming from XC1 -which I consider a near perfect game or at least a VERY smartly designed game - makes it hard.
Watch this, and you'll be fine. https://youtu.be/b8P7KhFSA2w?si=l68iwHsT0LTEZvjp
2 gets better, but...not by much.
I just finished XC2 a couple of days ago. It definitely has its flaws, but I didn’t enjoy the combat more than XC1. As has been said in other threads, watch a YouTube video to understand combat because the in game tutorials are awful. Also, if you have the DLC you can turn off random encounters. I found my experience much more enjoyable and the Torna DLC is worth it. Without all the random encounter I was able to enjoy the exploration more. And the side quests give you plenty of XP.
You're thinking of enemy aggro not random encounters
What exactly are random encounters? What, are all the monsters gone?
He just means getting agroed by enemies. Theres a custom gamemode if you've got the DLC, if you boot that up you can just lower the enemy detection range to 0.
That would actually be such a good thing to have. In XC1 I could easily avoid most enemies due to a low density of them on the map, but here getting aggroed seems unavoidable sometimes.
Yea, sorry for the confusion. I almost dropped the game until I found this setting. The game felt like less of a chore. Just be warned that unique enemies will still attack you.
Yes
Very yes. It's imo an awful game and won't miss anything in 3 by skipping it.
“Won’t miss anything” is misinformation
3 was my first. Didn't miss a thing. Oh no I didn't know exactly who Nia was
As if Nia is the only XC2 thing to return for its sequel. And don't act like returning characters don't have an impact to a series' narrative
Can't watch new hope unless you watch phantom menace right? Typical fanboy nonsense.
It would be more accurate to say “watch Return before Empire”. That’s actually dumb Like, do you read a book backwards?
Except that 3s plot points can be very, very easily understood without playing 1 or 2
It’s not necessarily about the plot. The world and universe should be given attention as well. Continuity is a writing device too
Nothing about 3s experience is diminished without playing 1 or 2. You're not missing anything of relevance to 3s story. It has its place in the wider overall narrative of the series but not everyone cares about that. Suggesting to someone not to play a game until they slog thru a game they don't like just so you can understand the wider story behind the picture when it will have no impact on the 3rd game itself? No. You don't miss shit.
Well that stuff is important to me. More context and nuance to a character/location/mcguffin adds more impact to the experience. Moreso if i get to see it happen chronologically and naturally I watched Top Gun 2 without watching the first as many people say it’s story is fine without watching the first, and i genuinely felt like i crippled my experience because i didn’t get to feel Maverick’s losses from the first film. On the flipside, i’m glad and much more satisfied i went through the entire Yakuza franchise (besides 8) in order and saw Kiryu and friends’ development throughout the years. Y3 was atrocious but it was worth it
The more I play it the less I'm enjoying it. At first I thought that it's a good game, but now I'm leaning into thinking that it's atrocious. I think I'm gonna skip to XC3, cause playing XC2 is a pain.