#xenoblade analysis

[xenoblademisadventures]

I'm bored. Gonna give two hot takes for every Xenoblade game. One uncommon criticism and one uncommon praise.

Xenoblade 1

Criticism

Shulk's character arc was bad. Like, what was he on about? Firstly, the revenge quest. It doesn't really tackle the ideas of revenge. Instead he just goes "oh shit my gf isn't dead time to be a pacifist." And with Egil, we've got Shulk going "we must spare him" while quite literally every other character, plot point, etc. is saying some variation of "we tried" or "no." And then he has no issue with slaying Zanza and his henchmen. He also has this thing about learning to see more than just what's in front of him, but that's really only something he tells Alvis once in Ose Tower. It's not something you can clearly see develope over the course of the game.

Praise

I really liked the camera in Xenoblade 1. You can see the cameraman going nuts whenever Alvis is on screen, especially when he gives Shulk that pep talk in Space. You can also see it with the fight against the mechon on Bionis Leg. The camera was just on point almost every scene. I think the credit goes to the storyboard artists, I'm not entirely sure. But they did an incredible job.

Xenoblade X

Criticism

The combat system was really bad. Like, I felt like there were two grounds for the combat. Either you have no clue what's happening or you snap the game in half. This is a multifaceted issue that comes down to a mix between the combat itself, unhelpful tutorials, and the UI failing to emphasize relevant information. But, what I mean here is that even if the game explained its combat system to the player proper, it's got too many type attributes, which usually just results in you switching out gear to match the resistances and weaknesses between fight, it also means I have to look up something's attributes on the wiki before I can properly plan out my build, which isn't an issue in the other games; the buffs attached to the dual guns are too powerful compared to everything else, so it just makes them overpowered, but they're also fun status effects, so it just makes every other gun feel bad to play; Overdrive is needlessly complicated and you can pretty much only either break the game or find the mechanic to be useless depending on whether you've looked up external guides; TP being regained through auto attacks would be a good system if the amount of TP gain wasn't fucking pitiful; also the TP arts are way too powerful like True Stream Edge and Ghost Factory are pretty much all you need to 1v1 most of the shit in the game; there's not much need for utilizing party members, post-game the avatar character can 1v1 everything, and even ignoring that, there aren't any real systems in place to make the presence of your allies feel known; and there's a bunch of other shit. It's definitely the worst combat system in the series by far.

Praise

I really like how X progresses its penalties for death. You start off with full party wipes only sending you back a few minutes. A lot of your deaths in this game will be caused by an overlevelled enemy spotting you, and the level design does an incredible job at accommodating this and turning that into a core part of the gameplay loop. So, about halfway through the game, you get access to these giant mechs. The mechs let you move faster and they're really fucking strong in combat. Like, if you haven't played X, imagine if you could use Ouroboros Form indefinitely. The catch is that if your mech dies, it doesn't respawn. You have to go get it repaired. A little inconvenient, but nothing unmanageable. If your mech gets destroyed too many times, your character's insurance stops paying for the repairs. The mechs are really fucking expensive. So, you probably can't afford the repairs, especially if you haven't been stockpiling an ungodly amount of money before chapter 6. Furthermore, threat assessment gets a lot more fucky once you get mechs because larger enemies have better stats than smaller enemies, so you get cases where level 40 enemies are weaker than level 30 enemies. So, you can't just see number big run away. But the game eases you into this. For one, you only get one mech immediately, which will probably go on the player character. So, you can learn to dismount whenever your mech might die. Then you start getting the ability to have the AI control the mechs. There's a command to tell specific party members to mount or dismount their mechs. So, the AI won't screw you if you're quick enough. Then you get access to the ability to make the mechs fly. There's two new major factors here. Firstly, that's a whole new axis to get spotted from. You might get sniped by an enemy way above or way below you. Second, you can't really dismount when you're in the fucking stratosphere, so you don't have that safety net. The game teaches the player how to keep an eye out for big enemies, so it doesn't feel unfair by the time you get to the point where a level 80 mech plucks your level 40 ass out of the sky. And I really like how the increased stakes are a natural progression to your power-ups. It's a really good system and it adds a great spice to the exploration.

