Support NeoGAF

[Missingnomer]

I played Xenoblade Chronicles 2 when it first released at the end of 2017 and loved every second of it. It was my first Xenoblade experience and I had a blast. It motivated me to dive into Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition, which I also greatly enjoyed. In my opinion, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 was definitely step-up from the first game, even with the fresh coat of paint the definitive edition gave it. The characters are just so lovable in the second game. I felt attached to each one of them way more than the first game’s cast. However, this post isn’t for Xenoblade Chronicles 2, it is for the DLC standalone game: Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna ~ the Golden Country.

I sat on this game till now for no real reason, but with the hype surrounding Xenoblade Chronicles 3, I decided to play it to refresh myself on the series before July. I must say, it was great to finally meet Addam and his crew, but when the credits started to roll, I felt like it didn’t answer the only question I had: Why did Malos and Jin team up? They both wanted to kill all humans and God and blah blah blah, but I wanted the game to show how Jin and Malos met and how they decided to work together. Malos in the main game was so dedicated to Jin and helping him with his goal that I was curious about how Malos became so invested in Jin. Especially when the game shows them being direct enemies in the past. The game is painfully short. I felt like they could have easily added 5-10 more hours for Lora, Addam, and Hugo to develop more comradery with themselves and their blades. There just wasn’t enough time to develop the characters. When Hugo and the cat boy died (I don’t even remember his name), I didn’t feel much.

The biggest part that bothers me is Addam. It was obvious that the writers didn’t want to make Addam too likeable. After all, he isn’t the main character. Rex is. But man, they did my boy dirty. He barely had any moments to pop-off. He is just sort of there to keep the plot moving. They didn’t show him struggling with Mythra’s rampage and destroying his homeland. They show him early on as a cry baby but he doesn’t shed a tear for his own country and people?! No thoughts on Mythra mentally cracking and reanimating as Pyra? No closing thoughts on his failure and hope for the future as he seals Pyra away? Nothing? Nope, we just get Jin being an edge lord. Also, at the very end of the game we have a random fight with Lora’s past abuser who turned into a blade eater. It just felt like they forgot they had that story thread and decided to just have a random final encounter. I honestly think the game devs wanted to add an entire subplot about the blades being databases and the origins of flesh eating and blade eating. I mean, Jin just randomly knows how to make a blade into a flesh eater? Huh? Just felt like a big plot hole that had some threads to address them but were ultimately dropped at the end. Yeah, he just knows cause he...read his diary? It would have been cool if they did some plot twist were Jin actually discovered how to do become a flesh eater and had that data from his core stolen by that old church guy. Then the church starts making flesh eater and blade eater abominations. Alas, I think they just ran out of time and money to do anything interesting.

I hope that Xenoblade Chronicles 3 doesn’t cut the story up and try to sell another standalone DLC. I mean, I love story DLC for games that I love, but I don’t want it completing the main game’s story. I want it to be additional content. They could have easily added the story of Torna ~ The Golden Country to the main game. It was like a solid hour of cutscenes.

At the end of it all, it was great being back in the world of Xenoblade, but I wasn’t too thrilled with how they handled Addam and crew.

I am so hyped for Xenoblade Chronicles 3, though. Can we get a hype check?

 

[Danjin44]

After Lora died and Jin became flash Eater in order not forget her he started hating world and Malos helps him take revenge.

Remember Lora wasn’t killed by Malos, rather by Amalthus’s army.

That DLC story is much more about Lora and Jin more than Addam.

 

[Cornbread78]

That is quite the write-up damn. I didn't like Torna as much as I enjoyed 2, bit I'm still extremely excited for 3 in July

 

[Danjin44]

That is quite the write-up damn. I didn't like Torna as much as I enjoyed 2, bit I'm still extremely excited for 3 in July

Well yeah, base game is much longer and able to flash out the character much better, I still like what Torna did when it comes to combat system.

 

[jshackles]

I really liked the Torna DLC. Like OP I loved the characters in Xenoblade 2 so it was good to dig more into them with the Torna DLC.

