Throughout the years of video games, most role playing games (RPG) came from Japan and were released on Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Over the years Japanese RPG lost some steam and gave way to western developers. Now it’s rare to see a great Japanese RPG game come out and even more unusual to see it on a Nintendo platform.

2015 was the year for large open world games, and there have been some pretty stellar RPGs released this year but not many games have been released on Wii U. Released on the original Wii “Xenoblade Chronicles” was one of the only RPGs on the system, and it ranks among some of the best games to come out. “Xenoblade Chronicles X” on the Wii U is the newest in the series boasting a massive open world and it’s one of the best looking games on the Wii U full of places to explore with many exotic creatures to encounter.

The story of “Xenoblade Chronicles X” is about a group of surviving Earthlings that were stranded on a hostile alien world when the Earth was destroyed in a galactic conflict. At the start of the game you create your character, and you get to customize most of the details including gender, clothes, color and voice. Throughout the game you can customize your abilities by learning new skills for attacks and defensive abilities. Your character doesn’t say much, but throughout the game you meet some interesting friends but none of them are around long enough to really get know.

The world of Mira is huge and exploration is one of the best parts of the experience. There are many places to explore like forests, mountains and cities. You are on a mission looking for survey points which allows for you to mine for resources and money. You can then spend the money to buy new weapons, armor and parts for your robot suit. Sometimes you have to find certain survey points to progress through the story which can be tedious and sometimes slows down the story. These points do help out in the long run because you can get better gear and you can fast-travel between spots you have visited.

One of the most interesting parts of the game is the combat system. The fighting can be pretty complex, and it resembles a massive multiplayer online game. You have to use special abilities and time your melee and long range attacks into combos to win some fights. You can change your play style any time you like. If you don’t like a certain class you can switch and try out different fighting styles. About half way through the game you unlock a skell which is a robot mech suit, which changes your fighting style and enables you to fly, opening up more exploration options.

Overall I liked “Xenoblade Chronicles X;” the world is massive and very beautiful to look at. The combat is fun but hard to learn. There is a ton of content to find, and side quests to complete but overall most of the missions are very similar so it can feel a bit grindy at times. The customization options and new places to explore kept me playing for many hours. There aren’t too many good games on the Wii U but “Xenoblade Chronicles X” is a real gem especially if you are fan of Japanese role playing games.

System: Wii U

ESRB Rating: T for Teen: Animated Blood, Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence

Publisher: Nintendo

Developer: Monolith Software

Robbie Vanderveken is the digital operations specialist at The Times Leader. E-mail him at rvanderveken@timesleader.com.

One of the best role playing games of 2015 contains expansive open world to explore

By Robbie Vanderveken

For Weekender

“Xenoblade Chronicles X” is a role playing game designed for the Wii U.
https://www.theweekender.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_xbc-1.jpg“Xenoblade Chronicles X” is a role playing game designed for the Wii U. Submitted photos

“Xenoblade Chronicles X” is a role playing game designed for the Wii U.
https://www.theweekender.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_xbc-3.jpg“Xenoblade Chronicles X” is a role playing game designed for the Wii U. Submitted photos

“Xenoblade Chronicles X” is a role playing game designed for the Wii U.
https://www.theweekender.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_xbc-4.jpg“Xenoblade Chronicles X” is a role playing game designed for the Wii U. Submitted photos

“Xenoblade Chronicles X” is a role playing game designed for the Wii U.
https://www.theweekender.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_xbc-2.jpg“Xenoblade Chronicles X” is a role playing game designed for the Wii U. Submitted photos