Xenoblade 2

Criticism

So, this us something that I haven't complained about before, but it's a massive bugbear for me. I really hate that 2 and 3 removed the player's ability to tell what detection type the enemies are. Like, sneaking around dangerous enemies to explore areas early is some of the most fun I've had with these games. Like, the out of combat interactions with enemies in X may as well be the glue holding the gameplay together. One of my most memorable moments in Xenoblade 3 was stealing Riki's Biter from the level 90 area at level 30. And this is an even more annoying decision for 2 and 3 specifically because those games reuse a lot of enemies from 1, which does show enemy aggro types. So I just happened to have that information memorized, which let me avoid the enemies anyways. But there's no reason someone who hasn't played 1 or X would know that different enemies have different aggro types. I think the removal of this information also limits options for level design. Like, the Territorial Deathape was a lot more memorable in 1 compared to every other game. And the reason for that is because the deathape is kind of off to the side in the other games, but it will sneak up and ambush you in 1. Like, in X, the monkey was off to the side, but it has a billion other enemies that function same as Rotbart. It's just that the deathape happened to not be one of those enemies. While in 2 and 3, I think the more underwhelming deathapes can be largely attributed to them having much more predictable movement patterns. And part of the reason for that is that you can tell at a glance exactly how to avoid Rotbart in 1, but you don't get that option in 2 and 3. I think 2 and 3 both have been leaning more towards not making overpowered enemies randomly aggro onto the player. And I think they're worse off for it.

Praise

This is the first Xenoblade game where Monolith did a good job with the UI. For those who weren't around for 1 and X, the UIs were impressively bad and it wasn't really a question. 1 covered way too much space with useless information while X just completely failed to emphasize important details. Meanwhile, 2 did a great job at making information compact and emphasizing what the player needed to know.

Xenoblade 3

Criticism

N was a poorly written villain. His backstory was great, but everything else about him sucked. This applies to every other tragic villain in the game. They're expected to garner sympathy off the premise of "they're important to the protagonists," but they're presented the same way as any no bars evil villain, which is just a huge disconnect. Like, I can't really get behind N as an antagonist because I can't see a world where Noah does an evil laugh. Like, I can be sold that he'd join Moebius, but I can't buy him acting the way N's presented. As with Joran, I think he became a lot less interesting as a plot point once he's revealed to be an antagonist, which hurt Lanz's character arc a lot. Crys is potentially interesting, but omg please stop monologuing what the fuck. But yeah, that's why I think N is a pretty shit antagonist. He just doesn't sell the "was Noah" part.

Praise

This is going to sound strange, but the way the game handles swimming is so much better in my opinion. First of all, the sound effects are better. In every other game, my autistic ass would get really bothered by the swimming sound effects, but not here. Second, the fact that swimming doesn't cancel combat is great. It was really annoying falling or being knocking into water and having the character decide "no more fighting." It was most noticeable in X because you could jump and sprint during combat and thus had a better chance of falling into water (and falling into water cancelled Overdrive), but I also felt it in 1 and 2. Also, I appreciate that the game's tutorial makes you fight and swim, just to say "hey you can do that now btw" to returning players. I also really like the wave effects Erythia Sea. Those were really cool.

[agniratha]

you guys ever think about how Xenoblade 1 tells us "hey, you've all got your own Monados — you just have to find them" and doing so means we can realize our full potential and seize our destiny but then Xenoblade 3 chimes in and says "you know what, you've all got a little bit of Moebius inside you too" and it actually FUCKS how these two messages, from the finales of the first and last games no less, not only perfectly parallel each other but also beautifully cap off everything this trilogy stands for???

like yes human potential is boundless and we are capable of anything when we work together and put our minds to it but also we're just lil guys in a great big world that never stops changing so of course we're gonna get scared! and it's okay to be scared because it's only human to fear the unknown, to want to cling on to the things dear to us when the future is so vague and full of uncertainty. moving forward is very hard and it can be downright fucking terrifying but what choice do we have when forward is the only way?

but you know what? it'll be okay. nothing may ever be the same again but you'll be okay. i'll be okay. we'll all be okay.

[mikubilliards]

It’s very late at night and I cannot sleep because this is on my mind so I have to get it out…

THIS FREAKING SCENE

Oh my gosh I can’t stop thinking about it. (Spoilers for Xenoblade 3 which I really hope you play so avoid this if you don’t wanna be spoiled)

Wow this scene has some new context after all we’ve learned. Manana knows EXACTLY what she’s saying here, she’s not just randomly bantering. She knows that she’s pushing the group towards understanding their “real enemy” Vandham mentioned. Their real enemy is the world they live in, specifically the rules that govern the world. Of fighting endlessly, dying over and over again, of never being able to truly live. Riku and Manana both want the party to understand their mission, to change the world. They even lead the group to discussing how they differ from Moebius, how they aren’t “supervillainpon” even though they also killed. How their choices were but reactions to their circumstances, not innate to their behavior. And thus, it is the world that is the real enemy, the real supervillain as Manana says.

