Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna the Golden Country discussion
For those of us who have Xenoblade Chronicles 2's expansion pass, Torna the Golden Country is now available through XC2's 2.0.0 update. Once installed, you have access to the DLC story via the menu screen on XC2.
For those buying the seperate version via eShop or physical, your copies will be available on September 21.
Please keep in mind that this is both a standalone story and a prequel to Xenoblade Chronicles 2, so any and all spoilers should be in tags.
Without further ado, it's finally out! I've only put 3 hours into it so far but I love it. More XC2 is exactly what I wanted.
For those buying the seperate version via eShop or physical, your copies will be available on September 21.
Please keep in mind that this is both a standalone story and a prequel to Xenoblade Chronicles 2, so any and all spoilers should be in tags.
Without further ado, it's finally out! I've only put 3 hours into it so far but I love it. More XC2 is exactly what I wanted.
I know Torna is supposed to be playable first, so they had to do it, but I've only played the start, and there's a lot of tutorials I have no need for since I've already played XC2.
Otherwise, it's very nice...the scenery in this one area feels quite different than anything else, and I'm noticing the music more than I ever did in XC2. Dunno if that means it's more distinct, or if I just like it better. I really like the 'community' function, too, that feels more like XC1 and XCX in a small way. Also...I get to spend so much time with my favourite XC2 character, whee.
But about a certain character's voice (I'm still in about the first hour):
Also, this is just a note that I think there's something different about collection points, but...
Having trouble with what should be a minor side quest, too.
Otherwise, it's very nice...the scenery in this one area feels quite different than anything else, and I'm noticing the music more than I ever did in XC2. Dunno if that means it's more distinct, or if I just like it better. I really like the 'community' function, too, that feels more like XC1 and XCX in a small way. Also...I get to spend so much time with my favourite XC2 character, whee.
But about a certain character's voice (I'm still in about the first hour):
Spoiler:
Spoiler:
Spoiler:
Only played a couple of hours so far, but it's nice to be back in this world. Really enjoying it!
If anyone finding this thread is considering getting the Torna story BEFORE playing the main game, personally I wouldn't recommend it. Spoilers aside, the pacing of the Torna story really feels set up for DLC, not an introduction to this world and its conventions.
@Kikki: About the collection points,
Main game story spoiler...
I was surprised to see so many side quests pop up so early. Even if the game ends up shorter than advertised, it seems like it'll end up filling out pretty nicely. *fingers crossed*
If anyone finding this thread is considering getting the Torna story BEFORE playing the main game, personally I wouldn't recommend it. Spoilers aside, the pacing of the Torna story really feels set up for DLC, not an introduction to this world and its conventions.
@Kikki: About the collection points,
Spoiler:
Spoiler:
Holy huge difficulty spike, Batman.
I won't comment much until I get all the way through the game. I *must* be at least half way through at this point. Probably not a spoiler, but just in case...
I'll put more of my thoughts up when I'm totally done. I love Jin and Lora. I am probably not prepared to continue, lol...
I won't comment much until I get all the way through the game. I *must* be at least half way through at this point. Probably not a spoiler, but just in case...
Spoiler:
In regards to the game's systems, it feels like they got everything right. The only complaint I have is collectibles...if you're missing some (I am ALWAYS missing most of what I need even though I collect like crazy) all it tells you is that you can find it in 'Torna' or in 'Gormott'. That is WAAAAAAY too broad. Its like searching an entire country for a lost penny. :/ And I can never remember where I found the 'machine' type points, so finding any of those bits takes me hours even if they're not uncommon.
Otherwise, it's going great. I'm cleaning up a bunch more side quests right now. Nice way to get extra levels.
Oh but, if you're looking for machine collectibles I can remember two spots that were useful to me.
Also, about side quests being 'optional'. (No story details revealed but if you don't know what I mean by 'optional' then this may be a...I don't know what to call it. A mechanic spoiler?)
Otherwise, it's going great. I'm cleaning up a bunch more side quests right now. Nice way to get extra levels.
Oh but, if you're looking for machine collectibles I can remember two spots that were useful to me.
Spoiler:
Spoiler:
I just finished. Without giving any details or references or anything, my end impression is that I didn't see the story I was expecting to see. I saw some of it, but not most of it.
I think you could play this pre-XC2 just fine, but then, very few of XC2's plot twists actually surprised me, so I'm not sure how many would feel the same. I find Rex a very lacklustre hero compared to Jin, though, so there's that. But then, even during XC2, Jin was my favourite, lol.
