Xenoblade Chronicles: X

Geekscape Games Reviews: ‘Xenoblade Chronicles X’

by Matt RodriguezJanuary 11, 2016

Have you ever played a game so immersive, so rewarding, and so exciting that it simply permeates your every thought; that while you’re travelling, you can’t wait to get home… or even postpone your sleep because you’re so excited to accomplish your next goal? Xenoblade Chronicles X can easily have this effect on many people, and I’m not immune to its charm either! I can confidently that this is one of the most ambitious titles I’ve ever played. From the story, to the individual characters, the plot, battle system and customization, every piece is crafted so intricately and perfectly that it’s very easy to fall in love with it.

The story follows a colony of humans on a spaceship after the Earth is destroyed by aliens. The aliens eventually find this spaceship, and damage it enough that the humans are forced to crash land on a remote planet named Mira. Although the game allows you to use any team members that you meet throughout the game, the main two that you will use are Elma and Lin, two protagonists that joins forces with the main character to take on all of the games major missions (“Story Missions”)–the story is largely centered on humanity’s struggle on this new planet, such as feuds with the indigenous creatures, as well as the ongoing search for “The Lifehold’s core”, which is a major part of their spaceship that was lost on the planet. The Lifehold’s core contains most of the other humans, who are kept in stasis. They hope to find it, and revive all of their fellow humans to join them on Mira to live a sustainable life, and perhaps “reboot” the human race. Needless to say, not everything is exactly as it seems, and the game really keeps you on edge from one story mission to the next, revealing certain agendas, and building on the depth of many characters. It is easy to connect with some of them, as at times it had me wondering “if this kind of situation happened to me, how would I react?” Also, as you progress through the game and complete specific missions, you can have some of the other intelligent species on Mira join NLA, or “New Los Angeles”, your main base of operations. Seeing NLA grow and expand with each new species addition can feel like a reward in and of itself.

The main base of operations is held in a city called “NLA”, short for “New Los Angeles”, which is named after its Earthen counterpart (excellent choice, if I may say so myself!). NLA, in and of itself, is incredibly large! By my educated guess, if you were to do a direct route, on foot, from one edge of the city to the other, it will probably take you 15-20 full minutes of travelling! The bulk of your adventure will be held in the “administrative district”, where you can purchase and modify gear, participate in online missions, as well as gather side missions for the main game. The planet, Mira, consists of five main continents–these continents are so massive that it’s hard to explain, and can only be experienced. If you use the map below as a guide, please bear in mind that NLA is only the circular area you see at the bottom of the map. If you use my analogy of NLA being 15-20 minutes of travel in diameter as a guideline, then it’s easy to speculate that each of these individual continents can take HOURS travelling by foot to explore them, and that’s not even counting all of the caves underground or under other areas as well, as there’s still more of the game I need to explore.

The graphics are very artistic, but lower quality in other ways. As a videophile of sorts myself, I can definitely see the difference in graphical quality between this game and other Wii U games, such as textures sometimes taking a bit of time to load, and character edges coming off as blurry. However, you would have to actively be looking for this difference in order to notice it. The game’s artistic direction is so fantastic that this very easy to forgive. From the tiniest detail like the many blades of grass that appears on the expansive grasslands of Primordia, to the atmospheric particle lighting in the moonlit wilderness that is the continent of Noctilum, I find myself often stopping in the middle of gameplay simply to take in the atmosphere. The landmarks, such as grizzled mountains, lofty cliffs, and aged grand trees are so extremely finely detailed and crafted that they serve as the perfect companions to these environments.

When it comes to exploration, you can go ANYWHERE. I mean, quite literally. Anything you can see in the distance you can travel to. The game is never bound “invisible walls”, and nothing is unreachable. However… monsters are littered all around Mira, so you always risk running into a higher leveled monster that you can’t handle, if you’re not careful. As long as you’re traveling by foot, there are little to no load times, so you never lose your sense of immersion when going from one landmark to the next. Just like Xenoblade Chronicles (for 3DS and Wii), you can reach many checkpoints throughout the planet, and then “Fast Travel” to those locations so you don’t have to worry about footing it from your current location. This however, does cause load times to appear, but they don’t take very long at all. Also keep in mind that I was playing through this game by pre-loading all of the special free packs from Nintendo, which speeds up loading times of the game, so this experience can vary if you have not downloaded those packs.

