Xenogame General /xgg/ Xenoblade 2 FAQ

Last update: 7th Dec. 2017

Q: Do I need to play previous games?
A: No, Xenoblade 2 is standalone. It isn't a direct sequel of any of the other games, but rather a spiritual successor to XB1. That said, beyond the similarities in its structure and narrative approach, if you played XB1, you will understand why it is called "Xenoblade 2" when you play it. You are free to play them in case you want to catch any reference or easter egg in XB2, but both games are really long (70h+ for the first playthrough) so you might get burnt out for a while.

Q: Will I like it compared to XB1 and XBX?
A: Xenoblade 2 is closer to XB1 compared to XBX, as it is more story oriented. On the other hand, while the exploration part is bigger than XB1, it is more restrictive than XBX, be it in area size and locations to explore. Consider Xenoblade 2 as the compromise between both games, while leaning towards XB1 for its structure and story focus. As such, if you liked XB1 for its story in comparison to XBX, it is very likely XB2 will satisfy you. However, if you prefered XBX due to the exploration, XB2 might be lacking in that department.

Q: JP voice? Text?
A: Yes, there is a japanese voice free DLC.
Since the western version is handled differently due to the voice DLC, it is similar to Fire Emblem Warriors case: There isn't any common version of the game, hence why there is "Xenoblade Chronicles 2" for the west, while Japan has its own version, "Xenoblade 2". As such, the western version of the game isn't designed to work like Mario Odyssey or Breath of the Wild when it comes to JP text: switching your account or language settings into Japanese won't change the game language at all. If you want JP text, you will have to buy on the JP Eshop, but you won't have English text nor English voices.

Q: Sound options?
A: You can tweak Cutscenes voices, BGM, SFX, Game voices, Battle narration (Announcer) separately. So if you can't stand "AMAZING/MARVELOUS/etc" yells in combat, you can disable them specifically without affecting the rest. You can also disable Game voices which will render fights completely void of characters banter and mute the comments the characters make while traveling on the main map or after a fight. Meanwhile, Heart-to-Heart portions and Story Cutscenes are part of the Cutscenes voice option (I'd personally recommend putting that option to max while lowering a bit the game music option otherwise it might lead to the same issue as XBX). Also, note that there isn't any individual character voice option.

Q: Can I change characters outfits?
A: There isn't any skin customization at all. Unlike XB1 and XBX, the equipments are mostly your blades and accessories that don't affect your characters' looks.

Q: I'm stuck with a brat in combat? What about the other characters?
A: You still can control other characters like any xenoblade game, although you cannot swap character in the middle of a fight. You can also issue a focus order to the IA, but you cannot make any other specific order. However, the IA will act accordingly to the style of the driver, depending of the type of blades they have, so equip them with more tank or healer blades if you want a dedicated tank or healer. They also tend switching blades to match the current eleemnt requirement for the Blade combo (let's say Nia has Zakuro/Kora (electric) equipped, if your current blade combo requires water, she will automatically switches to Byakko/Dromarch so you can prolong de blade combo with a water special).

Q: How is the battle system? It looks slow.
A: It is actually the most fast paced system in the series. The game forces you to position yourself correctly to take advantage of your arts effects, and relying mostly on autos isn't a good idea. Combo, positioning and timing are important and the mobs are actually a threat if you aren't actively playing in combat unless you are severely overleveled.
In pratice, proper Driver combos (Arts canceling an auto or another art) allow you to cast more specials (A button), which are needed for Blade combo. Doing proper Blade combo lead to Fusion combo (Result of chaining 3 specials in a specific order. For example: Fire => Water => Fire generate Steam Explosion), dealing above average damage but also creating an elemental orb. And these orbs are important so you can dish out massive damage during Chain attacks although they make the mob resistant to that element as long as you don't break the orb. Please check the nintendo direct video for practical explanations or the combat FAQ.

Q: What the hell are common and rare blades?
A: Weapons in the form of characters you obtain from core crystals which might be similar to lootboxes at first glance, except you cannot buy them at all. You cannot get rare blade dupes. There are different kind of cores (common, rare, legendary) but none have 100% of yielding a rare blade except the special story cores such as the Beast core crystal. Note that blades are bound to the character who opened the core crystal.

Q: Can I abuse save function to roll a good blade?
A: No can do. There is an auto save function that activates everytime you opens a core crystal and you cannot turn it off. You get a lot of core crystals during your playthrough so you shouldn't worry about not getting good blades on the long run. Also note that you only have 1 save just like XBX, but it is tied to the user profile. If you want another save, just launch the game with another user, but you just can't duplicate a save at all.

Q: Can I transfer blades? Can I unequip/transfer special blades like Homura/Pyra or Byakko/Dromarch?
A: Regarding non story blades, yes, but it requires overdrive protocols. Be be warned that these items are extremely rare and one-use only. For that matter, there isn't any report of people who found more than 3 of them in treasure toves yet, but you can get 1 of them every time you complete a character affinity chart. As such, be careful when you decide to transfer a rare blade. As for the special blades, no you cannot unequip them nor transfer them as they are bound to their respective driver for story reasons.

Q: How long is the game?
A: Focusing on the main story without bothering too much with exploration and subquests takes easily between 60 and 80 hours. The full content of the game easily reaches 100-120+ hours.

Q: Is the music as good as the first game?
A: Have a listen for yourself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7Z9fIbLf_c

Q: Is it censored? Any changes
A: No visual censorship. Some rare blades are known for their risqué design and they weren't censored. As for changes, Nintendo of Europe is responsible for the localization, so it is more faithful than Treehouse or 8-4. However, it has to be mentioned that NoE still make few changes at times, which was already the case in XB1, but not as drastic as any work of the aforementioned localization companies. In XB2 case, changes are still noticeable but not that numerous, mostly when it comes to Tora and his fetishes.

Q: Any DLC?
A: Similarly to BoTW, Xenoblade 2 has a season pass that will span over a year. You cannot buy any item separately right now. Most important point is that we will get an additional story part in Fall 2018. Use your own discretion if it is worth your money or not, but it is obvious these aren't really cut content from the disc.

Q: Actual gameplay videos?
A: Most are spoiler free, but some reveal more than usual, so caution is advised.
Gamespot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-s49dktg5_8
GameXplain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0W7ROTyWFQs
IGN: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dW_REqB8vbc
Polygon (no commentary): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwuUlw876T4

Q: What's in the special edition?
JP version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OZS6iQEpUs
US version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DESdmng_N1s
EU Version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4w8lH9_6ws

Australian version is similar to the EU one: box is the same except the blade highlight on the box is lime green, not teal and the OST selection cover and disc designs are the same as the US version. As a bonus, there is also a poster.
Meanwhile, JP version is closer to the US one with some exceptions: softcover book like the EU ver and steelbook is used for the OST selection, not for the game card. Also, not only it has a regular case for the game, but an additional cover featuring Rex with Hikari/Mythra instead.