Operation Backlog Completion 2026

Torna ~ The Golden Country is an Excellent Xenoblade Prequel

 Reviews, Video games  No Responses »  Tagged with: ,
Nov 122018
 

After taking a break for horror games during October, I returned to Torna ~ The Golden Country and finished it over the weekend.

Torna is a DLC expansion to Xenoblade Chronicles 2, which I played and enjoyed earlier this year.

Technically, the expansion stands on its own and was even released as a standalone game… but considering how many Xenoblade Chronicles 2 revelations it spoils and how much context from the main game helps, I wouldn’t recommend playing it first.

As a short prequel, however, Torna is excellent. It focuses on Lora and Jin, as well as the other characters they meet on their journey, the most important of whom are Addam and Mythra. If you enjoyed those flashback scenes in the main game, you should enjoy seeing them expanded into a full story.

The combat system is similar to that used in Xenoblade Chronicles 2, but with some key differences. You can play as Blades now, so instead of switching which Blade you have active, you switch who is in the lead. The character in the back plays a supporting role, which makes it feel more like everyone in the party is contributing to the battle.

There are a lot of little gameplay changes that make Torna feel like a better experience. Gathering spots now say what type of item it’ll be, there’s no more luck-based core crystal system, and having a fixed set of Blades means you can use field skills without shuffling your lineup around every time.

I also liked the side quests better. While the main story’s side quests felt pretty basic outside of the Blade quests, most of Torna’s quests have their own little stories and characters who change as you complete their quests. This all ties into the Community system, which I loved.

…Well, mostly.

When you meet NPCs in Torna, they’re all added to a list. As you complete side quests and these characters start to like you, they’re added to your Community. It’s a nice way to show the work you’ve done toward helping people, and the way certain quests tied together made me really appreciate this system.

The problem is that Torna uses its Community system for padding, as there are a couple points where you can’t proceed with the main story until your Community reaches a certain level.

I enjoyed the side quests, and I kept completing side quests even after I was able to proceed with the main story, but having mandatory side quests just doesn’t feel right. It took me just under 30 hours to complete Torna, and while that’s sizable for DLC, it would have been even stronger if more time was devoted toward character development instead of locking the story’s progression like that.

Still, the side quests do help make Torna (the country) feel more alive. The story itself is good, with some great moments… but if you go into it expecting the same sort of lightheartedness Xenoblade Chronicles 2 had, just remember what we know about these characters’ pasts from the main game.

Click for implied Torna spoilers
Even knowing all that, I still wasn’t prepared for how sad the ending would be. It’s a hard-hitting ending if you’ve gotten attached to these characters, and just when you think everything’s going to be okay, it’s not.

(On the other hand, now I don’t mind the main game’s contrived happy ending quite as much.)

So if you enjoyed Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and want to see what happened in the past, or if you’re looking for a smaller Xenoblade experience, I highly recommend Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna ~ The Golden Country and I hope Monolith Soft takes inspiration from its strengths for their next game.

Episodes Aranea, Lunafreya, and Noctis Cancelled

 Video games  10 Responses »  Tagged with: , ,
Nov 092018
 

Back in April, Square Enix revealed the next four DLC episodes planned for Final Fantasy XV.

These four “Dawn of the Future” DLC episodes would focus on Ardyn, Aranea, Lunafreya, and Noctis.

Episode Ardyn would be a prequel, Episode Aranea was described as a side story, and Episode Lunafreya and Episode Noctis were apparently planned to deal with an alternate future in place of the game’s normal ending.

I wasn’t thrilled with the alternate ending DLC, especially since Luna needed more time in the actual plot, but I was particularly interested in finally seeing Ardyn’s past.

Well… I’ll get my wish, but anyone looking forward to the others won’t.

Episode Aranea, Episode Lunafreya, and Episode Noctis have been officially cancelled. This appears to be due to a decision to have the new Luminous Productions studio work on an all-new game instead.

Not only that, but Hajime Tabata has left Square Enix to start his own company, though we don’t have any further details yet.

It isn’t all bad news for Final Fantasy XV, though. The standalone version of Comrades is coming out on December 12, there’s going to be a crossover event with Final Fantasy XIV, and Episode Ardyn is still planned for March as the last of the Final Fantasy XV DLC.

Episode Ardyn takes place 30 years prior to the main game… which surprises me. I expected the Ardyn prequel story to be set much earlier. There will also be an animated prologue that shows Ardyn’s reasons for wanting revenge, so that might be more like the prequel I imagined.

If there’s one good thing about the time frame, it’s young Verstael!

(I’m still not over Verstael’s lack of screen time in the main game.)

While I wasn’t too excited for the other DLC episodes and wanted Square Enix to move on from Final Fantasy XV, it’s rough to have them just cancelled like this. I’ll play Episode Ardyn, although I’m a little disappointed the part I wanted to see of his past apparently isn’t in the DLC…

Well, what are your thoughts on Episode Ardyn, the cancellation of the remaining DLC, and Tabata’s departure from Square Enix?

Chances of a Final Fantasy VII Compilation Remake

 Video games  10 Responses »  Tagged with: , ,
Nov 072018
 

That’s right, we’re talking about the Final Fantasy VII Remake and its relationship to the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII again.

The last time we talked about this was in February 2017, when Nomura said there would be no continuity between the Compilation and the new remake.

However, it left open the possibility that Compilation material still could be incorporated into the remake.

As reported by Gematsu, Nomura was answering fan questions on October 30 when one fan said they want to play Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII again.

(Before Crisis was a Japan-exclusive prequel for mobile phones that followed the Turks. As of March 31, it can no longer be played.)

Nomura responded by addressing the matter of the Final Fantasy VII Remake, which he will be focusing on after Kingdom Hearts III’s release, and said:

All of us old-timers are considering various developments in regards to what accompanies the remake. Like if we can manage to do something about the Compilation titles too. But for the time being, please wait for VII’s turn to come.”

This caused some fury among fans, who seem to think Nomura is implying they’ll spend time focusing on the Compilation instead of the main game.

Personally, I don’t think that’s what this is. I think he wanted to respond to the fan in a way that didn’t rule out the possibility of the Compilation eventually being remade, so he said they’re considering it.

The “please wait for VII’s turn to come” sounds like they’re going to focus on the Final Fantasy VII Remake before any side material.

It also sounds like the Compilation is still completely separate, rather than being incorporated into Final Fantasy VII’s story. (I’m still not sure why the remake can’t be released as a single title.) Will the Compilation be remade? Maybe eventually.

But it doesn’t sound like it’s one of Square Enix’s currently plans.

What do you think about the Final Fantasy VII Remake, the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, and Nomura’s answer to the question?

(Also, Happy N7 Day! When will we get some Mass Effect news?)

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