You can fight absolutely anything that moves in this game–from the tinest insect, to the largest dinosaur. Of course, it isn’t practical to fight everything that moves–you need to study each creature meticulously to decide whether you can take it head on or not. Some of the largest creatures I’ve met in this game even rival some of the largest creatures I’ve found in other games, such as Monster Hunter. In similar fashion, if you choose to fight a monster that’s much larger than you, you can always choose to target each of their appendages (arms, legs, etc.) separately to cripple them and make the fight easier. Those that have played the previous title (Xenoblade Chronicles on 3DS/Wii) will find the combat unchanged. Choosing to fight any creature triggers combat–Xenoblade uses a combat system that’s very similar to the ATB (Active Time Battle) system of the RPG games of yesteryear. Both you and the enemy can use any of your assigned abilities, however when you use up an ability, you have to wait for it to fully charge before you’re able to use it again. Unlike most other RPGs, the game never cuts into a separate combat scene–this means all battles happen right in the open. However, this also means if there are any other wandering enemies around, they can join the fight too! The one insect that you’re fighting can easily become one insect, several hounds, and a dinosaur if you’re not careful enough. Because all battles happen in the open, you never feel disjointed from the world around you, which is another thing that adds to the immersion.

There is lots of customization in the game, with most of the focus being on the main character. At the start of the game, you can choose to be male or female, and can adjust a variety of base options for an average human, such as size, skin color, and facial details. For clothing, the in-game appearance changes based on the armor you’re wearing–however, there is an option to equip “fashion gear”, which masks the primary armor–in other words, you can equip the strongest gear, but maintain the appearance of other gear that looks better to you. There are lots of wacky options for aesthetic gear, ranging from swimsuits to cat ears and everything in between. The practical gear gives your character a very “armored” look. On the technical side of things, you can customize: your class/weapons, ground gear, skell, set augments/slots, purchase upgrades for gear, and assign arts. The game uses a branching system for classes, starting with one beginner class, branching into three advanced classes, and each of those advanced classes branch into two expert classes each. Mastering each expert branch allows you to master the weapons, meaning you will be able to use those weapons with other classes. Each class has a group of arts that can be learned for each weapon, and skills that are specific to that class–most can be unlocked by leveling up the class, but others have to be unlocked by completing main and side quests. Mixing and matching classes, weapons, arts and skills already make up a near limitless amount of combinations… and you would think that would be enough, but they also go the extra mile with augments and upgrades! Upgrades are the more basic of the two, where you can use monster parts to create enhancements for your gear. These can vary from attack damage, elemental properties, defensive properties, and a whole lot more. Augments do more of the same, but instead they work as equipment for equipment, in a manner of speaking. For gear that has “slots”, you can attach an augment which will give the gear better properties. While augments can be equipped and unequipped, upgrades can not.

Skells are a major part of the game. After a certain point, you unlock your very first Skell–they are huge mechanical robots that can fight, transform into vehicles, and fly (although that comes later on). I simply cannot understate how satisfying it is piloting these machines–creatures who were once an impossibility to fight, you are now able to overcome, and other average sized creatures become very easy!

Transforming into a four-wheeled vehicle makes getting around Mira SO MUCH EASIER considering how large it is–and flying so high in the sky that you can admire the expanse of Mira’s mountains and volcanoes is simply breathtaking. Similarly to characters, Skells can also have changeable weapons and armor, as well as take advantage of upgrades and augments. A Skell’s arts are dependent on its equipped weapons–skells can have many weapons! The following parts of a Skell can have weapons–two on their back, two on their shoulders, two in their hands, and two at their sides–that makes a grand total of eight weapons! Setups may vary because some weapons make take up both slots (such as a two-handed weapon). The two downsides to skells are that they essentially only have three lives, so you have to be very careful when using them, and using techniques consumes fuel, so excessive use of a skell may render them useless after a long time.

I personally enjoy the music of the game, but I’ve also heard of others disagreeing with the musical style. The style is very non-traditional to an RPG–it can range from rock-rap, to ambient, to pure techno/electronica. A good majority of the music has lyrics too, including the battle music, which is a very unusual, but not necessarily bad choice. A lot of it is very catchy, so even if you don’t enjoy it, it’s very easy to make fun of. I can’t confidently tell readers if the music is good or bad, as it’s a matter of preference.

