Xenoblade is better
Xenoblade's world is far more interesting, alive and unique than Skyrims
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If I can choose only one huge RPG to play...
- Thread starter heringer
- Start date
Well, apparently "it's really fun and engrossing" doesn't fly either so I don't know what you're looking for, nor why anybody should care about justifying why they like a game to someone else. We play video games to have fun (I hope), so when a game is fun, we like it.
Well, then, the games are evenly matched because the only game whose fanaticism matches Skyrim's at the moment is Xenoblade's. People won't listen to reasonable criticism about either game, so this thread isn't going to go anywhere. Fans of Xenoblade will go into any thread about RPGs and go "XENOBLADE /thread" or "if you don't think Xenoblade is the best game you've played this year, you obviously haven't played it!" or other stupid stuff like that.frequency said:
Both sides are full of it.
chaosblade
Unconfirmed Member
This. There is a benefit in waiting on Skyrim, none in waiting on Xenoblade.
If you only pick one, I can't really say. Only played Xenoblade, but it's a damn good game I can't recommend enough. Waiting for Skyrim GotY to be on sale on Steam for that one.
Maybe fanaticism wasn't the word I meant to use. I'm not so great with english. I didn't mean it in a negative sense.
I meant there is a lot of fervour (?) for Skyrim.
I think it's great when people love a game so much. It bums me out when people spend all their time nitpicking and complaining about their hobby.
Xenoblade was treated similarly when it was released (there's still residual effects now). Every time anyone brought up an RPG, a bunch of people would just post "Xenoblade" like that was the answer to everything.
But I do think it's kind of silly to post here saying "I haven't played X, but totally Y!"
I think that's why I chose the word "fanaticism". When you blindly put one game above another in a comparison, that's kind of going overboard.
Death Dealer
Member
I've noticed it all over the internet. On a motorcycle amateur club racing forum I visit, there is a Skyrim thread filled with people saying, "I always thought elves and magic were stupid, but you have to play this game ! It's so addictive !" Videogames are seldom discussed there and when they are, it's always an auto/moto racing game. Skyrim is approaching COD recognition among the masses. It's getting people that don't normally play RPGs to play it.
Sorry but I get tired of people who don't know wrpgs talking about the bugs and "b-b-but how can it be goty with bugs?!?!" and then say something like game ____ shows it can be done (usually red dead or just cause 2). No they do not. None of those has hundreds or thousands of NPCs with routines and voiced dialogue and sometimes quest scripts that can change or fail depending on what you have or haven't done already. It's just not a fair comparison.
Something like Risen is a much better comparison, and that's another bug and jank filled game.
To be fair, those aren't the only bugs in the game. Script and event trigger bugs are understandable in a game with such a large scope, but crash bugs and patches that remove magic resistance and disable keys in the menus, etc. or break the AI of one of the major enemy types in the game, are a little less forgivable I think.
dacuk
Member
Listen to this guy. He has his mouth full of truth.
Even more now that Xenoblade is coming to NTSC-U land
Right they don't get a full pass but so many people expect these games to be bug free just because a mostly empty game with randomly generated NPCs like Red Dead pulled it off.
Takamura-San
Member
Skyrim is the gift that keeps on giving.
Skyrim. I'm a huge JRPG fan ( I own nearly every JRPG for the Saturn, Dreamcast, PS1, PS2, PS3, PSP, Gamecube, Wii and 360) and Skyrim has completely taken over my life. I was about 60 hours into Xenoblade (which is a fantastic game) when I started Skyrim back on the day it came out. Since then, I haven't touched Xenoblade and have put over 100 hours into Skyrim. Both games are outstanding, but Skyrim is the best game I've played in a very long time, possibly my favorite game ever.
IoCaster
Gold Member
Have you played Skyrim?
R_thanatos
Member
Xenoblade , no doubt ...
both are huge games and need a lot of hours to complete ..
Xenoblade is a game that must be played at least once ...in a lifetime, regardless of what you feel about jrpgs...
both are huge games and need a lot of hours to complete ..
Xenoblade is a game that must be played at least once ...in a lifetime, regardless of what you feel about jrpgs...