In particular, I really enjoyed the length of this. It was meaty enough that it could have really been it's own spin off game, but it was short enough that I didn't have to devote another 100 hours to it.

 

[Mister Wolf]

I didn't like the combat of Torna.

 

[Andyliini]

Torna truly is one of the best DLC packs ever released, and I loved every second of it. There's much to learn there, but the reward is a great, well directed ending.

Regarding Addam, I love how he is depicted as a stoic mythical hero in the base game, but was actually a soft goofball when he was alive. The English dub is also great.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is probably my most anticipated game of 2022, so I hope it gives us another wonderful experience like 2 did.

 

[Fbh]

I liked some of the changes to combat, the new location and the music was great too, love the combat theme in particular.
But overall found the DLC rather underwhelming. I think you did a good job explaining some of the disappointment regarding the story but I think they could have done more with the gameplay and overall design.
A shocking amount of this DLC revolves around doing boring mandatory fetch quests or other such forms of generic low quality quests which are usually reserved for filler.

Not only is it boring from a design perspective, but during the main game you get the impression the story of Addam was another epic tale not unlike the main plot in XBC2. Then we get to see it and it turns out that, at least the bits we get to experience, were mostly running errands for random people.

I mean it wasn't bad, but I expected way more for $40.

 

[kiphalfton]

Xenoblade 2 and Torna need reprints. Why Nintendo stopped is beyond me. Digital exists, but fuck that.

 

[saintjules]

Couldn't bring myself to finish the first Chronicles and no longer had the Wii at the time. I think once the 'Xeno' franchise moved on after gears, the metaseries didn't become attractive for me.

That being said I did get a copy of the first Chronicles some time ago and am currently thinking of playing it to get back into the series. The 3rd one looks great, but the path to completing the first two games is necessary to really understand the story right?

What about Xenoblade Chronicles X? Even though there's no connection to the other Xeno entries, should I play that as well? I guess it's not on any other platform besides Wii U.

 

[Danjin44]

first two games is necessary to really understand the story right?

In my opinion you gonna get more out of the story if you played the first two game since they are combining two worlds and there will be returning characters from both games as well.

 

[TidusYuna]

 

[UnNamed]

Two things I didn't like about Torna:
-in terms of gameplay it was a simplified version of Xenoblade 2;
-the story don't add a hair to what is narrated in the XB2's flashbacks, which are only expanded in Torna.

Everything else, I loved it.

 

[Feel Like I'm On 42]

Couldn't bring myself to finish the first Chronicles and no longer had the Wii at the time. I think once the 'Xeno' franchise moved on after gears, the metaseries didn't become attractive for me.

That being said I did get a copy of the first Chronicles some time ago and am currently thinking of playing it to get back into the series. The 3rd one looks great, but the path to completing the first two games is necessary to really understand the story right?

What about Xenoblade Chronicles X? Even though there's no connection to the other Xeno entries, should I play that as well? I guess it's not on any other platform besides Wii U.

I'm sure it's nothing a good youtube story recap video wouldn't accomplish. Games these days are designed so you can hop in and not be lost, even if you didn't play prior games.

 

[Touch fuzZy. get BizZay]

I didn't like the combat of Torna.

-in terms of gameplay it was a simplified version of Xenoblade 2;

Did they really make the combat too simple? That's gonna be annoying after learning all the ins and outs of XC2. They didn't remove chain attack from Torna like how they removed it from future connected did they?

 

[Danjin44]

Did they really make the combat too simple? That's gonna be annoying after learning all the ins and outs of XC2. They didn't remove chain attack from Torna like how they removed it from future connected did they?

I would say it simple because you dont get that many rare Blades compare to base game, but chain attack still there.

 

[NanaMiku]

Did they really make the combat too simple? That's gonna be annoying after learning all the ins and outs of XC2. They didn't remove chain attack from Torna like how they removed it from future connected did they?

It's simpler because you don't have to compose the party member that much, only changing the element of the drivers. The elemental orb also become much easier, every time you use the specials, you directly get the orb, you don't have to wait until finishing the blade combo. Chain attack also got a bonus attack when you fill up the gauge.