This game has online features, but they’re more passive than active. When you join a Conquest squad, a list of “tasks” and a time limit appears in the lower-right corner of the screen. These tasks are groups of monsters that need to be hunted by all of the members of your squad. When one of the tasks are fulfilled, you get “reward tickets”, as well as rights to start corresponding “squad missions” from your home base. Fulfilling tasks are cryptic because no information is provided other than general pictures of the monster type–at least, if there is some way to figure it out, I haven’t learned of the method yet.

Reward tickets can be traded for monster parts, which can save a player a lot of time and effort in fighting or grinding the same monsters for a specific materials. Squad missions create an environment where you can team up with up to three other players online to take on a mission in a limited environment. Coordinating to work with your friends on these is a hassle, because you have to make sure that your friends are on the same conquest squad as you are, and some of the missions are level dependent. And even then, you’re working against the timer on the bottom right of the screen because if it runs out, you have to start over with the task targets portion again. Occasionally, a “global nemesis” will appear, and these are super-powered bosses that keep regenerating their health each time you beat them–the amount of reward tickets and monster parts that you receive is based on how many times you beat them within the time limit. You are also able to “scout” avatars online which makes a carbon copy of that player for you to play with, for a fee. This can be helpful in taking on some of the harder parts of the game, if the characters on your current team don’t quite make the cut.

Then, there is the structure of missions. There are many types of missions–story missions (which I mentioned above), affinity missions, normal missions, and basic missions. Story missions are pretty much self explanatory–they are missions which are essential to progressing the game, and most of the time you will be forced to have Elma and Lin in your party, since they are the two main characters besides your avatar/main character. Affinity missions are missions which are specific to other characters you earn throughout the game, and can only be unlocked if you have a good relationship with them. To build a relationship with an unlocked character, you simply have to use them on missions and also respond to in-game dialogue in their presence. Unfortunately, you cannot do affinity missions while you have a story mission active, and vice versa. Normal missions and basic mission can be taken on at the same time as story or affinity missions. Normal missions are side-plot driven missions, and basic missions are your run of the mill MMO-style fetch quests, slay quests, etc. Working on basic missions can be difficult because the in-game encyclopedia isn’t always very good at letting you know where certain things are, even if you’ve been there before, or fought those creatures in the past. And as of this writing, it’s actually very difficult to find this information on the internet as well! This game is so massive that even the internet is taking a very long time in mapping all of the possible monster drops and locations–just another testament to how massive it is. Choices in Story/Affinity/Normal missions can affect other parts of the game–I’ve seen it happen a handful of times, but it may have happened in other areas I haven’t noticed. I haven’t beaten the game yet, so maybe there’s more to be revealed, or perhaps I may have to look up a wiki on the differences that certain choices make.

If I had to nitpick and find one chief flaw with the game, it’s the learning curve. Mainly in customization and combat, the game does little to no job in explaining how to access these functions and how they work. These features are detailed in the game’s electronic manual, but since a lot of newer generation games are tutorial based, it can be easy to feel lost or disjointed right at the start, and perhaps a little intimidated. And even if you are able to learn the intricacies, it takes a while to figure out which creatures you’re able to fight using a sink or swim approach–for example, a level 20 creature that’s the same size as your avatar may be easier to fight that a level 15 creature that’s several stories tall. Thankfully, when your avatar dies in battle, there’s no real consequence other than being teleported far away from the site you died at… however, as mentioned before, skells have only three lives so you want to be more careful with those. If you have earned a skell, more than likely you’ve already had enough experience to gauge the strength of monsters, but it can be frustrating when you’re flying around, and all of a sudden some goliath level 60 monster comes from out of nowhere and wrecks you faster than you can say the word “Wow.”

There is more that can be said about this game, but the points above covers most of the major highs and lows of the game. Overall, I would say that if you have a Wii U, this game is a MUST BUY. And if you don’t have a Wii U, go out and buy one along with this game! I truly believe that this game alone makes the Wii U worth it, and I’ve already clocked 100+ hours into it because of all the content… and still haven’t beaten it! With all of its missions, likable characters and story, breathtaking environments, eccentric soundtrack, adrenaline fueled combat, and much more, I can confidently say–this is my game of the year for 2015!