HeresSomeWeapons
Member
Gonna say Dark Souls.
I can't tell if this is just extreme ignorance or the sorriest attempt at a troll post I've ever seen.
Oblivion was shit. Skyrim is the best thing Bethesda has made since Morrowind, and gives Morrowind a serious run.
Top 5 Why Skyrim Is Awesome (And Nothing Like Oblivion):
1. Art design. This game is seriously a Robert E. Howard world come to life. Lush, vibrant, and exceptionally alive. You can find new places to explore from hours 1 to 100 and see new living events every step of the way. I've covered nearly every inch of the game world and it was still all kinds of awesome when I crested a hill and looked down on a giant encampment in the middle of a hot spring formation where a dragon was battling a giant over the giant's mammoth. No game has offered quite such a living world before. Do games still have a long way to go in this regard? Sure. But Skyrim is the first big step in a VERY right direction.
2. Combat. Bethesda basically lifted large chunks of Demon's Souls gameplay set up and meshed it with their own. Is it as intricate and precise as what From turns out? No. But it is far more user friendly and allows for similar strategic gameplay. Massive step forward for the series.
3. Storyline/set pieces. The storyline is standard fantasy but it matches the world flawlessly and is told with good pacing if you opt to follow the main storyline. Most importantly, it takes the first step for "sandbox" WRPGs towards combining free form exploration and set piece story events. There are many, many times when while doing what feels like completely random exploration or "another dungeon" you come across an excellently produce story sequence that adds to that dungeon in particular, the quest that sent you there, and the world's charm as a whole.
4. Player progression system overhaul. Comparatively massive changes over what Oblivion was and a strong improvement over Fallout 3 as well. It is the leveling system Bethesda has been searching for their entire time in the industry. Near infinitely scalable, conforms to the player's actions, and yet allows for those "level up" power boosts that give a tangible sense of reward.
5. Level scaling done right. Enemies have better loot if the area they're in is being scaled to match your level, but you never suddenly see bandits wearing top tier armor or weapons. Chests scale well. Enemy difficulty and different types of enemies scale well in dungeons. The game can loose it's sense of challenge if you're a quality min/max builder but otherwise it strikes an ideal balance between realistic enemy bumps and worthwhile rewards for your work regardless of when you find most dungeons.
My suggestion to the OP:
Play Skyrim with a character focused on just a few of the many paths available and finish the main plot. Then play Xenoblade. Then play Skyrim again with a character focused on completely different paths.
I'm undecided between another Dark Souls run or another Xenoblade run after my current Skyrim turn as a straight up Orc warrior/archer, but after whichever one of those I choose I'll be going back to Skyrim for a mage/thief type when I'll then do all the groups I've avoided contact with for just that purpose (Dark Brotherhood, Thieves' Guild, etc.)
Seriously though, Dark Souls, Xenoblade, Skyrim. Pick one of the three. They're the three best titles of 2011 and have gone a long ways towards fixing the gapping hole where quality RPGs should have been most of this generation.
HammerOfThor
Member
Just hold out for FF XIII-2. Its it definitely out class both of those.
I'm biased, and my prefered genre is wrpg so Xenoblade was never gonna win my vote.
But I'm just glad were are even able to have this debate. For a while there, I thought rpgs were going down the crapper. Monolith, Cdprojekt, Bethesda and From all create a warm glow in my soul, and instead of pitting one against the other, we should be fucking celebrating them all.
But I'm just glad were are even able to have this debate. For a while there, I thought rpgs were going down the crapper. Monolith, Cdprojekt, Bethesda and From all create a warm glow in my soul, and instead of pitting one against the other, we should be fucking celebrating them all.
If you purchase Dark Souls, you get both at the same time! dp. Haven't played Skyrim, but if the battle system is the same as oblivion, I'd be wary, it was terrible to me. You can do a lot more in Skyrim than either both games, so if that's what you're into. Xenoblade is one of the best RPG's to come out in a long time since Chrono Trigger.
Really? I agree the art design is phenomenal and the world building is awesome but the story is among the weakest in rpgs I've played in years. It's a really good game though.
And to the topic. Both eventually if you like rpgs since they're both really good games, but Skyrim might be worth waiting for patches/mods.
Shit man, forgot all about The Witcher 2. Feels like that came out ages ago!
Wow. What a year for RPG gaming.
dakkumauji
Member
I would say Xenoblade.
As much as I would want to play Skyrim, I'm more than willing to wait for it to become less buggy. Or more.
As much as I would want to play Skyrim, I'm more than willing to wait for it to become less buggy. Or more.
Raging Spaniard
If they are Dutch, upright and breathing they are more racist than your favorite player
I disagree on the art, but thanks for a thorough post. Thats what I was looking for.
06nbarnhill
Member
Xenoblade.
Havn't played either but I have played Oblivion which.....was kinda boring, ugly, and annoying. So.....yeah.
Havn't played either but I have played Oblivion which.....was kinda boring, ugly, and annoying. So.....yeah.
RoadHazard
Gold Member
I'm sure Xenoblade is absolutely great (I really want to play it, but haven't gotten around to getting it), but you need to play Skyrim. Everyone does.
I could never get into Oblivion, it just got boring to me after a few hours, so I wasn't hyped for Skyrim at all. Just thought it would be more of the same in a slightly different environment. But I decided to get it, and man, was I wrong. Or, I mean, yeah, it is kind of more of the same, but it just feels so much more interesting to me. I absolutely love exploring the world, which I never really felt when playing Oblivion - grassy hills and forests that all look the same get boring pretty quickly. Ok, so there are plenty of samey-looking areas in Skyrim too (although the variety is a lot greater), but the way the world is designed makes it so much more exciting to be in and explore. It feels real. It also, with its mountains, valleys, forests and tundras, feels much larger and more epic than the world in Oblivion ever did, even though in reality they are about the same size. Plus, there are no f*cking Oblivion gates. I really hated those.
So, yeah, Skyrim is the huge positive surprise of the year for me, and will probably end up being my GOTY (and may even be a contender for Game of the Generation).
You shouldn't judge Skyrim before playing it based on Oblivion. I originally did, and almost missed out on one of the most amazing games of the year (generation?). Thankfully, I decided to give it a shot, and I'm very grateful that I did.
I could never get into Oblivion, it just got boring to me after a few hours, so I wasn't hyped for Skyrim at all. Just thought it would be more of the same in a slightly different environment. But I decided to get it, and man, was I wrong. Or, I mean, yeah, it is kind of more of the same, but it just feels so much more interesting to me. I absolutely love exploring the world, which I never really felt when playing Oblivion - grassy hills and forests that all look the same get boring pretty quickly. Ok, so there are plenty of samey-looking areas in Skyrim too (although the variety is a lot greater), but the way the world is designed makes it so much more exciting to be in and explore. It feels real. It also, with its mountains, valleys, forests and tundras, feels much larger and more epic than the world in Oblivion ever did, even though in reality they are about the same size. Plus, there are no f*cking Oblivion gates. I really hated those.
So, yeah, Skyrim is the huge positive surprise of the year for me, and will probably end up being my GOTY (and may even be a contender for Game of the Generation).
You shouldn't judge Skyrim before playing it based on Oblivion. I originally did, and almost missed out on one of the most amazing games of the year (generation?). Thankfully, I decided to give it a shot, and I'm very grateful that I did.
King of the Potato People
Member
The Elder Scrolls franchise has had way more time for its style to become attached to people and the hype of playing Skyrim is still going through the phases, votes were always going to slanted to that, regardless of content. Don't expect too many open-minded comments that specifically considers the pros and cons of both games. There's a reason so many haven't mentioned how many hours they've played of both, if at all.
You might as well be asking what game is better, Bulletstorm or Uncharted 3.
You might as well be asking what game is better, Bulletstorm or Uncharted 3.
Whenever I replayed Oblivion, I always headed off to Weynon Priory, got the horse, then never returned to the main quest. I hated seeing those gates.
The art might not appeal to you, but it is the best realization we've seen of a Conan-esque dark fantasy world, which is what Todd Howard wanted in this game.
I mean, what more can you ask from in game art assets when the creative force says "I want an interactive world that looks like it came out of Conan The Barbarian" and the art staff outright give you exactly that?
