Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (XC2) builds on sprawling landscapes and MMO-like combat with many layered systems revolving around companion and equipment management.
The first three chapters feel similar to Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition (XC1). Exploration and story are fun until then. However, I quickly started to miss features such as frequent autosaves and multiple save-game slots. Navigation is also weaker than in XC1. The minimap no longer uses breadcrumb dots to guide you. The menus, especially the fast-travel map, open slowly. Repeatedly hiding and revealing the overlay map quickly becomes tiresome. XC2 features a lot more menus and game systems, which result in menus so nested that navigating them feels tiresome. As in XC1, some side quests have no markers and require you to be in a specific place at a specific time. These quests are sometimes hard to find due to vague descriptions. XC2 also adds a cloud level (essentially a water level) that grants or restricts access to certain areas.
Unlike the first game, the main story trades a strong sense of discovery for politics and backstory. Chapters 4–7 are particularly slow, consisting mainly of long walks and extended exposition about past events. The areas also become more linear and vast, open spaces. I found several areas of XC2 to be less interestingly designed than XC1, which is disappointing given how striking XC1's levels could be (despite those infamous long walks). The world feels quite alive with wildlife roaming the landscape, making it less static and creates a more immersive atmosphere. Moreover, you have to be careful not to accidentally draw additional enemies into combat. I only wish the creatures would interact with each other.
The graphics and cutscenes in XC2 are generally of high production value, with the endgame sequences delivering particularly impactful moments. Although the theme of immortality is compelling, the narrative only becomes engaging again during the final three chapters.
Most quests are traditional fetch-or-kill tasks, though a few quests integrate other mechanics, such as dispatching mercenary teams, salvaging, or finding hidden entrances through careful exploration. XC2 offers a large number of side quests with the DLCs. However, I find the experience more focused without DLCs, and I would only recommend the DLCs if you want additional post-game or New Game Plus content.
XC2 introduces blades, sub-companions, that are bound to a main character and define their available elemental abilities and role (tank, healer, or damage dealer). Each character can equip up to three blades, most of which are acquired via a Gacha-style (random) system using core crystals. There are also unique blades with unique visuals, stats, and abilities. Blades gain affinity over time which unlocks passive bonuses through various requirements, such as combat actions, exploration, favorite items, and quest milestones. Although a notification announces a new unlocked bonus, you still have to manually activate it by entering the blade's chart in the menu. This is unnecessarily annoying. I do not like that affinity bonuses are only unlocked if the previous one has been unlocked. Some of the unlock requirements are quite annoying, but you have to complete them first to unlock the next bonuses. You also gain town affinity by completing quests like in XC1. It improves shop offers. By the way, if you buy one of each item in a store, you eventually unlock a discount voucher, which feels useless and expensive.
Furthermore, XC2 includes overwrite tokens to transfer blades between main characters (aka drivers), but they are rare, and the game does not communicate their scarcity. I find it annoying that I cannot transfer blades that I gained randomly to other characters. On the other hand, I like that you can dispatch unused blades on missions which are an efficient way to level up unused blades and collect rewards.
The combat system is more complex than XC1. You still inflict sequential status effects on enemies (break → topple → launch → smash). A new addition are blade combos: Each blade deals specific elemental damage. If you do certain elemental damage in a sequence, you attach an orb to an enemy. When your party meter is full, you can trigger a chain attack and break those orbs with opposing elements for significant damage. The game only provides a minimal explanation of these systems, and the visual presentation of blade combos could be better. You will likely need to learn through trial and error or by consulting online references.
Positioning also matters as some units gain bonuses by attacking from the side or rear. Unlike in XC1, you cannot move and auto-attack at the same time. This makes repositioning feel wasteful because you do not attack in the meantime.
There are also frequent quick-time prompts for combat abilities to boost their effects, which are a welcome addition; otherwise, combat would feel too passive due to auto-attack.
My main complaint about the combat system is its limited decision-making space: Only four active abilities are available during combat. Over time, combat feels too repetitive, which is a shame, as XC2 is a long game. In addition, most common encounters feel longer than necessary, which is even more amplified by the time-consuming chain attack sequences/animations.
If you like progression, XC2 got you covered. Pouch items, Poppy upgrades, blades, cores, accessories, aux cores, and resources all contribute to unlocking or improving something. You will collect materials from enemies, treasure chests, gathering spots (annoying: must be confirmed and has slow animation), scavenging (quick-time mini-game), and Tiger Tiger (side-scrolling mini-game). Many aux cores and accessories grant bonuses under narrow conditions, making them feel too situational for general use.
The soundtrack is excellent. The voice acting is good overall – again with unusual accents. Some blade characters have so over-the-top lines that they become funny again. Unfortunately, the English lip-syncing is poor, and not all main character dialogue is voiced.
The character (visual) designs are another highlight as they are distinctive, memorable, and impressively varied across the many unique blades.
The game is big. In my opinion, it is too big. If you enjoy collecting items, optimizing your party's composition, and maximizing your equipment's effectiveness, you will find plenty to do. Otherwise, you may experience repetition around the midgame as combat encounters drag on and side activities multiply. Compared to XC1, exploration and discovery play smaller roles, while politics and lore take center stage. The blade backstories are charmingly presented, but remain limited overall. Still, the main cast has several standouts: Poppy, Nia, Morag, Zeke, and maybe Kora. Poppy is my favorite character due to her lines and voice acting. I only wish she had a stronger presence in the ensemble. I also find the party banter more entertaining than the comedic scenes, which tend to be on the silly side. That said, the tone of the main story is mostly serious. Villains remain mostly shallow (until the DLC).
Overall, XC2 is a long, system-rich JRPG. Its strengths are excellent music, striking character designs, and layered combat mechanics. Its weaknesses are uneven pacing, drawn-out encounters, cumbersome menus, and inadequate tutorials. XC2 is for completionists who enjoy tinkering party composition and gear as well as unlocking ability trees. However, those seeking a tighter, exploration-focused adventure may find the experience overextended.
The expansion is a short prequel set 500 years earlier that revisits themes introduced in the original game. While it includes minor refinements, it only offers a few smaller levels to explore. The main criticism is the new community system, which requires you to complete a series of uninspired, mandatory side quests to advance the main story.