Review Summary:

Pros
+ Huge boundless open world/sandbox environment ripe for exploring
+ Fantastic artistic direction
+ Near endless customization for characters and mechs (Skells)
+ Load of missions and near endless content
+ Exciting combat that doesn’t interrupt gameplay
+ Rich story with many plot twists

Cons
– Difficult learning curve
– Music enjoyment based on preference
– Online potential falls short of expectation

Final Score: 4.5/5

The Top 10 Gaming Waifus Of 2015

by Josh JacksonJanuary 8, 2016

Warning: Potential spoilers follow!

The New Year is here! Which means for many of us, it’s a perfect time to reflect on the past year and think about what you did right, what you can improve on and how you can tackle 2016 in the best way possible. Or for the rest of us, you think back on all the fictional characters you were totally crushing on through 2015.

Yes, that’s right! It’s time for the second annual waifu of the year list (check out last year’s list right here), and if you were expecting it to be a one and done feature after I would have been inevitably added to the sexual offenders list, I’m just as surprised as you are. But before we get into the list, let’s show some appreciation for the fantastic waifu candidates that just missed the cut this year.

Rise Kujikawa (Persona 4: Dancing All Night)

While in the midst of a big comeback tour, a pop idol should probably spend her time brushing up on her choreography and screaming at interns for bringing them the wrong mineral water. Yet, Ms. Kujikawa decides to spend it saving her understudies from the clutches of monsters who must be fought with the power of dance. It was hard to list Rise over the new girl, Kanami Mashita, but considering the new girl is a big reason why the crap hit the fan to begin with, her senpai gets the nod here. The only reason why Rise didn’t make the main list is because her time to shine is essentially stolen by the swagtastic Yu Narukami, but that doesn’t mean her contributions shouldn’t be acknowledged.

Toko Fukawa (Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls)

In the original Danganronpa, Toko was often rude, shrewd, and oh so smelly, to the point where her alter ego overshadowed her in every possible way. When you consider that said alter ego is a serial killer, then you must really be a special kind of awful. Then Another Episode came along, and we were reintroduced to a strong, steadfast girl who was able to be Komaru’s voice of reason when being trapped on a secluded island full of killer robot Monokuma’s become too much to bear, (pun intended af.) So much so in fact, that even Genocide Jack develops self control along the way, serving as an invaluable ally for the Future Foundation. Toko would have normally been a shoe in for this year’s waifu list, except that she still only has eyes for Byakuya Togami. Anyone else would likely wind up dead, so yeah… There’s that.

Quest Receptionist (Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate)

Always there to greet you with a smile and a bad joke right before you take off to fight towering beasts that are likely to maul you, the mission girl is the cornerstone of any successful caravan. Now if she actually did something more than sit in a chair and make fun of you, then she would definitely be top waifu material. Regardless, she left her mark on the hearts of the Monster Hunter fandom, and that’s what counts.

Ayumi Shinozaki (Corpse Party: Blood Drive)

A shy girl with good intentions, this spiritually sensitive girl will do anything for her friends, even if it means diving back into a haunted school where most of them were previously killed in the hopes that she can revive them. Such loyalty is rare these days, which is why Ayumi deserves a nod. But we should also mention that her friends are essentially dead because of her, and returning to revive them means the ones that are still alive could end up killed as a result! But you know, an A for effort, Ayumi.

The Criminal Girls (Criminal Girls)

Now we can’t compile a list as ~~pathetic~~ amazing this one and not talk about the Criminal Girls, a group of mostly underage female inmates that are forced to help you as a guard, (who’s essentially a Pokemon Trainer if the monsters were girls of questionable morals,) escape a prison overrun with demons. That would be all well and good if criminals had any respect for the law, but considering these girls have an NWA attitude towards your authority, the only way to get them to follow your commands is to tie them down and spank them into submission… I mean, that really says it all, doesn’t it? The girls might have made the proper list if the game they star in wasn’t an absolute bore to play, but the concept is too absurd to ignore. So here’s your time to shine girls! And we’ll see you in 2016 in the sequel!

So after asking yourself how this made publication in the first place, you might be wondering who could have made the final cut with so many great characters on the sidelines! From weeaboo bait, to some of the biggest titles of the year, we scoured the gaming landscape and compiled the definitive list of waifu’s 2015 had to offer. From ninjas, to CPUs, vault dwellers to squids, and even a dude. Crack open your ramune and curl up with your favorite body pillow as we proudly (?) bring to you the top 10 waifus of 2015!