It might not appeal to you but it has a lot of fans, first and foremost the lead designer. This was an artistic home run on par with their efforts on Morrowind (another exceptionally well realized setting).
Xenoblade, no contest. At all. I don't get people sometimes!
Much, much better music, artwork, much more creative. Nice story, fantastic gameplay.
Skyrim is standard hollywood/american-style bland design wrapped in a great gameplay system but terrible battles. It could've been awesome, but ultimately fell short as nothing in the game feels special or fresh.
Maps are pretty much as big in both games, BUT Xenoblade's areas are much more beautiful, filled with secret areas, monsters, etc. whereas Skyrim's exploration is more and more of the same...
Much, much better music, artwork, much more creative. Nice story, fantastic gameplay.
Skyrim is standard hollywood/american-style bland design wrapped in a great gameplay system but terrible battles. It could've been awesome, but ultimately fell short as nothing in the game feels special or fresh.
Maps are pretty much as big in both games, BUT Xenoblade's areas are much more beautiful, filled with secret areas, monsters, etc. whereas Skyrim's exploration is more and more of the same...
King of the Potato People
Member
What if people don't usually have the time or don't have a preference for that type of setting/gameplay? Oh, wait I shouldn't be trying to reason with ridiculous hyperbole. Seriously these kind of comments often have the opposite effect of making someone want to play a game, actually the type of language can put people off anything.
Then don't play it. Not fucking rocket science here.
lastendconductor
Put your snobby liquids into my mouth!
Pffftthahahahaha good one.
No seriously, what? it doesn't even come close. It sure is better than Oblivion, but it has nothing to do with DS. You can play combat with a small degree of strategy, but it's nothing compared to the strategic planning and execution DS requires.
Riposte
Member
This criticism sounds empty of meaning.
EDIT: Some people forgot how good Witcher 2 looks(it has been a few months) if they think Skyrim looks better.
The combat in Skyrim is way too clunky and unresponsive to ever be 'good,' anyways. You're still tapping away swinging at enemies that don't respond to being hit until their hp bar runs out.
I still think having lock-on targeting would solve a lot of its issues. Look at Dead Island.
Also the scaling is still in and as you progress through the world, it gets worse and worse.
I still think having lock-on targeting would solve a lot of its issues. Look at Dead Island.
Also the scaling is still in and as you progress through the world, it gets worse and worse.
Huh? Everywhere I go in Skyrim I'm seeing new things. From puzzles, assasins that want to kill me, crazy lone Orcs wandering the world looking to die with valour, Mammoths, Spriggans, talking dogs, drunk revellers, to mention nothing of the points of interest, awesome vistas as you climb mountains, dungeons (could use some variety there to be fair), dragons, and assorted random craziness.
I've never understood the "more of the same" complaint. My Skyrim is alive and vibrant, and no two expeditions have ever felt the same.
Then you must either be very jaded or not have a diverse enough background of games to pull from.
Just on RPGs I can honestly say that the first time I played The Witcher I was absolutely blown away. Demon's Souls did the same the first and second times through. I suppose some of that wonder has been removed from Dark Souls as a result but not very much.
Xenoblade definitely has it though. From the minute you first get control of Shulk and Reyn the game just feels right. Combat is balanced and the world is a new high water mark for it's style (anime inspired fantasy would maybe be the best name).
But that doesn't mean Skyrim doesn't have its own "wow" factor. Seeing dragons picking fights with Giants, watching steam roll out of an expansive gyser basin, or getting caught in a blizzard high in the mountains are all "wow" moments.
I will say that Xenoblade doles out its wow factor in one long, consistent stream of "how is this game so good" enjoyment due to exceptionally fine polish, balance, and pacing nearly from start to end while Skyrim relies on those "WOW, DID THAT JUST HAPPEN!" instant gratification moments more than anything else.
There is no easy way to argue the superiority of one over the other though. I'd argue The Witcher 2 is just as good as either game in its own right, and that if you want a handheld experience with that same feeling to pick up Radiant Historia, also a simply brilliant game. Any RPG fan should play ALL of them. This is the wave of RPGs we've waited all generation for.