Gigantic game with some quirks

I Xenoblade Chronicles already played on the Wii and there is a 1: 1 appears to act porting with slight graphical swabs, allow me now already a review, although I still find myself pretty early in the game. If me later in something should notice noteworthy, I'll adjust the text of course accordingly.

It concerns with Xenoblade Chronicles is a single-player role-playing game in anime style. Here you take on the role of Shulk who lives in one of two huge Titans. These titans have fought a long time ago and on their now solidified bodies to different civilizations have developed. On Bionis to organic life has developed and on Mechonis the robotic Mechons. From time to time the Mechons engage repeatedly at Bionis what so far thanks to the help of a sword called Monado, the only weapon that can hurt the Mechons, could be averted. The only person who seems to wield the sword able Dunban was, however Knocked Out in the last great battle. Now is the sword in the care of hobbyists Shulk, trying to discover the secrets behind the sword.

This is just the beginning of a very interesting and exciting story that (if you want to make the side quests) will unfold in the next game with more than 100 hours. It will also be one or the other surprise. Throughout the game you now travels through various extremely spacious, beautifully be regarded areas on the body of Bionis and later Mechonis.

As exciting as the story is so simple but it is unfortunately the gameplay, at least if you follow the main story. Here is the task that is almost exclusively is to follow an arrow at the top of the screen to the next destination point. Then, the next movie is imported and occasionally there is a Boss Fight. Mystery, easiest sliding puzzles or "find the door A for key A" tasks are nowhere.
What this game yet over saves, are the aforementioned gigantic areas, which applies to explore it, and where it small to swarms of monsters towering from, as well as numerous secondary characters that bombard a with further objects outright. Puzzles are also nil - most tasks are to find a certain number of a particular subject or to kill a certain number of monsters. From time to time but you have to look for a so-called unique monster then a little stronger than his peers. Then there are also tasks, where to look objects or bring to other people. The main difficulty here is knowing where and when to find certain opponents or characters. There is namely also a day and night system and it is not everyone at any time at the usual place.
If one solves the side quests, creating a networked harmony chart of supporting characters that are found in the game. Here all the relationships of people are recorded. This one gets a sense of familiarity with the characters in the game, it is a kind of quasi-structured community. If the tasks are also often something generic, almost makes it then but a sense of achievement, so you want to solve all possible tasks. In addition, you will discover this also many hidden corners of the world. Later, you can also help to build a colony again, which then brings more variety then.

The player characters, 3 of which at the same time be able to participate in fights, also have harmony relationships. This then affects in different areas of the game. More harmonious, the better. These harmonies can be influenced in various ways such as Harmony talks, support in the fight, gifts, the common solving quests and what else did I forget.

In the battle system is a real-time system. You control one of the 3 playable characters, which can be used from the entire group as desired, the other 2 are controlled by the AI. Here, the player strikes automatically when he stands next to a targeted enemy, additional techniques are selected by menu at the bottom of the screen. Sounds simple, but is enhanced with a few special features. There are real-time events where you cheer by pressing a key or a friend may himself around in total energy loss again, you can perform chain attacks that are becoming more extensive with good harmony of the group. And then there is a beautiful and innovative feature of the sword Monado, but what I do not want to reveal here.

Apart from that one can influence his characters JRPG-typical even by numerous additional functions (level up the skills, gem slots in the equipment, talent trees, etc.). Here the beginner will perhaps be a little overwhelmed. Here was also for my taste a little exaggerated. It is easy on households to manage too much its objects, jewels, skills, etc.. The jewel forging makes me no fun at all, for example, and is simply annoying. Then you will be almost overwhelmed with objects, weapons and armor, so you then partially after a short playing time again 10 or more copies has a weapon in your inventory, resulting in a huge pile of garbage accumulates, the you do not need and should get rid of on a regular basis. The solved beautiful other RPGs.

The technical implementation is good, but unfortunately with drawbacks. The textures were well saved for the benefit of the scale and landscapes - close are blurred partly embarrassed. Luckily you can see during the game the most of the distance, where everything but looks very nice, at least as far as the low resolution of the 3DS may allow. What I hurts the most, is the 3D. It's just all too shallow. You have to look closely to see how a person from the background stands. The only thing for example are actually lifts the opponent information when targeted such. Here I would with "3D" in the title would expect from a game more, especially as I was looking forward to the scenery in 3D. But if you only have a nearly flat background with a few ads before. This shortcoming is a key reason not to award 5 stars for me. Otherwise, the game is in fact great and a lot of fun.
When sound implementation however, there is nothing to complain about. Everything here is probably 1: 1 has been transferred from the Wii, at least from the English version. The Japanese Speech missing here unfortunately, she had no doubt on the small game cartridge but then no more space. But the spokesman for the English version do an excellent job, so that's probably to get over. The soundtrack has been well taken completely from the Wii version. And the music is the best thing ever created on video game soundtracks. Really great and like the rest of the game extremely extensive.
The control is ok, here I would only expose that the touchscreen is absolutely no use. That would at least be able to make the usage of the menus a little more comfortable. Too bad.

All in all, this is a beautiful, gigantic adventure, in which one dips like, even if it has some quirks. If you already have the Wii version, you have to think if you have to have it again for the 3DS. For the 3D effect in my opinion it is worthwhile in any case, because this is simply failed, period. Practically, in the handheld version that you simply times a quest alongside can make, for example in the commercial break on TV and then you can close the console, but what makes pretty much sense in this game.
Who has not played the Wii version, but should be sure to look for the game.

+ Gigantic scope
+ Game is 1: 1 intact ported from the Wii
+ Interesting and exciting story with twists
+ Lovable characters
+ Extremely large areas
+ Fantastic landscapes
+ Great soundtrack
+ Good speaker
+ Many sidequests
+ Beautiful harmony system
+ Combat system is fun
+ Fast Travel
+ Lightweight set the time

- Poor support 3D
- Not use the touch screen
- Washed-out textures
- No mystery
- Advancing the main story consists mainly of 'going to the next destination point' and 'fighting opponents'
- Side quests for the most part generic
- Too many items with which you will be showered
- Forge Jewels is not fun
- General too many places where you 'households' needs
- No Japanese Speech