10. Homura (Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson)

An evil ninja formerly of the Hebijo Clandestine Girls’ Academy, Homura and her squad have become renegade ninjas, on the run from their former allies after helping the good ninjas of Hanzo Academy foil Hebijo’s plan for world domination at the end of the first Senran Kagura. Despite being rightfully known as the game that was specifically created for 3D boobs on Nintendo’s handheld, the games have deceptively strong storylines behind all the clothes tearing and shameless zoom ins. But what makes Homura stand out beyond all of the other Senran Kagura girls is that despite her cold, distant exterior, she’ll do anything to protect her friends, even if it means putting herself at risk. Whether that means shielding her fellow renegades from the wrath of their old school, or fighting alongside her childhood friend / good ninja rival, Asuka, Homura is never one to let pride get in the way of doing what’s right. To top it off, when her 10 kitanas, (which are incredibly badass by the way,) can’t get the job done, her Crimson Mode helps her take the battle to the next level.

9. Lin (Xenoblade Chronicles X)

The girl with the Monado hair pins. Lin Lee Koo is the resident prodigy of New Los Angeles, serving as the top mechanic for the BLADES as they explore the seemingly uncharted planet of Mira. In addition to being the one who services the team’s giant mechs, or Skells in this case, she also manages to hold her own in battle, wielding a heavy shield that’s as big as she is. It also helps to be tech savvy when everyone in town is using a substitute mechanical body.

But more so than all of that, Lin finds herself on the list mostly because of all the controversy that surrounded the ability to dress her up. After Nintendo added some extra cloth to a costume that they felt was too revealing for a 13 year old in the West, a segment of Xenoblade fans had a meltdown, fighting the decision tooth and nail to protect the integrity of the original work. Others might have just wanted to see her half naked, but the point is people were obsessing over her look for a very long time. Her being awesome is just a bonus!

8. Me (Fallout 4)

After spending enough time in the wastelands of Fallout 4, I came to the conclusion that I’m a pretty awesome wife. In a time that’s easily full of confusion after waking up from a cryogenic sleep, only to find everyone who was with you has been long dead and the last thing you witnessed was your spouse getting killed as your son was kidnapped, it’s all a lot to take in. But I pushed on, hell bent to rescue my son from the monsters who ripped him from my husband’s arms, eating and drinking as much radioactive meat and water as I can along the way. But in between developing stage 3 lymphoma with every meal, maybe I can help these passerby’s along the way? Or find this missing item for this questionable traveler? Wait, who was I supposed to rescue again?

If my version of Fallout Wife wasn’t so easily sidetracked, she could have been much higher on the list, but since I play as if my kid isn’t as important as these shady strangers I keep coming across, my priorities are clearly all out of whack. Number 8 sounds like a good place since I should get around to saving my son. Eventually…

By the way, Fallout 4‘s female lead voice actor was just on Geekscape this past week, which you can listen to right here.

7. Me (Hatoful Boyfriend)

I had trouble finding a picture that captured my good side in Hatoful Boyfriend. Oh, I know, how about this?

When I’m not a decapitated robot scarecrow tied down with a burlap sack, I’m a mild mannered middle school girl attending St. PigeoNation’s Institute for birds. I also happen to be the only human attending. In Hatoful Boyfriend, I have the capacity to love everybirdie, so much so that I’m acting as a secret liaison to re-establish human-bird relationships, unbeknownst even to me! Some of my friends have weird tastes in clothes, but still not any less weird than a human dating a pigeon.

As a hunter-gatherer who has enough compassion to not only serve as the ambassador for an entire species, but to fall in love with men of other species, my Hatoful self was a no brainer for this year’s list… Especially since I spend half the game without a brain. Whether I’m going to festivals with my bird boyfriend, or curling up next to him as a head in a jar while an army of bloodthirsty soldiers look to murder us in what could be our final moments, I must say that this time around, I’m a pretty good catch!

6. Me (Amnesia: Memories)

Making the list three times!? I think I’ve set some kind of waifu record!