Now I feel kind of melancholy. It does really make you want to start up XC2 right away, but I'd have a hard time rooting for anyone but Jin at this point, which makes me think replaying XC2 might actually be kind of torturous, now. Though I was biased that way from the beginning anyway. Not that I was planning to replay right away anyway. I still have loads of blade quests to do in my original (XC2) game.
I think you could play this pre-XC2 just fine, but then, very few of XC2's plot twists actually surprised me, so I'm not sure how many would feel the same. I find Rex a very lacklustre hero compared to Jin, though, so there's that. But then, even during XC2, Jin was my favourite, lol.
Now I feel kind of melancholy. It does really make you want to start up XC2 right away, but I'd have a hard time rooting for anyone but Jin at this point, which makes me think replaying XC2 might actually be kind of torturous, now. Though I was biased that way from the beginning anyway. Not that I was planning to replay right away anyway. I still have loads of blade quests to do in my original (XC2) game.
I basically haven't moved in two days from the new temporary meds making me ick in various places, plus the issue they're treating is still acting up, so I didn't have anything else to do. (Well, I could have read or something else that doesn't involve movement, but since I had the game, it seemed a waste not to play it.) I finished at 21 hours because I was starting to feel disconnected from the main story by all the questing and affinity-raising I was doing. I would have needed 25-30 to finish if I had done the last 20-25% of the quests I skipped and maxed everybody out in their affinity charts.
Btw, I don't know if anyone wants to know this, but if you do, here is some technical info about what happens after the end of the game. (No story details, just stuff about save options and so on.)
Btw, I don't know if anyone wants to know this, but if you do, here is some technical info about what happens after the end of the game. (No story details, just stuff about save options and so on.)
Spoiler:
Sorry about the med issues, Kiki. Hope it works itself out soon!
I'm about 10 hours into it. I'm exploring every nook and cranny and trying to get everyone's affinity charts filled. I'm really enjoying it so far. The party has a nice dynamic to it completely different from the party in vanilla XC2. I like playing as Lora and Aegaeon the most. I'm really not ready to
I'm about 10 hours into it. I'm exploring every nook and cranny and trying to get everyone's affinity charts filled. I'm really enjoying it so far. The party has a nice dynamic to it completely different from the party in vanilla XC2. I like playing as Lora and Aegaeon the most. I'm really not ready to
Spoiler:
Thanks
I'm about to turn my XC2 cartridge over to my sister and I am not sure whether to recommend she play Torna first, or just go straight for the main game and try Torna after. Even though I've finished both.
I'm really used to the way Xenoblade works and not much about XC2 surprised me, so I'm very insensitive to spoilers for it. To me, Torna didn't really feel like it spoiled anything, it just introduced it differently and shuffled what the key interesting points were without ruining anything. But like I said...insensitive. So I'm not sure what to tell her when I give her the game.
I'd recommend Torna first with only that one caveat...that for me it would have made me even more discontent with Rex as the protagonist. But that's just me, so otherwise I WOULD recommend Torna first. But I don't know if that's advice that's only good for people with very a very niche perspective...
I'm about to turn my XC2 cartridge over to my sister and I am not sure whether to recommend she play Torna first, or just go straight for the main game and try Torna after. Even though I've finished both.
I'm really used to the way Xenoblade works and not much about XC2 surprised me, so I'm very insensitive to spoilers for it. To me, Torna didn't really feel like it spoiled anything, it just introduced it differently and shuffled what the key interesting points were without ruining anything. But like I said...insensitive. So I'm not sure what to tell her when I give her the game.
I'd recommend Torna first with only that one caveat...that for me it would have made me even more discontent with Rex as the protagonist. But that's just me, so otherwise I WOULD recommend Torna first. But I don't know if that's advice that's only good for people with very a very niche perspective...
Still haven't completed Torna - maybe this weekend - but I've thought several times that it's kind of nice that Torna is so short. I'd only recommend playing it first to someone who doesn't have time/energy for an 80 hour RPG - I don't think I'll succeed but I actually have a couple friends I want to play Torna for that reason. Maybe after the fortieth complaint about missing games. It kind of makes me want a developer to work on shorter or more episodic RPGs.
As for spoilers I think it spoils a LOT. It depends on how much that matters to an individual, of course, but...
As for spoilers I think it spoils a LOT. It depends on how much that matters to an individual, of course, but...
Spoiler: