Different kinds of RPGs cater to different sorts of gamers. If you like getting lost in a long, complex narrative, you can do that. If you like to obsessively micro-manage, you can do that too. If you watch a lot of anime, there is somehow a thriving subgenre that caters to your tastes.

Deep; involved combat system; Engaging; powerful story; Characters you care about

Too many combat systems to count; Lot of menu management to wade through; Voice-acting is a bit uneven

When Xenoblade Chronicles appeared on the Wii, I was blown away by a massive, intricate JRPG involving massive titans and people with swords and shields fighting against a machine threat armed with missiles and energy shields.

Exploration is fun; Learning new systems; Intricate combat; Amazing soundtrack

Voice acting, Fanservice; Chill a bit, okay, No bestiary

I spent the game collecting Core Crystals and by its end, I had four rare Blades. They immediately went to my party so I could test them out and use all their arts and super attacks. They also added some much-needed variety to the combat dialogue as it gets very loud and repetitive after a while.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 applies an energetic signature and wax seal to a wonderful year for the Nintendo Switch, and for JRPGs in general. Between the amount of time it takes to get used to the game and getting through everything it has to offer, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is a worthy investment for...

Nintendo's Switch has had a slew of fantastic releases this year, with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey leading the pack, both receiving the highest accolade from Cubed3 and other media worldwide.

A lot of people will look back at 2017 as Nintendo's best year in a long time. I will as well given how great it has been for Nintendo as a publisher and for anyone with a Switch. When it was initia

Massive world to explore; Excellent cast and story; Maybe Mitsuda's best soundtrack; Great voice acting; Combat is improved and a lot of fun

Visual issues; more so in handheld; Navigation gets annoying sometimes

While it's definitely got its flaws, and it doesn't quite reach the same exceptional standards as its predecessor, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is definitely worth playing. With robust, customizable combat, fun characters and an interesting story, and huge environments to explore, it's one of the best...

The combat is satisfying; strategic; and customizable to the player's preferred fighting style; The world is huge and interesting to explore; The story is fun and different than its predecessor

The voice acting makes it difficult to take the game seriously at times; The interchangeable nature of the combat makes the characters feel less unique; The performance is less than stellar more often than I would like; The beginning of the game feels restrictive and tutorial-heavy

I'd be hard pressed to name any console that's had a better software line-up in its first year than the Nintendo Switch. Whether it's been a remarkable new entry in a storied franchise, a fresh IP, or a port of a well-loved classic, Nintendo's spectacular handheld has delivered on all fronts.

Incredible world; Likeable and engaging characters; Involving combat; Layers upon layers of depth

Performance drops; Sexualised character design; Repetitive battle speech

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is every bit as fantastical as you'd hope, an RPG set in a massive world where man and animal live on the backs of tremendous beasts in a sea of clouds. The world of Alrest, simultaneously Earthly and alien, with a mysterious history that even its major players fail to truly...

Large and beautiful environments draw you into Xenoblade 2's natural world; A deep combat system with a high ceiling for expert play; Multi-layered character customization and progression affords you a lot of room for experimentation; The second half of the story is packed with intriguing...

The first half of the story is filled with cliches and bland plot points; Many characters backed by poor voice acting; Poppi's potential as a fully-customizable Blade is squandered by the need to play Tiger Tiger; Common Blades are boring to look at; and difficult to differentiate within menus; No...