When it came down to all of the different iterations of “me” this year, the top waifu goes to my female self in Amnesia: Memories. Imagine being a college girl who’s memories get erased when a well-meaning demon accidentally gets trapped in your brain, and said demon is the only person you can trust as you try to piece together your life while keeping your memory loss hidden from those who might take advantage of it. Sucks, doesn’t it? But despite all this, Amnesia me has such a big heart. Despite my potential husbandos being completely awkward around me, having magical eyes that make every girl *except* me fall in love with him, being so protective of me that they lock me in a dog cage so I can’t leave the house, or even a man with a split personality, one of which wants to kill me, the fact that I’m still able to find the capacity to love these men is amazing in and of itself.

Above all else however, if I get tired of a guy and want to dump them, rather than break their heart, I can just jump to a different dimension where I never dated them at all! If nothing else, at least I’m empathetic.

5. Jonah (Rise of the Tomb Raider)

What’s the first thing you notice about Jonah?

Yes, Scott. But aside from that. Jonah is the only companion from the Tomb Raider reboot to follow Lara into her latest adventure, serving as the textbook definition of her ride or die. Anyone can say that they would follow you to the ends of the earth, but Jonah really means it. Whether he’s traveling to war torn Syria, or to the Siberian mountains to track down an ancient relic that may or may not exist, the man even takes a knife for her! Forget that he’s so deep in the friend zone that a pair of pickaxes couldn’t dig him out, because he’s always there for Lara when she needs him.

Yes, he’s a guy, and I know that I disqualified guys last year, (no matter how feminine they looked,) but I would give Jonah a shot as my waifu just on the merits of how awesome he is.

4. Plutia (Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 3: V Generation)

In last year’s list, Neptune took the number two spot primarily on the basis that she was essentially every gamer’s dream girl. If you took those qualities and applied them to Plutia, she would be Neptune cranked up to 11. A perpetually sleepy and highly impressionable girl who will only greet the day if it means being able to play video games, knit dolls, or balk at any and all responsibility, the goddess of V Generation‘s alternate version of Planeptune doesn’t seem like much at first glance. But if you make her angry, she takes up a form that strikes fear in the hearts of friend and foe alike.

In her CPU form, Plutia’s personality takes a complete 180 as Iris Heart, a goddess that takes as much pleasure in punishing her friends as she does her enemies. Nicknamed “Sadie” for her sadomasochistic tendencies, her whip and high heels can grind any foe into submission, leading her allies to dread the occasions when Iris Heart is forced to show herself. Yet, some of you might be into that kind of thing, getting the best of both worlds from this polarizing Neptunia character. And if you are indeed that kind of person, Plutia will make her playable return in this year’s multiplayer extravaganza, MegaTagmension Blanc + Neptune Vs. Zombies. Get hyped!

3. Komaru Naegi (Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls)

Often touted as a regular girl who can’t do anything special, everything that takes place in Danganronpa: Ultra Despair Girls flies in the face of that idea. Despite being trapped on an island full of killer robots that are out to kill her, while a group of insane children turn hunting her into a game, Komaru doesn’t do too bad for herself! Armed with a special megaphone that can destroy and manipulate almost all of the machinery in Towa City, the girl who initially only known as the little sister of former protagonist Makoto Naegi, grows into a defender of hope in the face of growing despair.

Despite secretly being groomed to become the successor to the Ultimate Despair, Junko Enoshima, Komaru forsakes revenge and spares the lives of the innocent Monokuma Kids in the process, ending her adventure with both the kids and the adults out for her head. What the future holds for Komaru might still be unknown, but being able to make such a difficult choice, taking on all of the hatred of an entire town and carrying it on her back, earns her the number three spot on this illustrious list.

2. Callie and Marie (Splatoon)

Whether you’re a kid or a squid, there’s not a person who has played Splatoon who hasn’t fallen in love with Callie and Marie, collectively known as the squid sisters. Acting as news reporters who make sure to clue you in on all of what’s happening in Inkopolis each time you boot up the game, the girls are known to up the stakes every now and again with occasional Splatfests. Unlike any other waifu on this list, Callie and Marie have the power to manipulate Inklings around the world to fight in their name over such important matters as deciding if burgers are better than pizza.

However, rumor has it that in addition to keeping the world of Splatoon up to date, the two are said to secretly act under the guise of Agents 1 and 2, protecting the city from the hidden Octoling threat. As driven career women, it’s amazing that they’re able to find the time to work as undercover agents while managing to make wise cracks at each other in between discussing new stages. And if you think putting both girls on the list as part of the same entry is a cop out, it is! Because I can’t decide which one between the two is best girl. While Callie’s energetic personality would usually win out, Marie’s sarcastic wit delivered what had to have been the best line of the year, declaring that Team Science lost against Team Art because her team “had jobs to do.” Right in the feelers, Marie.