Then Taion cuts in, with a very in character hyper-logical response that the world itself being a bad place ultimately leads to the idea of suicide, of simply succumbing to the natural order or killing oneself so as to not take part in it. Wild that right after we get to see Colony Tau basically with just that ideology, of slowly strangling itself behind the ideologies of avoidance and inaction. If the world offers no choice but to kill, even though it is against everything one stands for, then the only answer is to kill oneself so that one may not be forced to go against their belief.

But that’s when Noah steps in, and honestly he has the perfect response to that logical conclusion. Sure, the world may be a bad place. It may force us to kill, to end others so that we might live. But taking a look around, nothing exists solely for anyone there. The moon doesn’t shine for us, but it is us who assign it meaning. We assign meaning to the things in life that we see, nothing in the world is innate. That includes the rules of the world. We can change those rules, given enough willpower and determination, and make a better future for everyone. And besides…

“The world doesn’t just vanish because you’ve closed your eyes.”

Man that can apply to so many different things, ughhhhhh I wanna get a like poster made with just those words on it. It’s such a great line, not only in that context but also just in general. Life happens whether you’re looking for it to or not. Simply turning away isn’t an option, because it fixes nothing, and only leaves things worse.

This game is so good I could rant about each and every scene here for literal hours. A literal masterpiece of a story that I really wish more people fully understood. If I had any artistic talent I would be doing nothing but making things about this game. Maybe I need to try more, gotta practice what this game and I preach I suppose.

Anyways, thanks for reading this far down. Maybe I’ll do more of it if I have the motivation tomorrow or later.

[valbellepeche]

With the recent announcement of Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition, I've been thinking about X's story, the time leading up to humanity leaving Earth in particular. I wanted to analyze these events and compare them to the rest of the series to see if I can discern possible relations between the games or otherwise learn something about them.

Full spoilers for Xenoblade X, 1, 2, and Future Redeemed.

To begin with, let's summarize the events leading up to the destruction of each timeline's respective Earth, starting with Xenoblade X.

In the 2020s, Elma arrived on Earth and warned humans of the alien conflict that will eventually reach Earth. She brought advanced alien technology, notably including light speed travel. The Coalition government was formed, and the Earthlife Colonization Project, or Project Exodus, was started with hopes of preventing human extinction. The Lifehold is developed, a system that stores human consciousness so they can later be put in newly created artificial biological bodies. In July of 2054, the aliens reached Earth, and it was destroyed in the conflict, with the Project Exodus ships attempting to leave amongst the chaos. Most of the ships were not successful, and it's possible the White Whale was the only one to survive.

For Xenoblade 1-3:

The Conduit was discovered at the beginning of the 21st century. It was moved to an orbital ring built so the Conduit could be studied safely. A group known as the Saviourites pushes for the protection of their own human rights, which likely did not end up happening. The Saviourites attack the low orbit station in an attempt to possess the Conduit.

Where things get interesting is when concepts and terms from Xenoblade X appear. As early as the Siren model kit's bonus lore, the world government is referred to with the same name as X's, Coalition. The next part of the timeline comes from Future Redeemed's infamous radio scene, where the Earthlife Colonization Project/Project Exodus is named directly. It is stated that, as a part of the project, the 8th ship has left, bringing the total number of people sent to space to 3 million. Ships 9 through 13 are planned to bring the number to 10 million, with each carrying up to 1.5 million. This is distinctly different from the ECP in X, where the ships only leave once Earth is actively being destroyed. Additionally, the ships in the numbered games' timeline seem to be carrying people in their original bodies rather than using the Lifehold and Mimeosomes, which allow the White Whale to effectively carry 20 million people, a massive increase in carrying capacity.

What really got me thinking about all of this was reading one of Xenoblade X's short stories released in Japan before the game came out. (Translation by twitter user tried4thdslip)

This part specifically stood out to me. "...there were many who refused to join under the umbrella of the Coalition government. Most of the world, however, agreed upon the gravitas of the situation and banded together to avoid potential extinction. As a result, the injustice that a dissatisfied minority felt went largely ignored."

This is a near perfect match for the Saviourites, predating their appearance in Xenoblade 2. They've been building upon Earth's politics in these games even across separate universes. Whether it's building up to something or not, I can't say for certain, but it's fascinating nonetheless.

This brings to question whether certain events overlap between timelines. Was the Conduit discovered on X's Earth? Did Elma come to the numbered games' Earth? My answer to both of these is no, at least for now. There's no orbital ring on X's Earth. (admittedly, the ring did not exist in Xenoblade 1, although it wasn't added in X's remaster, so the point still stands) Humanity's technology is based on what Elma gave them rather than the Conduit. And most importantly, if they had the Conduit, it would make more sense to use it against the incoming aliens rather than attempting to flee.

As for Elma existing in Xenoblade 1-3's universe, the Coalition government and Earthlife Colonization Project existing at all is interesting, but their purposes and execution differ from that of X's, so I don't think they were created for the same purpose.

If I missed anything or got something wrong, please let me know. See you all on Mira in March!

[ihaveforgortoomany]

Vertin and suitcase.co reminds me of the Xenoblade 3 ouroboros team so I view the largely 15-16 (with some 18) cast thematically as the same more or less.

(I mean your telling me Noah doesn't look at the very least in his 20s for example)

Their future had been stolen away (R1999 is stuck reliving past period never able to reach 1999 and beyond, Aionios is a perpetual cycle of war and death)

Druvis describing Arcana as a concept and entity rather than a person reminds me of how Z was the embodiment of humanity's fear of the unknown and future in the merge.

The fact that Ms Moisson was noted to be a field investigator at 14ish and characters like Mesmer Jr and Isolde kinda pointed me towards thinking the young age range of the main cast was in part intentional.

[frequenceraph]

"Z is a bad character"

Xenoblade 1 and 3 spoilers incoming Ok so Z. I've seen so many people, mostly on twitter and reddit, complain about how this man is a bad character. The thing is though they're missing the point of Z. Z isn't supposed to be complex, he's a force created by origin as a response to the collective will of people to avoid confronting the inevitable collision and dissolution into light that the two worlds are destined for. He's a corrupting influence; an embodiment of the concept of the endless now. Z is compelling by means of the characters he influences. N is widely considered in the fandom to be an extremely well written character-- through the lens of one of the main characters' past lives, we get to experience the pain of loss that made him want to never have to lose anything anymore. Z is the fear of loss, and Noah choosing to confront Z and refuse to give in is him refusing to be afraid of losing the people he loves. He's lost Mio over and over, he had to leave his son behind, he's been unable to defeat moebius and break the cycle over and over, and Z-- his fear of loss-- eventually gets to him. These kinds of interactions make Z compelling and threatening. Z is a representation of the fear and vice that lives inside every single one of us. Even people who are extremely young like Joran can self sabotage and want to stay in a comfortable eternity when that's not the state that anything-- the world nor your interpersonal relationships-- can stay in. Joran is so mired in his assumptions that everyone of the main Keves party thinks he's useless that for a while he isn't able to escape the genuine abuse that he suffers at the hands of Moebius D. And that's Z at work. He (Joran's own assumptions and fears) has paralyzed Joran in a state of self loathing that he's inflicted on himself. There's also another aspect I think people ignore with regard to Z's relationship to past games. And that's that Z is a direct consequence of Shulk's decision at the end of Xenoblade 1 to walk towards the future hand in hand with everyone. Without a god to rule over them, people falling to their worst vices can directly influence the world. Z acts as a foil to Zanza in a sense, both serving as a demonstration of the flaws of a world with and without gods. Shulk's choice didn't result in utopia. There's always going to be something to fight for, and sometimes that thing is ourselves rather than some made up enemy. And that, I feel is the core message of Xenoblade 3. Given that western media has imbued us with the idea that characters need to be compelling in the same way that-- as hbomberguy said-- games need to be fun, it's easy to see why people would write off Z as being a bad character when they don't understand the broader context in which he exists. Like sure Z sits around and watches the main party do shit in a theatre in the middle of origin and that's all he does, but Z taking direct action would be against the spirit of his character. He (our internal vices, fear of change) operates through others, both figuratively and literally. We had to come to him in the final encounter because he-- from what I understand-- primarily exists in people's minds. TL;DR Z doesn't need to be a compelling character in the traditional sense. He's compelling by means of the characters he influences and what he represents; the flaws of a world without gods.

[rosiebee-18]

Xenoblade Chronicles 2

The game explores a prevalent subject in Japan: societal pressure and individual identity. The protagonist, Rex, is under enormous pressure as a Salvager to provide for his community, reflecting the cultural expectations put on individuals in Japan to contribute to collective well-being. This reflects the strong pressure many Japanese, particularly teenagers, endure to conform to societal norms. Furthermore, the game addresses the friction between technological growth and traditional values, which is a major issue in Japan. In other terms globalization. In Alrest, new technology coexists alongside traditional ways of living, mirroring Japan's struggle to strike a balance between rapid modernization and cultural heritage preservation. The story frequently emphasizes the repercussions of misusing technology, serving as a warning about unchecked technical progress without ethical limits.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 explores the concept of objectification, particularly through the depiction of Blades and their interactions with their Drivers. Blades are powerful, sentient beings designed to serve those who are human, known as Drivers. Despite their sentience and distinct personalities, blades are frequently viewed as tools or weapons rather than individuals with rights and emotions. This relationship raises serious concerns about objectification and the moral implications of treating sentient humans like things. One example of objectification in the game is how certain Drivers perceive and use their Blades. Blades are frequently viewed as a means to a goal, valued largely for their combat capabilities or strategic benefits. It reduces Blades to tools of power and usefulness, denying them of agency and personality. The commodification of Blades, as evidenced by how they are summoned, exchanged, and sometimes even discarded, shows the game's ubiquitous objectification. The game also questions the consequences of objectification through Blades' character development and interactions with Drivers. Some Drivers see their Blades' humanity and individuality, which fosters mutual respect and understanding. This evolution represents a critique of objectification, pushing for the recognition of sentient beings' worth beyond utility.

