Nintendo focused on another re-release of a game this past April when tackling the vast RPG of Xenoblade Chronicles.  The game, previously released for the Wii in June of 2010, almost didn’t have a North American release due to a lack of enthusiasm towards the series. The original game is tied in to the 2002/2003 series of Xenosaga, which was composed of three episodes before the franchise was bought out by major game company Nintendo.  However, Chronicles follows an entirely different storyline than the original games, so you don’t need to play Saga to understand the plot of Chronicles. The new 3DS platform comes with few, slight differences from the original Wii version that seem to simply add to the experience.

Instead of taking place on Earth, the homeworld of the characters are two Titans named Bionis and Mechonis, who once feuded.  When the Titans landed fatal blows to each other, their bodies became home to life forms of all sorts, including Homs (the “humans” of this universe), High Entia, and Nopon.  Xenoblade follows the story of a teenage scientist named Shulk in the town of Colony 9. He works towards defending the town from the dangerous Mechon, but terror strikes when a close friend is murdered in cold blood.  Shulk wields a sword of legend and attempts to find answers and kill the Mechon responsible for his friend’s death.

The plot directs itself along a story of revenge and tugs at human emotion as you fight alongside what seems an impossible journey in the hopes of getting justice, a constant theme in humanity for those who have loved, lost, or even felt sorrow.  You find that in the game, you have your emotions projected onto the polygons that end up constructing a character in front of your eyes.  As someone who has experienced unjust loss and the desire for revenge, I found myself taking the role of Shulk almost instantly, thinking that my will for revenge would be projected in a desirable way, but then I was pulled in for a ride that was an elaborate version of my own life.

Not only do Shulk and his best friend, Reyn, discover there is more to the fight than what they anticipated, they find their strength in friends they meet along the way. Each character is odd and unique in their own ways, and they will all stick out in your mind as you continue the trip.  That isn’t to say, however, that the game is without flaw. Some plot points seem to be patched at the last minute, many glitches still persist and, though they seem to be amusing, they detract from the concentration and intent of the story.

Overall, the game and its story bring you to an ultimatum that attempts to show the dangers of human nature in its entirety. It makes one look within and examine their own emotions.  Though drawn out at points and coming to a point of comedically complex conflicts, Xenoblade Chronicles is a very enjoyable game. Even if you aren’t a huge fan of what the game discusses, the music and light-hearted comedy that the characters provide at times can surely bring a smile to your face.