Whichever one you prefer, it’s undeniable that Callie and Marie have become the icons of what’s arguably the biggest new IP of 2015, so get used to those faces, because I expect to see them for a long time. And as always…

We’ve gone through a lot of amazing characters, but only one can stand alone as the undisputed “Best Girl” of 2015. So without further ado, the top waifu of 2015 is…

1. Nepgear (Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 2: Sisters Generation, Hyperdimension Neptunia U: Action Unleashed, Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 3: V Generation)

Releasing in very early 2015, we were re-intruduced to Nepgear in Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 2: Sisters Generation, and from the moment the download started on my PS Vita, it was love at first byte. As the resident techy of the group, Nepgear rocks at tinkering as much as she rocks that school uniform, often daydreaming of all things robotic.

Being the little sister of the series protagonist means having to live up to some high expectations, especially when said protagonist and all of her friends from the previous game start off as captured and powerless. From the point of Nepgear’s escape and rise from the ashes was one of the most enjoyable journeys I played during the year. Yes, I know that seemingly the majority of the fandom craps on the second game due to it losing a big portion of the first game’s humor in favor of a doom and gloom story with heavy anti-piracy themes. From a narrative standpoint however, Nepgear and the rest of the little sisters, under her leadership, are able to rise above hate, never give up and eventually surpass the goddesses, becoming incredibly powerful in their own right.

Nepgear in her CPU form as Purple Sister

Which is more the reason Re;Birth 3 broke my heart a little when it came to Nepgear. The game regained its trademark humor, turning the fans’ dislike for the second game, turning it into a big joke, and directing it straight at Purple Sister herself. Despite the fact that her only sin was coddling Neptune way too much, that didn’t stop her beloved sister from constantly putting her down, mocking her status as former main character, and turning her friends against her to the point where she even convinces her allies from the second game that it’s perfectly okay to leave her trapped in another dimension when it came to the “good” ending of the third game. A dimension she wouldn’t have been in in the first place if she didn’t travel between worlds to rescue Neptune AGAIN!

But speaking of alternate endings, the most controversial moment in the entire series falls squarely on Nepgear’s shoulders during the Conquest Ending of Re;Birth 2. The only thing Nep Jr. loves more than her sister and friends is Gamindustri itself, and this ending proves how far she will go when it comes to protecting the world she’s come to care for so much. In a desperate attempt to vanquish their enemies once and for all, the girls learn of a forbidden weapon that absorbs the life energy of CPUs to build its strength. From here, its open season, as Nepgear travels from land to land, slaughtering all of her friends, including her best friend, Uni, and the twin girls, Rom and Ram, the former of which looks up to Nepgear like a big sister. Eventually, only Neptune herself is standing, but not for long…

What the goodness!?

After all the Re;Birth 3 shenanigans, I almost wanted this to be canon, but when she’s not slaughtering everyone she holds dear, Nepgear is a strong, reliable girl who’s managed to charm the knee socks off of us. Plus, we’re humans, so when the inevitable day comes when Nepgear finally snaps, is there anyone better to be in your corner?

So there’s your list of top waifus for 2015! Did your favorite make the cut, or were our trash waifus far too inferior to deserve the honor of best girl? Share your thoughts, picks, and all the reasons why I’m wrong with us in the comments below, and tweet me your suggestions @InuJoshua!

‘Xenoblade Chronicles X’ To Offer Downloadable Data Packs For Increased Loading Speeds!

by Natalie KipperNovember 13, 2015

Yesterday’s Nintendo Direct brought loads of surprises, as well as some welcome updates on previously announced titles like Xenoblade Chronicles X for the Wii U. Beyond showcasing new video eye candy, which I am completely in favor of, they also discussed the function of four data packs for the game, all of which are already up on the Wii U eShop. These downloads will serve to decrease loading time in-game for the disc version of the game; the eShop copies will have these packs included. It should be noted that downloading the packs is optional but strongly encouraged.

Here are the names of the data packs and their file sizes:

– Basic Pack (2 GB)

– Enemy Pack (2.7 GB)

– Player Pack (3.6 GB)

– Skell Pack (1.7 GB)

Xenoblade Chronicles X will release in North America on December 4th. Pre-orders are currently available on the Wii U eShop as well as at your local game store.