[zephyr-paladyn]

scattered and messy thoughts i have about xenoblade series and its future

(spoilers ahead)

Origin/Aionios is gonna be a key point in future Xenoblade games for sure. Just like the integral nature of the Trinity Processor, Origin will be extremely important as well. There's still a lot of mysteries about Origin, like how Takahashi won't elaborate on its true nature, and likens it to a "virtual world," say an alternate reality.

Xenoblade 3 tied 1 and 2 together but also sets up the stage for the future, all of it is about learning to let go of the past and face the future with uncertainty.

Aionios is a new manifestation of everyone who lived in the old worlds. We learn that some people manifest as themselves, while others manifest as items. These manifestations are different aspects of their will -- how can they change the world? That's what Takahashi says, anyways.

So to break it down we have:

Logos/Malos in N's sword, who later becomes one with Noah. It's interesting because N is all about "protecting the present" while Malos was all about "destroying the world/status quo." Actually, Noah in the first place has a similar role to Malos and Torna, so I like to think Malos still has that "rebellion" in him even though he's aligned with N -- remember in FR where N's help was absolutely needed to take down Alpha. I think Malos was with N even before he became N, so at some point Malos' ideals aligned with N and he lent him strength -- but N fell from what made him Noah.

Pyra and Mythra as Matthew's gauntlets and Noah's sword sheath. These two have known their entire lives as being a "weapon," and I think they serve to contrast Malos' role in some ways, but also there's parallels. There's one thing about being born as a weapon and not wanting to cause destruction, but this time Pyra and Mythra choose to be weapons for a specific cause -- for their own volition. They would be willing to fight for a better world, and being the weapon of Matthew and Noah is how they choose that. I also think it's cute they choose to be the weapons of their (indirect) descendants; like they're looking out for family. And also especially since Malos was taken by N to the side that neither Malos nor Pyra/Mythra would want to fight on, I like to think it's their Sibling Duty™️ to fight against Malos again for a good cause.

Fiora (and potentially other Xenoblade 1 party members) as Lucky Seven. It's just personal conjecture, but I don't believe it's just Fiora in that weapon. I know Riku often lies, but watching that scene again I don't think he has any reason to lie in front of Shulk specifically when he says "everyone is right here." (Or maybe they also became Monado REX?) Either way, Lucky Seven being the will from Xenoblade 1 party and being the strongest weapon in the game makes me think to 1's ending again -- how everyone has a little bit of the "power of creation" in them, everyone has a little bit of "defining the future" in them. Noah wielding that as his weapon, and Lucky Seven basically being THE defining weapon that destroys Flame Clocks and liberates Aionios and has so much to it symbolically... Noah being all about facing the future and going into the future... It's just very fitting.

In the case it's only (or mainly) Fiora, she also parallels Pyra/Mythra/Malos since she also has a Monado & connection to a god.

Noah wielding both Pyra/Mythra and Fiora/XB1 cast is a unique coming-together of both worlds, in a way that they want to fight for the future. When Noah conquers N, he also gains Malos' will as well, and in the end Malos gets to fight for what he's always wanted to after being held down by N for thousands of years.

A as a manifestation of Alvis' emotional side. I feel like this is more self-explanatory since this was very much touched upon in FR, but A's existence lends more to this whole "manifestation of wills" in Aionios. This is also another thing about how the same person might be able to manifest in multiple ways.

Dromarch potentially being the Cloudkeep. Staying by Nia's side and protecting her. Very Dromarch of him 👍

The scene about Taion's pocket watch being passed down from Nimue to himself, and how the watch is representative of memories and time. This new lore info makes you think who the watch represents. If I had to take a guess, I want to say Brighid -- that's her whole thing after all, she records memories in her diary between her reincarnations/resets. Maybe it isn't Brighid, but it's nice to think about and it lines up nicely.

