Xenoblade Chronicles X

About Xenoblade Chronicles X

Monolith Soft built Xenoblade Chronicles X as a spiritual successor to their hit Wii title, dropping players into the open world of Mira in 2015. Released exclusively for the Wii U, this action RPG follows human survivors who crash-landed on an alien planet after fleeing Earth. You play as an amnesiac colonist waking up in New Los Angeles and joining the BLADE organization to recover lost life pods while fighting off hostile alien factions like the Ganglion coalition. The game emphasizes massive scale exploration where you cross diverse biomes on foot or by piloting Skells, giant four-story-tall mechs capable of flight and transformation into tanks or motorcycles. It is a dense sci-fi adventure that demands patience but offers one of the most expansive worlds seen on Nintendo hardware.

Gameplay

You spend most of your time surveying Mira from the cockpit of a Skell or hiking across alien terrain to locate resources. Combat involves switching between humanoid mode and mech mode to handle different threats, with aerial battles requiring precise timing when enemies dive from the sky. The core loop focuses on scavenging materials to build better gear and upgrade your Skell modules while completing missions for BLADE. You can drive vehicles in third-person or fly freely, making traversal feel dynamic across oceans, deserts, and forests. Mission objectives range from hunting specific monsters to escorting NPCs, but the real draw is the sheer volume of side content. Every area hides collectibles and hidden paths that reward thorough searching with rare parts needed to survive the harsher zones where combat gets brutal.

What Players Think

Players on PlayPile have logged over 85 hours per completion on average, reflecting a commitment few other RPGs demand. Metacritic gave it an 84 out of 100, but our user base rates it even higher at 4.6 stars based on 1,200 reviews. Community moods lean heavily toward "curious" and "exhausted," with many noting the steep learning curve regarding mech customization. Completion rates sit at just 32% for full 100% runs, proving how much content exists beyond the main story. Users frequently mention the sheer variety of Skell builds as a major positive, though some criticize the slow pacing during early exploration phases. Review snippets highlight the freedom to move however you want as a standout feature that keeps people engaged despite occasional technical hiccups on the Wii U hardware.

PlayPile's Take

This title is for players who want a massive sandbox to explore rather than a tight narrative experience. At its price point, it offers hundreds of hours of content if you enjoy grinding for better equipment. You will unlock 45 achievements, mostly tied to completing major Skell upgrades and finishing side stories. The game lacks the polish of modern releases but delivers an unmatched sense of scale on the Wii U. Do not expect a fast-paced shooter or a simple story walk-through. If you can tolerate repetitive crafting loops and a slow start, the payoff is a world that feels genuinely alive. Grab it only if you have time to dedicate to one project for a long stretch without distractions.

Storyline

Xenoblade Chronicles X opens as humanity, warned of its impending destruction in the crossfire between two warring alien races, constructs interstellar arks to escape Earth. However, only a few arks escape the destruction, including the White Whale ark. Two years after launching, the White Whale is attacked and transported to Mira. During the crash-landing, the Lifehold—a device containing the majority of the human colonists—is separated from the White Whale, with lifepods containing colonists being scattered across Mira. The avatar is awoken from a lifepod by Elma and brought back to New Los Angeles. While suffering from amnesia, the avatar joins BLADE, working with Elma and Lin to recover more lifepods and search for the Lifehold. During their missions across Mira, BLADE encounters multiple alien races, learning that those attacking them are part of the Ganglion coalition, an alliance of races led by the Ganglion race, who are intent on destroying humanity.