E3 2015: We’re Going To Have To Wait A Long Time For ‘Xenoblade Chronicles X’ To Come Out.

by Josh JacksonJune 20, 2015

One of the reasons why the Nintendo Digital Event felt so underwhelming was the surprisingly late release dates that some of the expected 2015 releases received. First, Yoshi’s Wooly World was given a release date of October 16, which is very odd considering the game launches in Europe in about a week. Last I checked, our regions spoke the same language, so the release was likely delayed to fill gaps in the vital holiday season. More understandably, (but just as disappointing,) it was also revealed that Xenoblade Chronicles X, the RPG epic that follows in the footsteps of the critically acclaimed Xenoblade Chronicles for the Wii and New 3DS, won’t launch until the end of the year, on December 4th.

Using a similar turn based battle engine as its predecessor, but focusing on a new universe and cast, the previews we’ve seen in the past show off an incredibly vast world that can be explored on foot or by mech. Primarily taking place in the colony of New Los Angeles, the few remaining humans are tasked with establishing their new home after Earth was caught in the crossfire of warring alien races, all while fighting to survive as other races seek their destruction.

With so much dialogue to translate, dub and convert over to our region, it’s no surprise that the game would take so long to release, Still, that doesn’t mean the news isn’t disappointing. Based on the first game and what we’ve seen of this one though, and I’m willing to bet it will be worth the wait.

What do you think of Xenoblade Chronicles X, or any other title Nintendo revealed for E3? Let us know below, and keep checking back for all your E3 goodness!

The Shulk Amiibo Will Be A GameStop Exclusive

by Josh JacksonNovember 13, 2014

Yesterday, Nintendo unveiled the third wave of Amiibo figures, including Sonic, Mega Man, and about half a dozen Nintendo favorites. One such characters was Shulk, the Monado wielding protagonist of Xenoblade Chronicles. If you’re like me, you were really excited for the chance to put this sweet looking figure on your shelf when not importing it into Super Smash Bros.

There’s just one catch. Like the game that he originates from, Shulk’s Amiibo will be exclusive to GameStop, so if you REALLY need him, this is the only official retailer that you’ll be able to pick it up from. It sucks for people who try to avoid the store like the plague, but I guess we should be happy that we’re getting him at all. Either way, I think we can all agree that retailer exclusive content is a raw deal.

Aside from Smash, will Shulk have any functionality in the upcoming Xenoblade New 3DS port? Will placing his figure on the Wii U Game Pad add him to your Xenoblade Chronicles X party, while he runs around telling you his various levels of feeling it? We can only hope.

The third wave of Amiibos are set for a February release.

E3 2014: ‘Xenoblade Chronicles X’ Stuns Us With Its First Full Length Trailer!

by Josh JacksonJune 13, 2014

After pressure from fans forced Nintendo of America to release Xenoblade Chronicles in the U.S., the game became a surprise smash hit. Since then, images and short game play videos have been slowly released under the title of X, the Wii U exclusive follow up to the popular RPG, but nothing solid as far as what we could expect aside from mechs. During Nintendo’s Digital E3 Event however, we were finally treated to a full preview trailer, showing us the world that will become ours to explore when the title is released. Now titled Xenoblade Chronicles: X, I’m sure I’m not the only one who felt blown away.

Large space battles, a world at war and plenty of JRPG melodrama seems to be the running theme throughout the trailer, all backed by some gorgeous visiuals and a fantastic soundtrack. Knowing Monolith Soft’s previous work, the game definitely gave off some Xenosaga and Xenogears vibes at certain points, which can only be a good thing, (as long as we don’t get hour plus cutscenes like the former made famous).

Combining that mech action with the large open world of its predecessor sounds like it could be a must play experience, but even with the trailer answering many of our questions, some still linger. How exactly will the combat system play, or will it be just like Xenoblade like early game play trailers have suggested? How much of the game will take place in space and how much will be on land? And with the title revision, does this game tie in to the last game, or is the name only for branding purposes? The very end of the trailer suggests there could be a link, but we’ll have to wait a little longer to know for sure.

Xenoblade Chronicles: X is slated for a 2015 releases. Check out the E3 trailer below and let us know if you echo my sentiments.