Another important thing, the flutes. Building more upon "two worlds coming together" and "items hold a person's will and memory," its exchange becomes more important. We already know the wills of Crys and Miyabi are within those flutes, but what about potential people from "the old world?" The flutes are meant to send off the dead (and liberate people from the cycle in the process.) My current gut feeling is Lora & Haze, I couldn't tell you why though. As for people from the Bionis-Mechonis side, similarly I'd have to think Dunban... or maybe Tyrea? Tyrea makes a lot of sense to me... On that note, alternatively, this "means to liberate people & retain sentiment and important feelings within soldiers" maybe from the Alrest side it's Jin? He was always a more peaceful person in the first place, and the color contrast between Jin and Tyrea makes more sense to me... IDK where I'm going with this. Someone with better thoughts than me should talk about this. Need to brush up on my Tyrea lore too...

Origin is interesting as a virtual world, in how its administrator can do whatever it wants. Alpha saw Origin as a means to create new life and leave the old world behind, while Z sees Origin as a plaything to keep the aspects of the old world in his hands. And yet, despite administrators, despite control -- the people of Aionios still prevail to move towards the future.

I think it's interesting the gold motes are confirmed to "ascend" a person's soul -- free them from the cycle Z set up.

Aionios overall is still a mysterious world; things work in ways we're not entirely sure of. Things make sense and yet they don't at the same time. Things that Takahashi would prefer to elaborate in an actual game setting in the future than a simple interview. What is Aionios in relation to the future and past of Alrest and Bionis-Mechonis?

At the core of all things, Origin still probably propels the new Bionis-Mechonis and Alrest. Also, Matthew and other City people will eventually be born into the post-Aionios world.

I think things that happened in Aionios will eventually have a counterpart in the new worlds, or strongly influence it. We already see a hint at the ending that Noah found Mio again.

I think what's going to happen is that we'll get to see the two worlds, as their "separate" selves, interact like that. How those worlds will interact with each other given their shared running on Origin and the events of Aionios, is yet to be seen.

My guess is we're gonna see more Fog being a major antagonistic force. And our protagonists have a motive to connect to the "other world" despite the risks; despite the Fog. Something to do with "completion" of the self, or "completion" of memories. Some integral parts of yourself might lie in the other world. For example, Noah and Mio are very important examples.

I think it'd be immensely cool if we had a system where we switch between Bionis-Mechonis and Alrest at certain checkpoints. Seeing a more "developed" and changed world for those two; especially since post-game Alrest is likely so different from the Alrest locales we're used to, there'd be so much more interesting things to explore.

Although the worlds are "separate" again, they have been interlinked and interwoven together in many ways... Who knows what Takahashi is cooking!

[manyfandommeta]

moragposting

Thoughts on Morag Ladair, my personal Xenoblorbo~ I've wanted to do one of these for a while and I'm playing the game again so let's go!

What can we learn about her from her first appearance in Gormott?

Dughall: Special inquisitor Morag! To what do we owe this extreme pleasure? Had we but heard of your grace's visit, we could have prepared a suitable...

Morag: I don't stand on ceremony, consul. I'd rather you just did your job.

And there we have it, her first sentence. You know, she really could just demand all sorts of tricked out shit being that she is Special Inquisitor and the Emperor's older sister, but she doesn't! She's not doing it for the status or the clout. She wants the job done and she wants it done well. She gives little weight to formalities, or possibly even convention.

It's likely she already has had previous encounters with Dughall, and is aware that he would be the type of person to try to butter her up. He's shown to be ambitious and not want to "rot" in this "backwater."

She also seems to imagine that Dughall was already searching for the Aegis before she arrived. When he bites his fingernails after hearing Brighid mention the Aegis, Morag coolly responds "Is there a problem, Dughall?"

Morag: Now, you have captured a driver from Torna. I am going to speak with her.

Dughall: What? Why-

Morag: Dughall. I don't remember asking for your opinion.

Savage! She may not count on social formalities, but she has no trepidation at all about using her rank to remind subordinates of ther place.

Then we have the scene with Mia.

Morag: So you are the Torna ruffian. I must say you look a little different from your poster.

Nia: A LITTLE different? Whoever drew that should be the one in jail!

Morag: (chuckle) Yes, I would be angry, too.

Nia: You can drop the friendly act.

So, I tend to forget that Morag can be socially astute, remembering the Argentum Monkfish kitchen heart-to-heart, but this scene shows that she can also be the one buttering people up. There are no animal-faced people in Xenoblade 2, so she likely was already aware that Nia couldn't actually look like her poster. She tries to pull a "good cop" routine to get on Nia's good graces, but Nia can see through it pretty quickly and her loyalty wins out.

Morag: The Driver boy and his Blade?

Nia: Rex and Pyra?

Morag: Well, that was easy.

I'm sure she was prepared to grill Nia for much longer, but she lets it slip out and Morag is happy enough about it. If anything she's downright smug about it. This ominous shot hides her eyes and shows half her face in shadow.

