Monado - Reception and Release

Reception and Release

Xenoblade Chronicles has received universal acclaim from reviewers, with average aggregate scores of 92% at GameRankings, 92 out of 100 at Metacritic, and 9.0 out of 10 at GameStats. As of June 2012, it is currently listed as the third highest-rated game of 2012 at both GameRankings (behind Journey and Mass Effect 3) and Metacritic (behind Mass Effect 3 (Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions) and Beat Sneak Bandit). GameStats has listed it as the fifth highest-rated game of all time.

Japanese magazine Famitsu awarded the game 9/9/9/9 in its review, totaling 36/40. It was also voted the third most interesting game released in Japan during the first half of 2010 in a survey conducted by Dengeki.

IGN UK gave the game 9.0 out of 10 stating that "Xenoblade Chronicles is the best Japanese RPG of this generation". Metro GameCentral shared a similar view awarding the game 9 out of 10 and saying in conclusion that Xenoblade is "the best Japanese role-player of the current generation and a big step forwards for the genre in terms of accessibility and ambition". Cubed³ gave the game 10 out of 10, stating "Monolith Soft’s grand Xenoblade Chronicles has arrived, bringing with it a sterling soundtrack, a phenomenal visual impact, vast amount of customisation, intriguing story and massive value for money." Eurogamer gave the game 9 out of 10 stating that "It's a game that invites us to reassess an entire genre, pointing to a bold future while nodding its respect towards the past. It's a towering triumph", and later chose Xenoblade Chronicles as game of the week.

Edge said that it's "a glowing comeback for the Japanese RPG" and saying in conclusion that "Xenoblade Chronicles manages to impress, enrich and, best of all, inspire wonder" awarding the game 9 out of 10. The Official Nintendo Magazine have also praised the game, giving it a score of 92% and calling it, "A genre-reviving blaze of wonder, immense scale and smart design." GameSpot UK awarded a 9 out of 10 and gave it an Editors' Choice award, saying that it "is a remarkable game" and "drags the JRPG into the 21st century, modernising many of the genre's traits and nailing a pace that outclasses the majority of its peers."

DualShockers awarded the game a 9.5 out of 10 and praised it as the best Japanese RPG released this generation, writing that Xenoblade Chronicles is "the perfect 'Don’t worry, I still Love you' signal given by Nintendo to it’s most hardcore fans, and a strong, resounding 'no' said right in the face of those that advocate the theory that the JRPG genre is dead." The first review of Xenoblade Chronicles in North America came from video game website Atomix, a Mexican website; who awarded it a 9.5, stating that "It does what RPG fans have been asking for years, taking out things like aleatory battles and awarding the player for its actions instead of a punishment." They liked the story but stated that "the best of this game, it's the gameplay." They liked the graphics, considering them on par with HD games if the game was in HD and the music as "gorgeous". However they didn't like the English voice acting very much, strongly recommending to play it on Japanese with subtitles. ImpulseGamer awarded the game a score of 9.5 out of 10. Vandal Online gave the game a near-perfect score of 9.9 out of 10. Gameblog.fr gave it a full 5 out of 5 stars. GamePro gave the game 5 out of 5 stars and stated in conclusion that "it's not just the best RPG of this generation, but one of the best games I've ever played." RPGamer also gave the game 5 out of 5, stating that "while the comparative lack of RPGs means it isn't hard to be one of the best on the system, Xenoblade goes beyond that to be right up there with the best of the console generation as a whole." GamesBeat awarded it an 82/100, saying, "Xenoblade Chronicles is genuinely fun to play. It’s an RPG with an extra-capital G, a gameplay-driven game. That’s a sign of real progress from Monolith Soft, and hopefully promise of even better games to come."

The game has received several awards. In December 2011, GameSpot gave Xenoblade Chronicles the award for "Best Wii Game" of the year, while also being nominated for the "Best RPG" and "Game of the Year" awards. The Daily Telegraph also nominated it for the "Game of the Year" award. Nintendo Life chose it as second place for the "Wii Game of the Year" award and gave it an honourable mention for the overall "Game of the Year" award. Xenoblade also won the "Best RPG" award from MMGN's Community Game of the Year Polls. Nintendojo chose it as the runner-up for its "Game of the Year" award.