It's actually somewhat reminiscent of her portrait.

[koobird]

Have you ever interacted with a piece of media that was *so close* to being absolute peak fiction?

A piece of media with a fantastic premise but enough issues to sink what could have been a 9/10 to a 4/10?

A piece of media that made you bawl like a baby at the ending only for you to look back on the whole experience a week later only to realize that it wasn’t that good? That a good 60-70% of the story was kinda just nothing?

A piece of media that was promised to be something that it absolutely wasn’t? That only delivered on that promise in the most barebones and backwards way possible?

A piece of media that later received more content that tried to bend over backwards to fix those issues, but only ended up making it worse, giving dozens more questions than answers?

Thinking about this game causes me psychic damage, a need to make a two hour video essay on my thoughts.

[matt-lifesage]

i'm going to be harsh, if your entire read on a character is taking a hypocritical monologue of theirs at face value and then completely dismissing the second half of the game's MANY explicit reveals about their true motives and goals as well as his role as an antagonist in relation to the protagonists, your read on that character is worthless. get out of my tag

[firedragon1321]

Because I have to talk about Digimon whenever I can (I know nothing about Xenoblade 3, and will not discuss it or respond to inquiries about it).

I think there’s something in fusion forms in general that makes people kinda weirdly shippy. It’s not always hetronormative, either. Cases in point-

Boy Tamer (Davis) + Boy Tamer (Ken) = people ship this pairing like it’s going out of style

Girl Tamer (Kari) + Girl Tamer (Yolei) = one of the most popular femslash pairings in the fandom, probably the second most popular after Sora/Mimi

Girl Digimon (Renamon) + Girl Human (Rika) = People ship this? Because Renamon?

Boy Digimon (Guilmon) + Boy Human (Takato) = There’s not even a Renamon excuse, but people ship them

Boy Tamer (Takuya) + Boy Tamer (Koji) = Really a symptom of “only option” disease, but worth a mention

So maybe there’s just something inherently shippy in fusion modes that I don’t understand? I don’t know how shipping works because my brain runs on autism, chocolate chips, and dinosaurs, but I think I found something interesting?

[agniratha]

// MAJOR SPOILERS FOR XENOBLADE CHRONICLES 3 AND XENOBLADE CHRONICLES X //

Origin and the Lifehold Core being functionally identical + Mira being INCREDIBLY FUCKING WEIRD pretty much points to it being the conceptual predecessor to Aionios. I mean, let's be real here: there's NO FUCKING WAY that planet existed prior to the attack on the White Whale.

Before XC3 I just chalked it up to Conduit/Zohar shenanigans which assumes the thing was on the ship in the first place. Which is a pretty enticing theory considering it's happened in Gears and Saga before.

But with XC3 pretty much confirming that you don't need some lousy god-brick to create a world in perpetual stasis when you've got the entirety of humanity's digitized consciousness having a collective freakout about their impending mortality to do the job for you, I think it gives us an idea of what they were going for with Mira.

I think the fact that everyone's still alive even though the database has been trashed pretty much confirms it for me because it means their souls are now infused in the metaphysical fabric of the planet or something clever sounding along those lines. And Lao popping back out of the ocean means some cycle of reincarnation is now at play here.

Hang on... maybe that dark knight guy walking up to Lao is supposed to be Mira's version of Moebius? AND MAYBE LAO'S ABOUT TO BECOME ONE OF THEM? It wouldn't be too farfetched considering he plays a similar role to Jin and N in the narrative.

But yeah, considering how much they had to cut back on what they wanted to with X's story, I guess it's not too surprising they'd end up reusing what they have in another project. BUT STILL. IT WOULD BE. REALLY GREAT. IF WE ACTUALLY. GOT A SEQUEL.

[arkeyr79]

I can't wait for the 2h analysis of a 2 min trailer.

[valbellepeche]

**SPOILERS for Xenogears and all of Xenoblade except X**

I wanted to talk about how some xenoblade characters and elements (specifically the trinity processor) parallel parts of gears and saga. Beginning with xenoblade 1:

Alvis serves the role of both the Zohar and the wave existence within the story of Xenoblade 1. He is the power source for the demiurge that creates a cycle of destruction and recreation (Zanza/Deus) while also connecting with the protagonist and eventually allowing him to defeat the demiurge. The term "Monado" is directly derived from the Monad, which is the Zohar and wave existence are partially based on. At the end of the game, Alvis appears as a glowing green cross, extremely similar to how the wave existence appears in Xenogears.

The Monado III is very similar to the role of Xenogears (the gear) being the final form of the protagonists weapon after they make contact with Alvis/the wave existence. Alvis's line "I was here at the beginning, and I will proclaim the end." calls back to the bible verse which is the first thing you see in Xenogears, "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last." In the context of Xenogears' opening scene this is associated with Deus. (More on this later)

In both stories they drive the protagonist forward to defeat the final antagonist, creating a world where people are free to live without some god, oppressive government or religious structure deciding for them. The main thing that separates Alvis and the WE is that the WE acts in order to free itself from the Zohar, whereas Alvis, as the facilitator of the world, wants it to cease stagnation. Future Redeemed recontexualizes this slightly by saying he embodied Klaus's regrets.

Xenoblade 2:

Xenoblade 2 formally introduces the trinity processor as well as the actual Zohar. Being computers linked to the Zohar, the trinity processor is similar to Xenogears' Kadomony.

The way Pyra is found resting in the Ancient Ship is a reference to when Abel awakens Elhaym in Xenogears

Elhaym was created in response to Abel's desire for a mother figure, the way blades reflect their driver could be seen as similar.

More on Logos and Pneuma in a bit.

Xenoblade 3 (Primarily Future Redeemed):

Future Redeemed is what got me thinking about all this in the first place. Given the prevalence of Ontos and that it takes two forms, as well as the other parts of the trinity processor having relevance, there's a lot to talk about.

The first form Ontos takes in Future Redeemed is Alpha. He has the appearance of Alvis, but with Zanza's wing(s) and he wields the Monado I (which is also Zanza's). Zanza's influence is an intentional contradiction with Alpha's driving force of extinguishing the past for the sake of the future, and also alludes to how he takes the role of Deus, which Zanza held in Xenoblade 1. Zanza's angelic motif is contrasted by Z symbolizing the devil. Alpha's goal is to take the life of the City to a new world, which is very similar to how Deus acted to return to Earth. This connection is made obvious with Alpha's second phase being obviously inspired by Deus's final form.

This brings the whole "I was here at the beginning, and I will proclaim the end." thing full circle, what with Deus being associated with the ALPHA and Omega verse. Additionally, Xenosaga's expy is called Omega so it all fits together nicely.

If Alpha is representative of Deus, then Na'el fills the role of Miang. Both are women who act in order to achieve the goal of Deus/Alpha. What makes Na'el different is that it's at least partially coming from her own will, whereas Miang fully takes over women's bodies.

In Xenogears, Kadomony is composed of 3 parts, the Persona, Anima, and Animus. The Persona is what created the original Elhaym alongside Miang. Na'el is connected to Ontos and parallels Miang, which leaves the final aspect of Ontos in Future Redeemed, A, to be Elhaym. A is separated from Alpha by Ghondor's desire for a future that's the best for everyone, once again being similar to how Elhaym is created. A also states that they are composed of Alvis's memories with Shulk which is a similar type of thing.

Future Redeemed states that Ontos acts as an arbiter between Logos and Pneuma, using their input to make decisions. Without the complete Trinity Processor, Ontos cannot function properly. This feels very reminiscent of Xenogears' theme of becoming whole, and also Deus needing all of its different parts to accomplish its goals. Alpha is only defeated when the powers of Pneuma and Logos (at least symbolically) come together again.

Side note: this fantastic video by PhantomHeit talks about the trinity processor and speculates that Zanza and Meyneth may have stood in for Logos and Pneuma in Xenoblade 1.

Future Redeemed establishes Pneuma and Logos as intrinsically feminine and masculine respectively, granting credence to them representing Anima and Animus. This isn't the only thing pointing to this, Malos's battle theme in Torna the Golden Country is called "Over Despair and Animus". Nia's weapon in Xenoblade 3 is called the Anima Sword, which could relate to the 2 phantom Aegis swords that float behind her or that she created the Ouroboros power which allows Matthew to access Pneuma.

In Xenogears Animus takes the form of the Gazel Ministry, antagonists who wish to obtain the Anima Relics to become complete, not unlike Malos needing Pyra/Mythra to repair his broken core.

In the climax of Future Redeemed, everything comes together, not just the Trinity Processor, but also Keves, Agnus, and even Moebius to complete the power of Ouroboros and oust Alpha and -redeem- the future if you will. Humans joining together to create a future they can live freely in is a frequently recurring theme in Xeno, and it's a fitting end for this chapter of the series.

[malvenor]

imo an important part of loving a piece of media is being able to critique it so hard that it sounds like you hate it. tearing it to shreds over what you honestly believe to be relatively minor flaws compared to what you like about it. identifying themes/elements/game design/etc. that conflicts with the central core of that thing you love so much demands an intimate knowledge that, really, only love can procure.

love or a deep and deranged hatred, at least.